Traditions 1873 Frontier

[44caliberkid]

This is kind of a long story. I suddenly decided I needed a BBQ gun, you know, some short SAA or 1911 in a tooled waistband holster. Now there's lots of those around, so how can you be different. Start off with 44 Special, only a search of those limited choices showed none around. But I did find the Traditions 1873 revolver in 44 Magnum. The pictures in the distributors ad showed a Colt pattern pistol, fluted and beveled cylinder, 4 and a little extra, inch barrel. All I knew about the Traditions guns are that they are Piettas. I ordered first then did my research, that always works great. Found out they were the "New" transfer bar trigger Pietta has, tried to cancel but they said, return it when you get it.
  Well I didn't. It arrived at my FFL and I went in to check it out and do paperwork. It was very pretty, very good case colors, deep dark blue black on the barrel, cylinder and grip frame. But that cylinder, it wasn't fluted or beveled. Just plain round cylinder like a Super Blackhawk, only it looked weirder because it is so much smaller. Went to cock it and it was stiff, like it had a cap n ball hammer spring in it. Trigger pull was atrocious at 12 pounds on my Lyman scale. It shot well, one inch at 15 yards using a handload, about 1200 fps, so pretty stout recoil. The trigger face is flat with very sharp edges, and it rides farther forward because of the transfer bar system. After 10 rounds my trigger finger was bruised black. Very unhappy, I stewed on this while we went to the NRA Meetings and Exhibits in Dallas. While wandering the vendor booths we came across one for Traditions. I complained about my gun and the guy gave me a card and put the customer service managers name and number on it too. Told me to send it back, we'll fix it. That night, getting on the elevator at our hotel, a guy in a Traditions shirt got on. I told him about my gun. He gave me a card, told me to send it in and call him if I had any trouble. He was the president. He specifically told me the plain cylinder was wrong and they would replace it.
  I contacted Traditions Customer Service when I got home. They sent me a return authorization but no label. When I talked to the customer service manager and told him I wanted a fluted and beveled cylinder he said there weren't any and he hadn't seen a fluted 44 Mag cylinder in 12 years. I sent a joint email to the CS manager and my new friend, the President, thanking them for the return authorization but that I needed a shipping label and mentioning the discrepancy about the cylinder. Got the shipping label the next day. Seven weeks later, the gun comes back. I unwrapped it and lo and behold, a fluted beveled cylinder in 44 Magnum. The shipping email also said they worked on the trigger. They claimed 5 to 5.5 lbs on their trigger scale, mine came back at 3 pounds even and much smoother cocking. I don't think it will ever be Colt smooth but I can carry six safely to the BBQ.
 

[DeaconKC]

Congrats! It's a beauty.

[Abilene]

Nice.  Gonna carry Specials in it to the BBQ?    Is that an Army size grip?  Maybe just the picture angle.

[Coffinmaker]

Really good looking gun you bet!!

Abilene, sure looks like an Army Pattern Grip Set.

[44caliberkid]

I think it is an Army grip frame, maybe for the magnum. I load 44 Magnum cases to velocities as low as 850 fps, which are sweet darlin's in this gun. 1100 fps and up can get a little whippy. I load black powder 44 Mags too, for a Ruger Vaquero 44.

[Black River Smith]

44caliberkid,

Could you please put a link to the website where you found this 44Mag offered? The only thing I am seeing on the Traditions website are 357's & 45's.  I wanted one back 5-6 years ago when Cabela's had limited offerings of them but where always' sold out' when I got there.
I do like your revolver and wanted something that looked traditional SAA but could handle the full 44 caliber series of casings.

[Abilene]

Howdy BRS, I found this online.  An Uberti, a little different than the Pietta (all blue, no flutes):
https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting-gear-gun-supplies/handguns/uberti-1873-single-action-cattleman-callahan-44-magnum-6in-blued-revolver-6-rounds/p/1795604

[Black River Smith]

Boy how time flies and the mind forgets.  I went back into my posting history and found that is was 2015 when I was posting questions about the Cabela and Pietta Frontier 44 Mag.   9 years since asking about the Traditions 44Mag.

I, instead of getting a 44Mag, bought a Uberti (steel gripped framed) 44/40 and put a 44Spec cylinder in that revolver in 2016.

Dang! where does the time go.

But would still like a 44Mag revolver to go with my Marlin(first pistol caliber CAS rifle) and Rossi(first '92 replica) 44Mag rifles.  Just planning on using my 44Spec rounds in both the rifles & revolver, for now.  Everything cycles fine or else would not be doing that at all.

'Still would like that link 44caliberkid'.

[Abilene]

Here you go, BRS (This one has the standard SAA grip):
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1059378592

There's also the EAA Bounty Hunters, available in 44 mag.  Good guns, but I've never been a huge fan of those.

[Coffinmaker]

  Hey Abilene & BRS

That really ain't a bad price neither!!  I kinda cheated though.  Had the .44 itch too.  So I added .44 Colt cylinders and barrels to my Open Tops.  Funner they are too you betcha

[Black River Smith]

Abilene, thank for that link to gunbroker.  That does look interesting.

Coffinmaker, my 2002 Open Top (had to have one) is a 44Colt cylinder but it only handled 44Colt length (not 44Spec) back then.  I did shoot 44Colt and Russian (BP only) in it for some matches.  Those were fun times but have had to stop years back, now it is just for my fun and enjoyment.

This 44 Mag would only see my old rifle load of 8 grains Unique to replicate the 44/40 smokeless load. Do not want to put that much into a 44Spec casing though.  Plus, arthritis slows things down some nowadays.

[44caliberkid]

https://www.gunbroker.com/Guns-Firearms/search?Keywords=Traditions%201873%2044%20Magnum

There are about 50 of them from 20 different distributors on gunbroker. Even though a fluted cylinder is pictured, you may not get one.

[Black River Smith]

https://www.gunbroker.com/Guns-Firearms/search?Keywords=Traditions%201873%2044%20Magnum

There are about 50 of them from 20 different distributors on gunbroker. Even though a fluted cylinder is pictured, you may not get one.

I thank you sir.

[cpt dan blodgett]

I am not familiar with Traditions SAAs is the cylinder larger than the standard SAA cylinder more on line with the Original Vaqueros?

[trisstan]

I completely get the mix of excitement and challenges when something doesn't quite meet your expectations. It's awesome that Traditions stepped up for you in the end. A fluted and beveled cylinder in .44 Magnum sounds stunning, and a 3-pound trigger is icing on the cake.