[The Sicilian]

Hi guys,

It's about 5:00 p.m. EST time in the U.S. and I have to run out for an hour or so. I'm going to buy a new gun tonight and I need your recommendations. It's between a stainless stell 1851 (.44 I think) and an 1860, both are made by Pietta and both were beautifuuly made. No flaws that I can see and they both have a great hand feel. I'll be back home in about an hour so if anyone would give me their opinion on what gun to buy I'd appreciate it. I really want a stainless model but the 1860 is sweeeeet! Any comments would be a big help.

Thanks,

The Sicilian.

[Steve499]

Just flip a coin. Unless I have you figured wrong, you'll wind up owning both sooner or later anyway so it's no biggie which one you get first. The addiction will be fed!

Hello, I'm Steve and I'm a gunaholic...........



Steve

[The Sicilian]

Hehehe,

That was a good one! You've got me figured out pretty good. I was just wondering if I could get more shots out of the stainless steel before having to clean it while at the range, that's all. Both guns look nice and feel great, if the 1851 wasn't stainless I'd buy the 1860, no contest, but the stainless steel is the real temptation to me right now. I'm buying from a gun shop so it's instant gratification. I'd really like to get a Ruger old Army but I don't have $600 bucks to shell out right now and I don't weant to wait for a new gun. I'll just have to get the Ruger and the LeMat when I'm loaded, which may be never:banghead:

Hi, my names Mario and I'm a gunaholic...:what:

[frosty]

Good luck in your decision, and have fun! I am currently shoot'n an Old Army, but it was a gift from a friend! All them pistols are great, and fun to shoot. I do however like the stainless for clean up though...:evil:

[The Sicilian]

Frosty,

I here those Old Army's shoot for a long while until you need to do a quick range clean, around 70 shots, is that true? Were you the one who told me that? The 1851 might have been in the white, it was the one called "Old Silver". I went with the 1860, it just felt and looked so much better than the 1851 Navy. Even if the 1851 was really stainless I still would have went with the 1860. Even with my big hands the grip is a nice fit, and it points really well. Can't wait to shoot it this Sunday!!!

Anyone know what size ball I should use with it? Either a .454 or a .457, which one shots better with the 1860? The quality of the gun was impressive, even though it wasn't a Uberti. Seems like Pietta has caught up with Uberti. Anyone else notice this? So far I own two Uberti's and this new Pietta and I can't tell any major difference buy looking and holding these guns, hopfully it will shoot just as good as my Uberti's. I figure it will be a sweet gun, feels much better than my 1858 in the hand. I just need to go and buy some sort of tool to remove the wedge, which is flush with the barrel. I guess I'll need a brass punch or something? :neener:

[gmatov]

Sicilian,

You shouldn't need a punch to move the wedge. If you do, you don't gotta buy one. If you got a plastic hammer it should be more than enough.

Congrats on the 60, it is a beautiful pistol, shoots damned good, and lots of fun. More, I think, than any Rem 58.

Should be good with .451 balls, but you gotta try that yourself. If you can get one or six, try seating them, if they shave a good ring, they are good, if they fall into the chambers, not good, go up one size, to .454.

As to the wedge, everybody here seems to agree the Pietta wedge is too tight, as delivered. Why it is hammered home, I don't know. Were I to buy one at the store, I would insist that the store remove it, and mark the bill so as to record that the wedge was too tight, deformed the front of the barrel assembly, where the front of the wedge drives it on.

You can go to 30 grains of BP or equivalent, and if you cam squeeze more in, you won't blow it up. Sights are rudimentary, a notch in the hammer. Correctable, unlike the Rem, just find which way you gotta go, file the notch deeper or to one side or the other.

Have fun.

Cheers,

George

[The Sicilian]

Thanks George, I feel good about my choice. Pietta even mentions that the wedge is really tight and will take "extra force" in order to remove it, at least that's what was in the manual. The wedge is not flush with the barrel, it is a little short of being flush, in other words, it's not hanging over, it's inside the channel, that's why I thought I might need a punch. I have a nylon/rubber hammer, maybe I'll give it a few wacks tomorrow morning and see what happens.

What did you mean about it "deformed the front of the barrel assembly?" Do you think something may be out of wack because of the wedge being too tight? Like I said, the wedge doesn't go all the way through, it is slightly short of being flush with the other side of the barrel, maybe that is a good thing? When I got my Remmy I tried .451's per the instructions of Uberti and they were too small. The Pietta manual say to try .454's first, so I guess I'll try them first. The only reason I'd rather try .454's over the .451's is because if they are too small I won't have any use for them. If the .454's are too big I can still shoot them in my Remmy, even though I like .457's better.

Too bad I didn't get the chance to speak with you before I bought the gun, I could have taken some of your advice.

Thanks brother,

The Sicilian.

[Duncaninfrance]

Hey George, thought you had fallen off the edge of the world, nice to see you back!
Duncan