Pietta Remington 1858 questions

[Rachen]

Hey guys, I just received my Pietta Remington 1858 New Army with oversize frame and grips from Dixie Gun Works. I have a few technical questions about the piece that somebody might know about.

First, when I inspected the gun, I found that the barrel is screwed into the frame slightly crooked. The slant on the barrel is so slight that one could almost overlook it if he was not careful, but once you raise the pistol to look down the sights, you will see that the blade of the front sight is slightly slanted towards the right. This slantness does not pose any problem, but accuracy might be affected if I was in a competitive shooting match Does anybody else who has a Pietta built Remington also encounter this phenomenon? It is not a big thing at all, but I thought it was a little bit weird.
The second issue is that right out of the box, the action of the Pietta 1858 is kind of rough. When you lower the hammer back down, there is a few clicks. Regarding this, I think a little bit of Accralube Precision Oil might help ease the tension off the action, but it is still interesting to hear feedback from other Pietta owners.

Also, regarding the spare parts for this revolver, I read Mec's "Percussion Pistols", which states that parts such as the bolt and hand might have to be timed and doctored up a bit to make it fit into the piece. I know Dixie carries authentic parts from the manufacturer, that would probably fit right in without any problem, but just in case I have to do a bit of gunsmithing now and then. Can anyone recommend a good set of tools that I might need. Dixie carries a nice set of needle files. I was thinking about getting that too.

Thanks for your help.

 

[DixieTexian]

Dixie will probably replace the gun if the barrel is slightly crooked.

 

[Bad Flynch]

Not only will DGW probably replace the gun, but you have another option.

One of my best friends bought a Pietta at a gun show and noticed, after he returned home, that the barrel was screwed on crooked. It pointed slightly to the left, but straight up on the sight.

He wrote Pietta and they would not replace the gun. I do not remember what the excuse was, but they were entirely unsympathetic. Since then, I have seen all manner of Piettas that have "manufacturing variations." You just have to examine them carefully before you buy.

The good news is that my friend's revolver, crooked barrel or not, is an excellent shooter. If you can live with the defect, try shooting it as it just might be fine as-is.

 

[Mad Turner]

1858 Remington Pietta fault

I have a Pietta Colt 1851 and a Uberti Colt 1860. You only have to compare the two to see that Uberti quality far exceeds Pietta quality and that may be the simple answer. There is, however, nothing to choose in the shootability and they are both safe to shoot except that the Pietta always seems more inclined to jam than the Uberti

 

[mykeal]

Others have spoken to the front sight misalignment and I agree that it shouldn't really pose a serious problem to leave alone.

Regarding the action roughness - that's really not too uncommon with a new gun, even in Rugers and S&W's. All seem to want to be used a bit before they "smooth up".

Having said that, however, there are some things you can do to help that along. Stoning the action parts (that is, polishing the moving parts where they contact other parts with a honing stone) will go a long ways towards making the action smooth and crisp. One needs to be careful not to overdo it, though, especially the sear notches.

Tools: First of all, a good set of gunsmith screwdrivers. I cannot emphasize enough how important they are to maintenance of an Italian replica revolver. The screws that came in the gun are soft. You will, without any doubt, damage them if you use a garden variety shop screwdriver. I recommend buying Chapman's 9600 kit: http://www.chapmanmfg.com/
Needle files - never used 'em. They may be useful in cleaning up really bad metal problems, but you normally don't want to take a sledgehammer to put up a picture nail, and that's what I'd compare it too. Get some stones from Brownell's: http://www.brownells.com/
Search for the Colt Single Action slot stoning kit.
Brownell's also sells the Chapman screwdrivers so you can get everything at one place.

 

[Rachen]

Thanks for everybody's feedback.

I am going to exchange the gun for an 1873 Percussion OR a Uberti Remington. Still thinking right now.

 

[mykeal]

????

I am going to exchange the gun for an 1873 Percussion OR a Uberti Remington. Still thinking right now.

Not sure I understand that conclusion, but it's your money.

Before you commit to the 1873 percussion, consider the following (I own one, so this is from experience):

1. You must remove the cylinder from the gun to load it, including putting the caps on the nipples. A loading stand is highly recommended, otherwise you end up chasing the cylinder around the table. Removing/replacing the cylinder is not difficult, but loading it without a stand is.

2. The gun is absolutely diabolical about jamming due to spent caps getting caught between the frame and the cylinder. Even worse than the pocket Colts. The frame/cylinder clearances are tight and there is no mechanism for removing them or allowing them to fall clear, so they just ride around until they manage to jam the action.

It is a cool looking gun, however.

I guess I can kind of understand the Uberti Remington as a swap. Chances are you will get a better gun, although it will cost a little more. Odds are you will get a better Pietta, too, at the same price, should you decide to just swap for another gun.

Good luck.

 

[Tru Griff]

The first BP pistol I owned was a Uberti 1858 old Army Remington 44 and I really enjoyed it. I didnt like the way it would clog up after shooting about three cylinders full but it was much easier to take apart than the Pietta 1860 Colt 44 I own now. I purchased the Colt from Dixie not too long ago. It was the "patina" model. When I got it, it had more "patina" than I really wanted. It was rusty not only around the nipples but on the barrell and other spots as well. If I were wanting my pistol aged to look old that would have been fine but thats not what I wanted out of the box. I drove to DGW and returned it for another with no problem. I would imagine they would do the same for you. No excuse to buy a new gun and it have any defect regardless if it shoots straight.

