Pietta 1862 Army "police" on sale

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I used to have one that was a really good shooter...

The only reason I sold it was because I found a Colt Signature Series 1861 Navy that I couldn't live without, and one had to be sacrificed to raise some funds.

Understand there was "no Army Police" model issued by Colt... There was the 1860 Army, the 1851 & 1861 Navy's, and the 1862 Pocket Police (and others too). So the "Army Police" is just a variation that was made up in this or the last century -- but not by Colt in the century before that. But if the historical inaccuracy of that doesn't bother you at all, then buy it.

I will tell you that mine handled really well -- it was handy and very nicely balanced. When I first got it, I over-oiled it and added a leather strip under the hammer so I could dry-fire it -- a lot!!! That really smoothed it up well and it had a really nice action when I was done. Dang it... Maybe I should have kept it...

Good luck!

Old No7
 
Well. its not an exact copy of the Colt's 'Police' as they use the bigger frame as in the '51 or '61 Navy. If you're looking for that.

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=196827&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1396233800

Here is the Uberti Colt 'Police' frame compared to the '51 Navy frame, here's the thread with a bigger picture of that comparison.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=748279

In other words, if you want a more exact copy of the Colt 'Police' in the proper frame size then you have to buy the one made by Uberti.
 
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It's more like a '61 navy with a short barrel and fluted cylinder. The originals were made on the .31 pocket frame and reproduced by ASM with Uberti still making them today.

That being said, the short barrel and larger frame with six instead of 5 makes it fun and handy gun.
 
Thanks for the replies, gents!

I am definitely NOT interested in historical accuracy, as my favorite revolver of all time is the 5.5" barreled 1858 clones!

I have been lurking in the black powder forum for years, but the closest I have come to black powder has been owning a short barreled Cimarron 1858, that was factory built for 45 LC.....and shooting some black powder reloads!

I am passing by the Cabela's that is relatively close to me, this weekend, and they have some of these in stock........thinking of buying one as my first BP revolver, and concerned that this might not be the "best" one for a beginner?
(I don't want to do a bunch of filing and fitting and gunsmithing, so wondering if this model is......quality?)
 
^^

It'll be a fine shooter out of the box and a good starting spot at a fair price.


Willie

.
 
I have an Uberti version and for sheer good looks it is hard to beat. Had a few out of the box problems, hammer blow back, retention lug blowing off at recoil, caps falling behind hammer ect, ect. Changed out the nipples, staked the retention lug and filled in the hammer notch. Its a nice shooter now. Accurate enough at ranges it was designed for.
 
I used a pair of these shooting Classic Cowboy category at our local cowboy action shooting club's annual match last weekend. I had purchased this pair of revolvers from another cowboy action shooter who had never shot them. I wanted to tune these with my son so he could learn some things about blackpowder revolvers.

They were rough when I got them. They will go bang out of the box, but would have been frustrating to use in competition. Here is a list of what we did to them:

Fitted bolt to bolt notches on both guns (bolts were too wide, peening the notch edges)
The bolt leg on one gun was catching on a burr on the hammer cam, polished the cam down
Replaced factory nipples with Slix-Shot nipples
One gun's hammer was rubbing severely on the frame, polished it down
Lightened both mainsprings with a spacer between spring and frame.
Broke all sharp edges with a file
Both loading levers were binding the rammer, polished those surfaces
Replaced both trigger/bolt springs with Wolff wire springs
Replaced both hand springs with a fitted wire spring
Modified safety notch in both hammer faces


Fortunately the arbor fit was fine on both guns did not need fixing.

With these improvements, I shot 10 stages (5 shots with each revolver at each stage) with no jams, no misfires, no misses.

So like any other Italian percussion revolver, they can be made to shoot reliably. These were not expensive changes to make, they just take some time and tinkering. I am not trying to discourage you from buying the gun. For casual plinking you will have a lot of fun with it as it is. Just expect an occasional jam or misfire unless you tinker with it.

Also be SURE to use only pure lead balls with it, unless you remove the cylinder from the frame and charge the cylinders on a separate press. That short loading lever requires a cheater tube even with pure lead balls to save your hands when you ram the ball down into the chambers.

