EMF great western

[sngle_axion]

Are the great western 2 californians as good as the customs? I know the finish isn't as good but functionally are they as good?

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Are the great western 2 californians as good as the customs? I know the finish isn't as good but functionally are they as good?

  The answer is yes, same gun inside, just cosmetically different on the outside


                         tEN wOLVES 

[RRio]

In the past years, I have been so enthralled with the USFAs and the Ruger New Vaqueros, that I have never paid much attention to EMF's Great Western IIs. Recently I had the opportunity to handle a fairly new Great Western II Custom 4 3/4" barrel in .45 Colt caliber, wearing full nickel plating and faux ivory grips.

This is one sweet looking gun! I was totally impressed with the fit and finish on this gun, to the point that you could lay it next to my nickel plated USFA and be hard pressed to tell the difference. I honestly believe I would be, if it were not for the fact that my USFA has the BP frame and the GWII has the smokeless frame.

The one thing that impressed me was the areas where the trigger, bolt and hammer screws go through the frame were not dished from the polishing process.

The action, while not having the benefit of an action job, was still a lot lighter and smoother than most out of the box SAAs whether domestic or Italian made. Timing in my opinion, was near perfect.

When it comes time to buy a mate to my USPFA .357, I may save myself about $300 and go with the GWII instead of a USFA in .38 Special (USFA does not make .357s any more).

My rating:       -  4 Happy Cowboys!

[Old Top]

Rawhide,

I beleive that Curly Cole would agree with you on that.   

Old Top

[Curley Cole]

I thought so much of them I even put real ivory grips on my nickel plated ones...They all are great right outta the box.

curley

[sack peterson]

I like them quite a bit myself.  I recently had a mechanical hiccup with this gun (of my own making), which I fixed - then I was going to sell it, but after working some other stuff out its staying - and I'm glad.

They talk about Turnbulls case hardened finish on the customs (and I want one badly - I think what I'll do is buy my dad one for his 65th birthday just so I can fawn over it occasionally), but the nickel finish is STUNNING.  I don't know if Turnbull's shop does the nickel, but its top quality.

I have Colt grips on mine, but even in .38 theyre too rough.  I'm partial to the nickel / black combo.  I'm working on some ebony grips for it but its taking me forever.

I have a Uberti, a New Vaquero, a Vaquero, and this - this one is the best quality of the bunch I'd say - very nice action.

[Curley Cole]

Here is one of the Turnbull finishes. they are great.

curley

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

                                      Good looking Curley, thanks for showing your stuff Pard. 



                                                              tEN wOLVES   

[Virginia Gentleman]

Did they end up leaving the patent dates on the frame or whimp out because Colt tried to sue them?  I think the design of the gun departs slightly from the real model P in that it has a coil spring hand spring.  I am sure this is an improvement over the leaf spring for the hand Spring, but it is not interchangeable as many of the purists like.

[Curley Cole]

VG

Yes I am afraid to say, that Alchimista did take off the numbers due to the possiblity of Colt. I spoke with him, and at first I was kinda upset about it, but I got over it.

Here is my all blue/black GW2 alongside my new real Colt. I shot them in a match this past weekend, and they were sooo smooth and almost identical in action and poa. When I stripped them to clean, even the finish and the inside areas were about identicial (ie tool marks in the frame etc.) I do have to say the bushing in the Colt cylinder and the base pin were rougher than the GW2. Also noted was that the trigger guard does not mate up to the frame on one side, there is a slight over hang.(on the Colt).not big time noticable but I noticed it because when I traded out a bs/tg on an old Dakota I had a slight o/h on one side, only I know it is there, but it is there.....

So, now when some one starts talking about the differences of Colt and GW, I can speak from experience. And I plan on keeping both for a good amount of time..

good shootin
curley

[sack peterson]

I like the hand spring on the GWII.  Strikes me as near brilliant.

Under the nickel I can see some polish marks - thats the only finish 'issue' on my GWII.  Overall a very handsome firearm. 

When I got my GWII I could barely get my basepin out.  I replaced that with a Colt pin, which I finally was able to get in with some massaging.  It was pretty tight in the bushing.

