For Those Of You Who Prefer A Pietta '58

[Driftwood Johnson]

There indeed was a nasty burr on the hand, which I filed away this AM.

I hope I have not created a monster. I only mentioned that a burr might be scratching the metal. I didn't tell you to remove it.

Just be sure that by filing away the burr you have not shortened the hand so much that it does not rotate the cylinder far enough to go to battery properly. You gotta be subtle when working on the mechanism of a firearm. Removing less is always better than removing more. It's hard to put metal back on if you take off too much.

 

[jmfc606]

I have 2 1858 Pietta's

One 5.5" 44 I got from Cabelas for $179 and one 36 cal 8" I got from Dixiegunworks.com for I believe $249. Both are put together very nicely. They are not as nice as my Ruger Old Army but for the price I am very happy with both Piettas and will buy another. When Cabelas has their sales on BP gun I usually buy one or two depending on my cash situation at the time.

 

[EljaySL]

I've never understood the urge to start filing on things until you've shot it and let it wear in a bit, assuming there's no obvious safety or functional issues that are obvious right off the bat (and if you get those, send them back!).

 

[Palehorseman]

Sticking to the 1858 and not getting into a segue about Colt clones.... (Remington clones don't have arbors)

Nobody I know who owns and shots both a Pietta and Uberti 'Remmie prefers the Pietta.


There may be some, but I've not yet met one.


I have 58's by ASM, Pietta, and Uberti. The ASM one is junk. The Pietta is "Ok" and the pair of Ubertis I have are excellent.


Willie

.

Howdy, you have now met one.

 

[Palehorseman]

I have a ROA also, and it is quite nice.

I've just read so many posts about Pietta's quality matching Uberti's, but I don't read of Uberti owners complaining about their '58's. This just seems like an unusual amount of wear so quickly.

From reading your posts, appears to me the vast majority, if not all of the wear, is coming from the injudicious use of your files.

If you keep improving the gun, it may soon be reduced to a pile of filings.

 

[Palehorseman]

So far as the peening before cylinder lock up, look what Colt did for correction. Here is my 1873 Colt SAA which was mfg. in 1886.

Note the troughs just before the cylinder slots. this was Colt's fix.

 

[CraigC]

While the only 1858 I've experienced is a Uberti we bought the old man a few years ago, I do have quite a few other designs from both makers. I have six Pietta's, two several years old, four bought in the last year. There are eight Uberti single actions, the oldest dating to the mid-`80's. The two older Pietta's are quite rough but both are still in service. The four new Pietta's are at least as nicely fit and finished as the Uberti's, if not better. The actions are generally smoother in the new Pietta guns. All are actually timed correctly. To date, the only one from either that had to be sent back was a Cimarron Uberti. I honestly cannot place one higher than the other and I'm looking to add a stainless 1858 to the stable soon. My first choice will be the Pietta.

 

[rodwha]

"From reading your posts, appears to me the vast majority, if not all of the wear, is coming from the injudicious use of your files."

Nope. That's what caused me to begin filing on everything except for the hammer nose.

 

[BowerR64]

I've never understood the urge to start filing on things until you've shot it and let it wear in a bit, assuming there's no obvious safety or functional issues that are obvious right off the bat (and if you get those, send them back!).

I did it to my 1860 and the first time shooting a colt to make the paper at 15Y

I did however use a lazer bore site at home wich was a bit of a cheat.

I put a front sight on it 2X taller then stock and recut the rear hammer moving the notch over to the left.

I know i was lucky.

I even used some heavy grade emry paper and bored the chambers out before shooting it as well.

 

[rodwha]

Finally took a couple of close ups, though I just can't really see much of anything as far as the bolt or the hand to where you can certainly tell it's been worked on. As I had said I basically just took off the sharp edge.

In this pic you you can the peening in the center of the stop:

[/IMG]

The scratches are from my file when I took that edge off. As you can see towards the right on the other stop that the other side is also slightly peened.

In this pic you can see how the hand really scratched up the ratchet. It appears as though I took off the burr, but I'm not certain whether or not it's still too sharp.

[/IMG]

 

[BullSlinger]

From what I see in the picture, I don't think you have anything to worry about. To me it looks like normal wear. I could be wrong but don't think so and as I said before it may well be a good learning experience and knowledge for the future.

 

[BowerR64]

The little scratches to me looks like its fromt he bolt being up and the cylinder whasnt exactly over the bolt and it scratched it a little.

That could be from removing the cylinder and putting it back in.

Some of the cheaper BPPs pietta makes have really thin bluing some of the better ones have better bluing and they can take ALOT more abuse.

If you put 2 of them side by side one looks black, the good ones look like black chrome.

I have one that has a cheaper finish on the frame, but the cylinder has a better bluing.

 

[rodwha]

The scratches are from my poor filing job unfortunately. It's hard to work in just that small area.