Uberti vs. Pietta

[Idaho Elk Hunter]

Getting ready to buy a colt 44 1860 model and which is best quality a Pietta or Uberti? From what I have read the Uberti is supposedly a better quality pistol, is this the consensus?

Where and who sells the Uberti models?
Jim in Idaho

 

[Nightwind]

I have a good friend that swears by Uberti, and I definately prefer the Pietta. We never agree, and always butt heads on that very subject. But the respective brands seem to serve our individual needs well. If possible, you need to handle both brands and see which one feels best for you, there really is a difference.

Others will chime in, I'm sure. They will probably give a more convincing argument for you to base your decision. Good luck.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I have a 51 Navy and a 60 army replicas by pietta and a pair of Remington 44's by Uberti. I don't find any pronounced difference in quality. I think it used to be that Uberti was way ahead of the other imports but I doubt that is still true.
Dixie Gun Works lists both makes and you can compare specs and prices in their catalog on line.

 

[murph]

Jim, try[url] www.buffaloarms.com[/url] there in idaho.My friend says there a good company to order from.Prices are very fair too,hope this helps.I have both brands and uberti and pietta are top notch i would stick with those two if it were me,good luck.Murf p.s. i've got two 1860 armys one i use and one nib there pietta revolvers,good guns. :thumbsup:

 

Getting ready to buy a colt 44 1860 model and which is best quality a Pietta or Uberti? From what I have read the Uberti is supposedly a better quality pistol, is this the consensus?

Where and who sells the Uberti models?
Jim in Idaho

Go to:[url] http://www.cimarron-firearms.com/[/url]
These guys sell Uberti firearms.

 

BTW, I have used both Pietta and Uberti revolvers and I like them both. Uberti has several different finishes available and I don't know that Pietta does. I do like the old blue finish on the Uberti. Mechanically? I can't see the difference. They are both great revolvers.
Don

 

[ValleyForge]

I have a .44 Remington Pietta that has been absolutely trustworthy. But when I got my 61 Colt I figured I'd try the High-Priced Spread & go with the Uberti.

It's been nothing but trouble, and is on its way back to the manufacturer to see if they can figure it out.

 

[walter lynn]

Have a 1860 Army Pieta.Very disappointed. The two pins that hold the barrel to the frame broke as a result of recoil. Frame showed buldges aroung the holes. Slot where wedge pin holds barrel to frame became enlarged. I suspect the temper of the steel was poor. Notch on hammer for sear engagement broke off. Again temper of steel may be suspect. I have it for a display piece. Bought a 58' Remington Uberti for shooting. Only way to go.

 

[mec]

I've been intensively shooting Ubertis for the last couple of years- after the company came under the same financial umbrellas Beretta. In earlier years, the general run of Uberti's had pretty much the same problems as the other Italian replicas- poor metalurgy, and heat treatment of lock parts. The present ones are much improved though you do have to be prepared to replace springs and action parts as needed.

The Uberti frame/barrle pins are often pretty loose as they come out of the box and I've had to burr the edges of the frame hole to grip them tighter. They do not seem to be subject to any particular wear or damage from recoil though. I have also not noted any softness of major structures or brittlness of action parts as we have expected in the past. I have replaced a couple of hand/ spring assemblies in a 60 army and 61 navy and keep a supply of such things on hand- have pre- fitted a number of the hand-spring assemblies for instant replacement.

People are coming forth with credible information about Piettas that indicates that the rumored improvement in quality control may be a reality. Ive shot two Pietta LeMats and one Smith Carbine and all three are first- rate guns. The reason I have not gotten further into Piettas is the reluctance of the company to provide accurate information about parts availability and an apparent lack of committement to customer service. While Taylor and VTI Gunparts keep some Pietta Parts, they have to back order spare parts from Italy for the LeMat.

All of these quality assurance issues are subject to change. It may be that Uberti will backslide and make a big liar of me and I hope this doens't happen.

 

[echo89]

I'm not as technically involved w/ my pistols as some of the other members, but I have owned both brands, and couldn't see much difference except for a little better final fit and finish on the Uberti guns. I've noticed no difference in function, accuracy, etc. I also know shooters that think exactly the opposite. The problems that crop up seem to be consistent across both brands as well, and in my case, can be traced to the original weaknesses of the designs.

 

[cytorg]

Just bought an 1851 Navy .36 Pietta from Cabela's. It seems rock solid, shoots well, everything is a tight fit. If something goes wrong, you can send it back.

