1860 Army, Replica Arms Inc Marietta, OH

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electricfactory

electricfactory

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I recently recieved this gun in a trade, a presentation boxed M1860 Army made/ imported by Replica Arms Inc. Marietta, OH. But for some cosmetic wear it has a minty bbl and dosen't appear to have been shot much. I'll probably let the presentation box and accoutrements go but want to keep the gun.
Can anyone tell me about Replica Arms Inc ? I believe they're the importer but don't know much else.

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I don’t know any thing of the importer. Use a glass and look the gun over good. There are proof marks and probably a makers mark as well as a date code. Charts of Italian marks are available on line. Just in case you didn’t already know this. :)
 
I just found this online;
" Replica Arms operated in the 60's and early 70's, Uberti made their Colt 1860 Army and 1851 Navy revolvers. Navy Arms bought them in the late 70's but by then they were only making the 1858 New Model Army Remington guns. "
 
As has been noted and is repeated in the Muzzleloading Forum article linked above, Replica Arms imported products from a number of manufacturers. Yours is an early one with Roman numerals for the Italian Proof Date Code. I can make out "III" with something to the left but can't be sure what it is. If it is "XX," your revolver was proof fired in Italy in 1967. "XVIII" would be 1962. Some where on the gun is a manufacturer's logo. Most of RA's 1851 and 1860 Colt replicas were made by Uberti. Their logo is a gun muzzle straight on with a capital "U" in the bore. You may find it on the bottom of the barrel hidden by the loading lever or it may say Aldo or A. Uberti. RA's pockets, baby dragoons, and dragoons were usually made by Armi San Marco and were marked ASM (either in a row or a pyramid,) SM, S. Marco, San Marco or Armi San Marco. Nice find!
 
Is it possible the Roman numerals are just VIII ? With no 'X before it ? I couldn't find an Uberti or ASM anywhere on the gun.

Ephraim Kibbey said:
As has been noted and is repeated in the Muzzleloading Forum article linked above, Replica Arms imported products from a number of manufacturers. Yours is an early one with Roman numerals for the Italian Proof Date Code. I can make out "III" with something to the left but can't be sure what it is. If it is "XX," your revolver was proof fired in Italy in 1967. "XVIII" would be 1962. Some where on the gun is a manufacturer's logo. Most of RA's 1851 and 1860 Colt replicas were made by Uberti. Their logo is a gun muzzle straight on with a capital "U" in the bore. You may find it on the bottom of the barrel hidden by the loading lever or it may say Aldo or A. Uberti. RA's pockets, baby dragoons, and dragoons were usually made by Armi San Marco and were marked ASM (either in a row or a pyramid,) SM, S. Marco, San Marco or Armi San Marco. Nice find!
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This gun was made to take a shoulder stock. There are two large screws, one on each side of the
frame. And you will find a half moon cut in the butt.
 
Yes, I noticed that too. I'm going to remove the bbl and cylinder, then reassemble and see if that gap remains. Either way I'm shipping it off to The Kid tomorrow.

arcticap said:
I noticed that the barrel lug has a gap large enough to see the locator pins.
Click to expand...
 
electricfactory said:
Yes, I noticed that too. I'm going to remove the bbl and cylinder, then reassemble and see if that gap remains. Either way I'm shipping it off to The Kid tomorrow.
Click to expand...

Other than that it looks like a beauty.
I'm more curious about the gap because it involved a trade.
Was the trade made in person or through the internet?
Please let us know how the gap ends up getting ironed out.
 
I remember sending away for a Replica Arms catalog when they were in Marietta, Ohio. I was in high school back then so I was relatively lacking in funds to order anything but I sure did enjoy looking at those color photos of the various revolvers they had! Definitely fueled my life long passion for a Colt Model 1860 and a Remington NMA!
1CwBwMY.jpg
 
Well that was easy. In my infinite cleverness I've been making nipple bumpers for all of my C&B revolvers, this from clear rubber tubing. As long as you cut them to the right length they're a great idea. But if you cut them irregularly as I sloppily have they sit a bit too high... just high enough to create a slight gap where, well see for your self below. Nipple bumpers removed, gun re-assembled and 'voila'.. that's French you know. I am a true cosmopolitan. :)

X8nu2ggh.jpg

arcticap said:
Other than that it looks like a beauty.
I'm more curious about the gap because it involved a trade.
Was the trade made in person or through the internet?
Please let us know how the gap ends up getting ironed out.
Click to expand...
 
I really like that 2nd gun from the top, the engraved NMA. Is that also a Replica Arms ?


bannockburn said:
I remember sending away for a Replica Arms catalog when they were in Marietta, Ohio. I was in high school back then so I was relatively lacking in funds to order anything but I sure did enjoy looking at those color photos of the various revolvers they had! Definitely fueled my life long passion for a Colt Model 1860 and a Remington NMA!
View attachment 949719
Click to expand...
 
electricfactory
I really like that 2nd gun from the top, the engraved NMA. Is that also a Replica Arms ?
Click to expand...