Here is one in action:
 

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Looks to be a great fun gun. You might consider loading with the cylinder off the gun. That tiny loading ram lever will make an impression on your hands. I bought a loading stand for around $30 that makes loading SO much easier. I load for ALL of mine with it nowadays.
 
From Cabela's:
"The 1862 Army Police .36 caliber revolver was originally designed for police use, and was a favorite sidearm and back-up gun of many officers during the Civil War. It is a lightweight pistol with a fairly short barrel (5"), which added to its popularity."

What a line of hooey!
 
rodwha said:
From Cabela's:
"The 1862 Army Police .36 caliber revolver was originally designed for police use, and was a favorite sidearm and back-up gun of many officers during the Civil War. It is a lightweight pistol with a fairly short barrel (5"), which added to its popularity."

What a line of hooey!
Click to expand...
Well, Yea -- for the Pietta version.
Uberti (as has been noted in various places where we have discussed this gun) makes a accurate five shot version on a smaller frame and that one was pretty popular as the Cabela's ad noted.
I question how much the Cabela's ad writers actually know about percussion revolvers. They obviously write the descriptions from information they're given but how much checking do they actually do?
Probably not too much.
We all know these designs are "fantasy" designs. I've seen TV westerns in which these "fantasy" guns are used as though they really were made back then.
Most people here in the BP forum know their "stuff" and we realize what is (was) real and not ... but we ought not need to jab the ad writers. WE'RE the experts, not them. ;)
 
"Most people here in the BP forum know their "stuff" and we realize what is (was) real and not ... but we ought not need to jab the ad writers. WE'RE the experts, not them."

But it's completely false and misleading. You should do your homework, at least some, before you express it. It's exactly why so many "buffs" greatly dislike the movies in which the guns or timeframes just don't jive.

I don't fault Pietta for making them. They sell and some are a nice design regardless. But don't write how it was made and used in history.
 
Rodwha, while you apparently didn't take my post above yours as snarky, I think I owe you an apology; I wrote that in a sourish mood and possibly wasn't as ... "diplomatic" as I could have been. If it did cause any offense I apologize.
Perhaps someone ought to "research" the fire-arm before doing a write up. What I was trying to do was to express the belief that the copywriters must write up "blurbs" for a lot of stuff that goes into the catalog. Camping stuff, sporting stuff, and all the other items that you see in the Cabela's catalog. I don't think they likely have time to go beyond the information handed them. Why do extra research on a Italian made revolver, for example, than a Chinese made tent? Or a boot? Or a raincoat?

I would say, were I to go so far that perhaps Fratelli Pietta ought to be the one to express some honesty and forthrightness about a product they are making and selling.
Something to the effect of, say:

"This gun is not an actual reproduction of a Colt revolver. This is a gun we designed that is 'based on' the Colt 1861 Navy, but with a shortened 5.5" barrel and a semi-fluted cylinder in .36 caliber. It is an 'imaginary' revolver we designed because we think it looks beautiful, balances well, and is an effective shooter. But Samuel Colt never actually made it. Perhaps they should have, but they didn't."​

Again, my apologies if I came off as nasty.
 
Gla someone said it, most of us here on the Forums know something about BP Revolvers, and what is "real" and what is a "representation".
With that said, let me comment on my own experience with this revolver;
Had mine for about a year now and love it!
The 6 sshot cylinder is perfect for plinking and informal Target work. The larger capacity of the actul Navy sized chambers allow for 22-25 gr loads with plenty of room for a patch and ball. The origonals were based on a .31 revolver and smaller overall.
The action of my "Police" is pretty good. It strted out well and is wearing in very well. Smooth triggerpull and crisp letoff. The hammer spring is just about right, a little strong but not a thumbbreaker. Sights are small nd in my opnion limit the quick pick-up that you need. It takes a second to bring the front in place.
Basically, at the usual price it was an OK buy, but the sle price sys Grab me!
ZVP
 
wheelyfun66,

Welcome to the black powder "family"..!

Whatever you decide to purchase I'm sure it will provide you with lots of excitement and fun.

I have found that the best BP revolver to get is the one I want at that moment... given the available funding and good graces of the Wife.

