Uberti SAA 357mag

B

Bigbaz357

Inactive
Hi guys, brand new member here so go easy.. I have purchased a Uberti 5.5" SAA in 357 mag(still waiting for my "permit to aquire", in Australia).
It would be great to hear any feedback from users about quality, maintenance and favourite ammo etc.
in Australia we can't purchase for self defence so I'm not after anything like that although it would be interesting to read. Any feedback would be great.
 
Welcome! I'm a cowboy action shooter here in the Southeast USA; we see lots of Uberti products in use. The Uberti pistol caliber lever action rifles (the 1873 and 1866 Winchester reproductions in particular) are the most coveted rifles in our sport.

Uberti has some competition in the revolver market. The Ruger New Vaqueros are very popular and offer some advantages over the reproductions of the 19th Century Colt SAA. For those who like the "look and feel" of the original Peacemaker, the Uberti and Pietta "clones" fill the bill.

Both of the Italian companies have variations of the 1873 revolver at several price points; mechanically they are pretty much the same, with the exception of Uberti's new "Horseman" line that features a coil mainspring and a transfer bar ignition.

Most of these guns can benefit from a little tuning to smooth out the action and maybe a set of aftermarket springs to reduce the cocking effort.

Whether or not your gun is equipped with one of the safety devices (not found on the Colt), remember to keep an empty chamber under the hammer. The proper method for loading the revolver is (1) put the hammer on half cock to free the cylinder; (2) open the loading gate; (3) load one chamber; (4) skip a chamber; (5) load the next four chambers; (6) close the gate; (7) pull the hammer all the way back to full cock; and (8) lower the hammer down. With the load one-skip one-technique you will end up with an empty chamber under the hammer every time.

Some of the Ubertis have a two position basepin. This allows you to press the basepin farther into the frame so that the tip of the basepin protrudes far enough to block the hammer. Be careful that you don't inadvertently engage this "safety".

Like any .357 revolver your Uberti will be very versatile. I'm sure you are aware that you can shoot .38 Special ammunition in the gun. In cowboy action we shoot lead bullets with a max velocity of 1000 fps in the pistols. My favorite handload in my Ruger revolvers is a 105 grain truncated cone flat point bullet at about 850 fps. The lighter bullets do tend to print a little below point of aim.
 
I have the El Patron version in stainless steel with a 3 1/2 inch barrel. Love mine. Very accurate at appropriate distances and a blast to shoot.
 
For self defense, most will recommend choosing a double action revolver or a auto loading pistol instead of a single action. Right now, I have a 1911, .38 super auto, nearby. However, many a night I have slept with a single action, .44-40 on my nightstand, and I didn't feel the least bit helpless.
 
If you wanted a Colt replica I think you made a good choice. I have a Uberti Smoke Wagon DE in 45 colt. It is one of my favorite handguns. The fit and finish is excellent .
 
I have a Uberti/Cimarron in 44-40. I ground off the end of the cylinder pin so it can't be pushed in too far and block the hammer. Don't let the hammer down from half cock. Always pull it back to full cock before lowering it or you will ring the cylinder.
 
Thanks for the great info, now this is my first pistol that I've bought(have shot glocks before) what do I need to do once I get it home? Oil, sights etc. I've read sometimes the sights are out? Is there a pre shoot checklist that must be done first?
 
Just read the manual and if you are going to shoot it right away wipe off the excess oil on the outside and run a dry patch through the barrel, being careful not to mess up the crown of the barrel ( the end ) . Unless you got the Frontier model you can't adjust the sights. You can try different grains ammo for different points of impact and for the tightest groups.
 
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