Finished this 1860 tonight

[Alabama]

Howdee ! 
This is the only 1860 I have . Just bought it , its new unfired dare I say it . I am fonder of the 1851's and 61's backstraps and trigger guard configurations better but had to have this one ( of course I have to have every gun I see  ) to finish off some years in my collection .
She is a Pietta made with the half fluted cylinder , kinda pretty looking revolver and handles good , but will reserve my verdict upon test fireing it ? It feels like it's going to kick a bit more than the Navy's because of the straighter up and down position of the grips , for sure I think .  This particular Pietta was well finsihed off as you can see from the photo's . Wish all my Pietta's were this way ? This is current 2008  Production so I hope the trend continues . It still has the terrible soft creep most Piettas have before the trigger breaks . Not bad but I wish they were more like Uberti . But then again I wish Uberti could color case harden like Pietta revolvers  , so its a draw !!! 
Well, here she is in all her beauty , the grips are mine in American Fancy Black Walnut .



Look very forward to shooting this one soon .

Enjoy the pics , Sincerely ,
Alabama

[hellgate]

Another graceful beauty.

There is less variation among the different makes of Colt 1860 Armies than any other model (except maybe the Walker  and Dragoons). I have found the balance and grip to be very consistant among the 3 makes of '60 Armies I have owned (Uberti, ASM, Pietta). Among the Remingtons I have found the greatest variation in frame size, grip shape, and "feel" with the Euros being the smallest all around and the Piettas the most massive with Uberti somewhere in between. The '51 Navy grips on the Piettas do not resemble the SAA shape of the Uberti or ASMs I have had.

[Dr. Bob]

WOW!  Them sure are pretty grips.  Ya done real good with this pair!  Just like the others.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Lovely!

I doubt you'll notice any significant difference in felt recoil - that 1860 bein' somewhat bigger and heavier.  ALL my C&B guns, except my Dragoon - when loaded up to capacity - handle like pussycats: smooooooth as a baby's bottom.  'Course, felt recoil is pretty subjective: and I don't notice it much until I get up in the high magnum stuff.

C&Bs, 45 Colt - and most ANY BP powered shooter feel pretty nice & tame and (to me) the recoil seems to be more of a push or a shove, rather than a slap or a kick.


Yer mileage may vary!

[Alabama]

Yo Pardners ,
thanks again for the kind words about my work , God given talent , can't take much of the credit there but the PATIENCE part of doing the work , that was the hard learned part of making grips , hee hee hee ...I gots a whole drawer full of IMPATIENT grips , trust me 
Oh and trust me I aint worried about recoil on her, it aint going to be much I am sure, just wondered about how it recoils back compaired to the 51 and 61's is all . Soon enough I will know anyways !
She is kinda lovely isn't she now that I look back at the pic I took today ? Nice in the case , better in the hand , but she does sparkle a bit that's for sure . Nice gracefull lines all her owne especially with the special grips . Gotta love them Colts , nothing else like um . Samual would probably be proud today to know he is so honored and loved for creating these .

I get my brand new Uberti 1851 Navy London .36 "all blued steel furniture" today too , so today is a GREAT day indeed . 
Been wanting one for the collection all my life , and today is that day . Is it X-Mas or what !  Naw, just allot of hard work to pay for them is all . Think I will do a before and after pic of this next one and kinda walk the process through for people that can't or don't do this stuff to thier new revolvers . Now the real dillema starts, what wood do I choose Bloodwood would be a natural on the blued backstrap and triggerguard , but I got allot of other woods too ? Hmmm , if only the rest of my life was that easy ? 

Thanks again,
Sincerely, Alabama

[Dick Dastardly]

Walt Kirst claims, and he has reason to know, that the more recent Pietta guns have really come up in quality.  I think that Pietta got the message loud and clear that their poor quality was loosing them market share.  Ain't competition great.  We all win.

Cool looking 1860 Alabama.  You have a way with wood.

DD-DLoS

[Alabama]

Thank you Mr. Dastardly ,
mighty kind of ya to offer the praise , and of course I eat it up , my ego you know  Hee hee hee

I can attest to Kirsts' claim on the last few I have gotten from Pietta , they have stepped up a bit , especially on this 1860 and my Spiller and Burr too . Oh and the little Remington Nickled 1863's were VERY smooth out of the box . After my trigger work they are glass cracking smooth trigger pulls . I do wish they would make better trigger pulls for people whom can't and don't know or don't want to have to mess with it though ? 
That is why the extra $100-ish Uberti charges makes thier trigger pulls much nicer inmy experiences . BUT , with that said , Uberti doesn't make all the models I MUST have and neither does Pietta so I go back and forth allot between the two companies , and I mean allot to get what I MUST have .  I find they are both well made now though and I like both brands , Uberti slightly beating out Pietta only because of trigger pull and no markings on the barrel which is nicer too .

Thanks again, Alabama