LIBERTY ARMS NEVADA 357 MAGNUM QUESTION

[santino34]

Hi guys.  I just discovered this forum and this is my first post.  I'm posting because I figured you guys are the best to help me get some history and opinions on an Italian 1873 SAA clone I recently picked up.  Attached below are several pics I recently took.  The barrel roll marks say its a Liberty Arms Nevada that was imported by Italguns International.  I know there are several Italian SAA clone makers and I am wondering which one made this one.  The previous owner said he thought it was made by Uberti.  What do you guys think?  Also the research that I have been able to do says it was imported between 1969 and 1971.  What do you guys think?

I shot it for the first time yesterday and it is dead nuts accurate with 38 Special and 357 Magnum ammo.  It shoots exactly to the point of aim.  The small groups in the photo are from 7 yards.  The larger one in the middle is from 15 yards.  I kept losing the front sight in the black of the target but its still not bad.   The bluing is beautiful and so are the stag grips that were installed by the previous owner.  The color case pattern is also really nice.  Only the cylinder is a little rough and not as pretty as the rest of the gun.  However it is counter bored.  I paid $604 with tax and I think I did OK especially with the stag grips.  Again, what do you guys think?





















Thanks for looking

[Professor Marvel]

AS you have surmised, they imported italian replicas, made by both Uberti and Armi Jager

One fellow on the webs has mentioned
snip-------------------------   
Liberty Arms trade labels were ?Nevada? and ?Kansas?. 
Of those I have observed, the Nevada are Uberti and the Kansas are Jager, but I do not know if that will hold true in all cases.
endsnip-------------------------   

hope this helps
prof marvel

[santino34]

Thanks for the response Professor Marvel.  I have since learned that the XXV on the side of the frame is the Italian Date Code for 1969.  I also found the following:

"In the late 60?s ? early 70?s IGI Italguns was an importer of Uberti and Armi Jager made single actions.

Trade labels were ?Nevada?, ?Kansas?, and ?American Pioneer?.  Italguns may have been supplying several companies with these, including Liberty Arms and Pacific Imports.

The number of these models IGI italguns imported probably totals only in the low several hundreds.

Import years: 1969 ? 1971"

"The obvious presumption is that the revolvers are Italian, but there are no makers marks on them.  On physical examination of the guns there is no mystery.  The hammers on these single actions have a hammer block safety actuated by an internal rod.  Aldo Uberti invented that, and used it on his companies single action replicas for several decades, starting in about 1969.  So these guns are Uberti?s, and they would be among the companies first cartridge revolvers. "

"Whats the quality?  They're all steel, not cheaply made at all.  It's a very serious rendering of a single action replica. Metal fit is good, color case hardened finish is excellent.  Cowboy shooters make complaints about certain generations of Uberti revolvers, particularly those with the D-cam hammer and its bolt.  And this revolver has got that.  But when in time, the revolver functions well.  And if its not in time.... fix it so it is.  Typical chicken soup for the single action guy's soul, eh?"

So it turns out to be a very early Uberti made in 1969, that shoots great, looks great and has really nice stag grips.

[Capt Quirk]

That is a pretty good looking pistol. What is that, about 7 1/2" bbl?

[santino34]

Yes sir, i do believe that is a 7 1/2 in barrel.  And you're right, she's still mighty sexy at 50! 

[Major 2]

Liberty Arms only existed about 17 months.... they imported both Uberti and Armi Jager as you know
I also think IAB Sharps...

As you have surmised, yours  is a Aldo Uberti.... Jager had Brass back-straps & TG's  ( that said , I believe 95% were if not 100% )

The Nevada is the name of the 38 Model ...not the the State location of Liberty Arms.... Much like Uberti (Cattleman)

The date code is XXV = 1969

PSF is the Bresica Gardone    smokeless proof

the star over the coat of arm shield is the Gardone provisional proof.

R 175 obviously the SS#   and I believe sequential  so your gun is # 175

 
$604 with tax and I think I did OK especially with the stag grips.... with the marked importer your gun is a bit rare.... with those grips ...YEAH! you did good

[santino34]

Hey thanks for the intel Major 2!  I found it at one of my favorite gun stores and my internal gun alarm bells immediately starting going off.  It was on consignment from the personal collection of one of the employees.  I wasn't sure exactly what it was, who made it, or when it was made, but I knew the owner didn't buy junk and it was in a caliber that I wanted.  Plus I'm a sucker for stag grips.  After a quick phone call to the owner, the price went down like $30 and I walked out the door with it a happy guy.  All the owner could tell the clerk was that he believed it was made by Uberti.  He also said the grips alone are worth $400, but I didn't really believe it.  I did believe that it was a good deal for what it was and the condition it was in so I jumped on it.  I had no Idea it was 50 years old and among the first Italian imports.  Hell, it was made during the age of the Spaghetti Western which is kinda cool.  It was made 5 years after I was born, 3 years after The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and the same year as Sabata with Lee Van Cleef.