 

[Bob Riegl]

:bow: All of these firearms have issues---it's a matter of which ones have the least issues. It all depends on whether or not Paulo, Tony, Vito & the gang get back from lunch and how manyof the local red they have consumed in the meanwhile. I found that Uberti has many fewer issues than Pietta. I have sent back Pietta manufactured pistols almost 98% of the time---with issues such as (1) nothing works, (2) scratches and gouges on the metal surface, (3) stripped and torn screw heads, (4) nothing works etc. Of course the comment is---"go to VTI and buy parts and fix the gun"---the money I paid out for those firearms wasn't damaged---why should the goods I buy be damamged and then cost me time to repair and money to replace poor parts. Why should I have to swallow the perversions that occur when these guns are assembled. Therefore, I do not purchase anything with a Pietta lable---just MHO. :hatsoff:

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Well yeah, I sure wouldn't compare any of the Italian revolvers with a Ruger Old Army, but then where can you buy a Ruger for $150? I'd say they are a bargin and that is why many folks own them.
:v

 

[cliff mccann]

Jim Bob,Buffalo arms is selling the Cimarron brand.They are Ubertis imported in the white and finished in the States.I assume the Cimarron has a better finish. You mentioned recently that you would carry it in case of bears,cougar,or wolves deciding to have you for dinner.I looked at Lyman's Black Powder Loading Manual,and the maximum load is a 138 grain ball at MV of 979 fps,and Muzzle energy of 294 foot pounds.A cylinder full might work for the cats,but I'd feel terribly under-gunned if a wolf or bear came after me !

 

[Idaho Elk Hunter]

In reply to Cliff.....Hi Cliff, yes I would definately be undergunned, but it would be better than what I have been carrying and that is nothing except rifle when I go hunting. Never been a pistol type guy as far as packing one in woods and was trying to think of a good excuse to buy a BP pistol....lol.
I did check out the Buffalo Arms here in Idaho and yes you are correct as they sell the Cimmaron finished Ubertis and the price looks real good compared to everyone else too. I believe I will order a 44 Colt 1860 from them for uner $240.

I did witness a fellow shoot a large bear about 30 feet away with a .357 magnum standing on it's hind legs and 2 of the hollow points did not penetrate through the chest (bullets were only about 1 inch from outside of chest and the one that killed it was through the roof of the mouth. If the .357 mag will not penetrate a large bear in the chest at close range.... I can understand what you are referring to about the BP 44 cal. Hey, maybe the noise will scare them away. :shocked2:
Jim in Idaho

 

[brubincam]

doesnt a 357 bullit mash up preventing the penetration that a 44 round ball would get???

 

[CoyoteJoe]

There are so many loads available for the .357 Magnum that simply to say .357 (or 9mm or .45) isn't really any information at all.
The hollow points which showed inadequate penetration on the bear may have been great stoppers on two legged predators. Expanding bullets are intended to increase the shock effect expressly by reducing penetration.
Soft lead revolver balls also expand somewhat and since they already are very light weight for their caliber (poor sectional density) their penetration is also poor.
To stop a bear I'd take a head shot, if too far for a head shot you don't have to shoot it.

 

[ValleyForge]

And I've had the exact opposite experience. Hell of a World, ain't it?

 

[Leatherbark]

I read an article in an old Guns and Ammo Annual back in the eighties that said that the real Grizzly Adams would shoot the grizzly with his Hawken,then empty six shots from his Navy Colt into it and then attack it with his Bowie knife and finish it off......He was really scarred up from this type of Bear hunting............

 

[OD#3]

I bought an Colt 1860 Army and an 1858 Remington from Cabelas about 10 years ago. Both were Pietta products, and both were manure. The Remington shot fine, but the loading lever link was so soft that it deformed when seating a bullet. And the loading lever plunger hole in the frame was drilled off-center causing the plunger to strike the edge of the chamber! This was very noticeable to the eye. The colt copy displayed poor fit and finish, was severely under-timed, and the arbor pin for the cylinder wiggled. This experience followed my receiving an 1873 Colt "hartford model" from EMF (made by ASM) that had a BIG machine mark gouged accross the rifling. I haven't bought an Italian replica since. I've never bought a Uberti revolver, but I'm awaiting delivery of two right now (explains my prowling this forum now) after being encouraged by others that Uberti replicas are top-notch. In all fairness, my Piettas were purchased 10 years ago. Perhaps their quality has come up since then. We'll see....... Incidentally, I think the Uberti's have more faithful contours. Compare the line of the curve that runs along the side of the 1860 Army barrel from the breech to the muzzle. Originals sweep up gracefully at the breech. The Uberti appears to come closer to replicating this than the Pietta which just sweeps up slighty. And an ad photograph of a Pietta-produced 1858 Remington I saw the other day showed the reloading lever plunger protruding about 1/8 inch from its hole even though the lever was latched. I might sound picky, but they're supposed to be replicas, right? If they can't pay attention to detail better than that...