Replica Arms

[BigG]

I wondered when Replica Arms Marietta Ohio was active? Who made their guns? I saw an 1860 Army with the single diameter cylinder with the full length flutes. Was that a common model? I hadn't seen any actual Colts like that but it does look good.

Thanks for any info you can provide.

 

[Tommygunn]

I saw an 1860 Army with the single diameter cylinder with the full length flutes. Was that a common model?

A single diameter cylinder?

Early Colt 1860s had the fluted cylinder. They later discontinued it for the smooth engraved cylinder. It still had the "rebate" or step in the cylinder, but it was less noticeable due to the flutes. The rebate or step did not follow down into the flutes. But if you look at the rectangular locking bolt holes on the cylinder the rebate is right in front of it.
You can get the fluted model today. Uberti makes them, and I know Dixie Gun Works has them. I believe Taylors and Cimmaron will too.

 

[BigG]

A single diameter cylinder?

Meaning, a cylinder without the rebate. The flutes were added and ran the full length of the cylinder, similar to the flutes on a 3rd Model Dragoon.

The flutes looked like these except on an 1860 Army frame.

 

[Tommygunn]

I know. Possibly I should have stated I own a 1860 cylinder that is fluted.
But, what I am saying, is it is ALSO rebated. It just isn't noticeable. Colt made them that way when the 1860 came out, and the Uberti repro is also that way.
I know of no 1860 cylinder, fluted, or engraved, that does not have that "rebate" or step in it, either original or repro. If one exists, it is outside my knowledge.

 

[mec]

I believe Replica Arms was the Uberti importer a few decades ago much like Allen Firearms and then Cimmaron and others. The Fluetted Army is still available as is a .36 caliber 62 Navy Model. The fluetted model came fairly early and Ben McCollough ordred a thousand of them for the Texas Rangers just before the civil war broke out. Between 350 and 500 actually made it into texas running blockades through Lousiana.

 

[BigG]

OK, Tommygunn, now I see from MEC's post it looks like the cylinder IS rebated, even though the flutes run the full length. That is something I hadn't noticed. I thought it was all the same diameter before it was fluted. You learn something new every day. Thanks for being patient.

 

[Chawbaccer]

Replica Arms

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I wondered when Replica Arms Marietta Ohio was active? Who made their guns? I saw an 1860 Army with the single diameter cylinder with the full length flutes. Was that a common model? I hadn't seen any actual Colts like that but it does look good.

When was this gun made? I have lived in this area for a long long time and I can't recall ever hearing about this company.

 

[BigG]

I was trying to find that out, too, Chawbaccer. Say, you aren't that guy from the movies are you?

 

[mec]

Look for a square box on the frame somewhere. current ubertis are on the right side next to the proof mark. The letters/numbers inside the box will let us know when it was made.

 

[Mike Faires]

I have a Uberti manufactured 1875 Remington in 357 Magnum marked Replica Arms, Marrietta, Ohio. It was proofed in 1978 and the serial number being
3XX tells me it was probably early in the companies existance. I hope that helps a little.

 

[Bad Flynch]

It seems to me that I read somewhere that the first of the 1860s were full-fluted. However, they had some blow-up problems and switched to the filled-in cylinder. No doubt that the full-fluting was done to save weight, as this was not to be a dragoon type pistol, but a full-powered sidearm.

The rebate on the cylinder was there so that the frame could be made smaller. Actually, I have read that the frame was smaller as a result of fitting a larger cylinder to what was basically a Navy frame.

I have also read that the 1860 Army was the first revolver to be made with the (then) new Bessemer processed steel. That would allow them to make the guns from large-lot steel, instead of from small batches that might vary a lot in composition or quality.

Originals had gain-twist rifling, which is now supposedly being implemented by Pietta. Too bad about the rest of the Pietta story, as I'd like a gain-twist gun.