 

[Rachen]

Whoa.....thanks guys!

I didn't know that the 1873 SA percussion was that troublesome. The picture looked absolutely cool, nobody could imagine it would be a naughty kid!

But I also have the Ruger Old Army in my sights as well. What I am looking for is a nice, durable, and powerful full frame revolver to use for hunting and outdoors. Right now, DGW is currently out of stock on the Uberti Remingtons. The folks at DGW told me that Uberti goes on vacation for the whole entire month of August. (Boy..... I would love to work there.......But the commute will be awfully expensive and long though!). So that gives me about a few weeks to think about whether I want the Old Army or the New Army

I read the reviews on DGW and somebody gave the Ruger a pretty nasty feedback. What's the use of a good revolver if it is inaccurate 70 percent of the time? I think I am still going to stick with the Uberti New Army. Inexpensive and rugged and spare parts are easily installed. Also, if a weapon is NSSA APPROVED, you will definetely know that it is worth it, because NSSA is all about accuracy.

About the revolver clogging up after 3 cylinder full though...........the Remmie/Beals design is not really a b**** to clean, and you have to pay careful attention on cleaning it. Also, I found out something else.........DGW sells something called ACCRALUBE PRECISION OIL. A few drops of accralube on the action parts, including the ramming lever and cam and all the little springs would prolong the life of these parts, since it "inhibits erosion and electrolytic action during severe humidity". I think ACCRALUBE is what they use on expensive watches too.

Honestly, I think Uberti is a good choice to go because it is a part of Beretta, which means that Uberti guns are produced through the same precision technology machines that the rugged Beretta autos are born from.

 

[mykeal]

The Ruger Old Army is absolutely the finest black powder revolver available today at any price. Hands down, Mr. Williams poor review notwithstanding. It is unquestionably superior to Uberti's 1858 Remington New Army in terms of accuracy, fit, finish, reliability, ruggedness, longevity, you name it.

That being said, the Uberti Remington is a fine piece for the money, all around an excellent value.

You will never be sorry you bought the Ruger; even in the very rare instance that you get a lemon, Ruger will repair/replace the gun at no cost to you.

Of course, it is 2 1/2 times more expensive. But, you get what you pay for.

 

[Rachen]

Yes! I always wanted the Ruger.

That revolver is so cool! It looks just like a Super Black Hawk, and it is something that is all modern, but still outfitted for Cowboy Action events, not to mention ease-of-mind when going outdoors.

About Mr. William's review, it could probably be many things. It could even be that he did not load it properly, maybe with too much powder, which would account for the lack of accuracy. MEC even said in his book that more powder=less accuracy. Or maybe he was using number 11 caps. I think Rugers would do much better if they use smaller caps, like the number 10, or a no. 11 pinched up.

One bad apple in a barrel wouldn't be a problem for me. Ruger AND DGW both have outstanding customer service and follow-up service in terms of repair and replacement.

 

[Rachen]

Oh, BTW.........

Mr. Wilson's rating was excellent and it reflects the Ruger's superior workmanship.

Which one would be better quality though? The old version in blued metal, or the new version in stainless steel? I think the newer stainless version should be even better, since revolvers have their own system of evolution as well.

 

[mykeal]

The blued and stainless are identical designs; there is no evolutionary design element.

The only difference, other than cosmetic appeal, is that stainless is easier to clean of bp fouling, so it has less maintenance.

The ROA has been made in 5 1/2 and 7 1/2 inch barrel lengths, in blued, stainless and satin finishes and with fixed or adjustable sights. There are also two grip variations, rosewood and faux ivory. If you watch the auctions long enough you will evenutally see all of the various combinations. At present the production line is only making the blued finish in a 5 1/2" barrel length with rosewood grips and fixed sights. The stainless finish is being made with 5 1/2" or 7 1/2" barrel length, faux ivory or rosewood grips and fixed sights or in a 7 1/2" barrel length with rosewood grips and adjustable sights .

 

[Rachen]

When I heard that the ROA was "built like a tank", I knew it had to be. That comment was not made for no reason

I prefer the stainless with rosewood grips. There is something about the wood that brings so much romance and beauty. It has the same exact color as my heavy writing desk that I have in my living room. That desk was made in Xi'an during the 12th Year of Qing Emperor Guangxu (app. 1890) and has been passed down in my family for many generations. My great grandfather bought the desk for very cheap in Shanghai. How it ended up from Xi'an to Shanghai I didn't know, but it the same color and sheen as the ROA rosewood grip.

Both versions of the stainless are currently carried by DGW.

 

[Marlin 45 carbine]

I have a ROA and it is a fine revolver, built to last 2 lifetimes and accurate. I shoot hand-cast Lee Mold conicals in it with a max powder charge and accuracy is as good as I can hold.
I have a Pietta '58 Rem 'Buffalo' 12" barrel model also and it is a good one, a good shooter. it is actually the 3rd one I've owned, all were good revolvers. the first 2 were brass frames, looked good and shot good too. I rarely used a full house load in them, usually 25 gr., felt wad and roundball. there are tales of the brass being weak but after shooting maybe 300 max charges in each one not a bit of wear, but that isn't really that many rounds. perhaps 2000 or more would be required to wear them any.
I've taken wild hog with both revolvers using Lee mold slugs. good luck.