Uberti and Pietta SAA copies: relative merits of each?

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I have two Cimarron/Uberti SA revolvers this Bisley model with custom Stag grips is my favorite of the two, but I love both of them.

As much as I hate to I'll be parting with this sweet revolver along with most of my gun collection and other things.

Also have a unfired Colt SA revolver, that will be sold right along with the rest.

Cossack, before you go to bending sights or turning barrels if you can handload for that revolver.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
 
Lovely gun, Bob. Sorry you have to part ways with it. Good advice, and as I mentioned, I won't go messing with the sights or barrel until I try more loads and a range of adjustments to the nut behind the trigger.
 
Hmm, thats exactly where I put the trigger I pull the trigger with the crease even with long guns too. This is great advice Driftwood! I will try out the pad of my finger next time out to the range.

Yup, it feels more natural to put the trigger in the crease, but pulling the trigger with the pad of the finger allows the trigger to be pulled back slightly straighter. The truth is, all we can do with our fingers is to curl them or straighten them. I can see everybody trying this right now. You can't really pull a trigger straight back, all you can do is eliminate as much of the curl as possible, by pulling the trigger with the pad of the finger. Very important in pistol shooting, particularly with non-adjustable sights. Probably not so important with a rifle, but I am not a precision rifle shooter so I really don't know.

Now I will let you in on a little secret. In CAS, I am shooting my pistols fairly fast, and I am probably pulling the triggers with the crease, not the pad. Just habit. I learned a long time ago to aim at the right half of the target, because most of my misses were over to the left. But CAS is not a precision game, the targets are pretty big, and it does not matter where you hit them, just as long as you don't miss.

If any of you tells this to anybody I will deny it.
 
Does anyone know if anyone makes pair of checkered rubber grips that would fit my gun?
 
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Cossack - before you starting messing with your sights - don't assume it is the sights that are making you hit left. A lot of things can affect the windage.

Are you shooting two handed? Or traditional single handed hold? Either way - it's not much different than with any handgun. Lots of times it is not the sights - it's your hold. If a 45 Colt is new to you then you need to put quite a few rounds down range to get used to your handgun. Are you anticipating discharge/recoil? Are you gripping the plow handle the same each time?

And remember - different loads will shoot differently. If you are going to reload - you can work up a load that works well and stick with it as you will pretty much know POA in regards to POI. If you are using store bought - you won't or might not get the same ammo each time - thus your POA and POI may differ.

In reality - when that 7 1/2" goes off - you are getting some muzzle rise with the end of the barrel as the slug is pushed down the tube and it leaves. That is pretty easy to get used to. Windage - that may take some time.

As an example - I shoot a lot of SAA and vintage DA Smiths. When I picked up a Smith 9mm Shield to change off on my CCW carry with my Smith 36 snub - I had a lot of issues with my hits going left. But, I knew it was me and not the handgun and as it turned out - after 300 rounds or so downrange - my grip was adjusted which took care of the windage problem.

Don't get discouraged - pretty soon that dogleg will be like an extension of your arm and it will hit where you point it. I have one like yours and I mostly shoot 255 gr RPFN out of it - traditional slug. All I shoot are reloads. Sometimes I use a 230 gr. RNFP. Both shoot differently as far as POA and POI. When I do have a windage issue - I can easily chalk it up to operator error as I know as soon as I pull the trigger whether it's going left or right instead of center.

Of all my calibers that I reload, the 45 Colt is my favorite. Just something about that old traditional round and those blunt nosed lead slugs. Your revolver is a nice looking one! Enjoy and have fun and just get some rounds under you belt before you start to alter anything as far as sights. It's not that sights can't be off - even on original Colts it was not uncommon to bend a front sight either left or right to compensate. But I'm a firm believer that once you know "how" your revolver shoots and where it hits, you can easily adjust the windage with your POA to compensate the same as elevation for the distances you are shooting. And practice at uncommon distances - not just 25 yards, 50 yards, etc. Realistic shooting is at different distances so as you continue to get used to your individual SAA, you'll be able to adjust your sight picture for the odd distances.

Have fun and enjoy! The only thing that distances you from Wyatt Earp or Bat Masterson is time . . . you still on even gourd with them as far as what's in your hand! :)
 
Thanks for the tips, Bedbugbilly. As i mentioned, I don't intend to be messing with the sights anytime soon. I've got a lot of trigger time to put in. Mostly I was just interested in what it would take if i decide to go that route later on.

i just ordered some ammo from LAXAmmo.com - it came out to about $130 delivered for 250rds of 255gr FMJ. If the site is to be believed, it's 887 fps. It seemed like a good price as they go, and will give me a good pile of brass (looks like Starline in the photo) to play with. I thought others might like to see that site, since it was one of the better prices I've come across.
 
