Please help...what is it?

[Capt Billy]

Watch it son...I am one of those graybeards (but keep coloring it...vanity you know).

It shocked ME when I first dated the "Cap'n Billy", as I wasn't even aware the US was even importing as early as 74!
Imagine my headaches when I tried to learn about an Army San Paulo I had.

Thanks for all of the new things I've learned by posting this question...y'all have been an immense help.

[Capt Billy]

I just made "friends" with Alessandro Pietta, and he wasn't born until 2 years AFTER my "Cap'n Billy proto-type" was made.
Now I'm still confused as to who's daydream it WAS!

[Mako]

I just made "friends" with Alessandro Pietta, and he wasn't born until 2 years AFTER my "Cap'n Billy proto-type" was made.
Now I'm still confused as to who's daydream it WAS!

His daddy's or another family member.

[Capt Billy]

His or his daddy's...I just wish print could show real laughter on here...thanks

[Steel Horse Bailey]

To add to this, I've heard that the BIG reason that Pietta and Uberti (and probably the others, too) started making these repos was in the late 50s/early 60s when the US was coming close to the 100th anniversary of the (un)Civil War.  If I remember kee-reckt-ly, Val Forgett, the founder of Navy Arms was friends with Mr. Uberti and Mr. A.Pietta (the father to the man you made friends with, Cpt. Billy) and it was this bunch that started the importation of Italian copies of C/W revolvers.  I'm pretty sure the 1851 Colt was the first gun produced and imported.  I'm ALMOST sure it was a Pietta.

Many here would be surprised at how long the Italians have been producing arms and "copies" of other folk's weapons.  The reason that Sam Colt had Mr. Ormsby do the drawings which became the roll-stampings on Colt Revolver cylinders was because that even then, the American gun market was becoming flooded with "cheap" copies coming from both Italy and Belgium.  If you bought a Colt revolver that had an engraved cylinder (back then) you the customer could be guaranteed of getting a Genuine Colt and not some "knock off" made in Italy or Belgium.  (That and Colt like engraved guns.)

Hope this adds to an interesting discussion.  Cpt. Billy, your "babies" may not be exactly authentic, but I'll bet you have fun with 'em ... just like I did back when I owned a brass-framed "Colt" in the mid - to - late 70s!  Fun is why we're here and why we shoot these gems, after all!

[Fingers McGee]

The repro industry started in 1957 when Val Forgett, William B. Edwards, and Vittorio Gregorelli formed Navy Arms & produced the first '51 Navy reproductions.

There is a very interesting read about the beginnings of the replica industry in Mr. Edwards book "Civil War Guns" and in Dennis Russell's article posted at the RPRCA website on "The Gun That Started It All"  http://rprca.tripod.com/gun_that_started_it_all.htm

Gregorelli partnered with Aldo Uberti and produced repros under the G.U. marking for about 4 years until A. Uberti was formed.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I knew I was close.