Uberti metal in BP vrs cartridge revolvers ?

[Marshal Deadwood]

I cant say about the cartridge revolvers but I was 'ageing' a '60Army,,and while I had it in the white, I decided to 'mate' some of the sharpe edges better ....and was stunned at how soft the metal was...

....I wonder if the metal in the cartridge revolvers is any stronger/harder, etc than the BP revolvers ?

Gives me pause for second thoughts ....

MD

[Pettifogger]

The metal in the cartridge guns is much tougher material as it is proofed for smokeless powder.

[Flint]

I realized how soft a Pietta "58" barrel is when I recut the forcing cone with a Brownell's cutter....  Ubertis are perhaps a bit harder, but the Cartridge guns are another story, as Pettifogger said, they are made to shoot smokeless cartridges.  The 72
Uberti made Opentops I have are so superior to the cap & balll guns it's hard to believe it's the same manufacturer.

[Mako]

The ~$200 price difference between any of the percussion pistols and cartridge revolvers on any of the importer's sites is a direct result of at least three things and an indirect result of at least one more.

Direct Result:

• Increased manufacturing costs to machine and heat treat materials used in guns that will be proofed for smokeless loads.
• Increased costs to certify materials and for the additional costs from proof testing
• The Federal Excise Tax that is collected for firearms.  Handguns are subject to a 10%tax (Percussion revolvers are not considered Firearms).

Indirect Result:

• A higher price can be charged for cartridge pistols because of their perceived value.

Using as rolled materials, castings and "'soft" forgings greatly simplifies the production process. Terms like "soft forgings" aren't technically correct but are a result of using forging dies to rough shape parts with simple carbon steel or materials that are not normally used for forgings.  They have the stretched grain structure and grain alignment from the forging process but are not further heat treated or processed.  You can "go to town" in machining low alloy steels and use less expensive tooling and go longer between tool changes as well.

I've never had any of the Uberti or Pietta parts analyzed for composition, but if I were to guess I would suspect low and medium range carbon steels as apposed to anything with chromium, molybdenum, nickel, vanadium or manganese in them.

Regards,
Mako