Speaking of Pietta and Cabelas...

[Bluehawk]

I was informed by email earlier today, from a store owner, that Cabelas has Pietta make guns for them except they are instructed to have lighter (weaker?) springs and the parts won't interchange with the "standard" Pietta BP revolvers supplied to other dealers!
Has anyone else heard this before?
I do know know thing...I own two Piettas...one from Navy Arms (Spiller&Burr) and my new Cabelas 1858 Remington New Army Police .36 caliber. Almost all internal parts interchange between these two and the spare parts kit I bought for the Remington from Cabelas interchanges with the Spiller&Burr...even the hammer! (The main spring doesnt because it has more metal at the bottom but that can be removed if necessary)

Copy of email:

Cabela's are a lower quality Pietta. Cabelas orders the factory to use lighter springs and the parts will not interchange with standard Pietta's. They will not admit that but we have been in the black powder business for over 30 years selling Pietta and Uberti and I won't even take a Cabela's POS in on trade.

 

[Ratdog68]

I haven't heard that specifically... but, I have heard that Cabela's buys the lower grade imports that come in from Pietta's factory. Can I confirm that? Nope, do I own a Cabela's BP gun? Nope, but for other reasons. Because Cabela's has a brick/mortar store within my state, WA state law requires them to FFL a black powder gun, just as a modern firearm. So... I will not "buy in state" from a vendor that subscribes to that.

 

[MCgunner]

Sounds like bovine excretion to me. Thinkin' of it logically, why would weaker springs save any money? Maybe lower quality springs, but "weaker"? Springs aren't expensive, anyway. Saving two or 3 dollars on springs at best seems not worth the effort of changing up production lines for.

Ain't logical, all I'm sayin'. I really don't care. The Pietta I just got from Cabela's was danred reasonable on sale and it's tight, times right, and shoots well enough.

 

[MCgunner]

And, I'd take another dealer's BS with a grain of salt, anyway. They WOULD hate Cabelas, they're being undercut by them. Same reason everyone tends to hate Walmart, they run other stores out of town. There seems to be some bitterness in that note.

 

[Bluehawk]

Another thing I question is his remark about not taking in a Pietta from Cabelas on trade...how could he possibly know what Pietta is or isn't from Cabelas w/o the original receipt or box??
Why would they make two models of an identical gun that the parts wouldn't interchange with?? Makes no business sense at all to me!
I agree..I feel the guy is full of it but I'm curious to know if anyone has heard of this before or seen any evidence of it.

 

[Tommygunn]

Drivel. I have Piettas from Cabela's and from other sources and there is no difference between parts.

 

[AZ_Rebel]

This supposition makes no sense at all... BS Meter off the scale! I have both - Pietta's from Cabella's and identical models bought elsewhere and there is absolutely no discernable difference.

 

[w_houle]

Well, I'm about to find out. I just ordered one.
I know you're gonna look at me funny, but I messed up the screws and beat up the side of the barrel, chipped the wedge, and lost the cylinder (I only fired the R&D cylinder) for my 1851
So I bought this
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...abelas/en/common/search/search-box.jsp.form23
There is no way I am going to get those parts for that cheap, and I like the look of the barrel better.
Edit: I also managed to bend the latch on the loading lever

 

[Bluehawk]

I messed up the screws...beat up the side of the barrel...chipped the wedge...lost the cylinder...managed to bend the latch on the loading lever

Would someone please call his mother and have her take away his tool set??

 

[tango2echo]

I've purchased an 1858 Target model from Cabelas and one from Dixie Gun Works. No difference, but the Cabelas one came with a very nice BP loading manual and a nicer Pietta manual.

t2e

 

[idaram]

Just bought a .36 Rem from Cabela's a month ago. Clean, tight, and a good looker to top it off.
I have purchased .44 Colt cylinders from them and they all interchange.
Weak springs?????????? Nah - The whole thing sounds like a load to me.

Best...Andy

 

[MCgunner]

Well, I'm about to find out. I just ordered one.
I know you're gonna look at me funny, but I messed up the screws and beat up the side of the barrel, chipped the wedge, and lost the cylinder (I only fired the R&D cylinder) for my 1851
So I bought this
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...box.jsp.form23
There is no way I am going to get those parts for that cheap, and I like the look of the barrel better.
Edit: I also managed to bend the latch on the loading lever

And, I was down on myself for overloading a brasser and stretching it to death. Wow, I feel better, now.

I got the 5.5" version on sale for 129 bucks and tax and shipping. It's a decent shooter, sure the heck worth THAT price.

So, you got the other barrel, its it in .44? You could cut that down for a snubby barrel, my next project. But, you WOULD have to use your tools, so maybe that's not such a good idea, Tim. You are Tim, right, Tim Taylor?

