Palmetto Firearms from Italy

[zimmerstutzen]

Over the years I picked up several black powder pistols made by Palmetto. They had a web site. I haven't checked it in about a year and now can't find it. They offerred some really nice target pistols years ago. My Sharps Rifle repro is also from Palmetto, made so most parts interchange with the originals, I'm told.

 

[renovato]

Palmetto was also famous, or should I say infamous, for putting out some of the worst junk in the muzzleloading industy. That was probably limited to certain models only. You know how reputations form.

Since I don't know which models are good and which are bad, I've just made it a point to avoid them all. I'm glad you found some of the better made ones, and I'm especially glad to know that they actually did make some good quality guns.

 

[NRAJOE]

The one website I found for them ist kaput! :hmm:

 

[SR James]

Most of the Palmetto guns I've seen were not very high quality, and as noted, they had a bad reputation. On the other hand, I recently bought a Gemmer Sharps made by Palmetto in the '80s and it's a very nice gun...well made and accurate. Not as nice as my Shilohs but also a lot less money. So they made at least some good guns.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

My Sharps Repro was made in the late 1970's or early 1980's and is stamped very small on one side "Garrett Arms, Norfolk, VA" I understand a guy named Garrett took an original Sharps to Italy and had the Palmetto company run off a few thousand copies. He sold them here in the states. In fact I bought mine from Mr. Garrett himself at the Baltimore Antique Arms show.

I have one Palmetto that was a kit, and the description, "in the rough" would be kind. The finished guns I have purchased have all been very good. There was indeed some unbelieveable junk on the market in the 1970's. Ultra-High, Markham Arms, and some others. F. W. Woolworth and Woolco stores sold some of the worst of the worst. As in other firearms from Italy, there was the amount of fit and finish and quality control the wholesale customer wanted. The Italians were known to sell anything and everything from paper weight guns to quality, and all off the same production line. Now, would an italian made revolver ever match the smooth operation of a Ruger Old Army, probably not without serious aftermarket tuning.