Berretta's new Open Top revolver. Any good?

[Deer Hunter]

I've always been interested in the open top revolvers. These break open beauties seem to catch my eye way too easily. I heard that Berretta was making a new version of an open top revolver chambered in .45 Colt, so I decided to stop in and see if anyone's got one of these beauties. I'd have one already, but the price tag is a bit steep.

http://products.berettausa.com/frame_tabellaprodotti_2002.asp?sgmt=38&Model=Laramie

Better link, more info I think

http://www.beretta.com/index.aspx?m=74&idc=2&ids=58

Am I the only one who thinks these things are a beauty? (Especially the nickle plated one...)

 

[Jim March]

That's not an open-top. It's a break-top. Big difference. Open-tops look like this:

http://www.cimarron-firearms.com/BlkPowder/49WellsFargo.htm

That one is a percussion gun. There were also "cartridge conversion" variants:

http://www.cimarron-firearms.com/Conversion1851-7.5.htm

Anyways. Back to the Beretta.

It appears to be a NICE copy of the S&W SAs, with an improved safety. But there's a penalty: look at the calibers. 45LC and 38Spl, not 357. That's a clue: this gun is a LOT weaker than a modern SAA-clone or near-clone such as the post-WW2 Colts, Ruger Old Model and New Vaquero, the various USFAs or Beretta's Stampede.

This gun is only safe with "cowboy grade" lead low-speed 45LC, or black powder loads. It can't take the modern defense loads" like the Cor-Bon 200gr @ 1,100fps or similar. It might be able to handle modest diets of the weakest of the modern JHPs, the Winchester Silvertip and with the longer barrel might actually do OK with them but even that would be stretching it.

A "Ruger ONLY 45LC+P!!!" load would probably grenade it in one shot.

But for a CAS/SASS toy, looks damned good.

 

[P95Carry]

I too have always liked top-break as a design - but have had reservations re the lock-up reliability.

I guess I say that because of some early Ivor Johnsons for example, where the latch never struck me as being too tough!!

So - power limiting factor for sure but have to admit, per my old Webley MkVI - quick as all get out for unload/reload!!!

 

[MCgunner]

Why does the term "spegetti western" come to mind?

I'm visualizing Sam Elliot in "Coniger"..."The life of an outlaw is hard, ain't it boy?"

 

[Deer Hunter]

I knew they were weaker than the solid frame SAAs, but I was thinking they could at least handle some normally loaded .45 Colt rounds. If they one day came up with a .357 revolver like this, I may be inclined to pick one up. But until that time, I wouldn't want a gun that might fall appart on me at the range or in a dangerous situation.

 

[Iggy]

US Army issued S&W's and Colts.. they had to back off on the power of the .45 Colt ammo to meet the ability of the S&W's..

That said, that Schofield is one of the few guns left that really turns my crank.

One of these days, the opportunity and the money are gonna be right and I'm gonna take one of those home..

 

[Lone_Gunman]

The Beretta and Uberti break top revolvers are very nice.

They are marketed for the cowboy action shooters, and it is absurd to fault them for being unable to tolerate +P loads. They were not designed for that at all!

If you are looking for a fun gun, they are great. They are not ideal for hunting or personal protection.

 

[pierrebazukhov]

I think it's great that they're making these things new again. I have no idea what I'd use one for, but they sure look cool.

 

[MatthewVanitas]

I prefer the S&W Russian that a few folks are making copies of these days. Same concept, slightly different and very cool lines:

I like the old break-tops, and think the tiny S&W jobbies are adorable. But I could never justify getting something so obsolete. However, North American Arms (www.naaminis.com) is working on a top-break SA .32H&R pocket-gun for the CCW market. Hopefully unveiled at the SHOT Show, orders perhaps by late summer this year. That I will have to seriously consider...

-MV

 

[kjeff50cal]

US Army issued S&W's and Colts.. they had to back off on the power of the .45 Colt ammo to meet the ability of the S&W's..

That said, that Schofield is one of the few guns left that really turns my crank.

One of these days, the opportunity and the money are gonna be right and I'm gonna take one of those home..

It was not so much as the S&W Schofield had a weaker action as S&W built the model on their "Russian" frame which had a shorter cylinder (44 Russian) because they did not feel it was cost effective to design & manufacture a gun for the US Millitary to use a rival's (.45 Colt) ammo.

BTW .45 Schofield ammunition is shorter then the .45 Colt (Long Colt) but could be fired in Colt Army Revolvers. For a while in the 1880s UMC & other cartridge manufacturers made .45 Schofield (short) and .45 Colt (long) and that is where we get the phase .45 Long Colt.

kjeff50cal

 

[Iggy]

kjeff50cal

Yup, you phrased it better than me!!

I still want one!!

 

[wheelgunslinger]

I think it's pretty neato that they're making this weapon in .38spl also. At 2 and a half pounds, it's a pretty big/heavy weapon, but the SASS guys are used to that.
Not exactly a carry piece, but way cool looking nonetheless.
My hat is off to Beretta for having the cajones to make this one. Very nice.

 

[ulflyer]

Is Beretta "making" it, or is it a rebadged Uberti? Been hankering for a Schofield clone too, but can't justify the price.

 

[1911Tuner]

Spaghetti Western

Why does the term "spegetti western" come to mind?

I'm visualizing Sam Elliot in "Coniger"..."The life of an outlaw is hard, ain't it boy?"

