Question for Pietta 1873 Owners

[RRio]

Pietta Owners,
I am curious of your opinion of the 1873 Pietta. What do you think about them?
 

[Coffinmaker]

  RRio 

I have owned a pile of them and still own a pile of them.  I consider the Pietta GW II to be the best "Value for Dollar" Single Action for our game.  Over the past decade+, Pietta have constantly improved their guns.  Well made and requiring the least amount of "set up" of any current offerings.

I also consider Pietta Cap Guns as the best starting point for playing CAS with Cap and Ball guns.

I also like building Conversions on Pietta Frames/Barrels.

Oh, also, I really like Pietta's

[RRio]

I have been a Uberti guy since my first Iver Johnson Cattleman way back in 1974, and have owned almost countless of them since. About a year ago, I bought my first Pietta, a nickle plated Pistola in.45 Colt and was amazed at the action right out of the box. Since then I have bought two more, an all blued .357 and a 10 shot full sized .stainless .22 lr, that have been great right out of the box. I always give my new guns action jobs, and with these Piettas, there is very little for me to do. IMHO, Uberti with their lawyer approved actions may have seriously hurt their own business.

[Abilene]

I own a number of Ubertis but only one Pietta.  It is a Cimarron Frontier (GW2 with different markings).  The onliest thing I don't like about them is the base pin that is only notched on one side, but that was easily replaced with an Uberti pin.

[Galen]

The new generation of Pietta have Uberti beat by a mile.

[45 Dragoon]

Hmmmmmmff !!

I got my first Pietta  '73 copy about  6 mos. ago. It's a Cimarron import (Frontier), great looking blued with steel bs and tg., 4 3/4" bbl.  My local gun shop  held it for me  ( it was a consignment) .  .  .  they set the trap and I jumped right in !!!  It feels great they said .  .  .  riiiiight .  .  .  The cylinder had some tell tail marks on it so something  was amiss. It's a 2020 production btw so, "latest greatest " .  .  .   riiiiiight .  So I get it home, open it up and it's what I figured   .  .  . modern made '70's parts . The "great feeling action " turned out to be a hand that barely touched the ratchet and thus allowing some cyl throw-by from time to time  ( marks on cyl).  After "adjusting" (whittling) the hand for more engagement with the ratchet,  I realized the real problem was the hand slot! Way off spec  ( or "normal spec"). Correct that and with a new hand on the way it got put aside. I also had noticed the return bevel on the left bolt arm was so severe there's almost no way the arm can drop straight off the front of the cam .  .  .so a new bolt  (anna spare!)  heading my way ( these are pulled production before the bevel is cut!! Wooo hooo!!)  With a replacement cyl in stainless  (45C) and a blue 45acp  to add, it all came together  in a beautiful crescendo!!!  All coils in the action,  bolt block, action stop, interference pins,  cyl bushings shimed for "0" endshake  .  .  . It is a "dream machine "!!!
But!!! What it took to get there!!!  Holy Cow!!!
  It's also the shortest barrel '73 I've ever had .  .  .  LOVE IT !!!!

Beat by a mile ?!!!!! Not even close!!!!  (But I do love it !!!)

Mike
 

[Galen]

Dragoon your Frontier sounds like a  3rd generation "Colt".

[45 Dragoon]

Well, at least if one shows up here I'll know what to do. Pietta open tops are fine for what they are .  .  . I know some here think they are tops but I disagree. The action parts are much too '70's (bolts with way too thick arms) which impede hammer fall ( multiplied by cam height).  .  . which means heavy main spring  .  .  .  making user friendly revolvers  more "involved" than the Uberti  variant which has EXCELLENT action parts that are much easily "readied" for the intended  process.  These characteristics carry over to the cartridge variant as well .  .  .
  Personally,  it would be easier to take an Uberti  cattlemen ( run of the mill) to the extreme (El Patron's are an excellent starting platform!!)  rather than having to replace parts to do the same to a Pietta  version.  Point is though, it can be done and I now know WHAT is needed to bring the Pietta  along ( Thanks EMF !!). 
The EL Patron Competition  that I had was not only a "testbed" for me but was the "ultimate " for a'73 copy.    My new Pietta  Frontier  is NOT a testbed  and is a "culmination" of  years of learning, instruction and this example is the "pinnacle" of a "73 for me.   
  I checked this afternoon and the hammer draw is just under 3lbs.  with a matching trigger pull.   
  So,  my preference would be an Uberti but I'm definitely not opposed to the Pietta!! Knowing what I know now I can can go either way.

Mike