Rating the Repro Revos

[roo_ster]

Howdy to y'all black powder folks.

I have an itch to get into the black powder realm, seeing as they not only go "BANG" but produce a prodigious amount of smoke. Some dirty rat let me shoot his Pedersoli Sharps BPCR in .45-70 & I haven't been able to shake the thrill of it. I know, I need help.

Which is where y'all come in. I want to start off this whole black powder deal with a revolver, probably a .44 1858 Remington cap & ball reproduction. Which manufacturer(s) produce decent examples? I saw the Ruger, but that is too much money for me to spend, starting off. I have seen Rem 1858s done by CVA, Uberti, Pietta, and Cabelas. The one that caught my eye is the Cabelas 1858 New Army Target .44 Caliber, due to its apparently decent sights. Are the "target" sights anachronistic on such a revolver?

Anyway, if y'all could shed some light on the relative quality of the makers, I'd be appreciative.

 

[Poodleshooter]

Cabela's 1858's are Piettas. I'm not a Pietta fan,BTW. They use very soft steel, and there is a good deal of casting and flashing left on their parts. Others have had fine luck with them.

 

[armoredman]

Uberti has a great rep, especially since they are now owned by Beretta.

 

[Josey]

Ruger is best. Heavy duty and they can benefit from simple parts swaps. There is a lot of dress-up and custom stuff for Rugers. Rugers are just fine right out of the box. Used Rugers run $280-$350 around my area. CAS shooters are trading long barrel ROAs for 5.5" ROAs, there are many floating around. Ubertis are the ONLY other manufacturer that I would give consideration to. Pietta has a good cartridge revolver line though. www.dixiegunworks.com is an excellent source for BP revolvers.

 

[ruger357]

I second the Ruger, you will never wear it out.

 

[Gatofeo]

The Ruger is good if all you wants are the mechanics of loading and firing a cap and ball revolver. Can't beat adjustable sights.
But if you want a sense of history, you'll likely want one more like the old revolvers, which had sights ranging from okay to atrocious.
I like both Colt and Remington designs. The preference is personal; I can't suggest one over the other.
My Uberti-made 1858 Remington .44 is a very well-made revolver. My Pietta-made 1860 Colt (marketed by Traditions) is a very well-made revolver.
From what I've been reading the past few years in websites, Pietta has raised its quality considerably and, in some particular instances, Uberti has lowered its standards --- judging from some poorly made examples shooters have complained about.
I can't complain about either revolver. Study each carefully for overall fit, finish and how well they lock up when the hammer is cocked. The cylinder should not move when the hammer is cocked. If it moves a tiny amount, say a millimeter or two, that may be all right.
Both my Uberti and Pietta revolvers don't move a bit. Nor does my Colt 2nd generation 1851 Navy, for that matter.
Caliber is also a matter of personal choice. Both .36 and .44 are equally accurate.
The bottom line: examine before you buy. If you mail order, and you get a poorly made revolver, don't be shy about sending it back immediately. Keep sending it back until you (a) get a good one or (b) realize that the mail order company has nothing BUT junk. At that point, ask for a full refund (and document how much you spent on postage returning it; keep those receipts!).
At this point, I think Uberti or Pietta would serve you fine --- if they are well made.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Buy your Ruger used then. Shop around. I spotted a deal once in the Big Nickel (freebie wantads) in Reno, Nevada. 2 Rugers, one blue, one stainless, extra cylinder, powder, balls, caps, capper for $450. I told my brother & he jumped on it muy pronto. Right after he called, another person called but my brother had first dibs.

He just picked up his 3rd with was a stainless Southport gun with a serial number of less that 1k.

 

[gvass]

hi,
Ruger Old Army is not a replica, but a rock-solid modern c'n'b revolver.

The traditional revolver replicas in quality order IMHO:

- Feinwerkbau Roger and Spencer (hyper expensive, but you can be a world champion with them)
- Pedersoli Remington 1858 and R&S (they look ugly because their matt surface, but accurate as hell, also very pricey)
- Uberti (I love their Walker)
- Pietta
- Armi San Marco
- Palmetto (but these are expensive)

These are the ORIGINAL manufacturers, no matter who sells them in the USA.

