.45 Colt 1875's

[Peachey Carnehan]

So quick question for you all. I just got two Uberti 1875's today chambered in .45 Colt but they seem to not accept factory .45 Colt ammunition nor do they accept a full length 200 grain RNFP reload. Looking at various numbers, it appears as if the standard .45 Colt is 1.6 inches in length, and these cylinders cap out at 1.558 with the calipers, making shorter SWC bullets or .45 Scofield rounds a must. Is this to be expected with these revolvers? I didn't even anticipate this being an issue, although comparing the cylinder length to my EAA there's a significant difference in length. What do you .45 shooters out there use in these, or should I quickly contact Uberti or try to take these back? Any advice very much appreciated.

Regards,
Peachey

[Old Top]

Peachey,

You may wish to get in contact with EMF as I beleive they are the importer of these, or at least I have not seen anyone else carring the 1875 Uberti.

Old Top

[Long Johns Wolf]

Same experience here, PC. My 200 gr RNFP reloads are OK in the "factory-short" cylinder of my Uberti/Remington 75 from 1972 production, but I cannot load factory .45 Colt ammo or reloads with 250 grainers, because they are just too long.
Long Johns Wolf

[sundance44`s]

Scratching the 1875 off my wish list .

[Galloway]

Try seating your bullets deper, I shoot 255's all the time.

[Deadeye Don]

I have an EMF Uberti imported 1875 chambered in 45 colt.  I only use factory ammo.  I have had NO problems with Ultramax 250 grain,  American, or any of the others I have tried.  If the chambers are really not accepting factory loaded 45 colt ( I am assuming these are flat top bullets too) then call whoever you bought them from.  I just put in a lightened main spring from VMI and what a nice difference from the mongo spring that came from the factory.  I cant wait to shoot it.  Regards. Deadeye.

PS my 75 is about one year old.  LJWs was made in 1972.  That might be the difference in his gun.

[Long Johns Wolf]

Deadeye Don: I purchased another Uberti 75 in 2000 factory new. That one had the "new" Colt-type cross pin but the same "short" cylinder, i. e. I could not load factory ammo or reloads with the same outside dimensions as factory ammo. Although the pistol was pretty accurate I traded her when I could put my hands on the early Remmy with the "correct" cylinder pin.
So it appears to me that the cylinder of the Uberti Remmy 75 is a mite but significantly shorter than say one of an Uberti Colt SAA.
Is that "shorter" cylinder in line with an orginal 75? I don't know but there is surely a pard out there who can enlighten us I hope.
Long Johns Wolf

[Curley Cole]

I have a consecutive numbered pair of antiqued Remington 75 (EMF) and I haven't tried to use factory ammo in them but I routinely use 205grrnfp and occasionally 250grrnfp and have had no difficulty chambering. My guns are 2 years old. You might as Old Top suggested check with EMF.

Curley

[Peachey Carnehan]

Thanks for your replies everyone, I certainly appreciate it!

[Deadeye Don]

Thanks for your replies everyone, I certainly appreciate it!

Please let us know how things go with EMF.

[Yankee Will]

I bought an Uberti 1875 from Gun Broker on the net last year.  Brand new, and shoots factory ammo great.
Only problem I ever had was with the first cartridge I tried to load.  Pulled it out of the box, and didn't see the rim was partially folded back over itself!  When in about 3/4 of the way before it stopped.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I'm down to one 1875 now, but mine will seat ANY factory ammo and shoot it.

*****************

10 minutes later:  Well, y'all got me to thinkin' (which can be dangerous for me) so I got out my calipers and did some measuring.  My 45 Colt (Midway brand) max cartridge gage is right on the money: 1.600", or SAAMI spec.  I load my rounds to fit all of my guns including 2 rifles, one of which is a '66 and the other a '92 which are BOTH notoriously fickle about OAL.  As has been noted, the Remington repros have short cylinders, but I assumed it was also 1.600".  It turns out that the cylinder OAL is 1.585" which seems like a problem, BUT ... I measured one of my cartridges and it is 1.582" ... and it fits fine.  AHA!  The cylinder is NOT rebated and the length of the cartridge, MINUS the rim is 1.528" - so it fits and will continue to do so as long as the SAAMI specs are followed. 


My take on this is that since the Remingtons were originally chambered for cartridges significantly shorter than 45 Colt, when Uberti decided to chamber them in 45 Colt and 44 WCF (44-40), they had to lengthen the cylinder and frame.  Wanting to keep this to a minimum (for the sake of the looks, I suppose, as much as anything) they did the absolute minimum they could get away with.  Which causes some problems with rounds that are near maximum length.  I've also noticed that my Remingtons (when I had BOTH) were very sensitive to cases that had thick rims - therefore, they had less headspace than my other guns in 45 Colt, and would sometimes scrape the recoil shield - or even lock up -  if the manufacturers made thicker-than-standard rims.

It is my VERY humble opinion that the BIGGEST gun marketing mistake of recent times was S&W's decision NOT to make their re-issue of the Model 3 in more calibers than the original caliber - and this was because they DIDN'T want to lengthen the frame and cylinder.  So Uberti saw "the light" so to speak, but only did the bare minimum, which allows NO slack.

Whaddya think, pards?  Make sense?

[Hoof Hearted]

You got it

[Grapeshot]

So quick question for you all. I just got two Uberti 1875's today chambered in .45 Colt but they seem to not accept factory .45 Colt ammunition nor do they accept a full length 200 grain RNFP reload. Looking at various numbers, it appears as if the standard .45 Colt is 1.6 inches in length, and these cylinders cap out at 1.558 with the calipers, making shorter SWC bullets or .45 Scofield rounds a must. Is this to be expected with these revolvers? I didn't even anticipate this being an issue, although comparing the cylinder length to my EAA there's a significant difference in length. What do you .45 shooters out there use in these, or should I quickly contact Uberti or try to take these back? Any advice very much appreciated.

Regards,
Peachey

The Early 1875's had a shorter Cylinder.  I bought one from EMF back in 1988 and it would not accept my handloads that were Factory length or my handloades that used a Keith Style SWC, whereas my Dakota SAA will.

Sold off the Remington to get another Colt Style SAA.

[Fox Creek Kid]

My take on this is that since the Remingtons were originally chambered for cartridges significantly shorter than 45 Colt, when Uberti decided to chamber them in 45 Colt and 44 WCF (44-40), they had to lengthen the cylinder and frame.

The ORIGINAL 1875 was chambered in .45 Colt after .44 Remington & 44-40 respectively. The problem is MODERN .45 Colt ammo sometimes being too long.

[Oldelm]

Sold off the Remington to get another Colt Style SAA.

Grapeshot,.....you still have your '75 Rem in .44-40 with its custom .44spl cylinder, right?

It's hard to imagine you'd sell that off,.......

[Marshal Will Wingam]

My EMF 1890 would take any cartridges I put in it. I didn't do much factory ammo, though, so there may have been some that wouldn't have fit. I reload my own so seating a bullet a little deeper isn't a problem.

[Fox Creek Kid]

As a note, everyone I know who has an early Uberti with the correct short cylinder says they eat BP like a Duroc hog does corn!!Far better than the later longer cylinder.

[Silver Creek Slim]

I bought a used pair about 4 years ago. They ate factory and handloads to SAAMI specs just fine. I sold one but keep the older one with the shorter front sight that is sighted in for 75 yards.

Slim

[Tommy tornado]

Mine shoots well with anything but the 270 grain SAA semi-wadcutter.  The cylinder is a bit shorter than my Colts and Colt clones thus it won't camber that round.