I've played with grips.  I have an Uberti also, and I noticed they both match the Colt profile well, save for say 1/32 more room in the height on the shoulder on the Italian guns.  Not sure why that was engineered in there.

I see they are blowing out those Charles Daly's, which should be a close cousin or sibling to the other Pietta guns.  I'm thinking about picking one up, but in all the display pictures of them they appear with a weird 'cant' angle on the butt.  Is this just a figment of my imgaination, or the camera angle on these photos?

[Curley Cole]

The "Alchemista" GW2 has an 1860 tg/bs and grips on it. much larger to grip. Old Top has been waitin on his grips for 18 mo, and just got them. When he gets them on will post some pix. Maybe that is the gun you are lookin at

curley

[Cutter Carl]

The Charles Daly and GW2 are the same, just different importer.  I have on of each.  If it wasn't for the names on the barrel I could not tell them apart. 

Charles Daly only had them for about a year then dropped them from their line. 

[Virginia Gentleman]

I like the hand spring on the GWII.  Strikes me as near brilliant.

Under the nickel I can see some polish marks - thats the only finish 'issue' on my GWII.  Overall a very handsome firearm. 

When I got my GWII I could barely get my basepin out.  I replaced that with a Colt pin, which I finally was able to get in with some massaging.  It was pretty tight in the bushing.

I've played with grips.  I have an Uberti also, and I noticed they both match the Colt profile well, save for say 1/32 more room in the height on the shoulder on the Italian guns.  Not sure why that was engineered in there.

I see they are blowing out those Charles Daly's, which should be a close cousin or sibling to the other Pietta guns.  I'm thinking about picking one up, but in all the display pictures of them they appear with a weird 'cant' angle on the butt.  Is this just a figment of my imgaination, or the camera angle on these photos?

The Ubertis and even USFA have decided that the cylinder of the original Colt SAA was on the thin side when chambered in .45 Colt considering that they are shot with smokeless powder loads, so they made it slighly larger and the frame window a bit larger too.  For a shooting gun this is a big plus when it comes to a margin of safety.

[Harley Starr]

Anybody see the summer 09' issue of Guns of the Old West?
There's an article covering an EMF GWII with a full blue finish. Don't know about ya'll, but I think I've found my next gun!
Some one piece Tru Ivory grips with scrimshaw would complete the look!

[flint1]

Hello everyone,

I am new to CAS and have to outfit my wife and I completely.  I have been reading all that I can on the different
makes of revolvers and recently had a chance to handle several of them, including the GW II.  I am not new to firearms and as you said, this gun is definitely quality and the action very smooth.  The owner could not say enough about them and recommended I purchase one, if the chance came up.  After reading these posts I decided to take the plunge and go for it. But before I do I would like to know what a fair price would be for a new GW II in 357 cal. 4.5" Barrel Case hardened and brown grips? 

[Old Doc]

Anybody see the summer 09' issue of Guns of the Old West?
There's an article covering an EMF GWII with a full blue finish. Don't know about ya'll, but I think I've found my next gun!
Some one piece Tru Ivory grips with scrimshaw would complete the look!

Wasn't that the gun that was supposed to look like Paladin's gun? I spoke with Becky at EMF when that article came out. She said the article was written a year ago and the gun is no longer available from EMF. She may have said it could be special ordered but it is no longer a stock item.

[Virginia Gentleman]

I would get a standard one, use it and then when the warranty period runs out I would go ahead and get it full blued and then buy some faux ivory grips for it.  If you could find a pair with a knight's head on it thath would be great or have a decal made and laquer it on the grips.

[Harley Starr]

Wasn't that the gun that was supposed to look like Paladin's gun? I spoke with Becky at EMF when that article came out. She said the article was written a year ago and the gun is no longer available from EMF. She may have said it could be special ordered but it is no longer a stock item.

Well Old Doc, I'm sorry to hear that. There is another option however. Send me a PM if you want to to know what I mean.

[Curley Cole]

I got one of the last "full blues" that Deb had stuck under the counter. As I waz leavin the shop I decided that the gun really needed a set of Colt medallion grips. When I retired I got me a Colt, and they sure goes together..And shoot almost identical.

good shootin
curley