Picking up new Pietta's today.

Started by GA Joe Tyke, January 12, 2007, 12:55:06 PM

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GA Joe Tyke

I am picking up my new pietta SAA's after work today.
How many different opinions can I hear from the members as to how I should 'break in' the barrels and lockworks.
They are blued, not stainless or plated.
The pistolas will never see smokeless or weenie loads. I am planning on only using the Holy Black or GOEX Pinnacle(ClearShot).
I have beel loading 45lc for my henry(BB)  with 32gr FF and 250 RNFP's.  I like the load and the smoke.  Will I have to tweak the loads to bring the POI in line with POA on the pistols?

These are my first revolvers. Now I need a Hand-Me-Down double rig....


Steel Horse Bailey

Howdy DaveinGa!

Welcome!  I've heard ONLY good comments about the Pietta SAAs.  I had BIG issues with my Pietta '58 NMA C&B pistol, but that was a decade ago and from what I've heard, Allesandro Pietta, who posts on the SASS Wire, has really pulled the company up by the short hairs and they now pretty much rival Uberti - who was/is their primary competition.

I can't say for sure, but your gun and loads will possibly shoot low.  The front sights are OFTEN made too tall on purpose so you can file it down to tailor the gun to your loads.  Actually, I wouldn't fool with it, just shoot it a LOT to break it in.  I have or have had 8 Single action guns.  Two (Uberti-made Remington 1875s) were on the money, but the others shoot/shot low or low & left.  That one, which happened to be a Ruger, not a Pietta, was the ONLY one I changed the sight on.

I sure like your plans to only shoot BP with your guns!  We'll make a Soot Lord out of ya!

Keep yer powder dry ...

SHB
"May Your Powder always be Dry and Black; Your Smoke always White; and Your Flames Always Light the Way to Eternal Shooting Fulfillment !"

Paladin UK

Gotta go along with SHB....

The Piettas definitely now kin stand `shoulder ta shoulder` with Uberti, there really aint much in it!! ... With the opentops, the Pietta`s slightly bigger grip suits me better than my Uberti`s

Case of aint we lucky we got choice!! :D

Dave,
Enjoy the DARK SIDE pard!! ;)


Paladin (What lurvs the Holy Black ;D) UK
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Sir Charles deMouton-Black

Don't worry about breaking them in.  Just shoot a lot!  With Black powder, most say avoid petroleum based cleaners & lubricants.  Clean with Hot soapy water, or moosemilk  (BALLISTOL well diluted with water).  Protect & lubricate with bore butter or any similar blackpowder lube.

There are many opinions on cleaning and lubricating, so look up the many & lengthy threads here.  Good shooting.
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Mean Mongrel Matt

GA Joe Tyke .  How are the Pietta's working ....Ive had my SAA 73's for about 16 months now & cant fault them ...But I will say I found they do shoot low when using the holy Black ...Nothing that was any trubble to over come ..


Mongrel.
Shoot Black -Shoot fast & it dosn't matter if ya cant see em!!

Coahuila Jack

 I have this pair of Pietta 1860's and could not be more pleased with them. They are better looking than this picture shows. They are my pride and joy of all my cowboy toys.   Adios Amigo, Vaya con Dios




                                                             

GA Joe Tyke

Quote from: Mean Mongrel Matt on April 05, 2007, 07:28:59 AM
GA Joe Tyke .  How are the Pietta's working ....Ive had my SAA 73's for about 16 months now & cant fault them ...But I will say I found they do shoot low when using the holy Black ...Nothing that was any trubble to over come ..


Mongrel.
Had them for 3 months now. Probably shot 2000 rounds through them.  Started out with the box of Black Hills 250's that I talked the dealer out of when I paid cash for the guns. Have used Black Dawge also.  But spending 50 bucks to make it through 6 stages was not going to work!!! :o Started stuffin' my own boolits on a Lee progressive.  Have used clear Shot 3f,  Trail Boss, and Goex BP.  I have settled on the Real Stuff.  Got the price down to around 13 cents a shot now. I am using about 60% of a full charge, with a Circle Fly fiber wad to fill it up. Compresses the powder about 1/8 inch.
I had a streak of problems when I couldn't find any CCI primers, and used some Federals.  Major problems with primers backing out. Two shots, and the cylinders were locked up tight. Almost broke the hand pawl trying to get through the stage....

I actually replaced the trigger/bolt springs with factory Colt springs.  Even the more experienced pards at the shoots said the stock springs were way too touchy. I would guess they were less than 1 lb trigger pull.  I had several 'over the berm' incidents before I put in the heavy springs.

;DEvery one just shakes their heads when I tell them I use hot water and moosemilk to clean them after shooting.  Yeah I just take off the grips, throw 'em in the sink and scrub them with a tooth brush and an aquarium brush.  Blow them out with compressor, squirt them with Ballistol, and wipe them off.  The heat dries them out, and the Ballistol does its thing.....

Noz

Quote from: Coahuila Jack on April 05, 2007, 01:21:23 PM
I have this pair of Pietta 1860's and could not be more pleased with them. They are better looking than this picture shows. They are my pride and joy of all my cowboy toys.   Adios Amigo, Vaya con Dios



Where did you get the "cool: grips for them?

Coahuila Jack

Quote from: NozzleRag on April 07, 2007, 10:21:27 AM
Quote from: Coahuila Jack on April 05, 2007, 01:21:23 PM
I have this pair of Pietta 1860's and could not be more pleased with them. They are better looking than this picture shows. They are my pride and joy of all my cowboy toys.   Adios Amigo, Vaya con Dios



Where did you get the "cool: grips for them?

Sorry for the late reply Amigo. The grips came on the guns from the factory. It was a big plus for me as I usually replace the grips first thing anyway. Vaya Con Dios ...........

Buffalow Red

I have had a pietta buffalow 12" barrel 44 brass frame for about 15 years, just got my 2nd pietta 44 steel framed 8" barrel & i noticed the grip is longer than my old gun i like it a lot better
is there a place to buy a steel frame with longer grip for my old buffalow
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Brian Why
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Schofield

GAJoe, which had the most recoil... the Black Hills smokeless preloads or the Black Dawge BP preloads?  Thanks

GA Joe Tyke

Quote from: Schofield on August 08, 2007, 07:47:32 AM
GAJoe, which had the most recoil... the Black Hills smokeless preloads or the Black Dawge BP preloads?  Thanks

The BP loads seemed a little more stout, probably 'cause they were full loads.  The Black Hills were "Cowboy Loads".

My loads of choice are 250 grain lead with either HS-6 or FFF Goex BP. The guns shoot a little low with 'cowboy' loads, but the extra kick of a mid to hot load brought them to Point Of Aim.

Overall, I am well pleased with the Pietta (Heritage) pistols.

Schofield

Thanks Ga Joe!  I have 3 preloads (I know nothing about loading right now) I'm going to experiment with in my 58 w/converter... ultramax Schofield 230 gr smokeless cowboy load cartridge; the Black Dawge Schofield 235 gr BP cowboy load cartridge; and I'm checking into some Ten-X ammo, if it will work for me, which Marshal Will Wingam pointed out.  My objective is to find the least pressure pre-load I can, not only to be safe, but to make the Pietta last as well.  I've shot modern pistols a long time, but this just looks like a lot of added fun to me.  I'm being overly cautious I guess, and trying to learn.  Too old to be very experimentive anymore.  Thanks again!

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