Will the Uberti SAA clone handle normal 357 loads?

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Balrog

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Will the Uberti SAA clone handle normal 158g JSP's or is it cowboy loads only?

I am not talking about a Ruger only load, Buffalo Bore, etc, just 158g JSPs by Winchester, Federal, etc.
 
If it's marked for magnum, no problem at all. Keep under saami max and you'll be fine, there is a margin of safety built into every respectable gun so even a max load is well inside the safe zone. That's true for every firearm. Hotter loads may cause a little faster wear but nothing I'd be too concerned about.

This applies more to cartridges like 45 colt, same thing though- if you're within saami pressures it's totally safe. Rugers can take extra pressure but you won't find even ruger recommending going over standard pressures even though they can easily take double saami max (in 45 colt at least). There is no magnum +p, magnum is just that. Even in my gp100 I stay in saami specs , I'm sure it could take more but I'd rather know I'm safe instead of just hoping I am.
 
Earlier this year, Got an Uberti Bisley clone (avatar) in 357.
So far, not a lot of experience with full power loads, however have shot
A number of 180 gr cast bullets at 1100 fps - no signs of any issues with
That loading.
 
Balrog said:
Will the Uberti SAA clone handle normal 158g JSP's or is it cowboy loads only?
Click to expand...

Howdy

This question gets asked a lot.

I would like to point out that Smith and Wesson developed the 357 Magnum cartridge in 1935. At the time the cartridge was only chambered in a large, N frame revolver because the large cylinder would allow more metal between chambers than a smaller K frame cylinder.

That same year, 1935, Colt chambered the Single Action Army for 357 Magnum.

So 357 Magnum has been chambered in single action revolvers since 1935.

I do not own an Uberti single action revolver chambered for 357 Mag, but here is a photo that should tell the story.

On the left is a 2nd Gen Colt cylinder chambered for 45 Colt. On the right is a Ruger New Vaquero cylinder chambered for 357 Magnum. An Uberti cylinder chambered for 357 Mag will look very similar to the Ruger cylinder. The cylinder will be very close to the same diameter, but more important, the amount of steel between the chambers will be very similar. Single Action revolvers like a Colt SAA or an Uberti replica are big revolvers. I don't have a photo handy, but I can tell you that the diameter and amount of metal between chambers on a N frame 357 Magnum Smith and Wesson and a Colt or colt replica are very similar. All Uberti revolvers are proofed in Italy in government run proof houses, to standards that are slightly stricter than American SAAMI standards. An Uberti (or any other Italian) replica of the SAA is completely capable of digesting a steady diet of SAAMI Max pressure (35,000 psi) 357 Magnum cartridges. Don't be fooled into thinking they are only good for "cowboy loads", what ever that is, because there is no official SAAMI spec for cowboy loads. Whether or not your hand can take the recoil of a few boxes of 357 Mag out of a colt replica is another story.

pokDifnjj.jpg




P.S. I bought a pair of 357 Mag Ruger New Vaqueros for my wife a whole bunch of years ago when she was still shooting CAS with me. I was loading very light 38 Special ammo for her. One day I took one of the New Vaqueros to the range to see where they were printing with my light 38 Special ammo. I was shooting sitting down from a rest, holding the pistol with one hand. Recoil was of course very mild. Then I thought I would try a cylinder full of factory 357 Mag through the Ruger. I kind of forgot I was shooting magnums, and I was holding the revolver very lightly with one hand. When I lit off the first round the gun almost jumped out of my hand. My hand came flying back, still holding the revolver, and the barrel almost whacked me in the forehead. The rest of the cylinder I made sure I had a good grip on the gun.
 
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The Uberti site for the 1873 SS Cattleman currently lists one model in .357 Magnum: The Hombre (343901). And it's listed as ".357 Magnum". So, yes...it should handle .357 Magnum.

If you download the "manual" (quotes, as that's kind of tongue-in-cheek since it's a single page and appears generic to Cattleman), it says "NEVER use cartridges marked "high Speed" or "High Velocity" under Special Safety Instructions (#3). However, #4 on that list says "Use ONLY COMMERCIALLY loaded cartridges that have been loaded in accordancde with sAAMI-C.I.P. standards."

So as long as the gun is a .357 Magnum gun, any ammo loaded to SAMMI-C.I.P. standards is OK to use.

https://www.uberti-usa.com/1873-single-action-cattleman-revolvers
 
Ruger Bisley Vaquaro (right)
and Uberti Bisley (left)​
, side by side cylinders - both 357.
Look similar in dimension, Ruger actually measures 44.0 mm at broadest point across cylinder "flats", vs Uberti actual of 42.5 mm. Unless there is a significant difference in steel type and treatment, seems like the 1.5 mm difference is minimal. Agree with previous comments, these SAA type firearms all have thicker cylinder walls than usual DA revolver. Will continue to use max loads, as needed in both revolvers.
IMG_1956.jpg ​
 
Been shooting fullcharge wadcutters (loaded to old 158 RNL standard) in an Uberti open top, as per the manual.
Moon
 
Driftwood Johnson said:
Howdy

This question gets asked a lot.

<SNIP>

All Uberti revolvers are proofed in Italy in government run proof houses, to standards that are slightly stricter than American SAAMI standards. An Uberti (or any other Italian) replica of the SAA is completely capable of digesting a steady diet of SAAMI Max pressure (35,000 psi) 357 Magnum cartridges. Don't be fooled into thinking they are only good for "cowboy loads", what ever that is, because there is no official SAAMI spec for cowboy loads. Whether or not your hand can take the recoil of a few boxes of 357 Mag out of a colt replica is another story.
Click to expand...

@Driftwood Johnson is mostly correct, but there's more.

C.I.P. is Europe's version of SAAMI and they set the chamber pressure standards produced by firearms manufacturers who are members of the organization, which includes Uberti. The maximum average chamber pressure they have set for the .357 Magnum is 3000 bar which converts to about 43,500 psi. Additionally, all firearms produced by C.I.P. member companies are required to be proofed with loads generating chamber pressures 1.3x the maximum average pressure. So, not only are all Uberti .357's rated for 43,500 psi, they are proofed at over 56,000 psi. As such, Uberti's are capable of easily handling any domestically loaded .357 ammunition.

Bottom line, shoot any .357 ammunition you want, and don't worry.

35W
 
I have the Uberti El Patron and it handles any 357 I have loaded for it. It is a pleasure to shoot and very accurate. I have 5 different loads from medium to hot. Loves them all. All my loads are made for my M73 and they all shoot great out of the El Patron.
 
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