Uberti steel in revolvers ?

[Marshal Deadwood]

What is ya'll opinion of Uberti revolver steel compared to other gun steels,,,,Ruger, USFA,,etc ?

[Flint]

Can't remark aqbout them all, but the Uberti 72 Opentop steel is harder than their cap & ball guns.  The Uberti cartridge guns are all of adequate steel for smokeless, though some of the internal parts seem to be softer.

Colts feel harder than Ubertis.

Rugers are hard as granite, which is evident if you try to polish one to reblue it.

[Mako]

As Flint was pointing out the cartridge guns are proofed, so they heat treat the steel.  On the C&B revolvers it appears they use as rolled steel.

~Mako

[Fox Creek Kid]

I have been told that the ctg. ones are 4140. However, consider that as hearsay as I have no concrete proof. It's good steel. No matter how "soft" their percussion gun steel is today it is still light years ahead of what was used in original Colt percussion guns. 

[Abilene]

I'm not sure what the frames are made of, but the barrels and cylinders are better than 4140.

[Coffinmaker]

Well ...... I work on them all.  I don't know what the formula is but the word I have to use is "adequate."  At the end of the day, well maintained, they will last longer than we will ........ by a lot.

Coffinmaker

[Raven]

I have to agree with Coffinmaker!

Barrels (percussion) and frames (percussion and SAA) are made of a Low Carbon steel something simular to 1020
In order to Color case the steel is usualy a Low Carbon alloy
Allthough 4140 can be case colored this is a reletivly new phenomenom as 4140 can be brittle if heated to the same temps as Low Carbon steel and then quenched.
I have personaly seen 4140 Bone Colorcased (with beautifull colors) dropped from a hieght of 1 inch onto a wood table and shatter into many small pieces.
It is safe to say that most single action frames are made of a Low Carbon Alloy. Rugers are not and cannot be colorcased.
It is quite likely that most cylinders are made of 4140 or a simiular alloy
Kirst cylinders are made from 4140 Prehard.

Raven

[Duke York]

Howdy Ravem

4140 casehardened (hammer?) dropped 1" onto a wood table and shattering??   

I shoot Colt's and USFA's, but have worked on a few Uberti's.
The Uberti sixguns we get here in Australia vary in quality, from good to bad.
Had one pair of new, unfired Uberti 1875 Remington clones to work on. Each hammer had a small crack in 4 places (each side of both hammers at the junction of the spur, and in the cutout for the ridiculous safety)

Always believed you Yanks get the best quality Uberti's.

Vaya con Dios

Duke York
SASS 15978

[Fox Creek Kid]

...Rugers are not and cannot be colorcased...

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=107973&sid=f6757f82395c9acff666fbbe5d960428

[Mako]

Actually Rugers can be color cased.  I was looking at an extremely beautiful one on Monday.

~Mako

[Raven]

OK my bad!

But connect the dots

I did say that 4140 generaly is problematic
Ruger did not BONE Colorcase guns They used a chemical or Cyanide
A ruger that has been Bone Color cased is a time bomb waiting to go off -- Unless it was done by the likes of Doug Turnbull who I will bet you has a hefty Liability Policy and a Metalurgist on retainer.
I did not say can't

Ubertie hammers are not made of 4140 and can still crack if heated to hot or the quench is too cold.

Just had a Colt Dragoon in the shop that had a crack in the frame that followed the coloring this was a 2nd gen gun made from Ubertie parts and probably colorcase by one of our well known Colorcase Houses. So we get em here too. And even the best have problems.

It would take a book to get beyond just the basics of Colorcase. There probably isn't anything that can't be done givin time and patients. There are things that shouldn't be done with out the knowledge and experience required to write that book.

[Marshal Deadwood]

One of the reasons I ask the questions, was things I'd heard about the Uberti Schofields being 'soft'.

[Flint]

I have Uberti Schofields and Russians, I don't consider them "Soft".  I also have an original S&W Russian, and it seems about the same to me.  I would suspect that the steel in a modern made repro is better steel than the originals, by a factor of 100 years of steel technology.

If you look at the thin wall section on cylinders like the 72 Opentop in 44 or 45, you can guess that they can't be too soft, or you would be shooting a hand grenade.

[Harley Starr]

(saved for referrence)

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

The best smith I know, Happy Trails, has told me that he has noticed Uberti parts often cut easier than parts made by Colt. That means they are a bit softer. That does not necessarily mean they are weaker.