USFA Question

[Tomichi Kid]

This GB link is to a Rodeo I just picked up.

650956894 That's the item number with photos; I'll see if I can replace it with a hotlink.

My question is did USFA send out pistols without any roll markings?  All this thing has is the patent dates.

A bit puzzling.

Thank you

650956894  Let's see if that works as a hotlink to the GB itme.

[LonesomePigeon]

Is this it:
http://www.gunbroker.com/item/650956894
I believe the B prefix serial number(B463) indicates a Uberti parts gun. One guess would be when USFA recieved the barrels and other parts from Uberti they had no markings on them. Normally USFA would have stamped them with their own markings but this one just slipped through. I don't really know for sure though.
Another possibility is, when USFA started out they called themselves USPFA, United States Patent Fire Arms. Colt made them take the "Patent" out of their name, since USFA doesn't actually hold any of the patents to the design. So perhaps this gun was made after they stopped using USPFA but before they had acquired the stamps for USFA.

[GaryG]

Slim chance that it would have left the factory without the barrel address and cal markings.  It could have been re barreled by the previous owner.  It does have a Uberti frame and hammer

[yahoody]

In their time before  Gary arrived at USFA ...the factory did some odd stuff.  I'd bet the gun is all factory original.

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

"Odd Stuff" indeed! We can only speculate.  
When Colt took USPFA to task over their us of the word "patent" in their name (back sometime around 1994) they had to change their name to USFA.  There was, no doubt, an amount of inventory marked USPFA that USFA could not sell as such.  A couple of years later USFA introduced the Rodeo.  Highly probable that some of those early USPFA guns were still in stock and were refinished and re-barreled (to replace the USPFA roll marks with USFA marked barrels) in order to make some sort of profit from the unsaleable stock they still held in inventory.
When the Rodeo was introduced it "sold like hotcakes," as the old saying goes. In the rush to fulfill orders it is possible that a few (or maybe more) might have slipped by without barrel markings. Just a guess on my part but, being a big fan of USFA, and knowing the history of the company, I can't dispute Yahoody's fact that there was a period, during the late 1990's, when "odd Stuff" was not all that odd. The transition period from Italian import to all US made guns only added to our confusion.  Is your gun (1) Italian made?  Is it a (2) mixture of Italian and US parts? Is it (3) all US made?
No doubt about it, USFA turned out a very fine SAA revolver no matter what "stage" the were in (lets face it, that's why we are here together on this forum).  It is unfortunate that the previously mentioned "3 questions" will forever be asked.
Bottom line for all three... if it shoots well, who gives a damn!  


 

[yahoody]

Agree with ya Captain.  if it shoots who cares?



Gary likely noticed this before I did.  The odd color and texture on the barrel is off for a factory gun.  But no question in my mind that is a later 38 Special USA made front sight on the barrel..  So back to most likely being all factory original to me.  The other question I have is the hammer.  Cone firing pin and black powder cocking serrations or a earlier cast Uberti hammer with similar cocking serrations?  A picture of the hammer showing the firing pin would tell all there.  I'd bet a USA hammer.   "B" guns became "D" guns at some point.  This is a high enough number "B" to be a combination of Uberti and US parts as Gary and Captain suggested.

Really neat thing about any Rodeo...  They are the quality of hand gun as the best USFA guns just lacking the fancy finish.  You can add any finish you want to that gun and have a real winner if it isn't enough for you now.

This is a pair of Rodeos I really enjoy.  With a little done to the finish and ivory added.   Easy guns to nickel, blue and cased or anything in between.  I've been tempted to refinish a Rodeo in hard chrome   Make it a tough gun to hurt.

[Tomichi Kid]

Thanks All.

My main concern was whether or not Johnny Cash assembled it "one piece at a time" or if the factory was a bit disorganized occasionally.