Comes from a few movies along the same period done by Italian director
Serge Leone...who hired Clint to be the steel-eyed gunfighter with no name.
If you watch closely, you can see that the Italian actors lines are dubbed in English while Clint and any other American actors were speaking in English...
and likely dubbed in Italian for the Italian audiences. Thus, many of the actors were speaking their lines without being able to understand what the others were saying.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. For a Fistfull of Dollars. For a Few Dollars More...were Spaghetti Westerns. Classics that put Clint in the limelight, and led to his Superstar status, you can catch one on late-night TV or cable movie channel once in a while.

The G,B, and U was the one in which Eli Wallach (Tuco)spoke his timeless line:

"When you got to shoot...shoot! Don't talk!"

Seems like there was another one...but I can't remember the name of it...
********************

Back on topic! Wonder why they issued the Schofield revolvers...beautiful to my eye...in .45 Colt instead of .44 Special or even in the original chambering...
Isn't Black Hills loading the shorter/gentler Schofield ammo?

 

[gvass]

"Is Beretta "making" it, or is it a rebadged Uberti?"

Beretta is the owner of Uberti company.

These guns (Stampede etc.) are nothing else, but beretta-badged Ubertis.

But this do not mean these are bad guns!

 

[MCgunner]

Comes from a few movies along the same period done by Italian director
Serge Leone...who hired Clint to be the steel-eyed gunfighter with no name.
If you watch closely, you can see that the Italian actors lines are dubbed in English while Clint and any other American actors were speaking in English...
and likely dubbed in Italian for the Italian audiences. Thus, many of the actors were speaking their lines without being able to understand what the others were saying.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. For a Fistfull of Dollars. For a Few Dollars More...were Spaghetti Westerns. Classics that put Clint in the limelight, and led to his Superstar status, you can catch one on late-night TV or cable movie channel once in a while.

The G,B, and U was the one in which Eli Wallach (Tuco)spoke his timeless line:

"When you got to shoot...shoot! Don't talk!"

Seems like there was another one...but I can't remember the name of it...
********************

Back on topic! Wonder why they issued the Schofield revolvers...beautiful to my eye...in .45 Colt instead of .44 Special or even in the original chambering...
Isn't Black Hills loading the shorter/gentler Schofield ammo?

My favorite was "High Plains Drifter", who's theme was later modified in "Pale Rider", not "spegetti" but a great movie!

Coniger carried a S&W top break in the movie starring Sam Eliot. I don't think there's another actor in Hollyweird that portrays a "cowboy" any better than Eliot. The guy's a natural western hero!

 

[CraigC]

I've also got the hots for the #3 Russian. Not so much the Schofield. Probably if the #3 had been chambered in the historically incorrect .44Spl, I'd already have one. Very nicely put together sixguns. IIRC, Navy Arms is the only one marketing a #3 reproduction.

 

[Texfire]

For as much as Beretta wants for that gun, I'd go from the Uberti Number 3, 2nd model clone from Navy Arms at a much cheaper price. I like the latch on the Schofields better anyway.

Tex

 

[Vern Humphrey]

US Army issued S&W's and Colts.. they had to back off on the power of the .45 Colt ammo to meet the ability of the S&W's..

That said, that Schofield is one of the few guns left that really turns my crank.

One of these days, the opportunity and the money are gonna be right and I'm gonna take one of those home..

No, they had to shorten the case (which reduced powder capacity) because the S&W cylinder would not take a full-lenght .45. Ultimately, they went with the shorter, lower-powered round because the troops liked it.

 

[Deer Hunter]

I was under the assumption that the Schofield was created for use in the calvery, and used a .45 Schofield round. Right?

 

[1911Tuner]

.45 Colt

Another slightly off-topic bit of info on the .45 Colt round. Originally loaded with 40 grains of black powder, it was a real powerhouse in its day...launching the 255-grain flat point bullet at...IRC..about 975 fps. The charge was later reduced to 32 grains with the same bullet for a muzzle velocity of about 850 or so. Still not a weak sister, but not up to the level of the older 40-grain loading. If I'm not mistaken, it was about the time that the weak balloon-head cases were dropped in favor of the better design with solid webbing...so part of the reason for the reduction was likely reduced powder capacity within the case.

Some of this may be a little skewed, as I've never really been a fan or student of the .45 Colt round and its development through the years....but it seems like that's pretty close. Historians?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I was under the assumption that the Schofield was created for use in the calvery, and used a .45 Schofield round. Right?

The Schofield was a modification of a revolver S&W had been making since 1870. The modification was to the locking latches, developed by Major Schofield, 8th Cavalry. He, Schofield, worked to sell the gun to the Army, who agreed to adopt it as a substitute, provided it was in .45 caliber. The best S&W could do was come up with a shorter .45 round.

 

[VacuumJockey]

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. For a Fistfull of Dollars. For a Few Dollars More...were Spaghetti Westerns. Classics that put Clint in the limelight, and led to his Superstar status, you can catch one on late-night TV or cable movie channel once in a while.
[snip]
Seems like there was another one...but I can't remember the name of it...

I believe you're thinking of Once Upon a Time in the West, a personal favorite of mine.

 

[rbmcmjr]

I believe you're thinking of Once Upon a Time in the West, a personal favorite of mine.

OUaTitW is a wonderful movie and probably the high water mark for Sergio Leone's work in the Western genre. Jason Robards, Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, and Claudia Cardinale were the major stars. What a cast! I particularly like how he used the musical themes (one for each major character) to set the tone. And the opening scene... Wow.

But it didn't star Clint. I think the one he was forgetting was "Hang 'Em High" (Inger Stevens... yummy!). "High Plains Drifter" was one of the few videotapes we had with us at Navy OCS. I must have watched it six times that long hot summer in Newport.

Rick - fan of Sergio

 

[TallPine]

Jesse James apparently carried something similar: