Uberti vs Pieta

I’d get a Pietta. Uberti quality is slipping.

Neither is of the quality we expect from centerfire revolvers - which, considering the prices, should be expected. Guns from both brands almost certainly will need some work before they are everything they should be.

I personally prefer Uberti, partly because I have more experience fixing them than fixing Piettas, but mostly because Uberti is better at not putting so much writing on the barrels.

Get an Uberti 1860 and you just bought an arbor problem.
Post CNC Piettas are top quality.

Uberti pros:
+Less intrusive markings
+More streamlined and prettier lines
+Generally smoother action
+Tighter tolerances and better general fit & finish
+Ramrod better suited for bullets
+Deeper blueing
+Deeper rifling
+Factory Crown
+Fast twist at 1:18.

Uberti cons:
-Too short arbor stressing the wedge (BIGEST)
-If they screw up it is generally something bigger and harder to fix than Pietta
-Less reliable cap ignition (weaker springs to make action smoother)
-Higher Price
-More fragile springs
-Bigger .450 chambers (.451 round balls are in my opinion unsafe)
-Slotted hand channel
-Worse gun/parts availability
-Dead soft screws and poor quality steel
-comes in a poor box giving average transport protection

Misc: Uberti has a smaller frame and smaller grips.

Pietta pros:
+Correct arbor length
+Easier dissasembly (hand channel has no slop)
+More reliable ignition (harder springs)
+Lower Price
+Sturdier and tougher design
+Better gun / parts availability
+Screw ups are generally less severe
+.447 dia chambers allowing for .451 ball use
+decent box with styrofoam filler giving good transport protection
+Slightly faster twist at 1:16.

Pietta cons:
-Dead soft screws and poor quality steel
-Harsher action
-Looser tolerances and cruder design
-Worse fit & finish
-Worse quality blueing
-Shallow rifling
-No crown

Misc: Pietta has bigger frame and bigger grips.

Both guns are hit or miss. It is more likely than not that both will require some work to make them operate decently. From my experience piettas are a tad more likely to work flawlessly from the factory and screw ups tend to be milder.

I can't recommend these two videos more:

To the folks saying Pietta "billboards" or has intrusive marks id like to ask where and how much is to much. One side says black powder only and the other says "F.LLI Pietta made in italy". I dont get the claims of billboarding or intrusive marks. In addition My 1873 colt reproduction made by Pietta simply has 44 magnum on the side of the barrel. Thats all you see. On the bottom there is more but its tucked under the barrel by the ejector rod. Whats intrusive about the writing on the guns in these photos? Seems pretty minimal to me.

BOISE BADWOLF said:

To the folks saying Pietta "billboards" or has intrusive marks id like to ask where and how much is to much. One side says black powder only and the other says "F.LLI Pietta made in italy". I dont get the claims of billboarding or intrusive marks. In addition My 1873 colt reproduction made by Pietta simply has 44 magnum on the side of the barrel. Thats all you see. On the bottom there is more but its tucked under the barrel by the ejector rod. Whats intrusive about the writing on the guns in these photos? Seems pretty minimal to me. View attachment 1040393 View attachment 1040395 View attachment 1040396 View attachment 1040397

Click to expand...

Beautiful guns!
Is that a nickel or stainless steel right there?

BOISE BADWOLF said:

To the folks saying Pietta "billboards" or has intrusive marks id like to ask where and how much is to much. One side says black powder only and the other says "F.LLI Pietta made in italy". I dont get the claims of billboarding or intrusive marks.

Click to expand...

They're both too much. I don't even like the Gardonne proofs and date code on the side of the frame.

Thank you. This is what the interweb says it is
The Pietta Model 1860 Army Old Silver . 44-Cal. Black-Powder Revolver boasts a polished brass trigger guard, case-hardened steel frame with Old Silver polished finish, round barrel, and walnut grips. I think they (Pietta) spends a little more time on detail on these silver guns. My old silver has a way better trigger pull then the regular and they come with fancy wood grips.

SomebodyMakeRiderRepro said:

Beautiful guns!
Is that a nickel or stainless steel right there?

Click to expand...

Oops, I posted reply to ya but not attached to your comment. Sorry about that

BOISE BADWOLF said:

Thank you. This is what the interweb says it is
The Pietta Model 1860 Army Old Silver . 44-Cal. Black-Powder Revolver boasts a polished brass trigger guard, case-hardened steel frame with Old Silver polished finish, round barrel, and walnut grips. I think they (Pietta) spends a little more time on detail on these silver guns. My old silver has a way better trigger pull then the regular and they come with fancy wood grips.

Click to expand...

Silly me. I completely forgot about their polished steel 'old silver' models. That settles it then.
I've also heard that old silver models have slightly harder steel on the surface than standard blued ones.
Great find!

Thanks Somebody........,not often mentioned Pietta has shallower rifling.