 

[w_houle]

Would someone please call his mother and have her take away his tool set??

Too late

And, I was down on myself for overloading a brasser and stretching it to death. Wow, I feel better, now.

Always glad I could help!

So, you got the other barrel, its it in .44? You could cut that down for a snubby barrel

Yes, it's just a regular 1851 barrel. Ooh I can build an Avenging angel

LOL

 

[arcticap]

Some of the Cabela's muzzle loaders don't seem to be sold by anyone else in the U.S..
And while most of their ML parts are interchangable with other models, there could be some parts that are different.
Some Cabela's muzzle loaders might be ugraded models and some could be downgraded clones of other models.
Each model is different and I realize that Cabela's BP rifles and Cabela's revolvers aren't the same items either.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

They are correct..., hogwash. It would take time and more importantly, MONEY to modify the parts to not interchange, so why would Pietta do that? Of course they could if somebody paid them lots more for the product, but that would be translated into higher prices at Cabela's. IF say Taylor's has better springs, stiffer, better steel, THAT might be possible compared to a base line Pietta that was perhaps sold to Cabella's. If there truly is a difference, it would be some other vendors might have a little better quality than the base line model from the actual maker. You can go to Uberti or Pedersoli, for example, and have better blue, better wood, better finish on the metal, and of course you have to charge higher prices.

LD

 

[Bluehawk]

I've looked at EMF and they seem to sell some of the same models of Piettas as Cabelas.
What I didn't know is that Pietta also makes a line of centerfire revolvers from the Western era!

 

[MCgunner]

Some of the Cabela's muzzle loaders don't seem to be sold by anyone else in the U.S..
And while most of their ML parts are interchangable with other models, there could be some parts that are different.
Some Cabela's muzzle loaders might be ugraded models and some could be downgraded clones of other models.
Each model is different and BP rifles and revolvers aren't the same either.

I have a "Hawken Hunter Carbine" from Cabelas, still sold, though no longer available in left hand. It's made by Investarms, same folks that make Lyman's rifles.

 

[OYE]

I suspect Cabela's is one of Piettas biggest customers ( if not the biggest ). I would expect those guns to have a tighter inspection and to be of better quality. To do anything else would be suicide for Pietta. In my humble opinion.

 

[txapacheguy]

It sounds to me like a small business owner's last ditch desperate effort to make a sale. I do not blame the guy for being frustrated at the low prices Cabela's offers, but that a pretty cheap shot. I could be convinced to buy a BP revolver from a small shop for a slightly higher price if offered some superior service, perhaps in the form of some complimentary gunsmithing/parts fitting or the like. The drivel contained in that email quote would serve only to drive me away from that shop permanently however...

I have purchased parts for my Cabela's Pietta revolvers from Dixie Gun Works and was NOT asked if my particular Pietta came from Cabela's or not. They simply asked the model of the revolver, sold me the parts, and they worked.

Buy your revolvers from whoever you wish. It is a shame to have that great email quote from the shop owner with no shop name to its credit. To the OP, I applaud your use of restraint and decency Sir!!!. I would personally be happy to boycott any shop owner who tried to give me a line of garbage of that nature though. Thanks for sharing!!!

 

[goon]

In the world of modern production, the best way to produce something is to stamp out as many as possible in the time allotted. This applies to widgets and guns alike.

Pietta would actually probably lose money if they stopped to crank out a bunch of substandards springs. It makes more sense to keep on cranking out your normal good springs.

 

[w_houle]

The cylinder is a fit, and it works fine. The barrel swapped out fine. The only thing that seems to be at issue is that the new wedge is too thick to get in and out of the gun with ease, but that is also why the old one is filed on the bottom.
I found the cylinder for my steel frame '51, and it works great in the brass frame.

 

[MISSEDSHOT]

cabelas guns/parts

I've bought several old pietta revolvers that had to have replacement parts.I ordered parts kits from Cabelas for "their" new revolvers and found them to be nearly drop in replacements.I also bought a brass frame '51 from Cabelas and it had a timing problem.I ordered a new bolt from a totally unrelated source for Pietta brand products and it was a direct replacement.Just my experiences.

 

[Sagetown]

I own two Pietta's (not Cabela's) in Colt .44 Army. One is 16 years old and the hammer spring is pretty stiff. The other is new and has a lighter hammer spring that works like a fine piece of machinery. IMO that is probably a general improvement in all of Pietta's revolvers. And they are interchangeable, as are the rest of the parts.

 

[MCgunner]

Just got my two spare cylinders for my .44 Cal 51 navy sheriff's. Drop right in and function without fitting.