Reviews of the Charles Daly Classic 1873

Col. Riddles · May 05, 2005, 09:52:35 AM

Last week I cancelled the order for a pair of New Model Ruger Vaqueros that I had on order since Feb. 1st and ordered a pair of Charles Daly 1873 SAA 7 1/2" 45 Colt in SS. The distributor was out of them so they had to order a pair from KBI for me.

Yesterday the distributor called my dealer while I was hanging out at the shop and said that they had just arrived and they would ship them out that afternoon. I was at my toy store when FedEx dropped them off this afternoon. They have consecutive serial numbers.

The fit and finish is very nice. The action is very smooth. I forgot to use a trigger pull gauge at the store, but judging from my other guns that have all had action jobs with a trigger pull of 2 1/4 lbs I would estimate these to be about 2 3/4 lbs each. The triggers both break nice & crips with no creep at all. The cylinders are beveled to facilitate easier reholstering. The one piece imitation ivory grips fit perfectly. There is no end shake & they lock up good and tight. The bolt rises at the proper time and there are no drag marks on the cylinders. I was surprized at how light they are and how well they balance for 7 1/2" barrels.

These are made by Pietta & imported by KBI who warrants them for life as long as you don't let anyone else work on them or do action jobs which they definitely don't need. KBI will even pay shipping both ways for repair work if needed. I've been told that these are the same guns EMF calls the Great Western II.

I hope to shoot them in our monthly Saturday but the weather forecast for Fri. Sat. & Sun. is calling for severe thunder storms all three days. If that happens the match will be cancelled. I'll post more here after I've had a chance to shoot them.

Col. Riddles · May 12, 2005, 01:16:43 AM

The weather held off and I was able to shoot them Saturday. They both shoot POA without a single hicccup. They're keepers.

Silver Creek Slim · May 18, 2005, 09:19:48 AM

That's great, Col. Thanks for the report.

Slim

Bottom Dealin Mike · May 18, 2005, 12:58:36 PM

For what it's worth, I wrote a review of a stainless Charles Daly SAA for the issue of Guns of the Old West that will be on the stands in a week or two.

I really liked it.

Paper Chaser · May 19, 2005, 10:22:08 PM

Thanks for all the good info. I've a pair of SS Great Western IIs and they are terrific! So, if the Daly is same I may give them a try.

Col. Riddles · June 06, 2005, 10:51:25 AM

Well I've shot them in a couple matches & let me tell you pards they're terrific. They shoot POA right out of the box using my CAS loads of a 250gr LRNFP Bonus Cast Bullet over 4.2gr Hogdon Clays in Starline brass with Federal LP Primers. There were absolutely no hiccups. I'm very pleased with them.

SIR WILLIAM · June 24, 2005, 04:20:54 PM

Are they constructed of stainless steel? I was under the impression that they were a brushed nickel plate that simulated stainless steel. Is Pietta now making stainless steel single action revolvers?

Silver Creek Slim · June 27, 2005, 02:18:15 PM

They are stainless. Go to the link for more info.
http://www.charlesdaly.com/html/products/firearms/revolvers/1873/1873.asp

Slim

SIR WILLIAM · June 29, 2005, 01:51:29 AM

I managed to get my hands on one. They are decent and totally stainless. I can't say I like the CD brand on the grips. That can be fixed with a small outlay of money though. I am looking at the Taurus Gauchos too. Both are nicely finished, smooth actions and high polish stainless.

Chick Brewster · July 01, 2005, 05:43:32 PM

Been looking at those myself... saw a few at gun shows and I like'em! But I found blued ones with the brass strap for only $319 at http://www.legendaryguns.com/CharlesDaly1873SA.htm

-cb-

Cuts Crooked · July 06, 2005, 12:01:04 PM

I just ran my new CD in .357 through the torture test this AM! 100 rounds of black powder loads...FAST! I didn't even wipe it down once during this session and it never so much as hiccupped!