 

[mec]

Date of manufacture. see the codes at the bottom of the page. They are enclosed in a square/box
https://store.bluebookinc.com/Info/PDF/POWDER/MBPPiettaSerial.pdf

Until I ran into a collector at a gun show, I thought the very first Armies were fluetted. He showed me an unfluetted one with an extremely low serial number then a fluetted one that was higher explaining that the fluetted ones were early in the series but not the first production.

Colt was proud of its mass manufactured "silver spring steel" saying it allowed for a stronger gun with as much power as the earlier dragoons (not). they went a little ape with the thin fluetted cylinder walls and supposedly some of them blew up. Modern replicas don't have that problem. I don't know if it's the same stuff, but something called silver steel is still a staple manufacturing alloy. One percent carbon, I believe.

coming soon....

 

[Old Dragoon]

Mec,
Is your and johnny's book still available as a download and better, are you going to make a downloadable version of your newest book?

 

[BigG]

The close up photos are hard to take but the mark looks like the business end of an octagon rifled bbl with a front sight and a "U" in the middle of the bore.



The other side says Replica Arms Inc., Marietta Ohio, Made in Italy with a couple of proof marks. The only thing with letters I see is a poorly stamped XXV - the first X I'm not sure about.

Thanks for any help you can give and for all the help already!

 

[mec]

XXV would be 1969. Kind of sounds right. the first letter is probably an X as they started out with X and the next letter is A

Book is listed as an e-book on iUniverse and several online booksellers. Whether or not they really have them, I don't know. I haven't seen any of the e books sell since may of 06. It looks like they stopped pushing them after the first year.

The next book will be Paper/Hard and e-book. More guns, more loads, bigger pictures, hopefully better pictures.

 

[Old Dragoon]

Looks like a 1969 Uberti to me. The octagonal bbl with the U is Uberti Trademark

Mec,
I just downloaded your book as an EBook. from EBookmall.com. It was $6.00 Best $6.00 I ever spent.
Looking forward to reading it.

 

[mec]

I've seen their ad. Now we know that they really have them.

 

[BigG]

Thanks for all the helpful information!

 

[DuncanSA]

Italian Year of mfg. codes

Thanks for all the helpful info. I have established that my Pietta Remington was made in 1976.

Are these codes relevant only to Pietta's? My Uberti 1860 Colt replica bears the mark XX9. Has Uberti got their own series of codes or does this equate to XXIX which indicates 1974?

 

[mec]

for those without excel, here is the Italian Proofmark/date chart. It covers all Italian revolvers regardless of make including the cartridge guns

Year Symbol Year Symbol
1945 1 1981 AH
1946 2 1982 AI
1947 3 1983 AL
1948 4 1984 AM
1949 5 1985 AN
1950 6 1986 AP
1951 7 1987 AS
1952 8 1988 AT
1953 9 1989 AU
1954 X 1990 AZ
1955 XI 1991 BA
1956 XII 1992 BB
1957 XIII 1993 BC
1958 XIV 1994 BD
1959 XV = BE
1960 XVI 1995 BF
1961 XVII 1996 BH
1962 XVIII 1997 BI
1963 XIX 1998 BL
1964 XX 1999 BM
1965 XXI 2000 BN
1966 XXII 2001 BP
1967 XXIII 2002 BS
1968 XXIV 2003 BT
1969 XXV 2004 BU
1970 XXVI 2005 BZ
1971 XX7 2006 CA
1972 XX8 2007 CB?
1973 XX9 2008 CC?
1974 XXX 2009 CD?
1975 AA 2010 CE
1976 AB
1977 AC
1978 AD
1979 AE
1980 AF

 

[DuncanSA]

Uberti Colt replica mfg. date.

Thanks for the info mec. Mine was apparently made in 1973 - still shoots superbly.

 

[BigG]

Just a comparison of the difference in size of two Colt .44s - both six shot.

3rd Dragoon is about 1 1/2 X as large as the 1860 Army. The steel and heat treatment must have been better. !

 

[Old Dragoon]

XX9 is 1973 the numerals and the letters are put on m by the proof house I believe, so they are the same across the board on Italian repros.