It is so nice to see more people wanting to get into BP. I would think that as long as there is a demand for BP related items the supply side will continue to meet those demands.
 
Even though this a "cheap", is this revolver going to be functional and a decent shooter?
Click to expand...

The quality of Pietta revolvers are not cheap. They are well made firearms that hold up well to shooting.

I owned one of their "Police" models a few years ago and instantly regretted selling it. Being a cheap, er, frugal I have been waiting for Cabelas to run them on sale again. $100.00 off of regular price and $5.00 flat shipping rate makes this a must buy for me. (This is cheaper than using gas to drive to the store and pay local sales tax. Did I mention I am a cheap, er, frugal person).

DRAT! Posted too soon. Checked on-line and Calela's collects local sales tax. So I called my local Cabela's where all of the gun clerks I have ever talked too are totally clueless about all blackpowder firearms to see if they had it stock. After having to give the clerk the stock number twice (he didn't know what Pietta was) he said they don't have it in stock and it will take 7 weeks to get it in from the warehouse! So I went ahead and ordered it on-line. Promo code for $5.00 shipping is 4FALL.
 
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It is not only Cabela's with clueless help, it is almost everywhere today. I recently needed a thermocouple for a gas water heater and called what used to be the best local plumbing supply house and felt like I talking to first graders. I had an account with them when I was general contractor and they still had it on their computer(my business hasn't been in existance for over 16 years). I finally went home and got the old thermocouple and took it back in with me. Finally managed to get one that matched and then asked for my discounted price as I was still on their books. Short story, no discount - Long story, too long to relate. The only thing is that I am glad I don't have too many more years left to put up with this nonsense.
 
Dframe said:
Looks to be a great fun gun. You might consider loading with the cylinder off the gun. That tiny loading ram lever will make an impression on your hands. I bought a loading stand for around $30 that makes loading SO much easier. I load for ALL of mine with it nowadays.
Click to expand...
A 5" piece of 1/2" flexible tubing slipped over the loading lever takes the sting out of the short barreled revolver loading. I bought 2' of tubing for around a dollar. I have enough to lose a few and still be good.

I prefer the simple solutions.
 
Colt Manufacturing would build a revolver with any length barrel you specified. Keith wrote about and showed a photo of a 6" 1851. Not a lot of folks took advantage of the offer but some did. Many folks would just buy the off the shelf versions and cut the barrel. Yes, reinstalling sights and lever latches is a chore but not impossible.

All in all, it is a nice looking revolver but not for me.
 
Tommygun: No worries. I hadn't taken it in poor light. I certainly understood (to a degree) where you were coming from. And I certainly appreciate your apology.

Noz: I have a bandana in my box, and use it when loading my 5.5" Pietta Remington.
 
Colt Manufacturing would build a revolver with any length barrel you specified. Keith wrote about and showed a photo of a 6" 1851. Not a lot of folks took advantage of the offer but some did.
Click to expand...

I know Colt offered that on the SAA but didn't know they did it on their C&B also. This might explain a interesting gun I saw once.

Several years ago while visiting the Cowboy Hall of Fame in OKC they had a Colt 1851 Navy on display. The barrel was obviously cut shorter than 7 1/2" although it still had the full length rammer (maybe around 6"). The gun had ivory grips which had yellowed and missing most of the finish but was in good condition and had been well cared for.

The story of the person that owned it was also interesting. I don't recall the name of the owner but he was a Civil War vet that went West after the war. While living in the West he survived being shot in the back by a Indian arrow and carried the arrowhead to his grave after a long life.

The thing that impressed me the most was here was a fellow (150 +/- years ago) that was into handguns enough to have one customized to his personal tastes.

p.s. Given Colts use the 1851 size frame one wonders why they didn't offer a six round "Police" model with the 5 1/2" barrel.
 
I would think a decent number of people in the old west could have modified their guns in many different ways either by doing it themselves or having it done by gunsmiths. This is very likely to be true and unlikely to not be true.

Gun companies would also make custom guns at the request of customers or for special situations.

I would not call them total fantasy guns at all.

Now as for the tall tales being weaved by these gun manufacturers that is another story. What is all this nonsense about "police model" etc... I am surprised they could not weave fiction that at least may possibly be true.
 
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