For future reference. This stuff here is loaded in Starline brass. It was 27 bucks a box at Sportsmans warehouse. They do sell online also. And it may be found at other online retailers. Not quite as cheap as you've found, but the cheapest I've ever seen it locally and in the Starline brass was a no brained for me.
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Deerslayer, thanks for the recommendation. I've used that in my .44 Special and was very pleased with it. Picked up some .44 Mag as well (I assume, being CAS loads, the .44 Magnum is not very "Magnum").

Next time I'm in the big city, I'll probably swing by SW and get some for the .45.

Would grips for Colts or any of the Ruger SA variations be likely to fit mine? I like the grips on it now; they're comfortable and atractive. However, I don't really like the Cimarron medallions, and I'm a sucker for the look of the black rubber that Colt puts on theirs.
 
Would grips for Colts or any of the Ruger SA variations be likely to fit mine? I like the grips on it now; they're comfortable and atractive. However, I don't really like the Cimarron medallions, and I'm a sucker for the look of the black rubber that Colt puts on theirs.

Cossack, I'm pretty sure the Ruger grips will not fit, the Colt grips may with a little fitting.

My other Cimarron has the plain wood grips like Colt had at one time except they are not plain walnut, the one piece style no medallions, they may work on your gun.

The cheezy medallion is one of the things I did not like on my Cimarron Bisley plus they were to narrow in the neck, so I had the custom stag grips made and they fit my hand perfectly.

I'll say this, both my Cimarron's fit and finish is excellent and they have the sweetest trigger pulls out of the box then any revolver I've ever owned.

The one with the plain grips, 4-3/4 inch barrel is now well past 10,000 rounds of tier two loads no issues with the gun so far.

My preferred handload in my all my guns in 45 Colt caliber is a 270 gr WFN cast bullet moving at 1100 fps.

I believe the more you shoot that revolver the more you will enjoy it, that's the way it is with me.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
 
FWIW, Cimarron sells a hard rubber grip separately. You can get the plain wood grips when you buy old model Ps, but new models always have the medallion nowadays.
I just bought a Cimarron old model .45Colt 4-3/4 model, and it blows away my previous identical Taylors model (stolen last month in WY :( ) in fit, finish, better lettering, feel of the action and in the added detail of including a non-safety hammer. I know Uberti importers are usually luck of the draw, but this one impressed me.
 
I have a pair of "Evil Roy" Cimerron Model P 1873 Colts. They are beautiful pistols with excellent triggers. Their fit and finish is exceptional.
 
Does any manufacturer make a good general purpose load, preferably a 255 gr bullet loaded around 900fps or so?

Most of what I've found are either CAS loads at 750fps or less, or else premium loads.

American Eagle and Remington loads are 225-230gr, which isn't bad, I guess. I had read that the Remington 225gr SWC, which is listed at 960fps, is actuallycloser to the mid 800s in speed. Niothing to scoff at, but it basically leaves everything in .45 ACP territory. I know the .45 ACP was intended to imitate the .45 Colt in effectiveness, but wasn't the original BP load of the .45 colt a bit more oomphy? About 255grs at 900-1000fps? Is there a current commercial load that duplicates that, other than Buffalo Bore (which is great, but about $2/bang)?


I had the chance to shoot the Cimarron some more, and it's still consistently left for me. My friend and I were shooting yesterday, and I shot a Browning .22lr, a S&W K22, Beretta 92, 1911, BHP, S&W M29, and Ruger .44 SBH. I could hit a 5" Steel ring at 20yds with reasonable consistency with everything except this Cimarron. I was especially interested in the Super Blackhawk, being the only other Single action in the group with a similar (obviously not identical) grip. I did well with it, but was consistently hitting left with my new .45.

While I am still not ready to get my sights messed with, It was interesting to observe.

I also just traded into a Old Model fixed (driftable rear) sight Single Six, so I can practice my SA shooting for cheap.
 
how does one get the windage adjusted? Is that purely a gunsmith job?

If it is just off a little you might try putting a little white fingernail polish on the left or right side of the front sight (depending on if it is shooting left or right).
Then use the white mark to aim. This will make you adjust just a little. They also sell bright florescent craft pant at Hobby Lobby stores.
 
Cossack

Dixie Gun Works have reproduction Colt SAA plastic grips for $35. Order number is WP0104. They look great but don't know how well they might fit your Uberti Cattleman.
 
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