 

[Snowdog]

Well, I can't give you a rating as I haven't a clue where my BP revolver stands among its peers. However, I can tell you that my Pietta that I purchased from Cabela’s about three years ago has truly impressed me as a decent quality Italian firearm.

When a friend of mine was about to order an 1858 Pietta steel-framed reproduction from Cabela's on a lark, he asked if I had anything I'd like to toss in to save shipping. I browsed through revolvers they had to offer and decided that I indeed would like one of these nice-looking replicas as well. I was pleased with the purchase when the goodies came in. The blued finish was excellent and the revolver was mechanically perfect, with a surprising trigger.

A month or so later, we found that we were able to hit 2-3' scrap 2x4s stood on their ends at near 125 yards with more consistency that one would think possible. I believe we were to the point that we would hit the one we were aiming at one out of every 3 or so shots. That's good shooting for me, and I'd say for him as well.

One interesting side note: A .454 Hornady round ball over 30gr of FFFG Pyrodex (yeah, we were loading them a bit stout) will completely blast through a 2x4 at 10 paces, splintering the board in the most obnoxious way while at it. However, at 125 yards, this same round ball will always bounce off the same board, leaving a rather shallow dent behind. Well anyway, I found it interesting!

In testimony of my Pietta's quality, it is still just as mechanically tight as the day I toweled off the heavy amniotic oil it came coated with, straight from the Pietta nursery at Cabela's... this after having fired around 200 .454 Hornady round ball under 30 grains of Pyrodex Pistol.
If it weren't for the tedious cleaning involved after even the most brief of sessions, I would definitely find more time to shoot it.

Pietta 1858 and Taurus 669 (previously taken for size comparison)

 

[roo_ster]

Thanks for all the replies. AS usual, the 'boards beat the heck outta the dealers, data-wise.

I'll have to mull it over. If the Ruger weren't so much more expensive, it'd be a no-brainer. I can get history later. I wanna make some foul-smelling smoke.

 

[P95Carry]

Long, long ago .. I beat the crap outa my ol' Uberti .44 Colt repro .... served me well ... loads fun and just needed to replace hand eventaully plus that multi leaf spring. Good value.

I rather like the frame of the Rem and so got a Pietta in .44 .. it needs some good excercize but I will treat it with respect .. and not pound it ... and I think it'll do OK ....... as have others I have come across.

If budget can allow tho .. the Ruger ol' Army wins hands down .. designed for cap'n'ball from the get go and tough as ya like .. still may get me one one day! Shot several and they are NICE!

 

[ruger357]

jfruser
Shop around. The used Rugers do sell at good prices.

 

[panzerfuehrer]

Nobody mentioned Lyman, but I had one until a couple years ago when I used it in a trade. It was well-machined and very sturdy. Hated shooting it though because I found that C&B revolvers are a royal PITA to clean.

 

[foghornl]

I currently have a Pietta-made 1851 Navy Colt. A real [ahem] blast to shoot, and it always torques off the other folks at the indoor range.

Over the years, I have had a CVA (don't know the actual maker) 1858 Army Remington, a CVA .31 "Pocket Remington"...a 5-shot BP "mouse gun" and a single-shot "Prospectors Pistol". All were just toooo much fun.

And I also now have a Lyman "Trade Rifle" in .50 flintlock. Another "hoot" to go out and send lead downrange.

But if you are just starting in BP shooting, the 'caplock' is the best way to go, IMHO. Flintys are fun, but more work to get good results. Probably has to do with the long lock time to get the powder burning

 

[mec]

For mechanics, metallurgy and durability, the Ruger is it. If you want a traditional revolver, you might give some thought to one of the Colt Navy or Army types. Spare parts are easier to find than with some and some of the springs from the Colt Single action will work. A few of these are domestically produced and are of good quality. The Heinie wire trigger/bolt spring droped right into my navy. The original t/b springs break very often and this is a very good alternative.