1851 grip frame on a Colt SAA?

[rep1954]

Does anyone here have a SAA with a 1851 Navy grip frame?
As I understand the grip frames are interchangable and if so will a trigger guard from a Navy match up to a backstrap from a SAA or does the 1851 frame have to be used complete to do it.? I would like to use a 1851 trigger guard with a SAA 3rd gen back strap on a 3rd gen gun.

[St. George]

The grip frames are identical - so essentially that's precisely what you have, and unless you want a 'squareback' triggerguard - you're already in business.

That said - available Model 1851 frames are Italian-made clones whose screw holes may or may not line up on a 'real' Colt properly and will likely require fitting.

You're kinda on your own, there.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Flint]

If you are mixing a real Colt with an Uberti gripframe, you will find the (American) Colt screw heads do not go into the Uberti countersinks, as the heads are a different diameter.  I don't have them in hand to measure right now, but I recall the Uberti gripframe screws have a 5mm head and the Colt about .210 or so,, 5mm being .197.  The screw threads are Colt: #8-36 and Uberti M4x0.70.  .70mm  translates to almost exactly 36TPI.   4mm is .157 and #8 is .164.  An Italian screw will fit in a Colt, but is a hair loose and easier to strip if overtightened.  An Italian frame can be chased out with an 8-36 tap to accept Colt screws, but the gripframe C'sinks would also have to be opened up or the Colt screw heads turned down a bit to fit.

Considering how soft the Italian screws are, fitting the harder Colt screw is not a bad idea.

If both the gun and the gripframe are Uberti (or Pietta) the Navy gripframe should screw right on the SAA.  Note though that for some reasons, the Italian grips are a bit smaller on the Navies than on their SAA, which should not be, but is the case, so the Wood mwill probably be not interchangable.

Th.

[Raven]

You will also find that individual triggerguards are fitted to the width of the revolver frame and may be too narrow on some frames.
And if you are trying to fit an Italian square back trigger guard you will need the entire set (trigger guard, wood and backstrap) as the wood and backstrap from a round trigger guard will not fit the square trigger guard. The grip frame on a square back is about 1/4 inch shorter than the round back.

Raven

[rep1954]

I Have a 3" Sheriff Model SAA in the Colt Custom Shop right now getting rebarreled to a 2" and when it comes back I want to change the trigger guard to a brass one. I've wanted a Colt SAA snubby ever since "Gun of the Old West" ran the small article on the "Las Vegas 44-40". Mine is a 45 Colt and wont have a full brass grip frame but thiers is what lit the fire under me. I had some ivory grip panels saved for it but just recently used them on another gun. I will buy a trigger guard from Uberti thats never been fit and modify the threads. Thanks for all the hints and pointers it sure helps to know all that before starting on the project.