I got the blued steel model with steel backstrap & triggergaurd, 5.5" barrel & walnut grips. The action is extremely smooth, it shoots to POA with my BP loads, and it's accurate enuff to dance pop cans at 25 yards all day!

This may get me lynched but I'm going to say it anyway... I've shot new Colts from the custom shop that were not as smooth as this gun, nor was the fit & finish on some of them one iota better! Got mine from Marshal Halloway, fer the money you can't go wrong with one of these nice little shooters!

Four-Eyed Buck · July 06, 2005, 05:15:14 PM

I'm considering one in .357 myself, but with the 4 3/4" barrel to replace my old EAA Bounty Hunter. Coulda had one in March at a local gun show for $330. Wish I coulda eeked it out then.......Buck

$:-\$

Riot Earp · July 10, 2005, 01:43:57 PM

How do the stainless ones compare to the stainless Cimarrons (Ubertis)? Two local dealers I've spoken with won't buy Piettas because of quality problems.

Four-Eyed Buck · July 10, 2005, 02:36:08 PM

Col. Riddles seems to be real happy with his pair. As far as the quality, it's the same maker as the Great Western II's from EMF. It's been pretty consistent from the reports I've seen on the boards. I've seen one of the B/CC ones close up and it was really nice. Only knock I've got is that Logo on the grips. The Marshal just sold a bunch of them through his new mercantile operation, so we may get a lot more feedback soon.........Buck

Riot Earp · July 11, 2005, 03:43:10 PM

My main concern is with the steel. Some people claim Pietta's steel is very soft and wears quickly.

Marshal Halloway · July 11, 2005, 04:37:40 PM

Quote from: Four-Eyed Buck on July 10, 2005, 02:36:08 PM
The Marshal just sold a bunch of them through his new mercantile operation, so we may get a lot more feedback soon.........Buck

That is correct and we are shipping out more of the classic models this week. I have no comments about the steel. What I do know is that Pietta, the manufacturer, are using new machining tools for their '73 models now and that is in my opinion one of the major reasons these have such a good out of the box quality.
So far, I have had only good feedbacks and of the 27 guns we have checked so far, we have found no reason to ship any back.

Riot Earp · July 12, 2005, 03:51:15 PM

I hear ya. I guess most of the gripes I've read have targeted the hand, the bolt, and the springs--things that usually don't malfunction right away. Right now I'm leaning toward the Cimarron, or possibly the Beretta.

Cherokee Charlie · July 25, 2005, 08:58:52 PM

Received my Charles Dalys today. Fit and finish-very good. Action is creamy smooth. I won't get to shoot them until Thursday. I still don't like the CD logo on the grips and I reall don't like the Charles Daly printed in large letters on top of the barrel. $:-\$

Marshal Halloway · July 27, 2005, 06:39:20 PM

...and today, Cherokee Charlie sent me a picture of his two new "babies" both placed in their right environment. The rig (click on pic to enlarge) is in fact made my Cherokee himself. He makes gunrigs as a hobby and a few fellow shooters do carry one of his nice production down in Georgia.

Nice work, CC and thanks for giving the Dalys a good home.

Cherokee Charlie · July 29, 2005, 09:53:44 PM

For those of you wishing to purchase Charles Daly guns, I must say that you are making a good decision. I have yet to fire mine. Been too busy. I will list some observations I have made.
The metal seems to be a little soft. The guns are showing scratches from just handling and from going to and from leather. My chambers are a little rough. Polishing will correct this. Here is a point that the Marshall needs to find out for us. If I change the springs in the CDs will that void the warranty? On one of my guns the hammer is a little sluggish. Can I fix this without voiding the warranty? No, I am not a gunsmith but I have a little knowledge about mechanics. You can bet that if it moves it will break but if it breaks it can be fixed. My actions are smooth but with a little spring work they can be made slicker. Hope this helps some of you who are thinking about purchasing the CDs.