Fingers McGee
Member
I've got a spare Pietta L & R barrel. I got it years ago to build one from an 1851 Navy. Found a couple Ubertis and never used the barrel.
1851 L&R
- Thread starter SlowFuse
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TheOutlawKid
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Fingers...you sellin it?
Fingers McGee
Member
PM'd you
Russell13
Member
My Dance and brothers, made by Pietta and purchased last month from EMF has a plain cylinder an the original had. I’m guessing this is because the CSA didn’t care about how they looked(no parsley, just meat and potatoes), they just wanted a pistol as fast as they could get there hands on them. I like guns that have a cool story and history behind them. My next gun purchase will be a Grizwald(unless I can find a .50 Dragoon) , it has something me great history behind it.
OP
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SlowFuse
Member
Mark from Eras Gone posted a video shooting his .50 caliber Dragoons earlier this month. Interesting revolver...
expat_alaska
Member
Cylinder rollmark engraving was Colt's trademark. None of the Confederate copies had engraved cylinders because it was cheaper to produce them without. The same goes for the part round/part octagon barrels vs. the full octagon barrels, although a few Dance .36 and Augusta Machine Works .36 barrels were full octagon.
The current Pietta J.H. Dance And Brothers .44 is not close to being historically correct. Pietta uses a Navy .36 frame that has had the entire water table lowered to accommodate the larger diameter .44 cylinder which is not rebated. The original Dance .44 was based upon a frame that was about midway between the Navy .36 frame and the Dragoon frame. (Reference: Dance & Brothers, Gary Wiggins, 1986.)
Pietta Dance .44 cylinder and Pietta 1851 Navy .36 cylinder:
The Griswold & Gunnison .36 revolver was produced in more numbers (3600+) than all of the other Confederate revolver producers combined concerning the 1851 Navy "copies". The only modern repro source is Pietta.
My Pietta G&G .36 with my Pietta Rigdon & Ansley .36 (12-stop-slot cylinder; parts gun):
Regards,
Jim
Russell13
Member
I remember reading somewhere that church bells were melted down to make the brass frames for the Griswold. There is so much great history and stories about confederate pistols.
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SlowFuse
Member
Got this revolver yesterday. Looks good and came quick. I'm glad on this one the grips don't have the dark red-orange lacquer as my other new production Ubertis have. I stuck a '58 grip in the corner for comparison.
Hope to get out tomorrow and put some rounds through it. Only have a .375 mold and Hdy. balls of the same size, hopefully they'll work until I can get a .380 ball mold.
Pics always make a thread better...
Hope to get out tomorrow and put some rounds through it. Only have a .375 mold and Hdy. balls of the same size, hopefully they'll work until I can get a .380 ball mold.
Pics always make a thread better...
OP
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SlowFuse
Member
When you see a mainspring thats questionable would you normally replace it immediately or shoot it until it fails?
This revolver has one with a spot that is suspect, this is the new '51 model that I started this thread for...
The reason I ask is because I just had a '58 mainspring break a few weeks back. That particular Uberti is a 2018 model with probably 400-ish rounds through it. It developed a 1/4" crack exactly where I thought it would, on a nick in the edge. I see one similar on this one. To be fair the replacement mainsprings I've ordered to keep as spares have been nice and smooth, the ones that come in it just don't seem as nicely finished as the replacements.
This revolver has one with a spot that is suspect, this is the new '51 model that I started this thread for...
The reason I ask is because I just had a '58 mainspring break a few weeks back. That particular Uberti is a 2018 model with probably 400-ish rounds through it. It developed a 1/4" crack exactly where I thought it would, on a nick in the edge. I see one similar on this one. To be fair the replacement mainsprings I've ordered to keep as spares have been nice and smooth, the ones that come in it just don't seem as nicely finished as the replacements.
arcticap
Member
Since you have other guns, keep it until it fails unless you really want to swap it out sooner to gain another benefit.
How else will you be able to test it's longevity?
woodnbow
Member
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- 2,084
You might also just take a sanding block to it and see if you can eliminate the stress riser at the source.
woodnbow
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That’s a beauty!
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SlowFuse
Member
Good points.
I'll at least shoot it before modifying anything. Thanks for the suggestions.
I beagled a Lee mold and they're dropping around .378-379 so I'll take these and the factory 375s and see what happens!
I'll at least shoot it before modifying anything. Thanks for the suggestions.
I beagled a Lee mold and they're dropping around .378-379 so I'll take these and the factory 375s and see what happens!
expat_alaska
Member
It seems all Uberti wood is red to some extent or another. I have an Uberti WH Dragoon that has the same characteristics, but if you go to their USA website, you won't find many.
Early stock photo:
Mine:
You betcha!
Regards,
Jim
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SlowFuse
Member
The larger 378-ish ball shot better than the factory Hornady 375's.
Here's a side by side 20 yard target versus my best shooting '58. In typical fashion off hand I pull one shot to make it just an average group!
That said, this '51 has potential.
I'm wondering if I've been missing out by just shooting these 44 cals!
View attachment 938955
Here's a side by side 20 yard target versus my best shooting '58. In typical fashion off hand I pull one shot to make it just an average group!
That said, this '51 has potential.
I'm wondering if I've been missing out by just shooting these 44 cals!
View attachment 938955
Attachments
Russell13
Member
I don’t like the way the .375 ball fits in my ‘51 navy. Doesn’t get that tight seal
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SlowFuse
Member
Yeah just a partial ring on these swaged balls.
I've read the Pietta versions of 36's have smaller chamber diameters and do better with the 375s.
I've read the Pietta versions of 36's have smaller chamber diameters and do better with the 375s.
Eyrie G. Dogg
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- Mar 7, 2018
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My experience differs. Of my several Pietta .36's all do better with .380. Those range from '96 to 2017. Each will print tighter groups with the larger ball.
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SlowFuse
Member
@Russell13
50 cal dragoon I mentioned earlier in this thread is for sale.
http://www.erasgonebullets.com/store/product/-50-cal-colt-dragoon-made-by-armi-san-marcos
50 cal dragoon I mentioned earlier in this thread is for sale.
http://www.erasgonebullets.com/store/product/-50-cal-colt-dragoon-made-by-armi-san-marcos
Jackrabbit1957
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In regards to the main spring mentioned above, take a small fine grit stone and blend in the spot in your photo, it should be ok once any sharp edges have been rounded and polished, all the polishing marks should run parallel to the length to eliminate stress risers. Hope this helps.
electricfactory
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Russell13
Member
I shot them an email. We will see if it’s still available
Russell13
Member
Mark from Erasgonebulletmolds just got back to me. He said he has a pending trade but if it doesn’t go through he will let me know. I was trying to do some research on the gun but there isn’t a lot of info out there about them. They must be pretty rare
expat_alaska
Member
When I saw Mark's video, that was the first time I had ever heard of one. If you acquire it you must let us know all of the details, as well as the prerequisite photos. 
Regards,
Jim
Regards,
Jim
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