There are reports that the "early" Ubertis (1980 - 1990 ) imported by Navy Arms had "issues"
Howdy
Those were probably the ones made by ASM, not Uberti. The ASM Schofields had a lot of problems.
One item to watch for is the opening method. One type allows you to push down the opener (for want of a better word) to open the action. The other makes you lift the opener to open. Not a big issue, since I probably won't be in any gunfights in the foreseeable future, but the push down is easier.
I suspect you are talking about the barrel latch when you talk mention the 'opener'.
There was only one type of latch on the Schofield Model. Actually, the latch on the 1st and 2nd Model Schofields were slightly different in appearance, but they worked the same.
The latch was a serpentine shaped piece mounted on the frame.
The hammer was pulled back slightly to the 'half cock' position, and then the latch could be rotated back about 1/4" to free the barrel to rotate down.
All the other large frame #3 Top Break S&W revolvers, the American Model, the Russian Model, the New Model Number Three, and the 44 Double Action had a latch that was lifted up to unlatch the barrel. When the latch was lifted up it cleared two posts machined onto the frame. This allowed the barrel to be rotated down for loading and unloading.
The lifting style of latch was the first latch S&W put on their big #3 Top Breaks. It was used on the American Model and the Russian Model. The problem with this style of latch is it requires two hands to operate, one to lift the latch and the other to rotate the barrel down. Major George Schofield was impressed with the American Model, but he thought he could improve it. He had a new latch fashioned that allowed a mounted soldier to open the latch with the thumb of the hand holding the revolver, and the barrel could be opened by brushing it against his leg, freeing his other hand to hold onto the reins of his horse. Schofield patented his new latch, and S&W had to pay him a royalty on every Schofield model they produced. Crafty old Daniel Wesson instructed his designers to come up with a new latch to get around Schofield's patent, but the model was only produced from 1875 until 1877 with only about 9,000 produced.
After that S&W went back to the lifting style latch for the New Model Number Three and the 44 Double Action model.
Just as a refresher, S&W built five distinct models on the large #3 size frame.
The first was the American Model. Actually, this is a 1st Model Russian, but they looked just like the American Model, the difference was the American Model was chambered for the 44 S&W round with a heeled bullet, the 1st Model Russian was chambered for the 44 Russian round.
Then came the Russian Model with its distinctive hump on the grip and spur on the trigger guard.
Then came the Schofield Model, with its distinctive style of barrel latch.
Then came the best of them all, the New Model Number Three.
And finally came the 44 Double Action.
All built on the #3 size frame, but all different.