I'm sorry as I didn't clarify that these are all current production Pietta revolvers (except for the ASM Hartford Model U.S. SAA replica). It was my fascination in the earlier Replica Arms guns that spurred my desire to someday own these black powder revolvers.

The engraved Pietta Remington NMA was a Christmas gift from my wife last year. Did I mention that I'm a pushover for engraving and ivory grips (even if they're faux ones too). She also got me a cartridge conversion cylinder for it! She's a keeper for sure!
mmLIwSi.jpg
 
electricfactory said:
Here's a closeup;

View attachment 949732
Click to expand...

I'm going out on a limb by saying that IMO the date code is at least XVIII which would make it 1962 or later.
My reason is because part of the left side of the PN is missing, and also part of the left side of the proof mark to the left of the PN.

It wasn't stamped evenly in more than one spot, very possibly including the proof date code.
And also because 1952 seems a bit too early for me.
I'm not even sure that the Walkers were imported that early, which I thought they began in the 1960's and were the first guns to be imported.

Another way to tell would be by comparing the serial number to another Replica Arms of the same genre.
BTW, what is part of the serial number without breaching its security?
At least how many digits by using XX's to create some blanks?
We can see the letter "A" in the photo.
 
I'm not sure I ever understood what security was being breached by posting serial #s, that said this one is A206x. It appears on the frame bottom, under the barrel hidden by the lever and inside the grip strap.

arcticap said:
I'm going out on a limb by saying that IMO the date code is at least XVIII which would make it 1962 or later.
My reason is because part of the left side of the PN is missing, and also part of the left side of the proof mark to the left of the PN.

It wasn't stamped evenly in more than one spot, very possibly including the proof date code.
And also because 1952 seems a bit too early for me.
I'm not even sure that the Walkers were imported that early, which I thought they began in the 1960's and were the first guns to be imported.

Another way to tell would be by comparing the serial number to another Replica Arms of the same genre.
BTW, what is part of the serial number without breaching its security?
At least how many digits by using XX's to create some blanks?
We can see the letter "A" in the photo.
Click to expand...
 
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Thanks articap, so the 'X' could be in another spot on the frame, possibly obscured by wear ? Do you know when percussion reproductions were first made in Italy, before they were imported to the US ? Why were the spaghetti Western films featuring brass frame revolvers- simply costs, or something else ?

arcticap said:
I'm going out on a limb by saying that IMO the date code is at least XVIII which would make it 1962 or later.
My reason is because part of the left side of the PN is missing, and also part of the left side of the proof mark to the left of the PN.

It wasn't stamped evenly in more than one spot, very possibly including the proof date code.
And also because 1952 seems a bit too early for me.
I'm not even sure that the Walkers were imported that early, which I thought they began in the 1960's and were the first guns to be imported.

Another way to tell would be by comparing the serial number to another Replica Arms of the same genre.
BTW, what is part of the serial number without breaching its security?
At least how many digits by using XX's to create some blanks?
We can see the letter "A" in the photo.
Click to expand...
 
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electricfactory said:
So the 'X' could be in another spot on the frame, possibly obscured by wear ? Do you know when percussion reproductions were first made in Italy, before they were imported to the US ? Why were the spaghetti Western films featuring brass frame revolvers- simply costs, or something else ?
Click to expand...

I FOUND THE THREAD ABOUT THE FIRST C&B REPRODUCTIONS:
The Gun That Started It All -->>> https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/the-gun-that-started-it-all.845902/

That has all been posted before about Val Forget making the 1st arrangements with the Italians, and having an original sent over to Italy to be made into a prototype.
It's been a while, but perhaps mid to late 1950's?
And IIRC Forgett was dealing with Uberti who made the first ones under Gregorelli & Uberti.
I don't want to pre-suppose that's who made your gun, but it was not an over-night process.
And Val Forgett, the owner of Navy Arms went to Italy and even considered having the guns made in Germany
I'm not going to look it up right now.
But at the top left corner of the Uberti home page, in small letters it says, "Uberti – top quality firearms replicas from 1959" --->>> https://www.ubertireplicas.com

And from the CAS City Forum, Fingers McGee stated in reply to a question about the first GU models,
"IIRC, it was those and the 1860 Army & 1861 Navy. The 1851 Navy and Griswold & Gunnison were the first 16 replicas made in 1958 (10 Navies and 6 Griswolds)"
--->>> See Reply #1 https://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?topic=55574.0

electricfactory said:
I'm not sure I ever understood what security was being breached by posting serial #s, that said this one is A206x. It appears on the frame bottom, under the barrel hidden by the lever and inside the grip strap.
Click to expand...

That seems to be a very low serial number and whether it was made by GU or ASM, if it's one of the 1st 2,000 or so 1860's made, then you have an early production gun.
Maybe it's an early enough production that the company trademark stamp hadn't even been made yet.
But that's why I believe that the proof test date code is actually 1962 and not 1952. ;)
 
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I think XXIII (1967) is the most reasonable guess it doe look like there is a mark to the left of the X that is visible.
I would blame it on a poor strike, not wear.
All the proof marks in that pic show poor strikes
 
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