Anyone have the "Shooters Model"?

Coyote Hunter · December 21, 2008, 04:02:37 PM

Does anyone have the Pietta "Shooters Model" and how do you like it? I unknowingly bought one at a local gun swap for $150.00. It is a Navy Arms marked one. It had never been fired (until I bought it) but it unfortunatly had a turn scratch on the cylinder from people playing with it. The fella thought it was just a plain old BP gun. The box was beat up and I was just going to buy another beat around gun for my reenacting. After I got it home, I noticed the tarnished silver trigger guard and the nice wood grips and the excellent fit and finish and blueing under all the finger prints. I started asking a few questions from Navy arms and discovered it was their shooter model sold in the mid l980's with the progressive rifeling and dovetailed front sight.

Now that it is cleaned up, and ivory type grips on it, it is a looker, and a shooter. I put up the wood grips as they are to pretty to beat up.

It shoots tight groups and is a lot better than the shooter.

Because of the low price I got it for, and it's accuarcy, I was thinking of making a kirst conversion out of it. I see new ones on sale at Dixie gun works for over $500.00.

Oldelm · December 21, 2008, 09:15:47 PM

Coyote Hunter,........I have a Shooters Rem, and really like it. I remember discussing it a little with you over on "THR" forum awhile ago.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=4371046#post4371046

I looked into using a Kirst conversion in it and concluded it won't work , or at least I couldn't find a simple solution to fitting one. I could get the Kirst cyl. into the frame and it spun around easily at half-cock,...but that was it. It wouldn't lock up when attemting to cock it without the help of hand turning,even then it was dicey,....but I didn't go much further because I didn't want to scratch the new Kirst cyl.

One of the drawbacks is that the earlier Shooters Rem, and in fact all the Pietta Rem NMA had narrow cyl. notches (.138" wide), and the current Kirst Pietta Rem conversion cyls have a wider notch (.153").

Here's a photo,....Shooters cyl. on left....Kirst cyl. on right.

Maybe a regular Pietta cyl. bolt could be fitted to the Shooters Rem, I don't know. Also, I've heard there are other slight misalignment problems to fitting the Kirst conversion into the Shooters Rem, but don't know exactly what . One would have to procede step by step,.....and it all didn't seem worth the time & money to get into it. But it would be interesting to know if anyone has been succesful in fitting the Kirst cyl. to function well.

Hoof Hearted · December 22, 2008, 12:52:21 AM

Oh ye of little faith

Coyote Hunter · December 22, 2008, 07:32:41 PM

That's right Oldelm, I remember, but that's the first time I've seen the difference.

Hoof Hearted..Please elaborate...my pard JW McCandless speaks highly of you, oh master of the dark remington arts

I'm not that happy with my Taylors 1858 new army conversion in 5 1/2 ". It's heavier than the Pietta and the butt is too small for my hands. It raps my knuckle with .45 LC cowboy loads and 30 grain BP loads. Looking for something more for everyday use aswell as living history.

It's been a big desision weither to part with them and go with uberti colt conversions, or stay with my remmies. I have both in cap and ball.

Coyote Hunter · December 22, 2008, 07:58:45 PM

Good to see ya again oldelm, I've been hanging out over here, they have a lot of good information on guns for my western reenacting and my circuit riding preacher. Nice folks too..

Oldelm · December 22, 2008, 09:41:12 PM

Coyote Hunter,....thanks, and it's good to chat with you again,too.

If you're looking for something to shoot .45LC cartridge, and not that comfortable with the Uberti 1858 conversion, then I'd recommend the Uberti 1875 Remington. I have a couple in .44-40 and really love them, ...accurate & comfortable in the grip with a little more room behind the trigger guard for the knuckles.

Hoof Hearted · December 22, 2008, 11:24:10 PM

Quote from: Coyote Hunter on December 22, 2008, 07:32:41 PM
Hoof Hearted..Please elaborate...my pard JW McCandless speaks highly of you, oh master of the dark remington arts

I'm not that happy with my Taylors 1858 new army conversion in 5 1/2 ". It's heavier than the Pietta and the butt is too small for my hands. It raps my knuckle with .45 LC cowboy loads and 30 grain BP loads. Looking for something more for everyday use aswell as living history.

