Uberti nitre blue question

J

JGIII

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Just Saturday I brought home my new Uberti Cattleman in 45 Colt with nitre bluing. After just a couple of days of watching oaters and shooting bad guys (with snap caps) I have observed noticeable wear in the bluing on the backstrap! I know that nitre bluing is somewhat fragile, but is such quick wear normal?

I've fired it only 10 times at the range. It shoots quite accurately and to point of aim. The action is tight and just was a little rough, but slicked up on it's own quite nicely. Overall I am quite taken with it, except for the nitre bluing. Is a touch up available for nitre blue or should I just let it age as it will?
 
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Thanks mk70ss. That was my first thought. I can't do anything about my aging and I don't want stuff rubbed rubbed on me either!

I know it's probably all been said, but this Uberti is quite the pistola. Tight, accurate, on point of aim, beautiful. A great, and much less expensive, version of the Colt SAA. I would buy another in a heartbeat despite the wear in the finish. I've ordered exhibition grade, one-piece, French walnut stocks for it from Eagle grips. I think they will really make it pop!

The next one will be in standard blue with case hardened frame. It will also be a 7.5". This one is 4&3/4". I may get an 1873 Uberti carbine if and when I can afford one. All other things being equal, I am thrilled with this Uberti!

P.S. 'When!'' Doc. Great movie. Just watched 'Open Range' for the first time. Another great movie!
 
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I have three Uberti SAA revolvers. They are great shooters. They are not built or priced to be safe queens. My two blued Uberti guns are holding up very well. I carry them frequently when we trail ride. The third is a clone of John Wayne’s SAA from Rooster Cogburn. It has an antiqued finish so it looked worn from day one. Here are two of mine.

pic sharing

 
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Mine was made in 2000 and has seen a lot of use and was even used in CAS competition. The case colors are fading but the bluing has minimal wear.

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Shane is another classic " gunfighter" sixgun movie ... Don't miss this one and be shure to watch it from start to finish ... keep your Cattleman close .
Gary
 
Here's pics of my Uberti. I think the wear on the backstrap shows OK.

https://linksharing.samsungcloud.com/mrnJDXP3acxl

http://linksharing.samsungclod.com/sOlWw7WnErwl

Thanks guys.

Hawg: your revolver looks great. If you don't mind my asking, are your grips real stag? If not, they are the best imitation stag I've seen yet. Where did you get them? No offense on the genuineness, I certainly can not tell!

Jwpercle: I'll watch 'Shane' today. Oaters are so much more fun to watch with six shooter in hand!

Mk70ss: Nice trifecta on the hog legs. It is great to find so many Uberti fans. I'm one!
 
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I looked at a very nice Uberti in .357 yesterday. Had them get it out of the display case. When they did I noticed it was not regular bluing but almost like a paint. My thought was I bet that wears quickly. To bad because it was just perfect in every other way. I ended up putting a Birdshead .357 5.5" barrel on layaway instead. That one had case color and regular bluing. Which is the same as my other two Uberti's.

Would love to see a picture of yours to see how it is wearing.
 
Uberti's Nitre Blue wears off pretty easily, as you have found out. If you had known ahead of time you could have put some Johnson's wax on the frame and screws and protected them a little bit.
 
Jstanfield103: Cool choice. I am taken by the 'Birdshead' model, too. I'm sure you'll love it. 357 is a fine choice, too.

44calibre kid: Paste wax is something that I did not think of and wouldn't have expected to use either. Thanks for the info, though. I thought about waxing it now, but I may as well let the whole gun wear and patina. I love that look, too.

The only dilemma that I'm facing now is whether or not to fit a set of one-piece Magna Tusk ivory grips or presentation grade walnut grips from Eagle. I think the ivory, when 'aged' properly will probably look best with a natural patina (which I expect to get sooner than later) . I think that the highly figured walnut would make the nitre blue pop. Such worries! Anybody with an opinion or, better yet, pictures of either or both, faux ivory and/or walnut, with an aged and/or new revolver would be greatly appreciated!

mk70ss: Your picture of your aged six shooter with aged ivory looks fantastic and is helping sway my choice!
 
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High Valley Ranch: I watched a video on YouTube about water-based leather dyeing. It looks like the way to go. Will tea age faux ivory? How does 'aging' faux ivory wear? Will it eventually wear to white and have to be redone?
 
If the material is porous, it soaks in and is permanent. Faux ivory is plastic, so you might have to go with a deerper penetrating dye like analine dye. I know that I've use analine dye on polymer frames and it soaks in and holds up. You can apply a paste wax over the aged material as well.
But there is a compnay on fleabay that sells preaged magna tusk grips (fake of course) that look pretty decent.
 
:pI will do the paste wax routine and keep it looking newer longer. I really do love the nitre blue look.

Does anyone have experience with Kirinite faux ivory grips? Are they any good? They look like a cross between ivory and mother of pearl with grain.
 
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I bought 300 pieces of once-fired, 45 Colt brass from North Carolina Reloading. Great stuff and great folks to deal with. I just wanted to put a plug in for them. Fastest shipping east or west! I'll be using a 255gr lswc over 9 to 9.75grs of HS6 with standard primers. Anyone have experience with this load?
 
USSR: I will use magnum primers with the HS6.

I love the debates between the effectiveness of the 45 Colt cartridge vs the 44 magnum. I've shot game with both at similar ranges. They all wound up dead. I love the 45 Colt Uberti more than any magnum I own. Shoot a deer at approximately 30 - 40 yards and ask each of them which is deader?!

Who was it that said 'A man has to know his limitations?' I may just sell my 44 magnums. Recoil isn't a problem, i just find 45 Colt more versatile and fun to shoot! Fun is my limitation.
 
There's nothing 44 magnum can do that 45 Colt cannot do better, and at lower pressures. The only limitation being the shooting platform.
 
Amen! And, as anecdotal evidence would suggest you'll get the same results with each... dead animals, paper, whatever!
 
Can't argue between 44 Mag and 45 Colt. I Love them both and have a couple of each. I like the push from the 45 Colt and the thump of the 44 Mag. I could not pick which I like better. One thing I will say is I like my .357 but if any had to go it would be the .357. Just like the 44 and the 45 better.
 
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