61 navy, pietta or uberti?

[will52100]

which would you recomend?  I like the steel grip and grip shape of the Pietta a hair better than the Uberti, but I do prefere authenticity, though I'm not a true puratin.  I've had more trouble out of Piettas in the past than Ubertis.

Opions, pluses or minuses of either?

Thanks

[Long Johns Wolf]

Uberti is listing the 1861 Navy with steel back strap and tripper guard.
Bootsie

[Marshal Deadwood]

I dont know much about the Piettas. I have had outstanding satifaction with Ubertis. Just got a '60 Army that is awesome. THinking about having tru-ivorys put on it.
Love that '60 Army myself. but that '61 Navy is nice. Very nice.
I got my Army from Taylors. Their Ubertis seem to be as good as anyones.

Marshal Deadwood

[Jrw8214]

My only complaint with my Pietta 61 Navy is that the barrel is 8" long instead of the 7 1/2" which it should be. Maybe im wrong, but i think this may be what throws the gun off balance. 

[will52100]

Thanks, I think I'll probaly go for the uberti, the pics I've seen of the ubertis show the 61 with a brass grips.

[Ransom Gaer]

will52100,

Here is something you may want to consider for that Uberti 1861 Navy.  I discovered this last weekend talking with Canada Bill at Winter Range.

I have a pair of Civilian 1860 Armies by Uberti without the cut out for the buttstock and the screws for the buttstock.  Canada Bill has the military version.  I found that the screws for the buttstock rubbed my hand and was uncomfortable as a result.  The Uberti 1861 Navy is available in either the civilian or military version.  You may find the civilian version without the screws more comfortable or you may find it doesn't matter either way.

Good luck with whatever you go with.

Ransom Gaer 

[Flint]

I also prefer the Civilian version of both the 1860 and the 1861.  The lack of the 4th screws sticking out is more comfortable, and the cleaner breech without the shoulder stock cuts.

Note, however, if you are a steel gripframe fan, that the Civilian version of both have a both a brass triggerguard and backstrap.

The steel (or in a real Colt, iron) backstrap was used to support the notch in the butt heel for the shoulder stock clamp.

On the Military 1860, the triggerguard is brass and the backstrap is steel, on the 1861, both are steel.

The Uberti gripframe is more authentic to the Colt shape than the Pietta, which has an exaggerated bell flare to the rear, to the extent that the Pietta 1860 Army will not even fit in an Uberti box..

[will52100]

Now I see, I have a military 1860 army and have no comfort issues with the cutout or shoulder stock 4th screw.  The pietta navy had the shoulder stock cut-out and the uberti didn't, so that explains the differance.  Should have known.

I'll keep my eyes open for a Uberti 61 military gun,

Thanks

[Marshal Deadwood]

My civilian 1860 Army Uberti from Taylors and Co. has brass trigger guard and steel backstrap. Uberti makes both in the civilian but you have to be sure to have whomever pull the 'right' one out of the stock room. Wait on the phone till they describe the trigger guard and backstrap configuration they are looking at.

Mine is exactly like the military as far as trigger guard and backstrap, but without the knotch and 4th screw.

They may have just started offering this as I got mine about two weeks ago from Taylors and Co.

Go Uberti either way.

Marshal Deadwood

[The Avocado Kid]

I just made a purchase of what Cimarron says(website)is a 1851 Navy R&M but to me it looks like it could be an 1861 Navy R&M no photo's as of yet and they told me the same thing at the gun shop "its a 61 Navy" it is a beauty of a gun made by Uberti 7 1/2 in 38spl. What is an easy way to tell at a glance? Mickey66

[Marshal Deadwood]

the '51 Navy should have an oct barrel and the '61 navy a round barrel.
The grips frame on the '61 is just a weee (almost cant see it) longer than the '51 navy, the '51 Navy grip frame iis exactly the same grip frame as on the '73  Colt SAA.
I like the streamlined effect of the '61round barrel navy myslef, though both are really nice.

Marshal Deadwood

[Dusty Morningwood]

The 61 percussion has a round barrel, so I assume the RM conversion does too?  The 51 has an octagonal barrel.

[The Avocado Kid]

Well, You guys are correct! I had forgotten that! Its a 51 Navy,I was wrong and the gun shop was wrong,no big surprise here but I really like the gun,it is a beauty. Thanks,Mickey66

[The Avocado Kid]

My mistake it has a round barrel and looking at the Cimarron websight this might be an 1872 OT B/S and B/TG great looking gun. Mickey66

[The Avocado Kid]

Mistake again-not an OT its in 38spl cal. "61" Navy RM conversion,thanks to all who responded and helped with my confused state of mind. Mickey66

[Flint]

The Cimarron 1851 R-M has an octagonal barrel, so it is not an 1861, which would look more like the 1860 R-M or the 1860 Transitional Model.

A round barreled Navy conversion might or might not be based on an 1861, the only difference that might be a clue would be the use of an all steel gripframe, a feature of most 1861s.  The 1851s usually had a brass gripframe.  However, Cimarron doesn't seem to offer an 1861 conversion, at least not by name.  The only real world difference between an 1851 and an 1861 Navy is the barrel, and in most cases the gripframe material.

The Cimarron 1860 R-M conversions seem to have an 1872 Open Top barrel, and the "Richards Transition Model" has a modified 1860 Army barrel.

The "Man with No Name" looks to be basically an 1872 Opentop with an 1851 Navy octagonal barrel.

[The Avocado Kid]

Thanks Flint!! Now I'm really confused! So....the Cimarron 1851 Navy that looks like a "61"Navy(round barrel) is not a "61" Navy its a "51" Navy? That's just ducky!

[Flint]

The Cimarron 51 Navy with a round barrel (I found no pictures of it on their website, only the octagonal) is either a repro of a transitional 61 similar to the Transitional Army 1860 they show, or is a repro of the later models that used a barrel shaped like the 72 Open Top, as when Colt finally ran out of percussion barrels and made the new conversions without the loading lever mounting provisions, plugged, reshaped, or otherwise.  The same new barrel shape was used on the 1871-72 cartridge guns.  The 1860, 61 and 1872 barrels were all round. 

If Colt fitted round barrels to 1851 framed conversions, only the serial number would tell what the frame originally was.

I'm sure Cimarron isn't concerned with the details of the original Colts, however, they're just selling look-alikes and they seem to be selling a lot of them..

[The Avocado Kid]

Flint, this is starting to get interesting,I went back to the Cimarron site and looked real close and I guess you are correct but still looks sorta round to me must be the lighting or my eyes, probably my eyes. I won't pick up my gun until next week so I might be wrong (memory) and I'm very new to the R&M conversion. The gun does have a brass T/G and back strap 7.5 barrel and cal.is 38spl,from what I have learned so far this must be a 1851 R&M conversion but I swear the barrel is round and like I said before two people at the gun shop said "Its a "61"navy" NOW,do you know of Uberti making a round barrel Navy with Brass guard and back strap? Markings on the top of the barrel said "Cimarron cal.38spl Texas made in Italy" I could not find the name Uberti on the barrel but the light in the room was dark. The gun is brand new in the box(sold as used but not fired)my next question is this: Does Cimarron sell conversions of the 51&61 Navys by other makers? If Flint does not have a new R&M conversion maybe one of you guys out there might have a new one and will give me the barrel markings. Thanks for the help guys,Mickey66

[The Avocado Kid]

Well,I have e-mailed Cimarron! Maybe they can put some light on this "51" Navy with the round barrel and if I remember right the "60"Army has an 8" barrel so... I hope they respond to my e-mail.