Session with 51 and 61 Navys

[mec]

The 51 is a Western arms /Uberti from 1976. This is the predecessor company for Allen Arms which later came under Cimarron. Back then they had a bunch of old Italian Army Rifle stocks and were using them for grips. Action is nice and smooth and the finish is excellent- Case treatment looks more like bone charcoal than the process they are using now. The sight picture is crude and the trigger pull relatively heavy.

The 61 is a Curren tUberti using a .380 ball cast in a lee mould from pure lead. The charge is 22 gr/vol pyrodex p with no wad-covered with crisco. This is a mid 1,000 fps load.
It shot pretty well at sixty feet and 25 yards but I fizzled out at 40 yards.
http://www.gunpix.com/gallery/Muzzleloaders_and_Blackpowder/61navy60ft.jpg

http://www.gunpix.com/gallery/Muzzleloaders_and_Blackpowder/navy6125duelst.jpg

The Richard Conversion is chambered for .38 Special. Almost as promising as the 61 Uberti
http://www.gunpix.com/gallery/Handguns/Single-Action_Pistols/opentop.jpg

 

[Rat]

LOVE the ".36"!! What a sweetheart calibre.

Now that I have a flap holster for my Remington Navy, can't wait to pack it. No more dust, leaves and twigs all over it, or banging the rifle stock against it!!

Both that '61 and '51 would be great side arms when hunting.

Rat

 

[Ridge]

I love the cap and ball revolvers, but I don't shoot them anymore. I bought a Colt 3rd Generation a couple of years ago and the darn thing shot loose in less than a hundred balls.

 

[mec]

You never know what might happen. They require quite a bit more amateur gunsmithing than the regular guns- even the well made ones.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

You can't compare the 3rd generation Colts to the 2nd generation guns. Or to Ubertis or the later Piettas. I've only got one Signature Series gun and I got it cheap or I wouldn't have touched it. It actually is a great shooter with hundreds of rounds through it and no problems. The polishing was the poorest I've seen on any gun, So I gave it a refinishing as a well worn but maintained piece and filed the goofy signature off it and suddenly it wasn't near as bad as it used to be. Anyhow, if you get a chance at a second gen Colt for a decent price, don't be put off by your experience. It's like comparing apples and oranges.

 

[Ridge]

I do actually have a second generation Pocket Navy. I love the gun......I've shot it exaclty 10 times. 2 cylinders.

I've often thought about shooting it more, but I kept it unfired for about 15 years and then decided to shoot it when I bought the above mentioned full sized navy. After seeing what the 3rd generation did I put my little navy away and decided it was just for looking.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

If you have an unfired pocket Navy with its box and paper work, it is worth about $500.00. But it will gain in value--Colt only made 5306 of them. It is a pretty little gun, and will behave better than your 3rd gen gun. It isn't awfully powerful, but in a pinch I think it would beat throwing rocks. Personally, I'd shoot it and just take very good care of it.