It's been a big desision weither to part with them and go with uberti colt conversions, or stay with my remmies. I have both in cap and ball.

Coyote

This is one of the reasons I like the pietta vs; Uberti

It can be done. BUT (big but) you need lots of parts (to experiment) and patience.
I have quite a few "renditions" of Walt's cylinders and the cylinder notches have changed over the years.
Sometimes the failure to index far enough to lock can be that the hand slot in the frame is too wide (or the hand is too "slim").
I might be able to help. Email me if you want some more info.

Fox Creek Kid · December 22, 2008, 11:27:05 PM

And another point: I have a Pietta '58 made in 1975 and the hand was much longer than those of today. I had to stretch a new hand 0.020 or better to get it to fit right.

Wolfgang · December 23, 2008, 07:14:08 PM

The discussion currently going on that was started by Savvy Jack leads me to ask you pards that have "Shooter Model" Piettas what your barrel and chamber measurements are ? . . . it would be interesting to know what the specs were for the "Shooter" . . . anyone ?

Good shootin', . . . .

Oldelm · December 23, 2008, 08:32:16 PM

The barrel groove and cyl. chamber measure the same on mine at .456"

One thing I like about the Pietta Shooters Model is the Remington stamp on the top of barrel.....

(my digital camera makes the barrel look curved)

charliek · December 23, 2008, 10:09:59 PM

Coyote Hunter
Where did you find the ivory type grips you mention?

Fox Creek Kid · December 23, 2008, 11:43:55 PM

Oldelm, thanks for the photo as I never knew they rollmarked it like that.

Wolfgang · December 24, 2008, 06:58:19 AM

Oldem . . . thanks much for that information. I figure they'd have to be made to accurate specs. I'm still hoping to find out what the originals are. Most that folks have aren't in pristine condition to give an accurate measure of what the original specs were.

Good shootin' . . . .

Bryan Austin · December 24, 2008, 07:58:13 AM

Both Cylinder and barrel mic to .456 huh? How Interesting!

Oldelm · December 24, 2008, 10:43:16 AM

QuoteOldelm, thanks for the photo as I never knew they rollmarked it like that.

I was surprised to see that, too, when I got the gun.
Do you suppose Pietta had to get permission from Remington to use it? I would think so.

Coyote Hunter · December 24, 2008, 11:18:48 AM

Dixie gun works has the best ivory copies for the price I think. They need just a little fitting which I did with sandpsper, and look great. I dipped mine in some warm tea for a few minutes, wiped them off, and they have just a "small" amount of yellowing, not too old looking for the gun, but enough to look like it has been carried more than it has.

On Barrel ID size, Navy Arms recomended .451" but it didn't cut enough lead ring. Then I say Dixie Gun Works recommending .457" for theie model. I bought some of them, ant it is a literal tack driver with 30 grains 3FG and round ball.

CH

Coyote Hunter · December 24, 2008, 11:23:18 AM

Mine doesn't have the remington lettering on top..Just Navy Arms..and the Pietta markings are VERY light. would be easy to defarb this gun of mine. But then again, mine was made in the '80's. Navy Arms said they don't carry this one any more.

charliek · December 24, 2008, 07:46:13 PM

Thanks for the informaton on the grips.
Charliek

Coyote Hunter · December 27, 2008, 08:33:34 PM

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and got every gun they wanted!

I think I'm just going to keep that shooters model like it is, percussion, and use it to out shoot some of my pards with

.

I think I'm going to get the kurst 45 conversion and a Richards-Mason type ejector for the gun I made for my wife, take it back and let her use my uberti Sheriff's .45.

Wadda ya think...

first one is the one I and a gunsmith made, the second one is the original I wanted to copy and the third is the Sheriff's model with 1851 navy grips I may have to swap my wife for the remmie back.