SomebodyMakeRiderRepro said:

Uberti pros:
+Less intrusive markings
+More streamlined and prettier lines
+Generally smoother action
+Tighter tolerances and better general fit & finish
+Ramrod better suited for bullets
+Deeper blueing
+Deeper rifling

Uberti cons:
-Too short arbor stressing the wedge (BIGEST)
-If they screw up it is generally something bigger and harder to fix than Pietta
-Less reliable cap ignition (weaker springs to make action smoother)
-Higher Price
-More fragile springs
-Bigger .450 chambers (.451 round balls are in my opinion unsafe)
-Slotted hand channel
-Worse gun/parts availability
-Dead soft screws and poor quality steel
-comes in a poor box giving average transport protection

Pietta pros:
+Correct arbor length
+Easier dissasembly (hand channel has no slop)
+More reliable ignition (harder springs)
+Lower Price
+Sturdier and tougher design
+Better gun / parts availability
+Screw ups are generally less severe
+.447 dia chambers allowing for .451 ball use
+decent box with styrofoam filler giving good transport protection

Pietta cons:
-Dead soft screws and poor quality steel
-Harsher action
-Looser tolerances and cruder design
-Worse fit & finish
-Worse quality blueing
-Shallow rifling

Both guns are hit or miss. It is more likely than not that both will require some work to make them operate decently. From my experience piettas are a tad more likely to work flawlessly from the factory and screw ups tend to be milder.

Click to expand...

I will agree on alot of what ya said but mostly that about Pietta screws. I think they may be made of wax! (Not really) but boy are they soft.

Cimarron sells both Pietta and Uberti. Some of their offerings get cowboy slicked up springs . Smooth actions are the result. Pietta’s are more period correct in configuration. Usually a simple base pin swap and they are colt clones. Not so much with Uberti . Taylor’s offers some slicked up Uberti’s.
Ignore this response as you are discussing 1860 revolvers not 1873’s. I’m a idiot…

44 Dave said:

Thanks Somebody........,not often mentioned Pietta has shallower rifling.

Click to expand...

SSBN617b said:

Now that it is something to look at

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I have both manufacturers barrels at hand. They are from 1858 Remington but that should be a nonissue as long as rifling is concerned.
If you wish I may take some pictures and post them.
Note: Need daylight for that so will take few hours.

Uberti also has a facotry crown, pietta does not.

BOISE BADWOLF said:

I will agree on alot of what ya said but mostly that about Pietta screws. I think they may be made of wax! (Not really) but boy are they soft.

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I had them tested for hardness. No reading on RC scale. See: https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...k-powder-revolver-tested-for-hardness.897979/

Pic: Tested leaf spring pietta screw.


Notice: Uberti screws are just as bad.

I have a Pietta 1851 and an Uberti 1860. The 1860, by design I'm certain, feels better and sturdier, but it should - steel over brass frame. The Pietta shoots nowhere near point of aim, but the Uberti does with a two hand hold. Working on that for both.
JUST based on this TINY sampling, I think I'd like an Uberti 1860 Sheriff model.

Electricmo said:

Cimarron sells both Pietta and Uberti. Some of their offerings get cowboy slicked up springs . Smooth actions are the result. Pietta’s are more period correct in configuration. Usually a simple base pin swap and they are colt clones. Not so much with Uberti . Taylor’s offers some slicked up Uberti’s.
Ignore this response as you are discussing 1860 revolvers not 1873’s. I’m a idiot…

Click to expand...

Pietta cap and balls are bigger than Uberti. Uberti cap and balls are bigger than originals. I put Wolff springs in my Uberti/Cimarron 1873 and it is nice and smooth now.

SomebodyMakeRiderRepro said:

I have both manufacturers barrels at hand. They are from 1858 Remington but that should be a nonissue as long as rifling is concerned.
If you wish I may take some pictures and post them.
Note: Need daylight for that so will take few hours.

Uberti also has a facotry crown, pietta does not.

Click to expand...

The barrels:


A.


B.


Question: Guess which barrel is which manufacturer. A is.... b is...
Notice: Rifling pics coming later when I will have daylight to take quality pictures.

Here's my Pietta 1860 I upgraded with a kirst cylinder and ejection rod. She's a shooter and with a 45 Colt loaded 37-40 grains of Blackpowder or 6-6.5 grains of Red dot will really reach out and touch somethin' with authority.

I have another Pietta 1860 that I honed internally and added slixshot nipples widened the loading port and added a new rammer to accept Conicals.
She's purely a Blackpowder only girl and she's a shooter as well.

I also own a Uberti SS 1858 and it's a fine machine. The muzzle is crowned and the counter clockwise rifling is nice.
With the arbor issues that are included with EVERY Uberti open top I'd just get a Pietta but if I were going the 1858 route I'd go Uberti.

Either way it's your sixgun, get what you like. Heck I like both brands but prefer Pietta open tops even though the Uberti finish is a bit nicer.

I lot of great points made and I own both. My personal preference, after all has been said and done, is Uberti. I like the fit and finish of the Uberti revolvers and along with the pro's that gives them the edge given there are some con's mentioned. Neither is perfect in every category.

I don't have a recent Uberti for comparison. The Uberti 1860 I bought 20 years ago sometimes gave me trouble with the arbor. But I have an 1851, 1860, and Remington 1858 by Pietta bought new in the last two years. The fit and finish on them is fine and they have been mechanically tight and reliable. I haven't had trouble with the screws so far.

Jeff