Pietta or Uberti?

[Mossyrock]

Great info, folks...thanks!  Now, let's broaden the scope a bit.  Taking ALL of the repros into consideration, which is the most "correct"?

[Indian Outlaw]

Dimensionally, most people claim the ASP/Euroarms Rem is closest to the Remington Beals in frame size.

As for the 1863 New Model (1858 patent date), the old Lyman Ubertis from the 70s are the closest I have seen. They are not exact, but they are close. The current Ubertis and Piettas are beefier. The "step-down" from the top strap to the barrel is slightly different on all of them, including on the old ASMs and Santa Barbaras.

The Lyman:

[Bishop Creek]

I don't know if they are still produced this way, but my Pietta "Deluxe Shooters Model" from 2001 has authentic barrel markings:

[Bishop Creek]

Here is the Euroarms Remington that I used to own. The step down from the frame to barrel is very close to an original, but in my opinion, the loading lever "sail" has more of a Beals look to it.

[Mossyrock]

I don't know if they are still produced this way, but my Pietta "Deluxe Shooters Model" from 2001 has authentic barrel markings:

Dixie lists this model for $650.  Kinda pricey!   I wonder if they are marked like yours?

[Bishop Creek]

I don't know if the newer ones that Dixie sells now have the barrel markings, but the older Pietta "Shooters" models do. I have had three of them over the years, the other two I used to own were made in the '90s and had them.

[rickk]

What do they do to the "Shooter's" model that makes them cost almost 3x more than a standard model?

[Mossyrock]

What do they do to the "Shooter's" model that makes them cost almost 3x more than a standard model?

Superb question!  I also have to wonder where one would procure said item if one did not want to deal with Dixie?

[Bishop Creek]

Here is what Dixie Gun Works says about the Pietta 'Shooters" model Remington:

"This Remington, with its progressive rifling, won the gold medals in the World Muzzleloading Championships in Toronto in 1987 and in Pforzheim (W. Germany) in 1989. Has 2 piece European walnut grips with a satin finish. Blued steel frame. .44 caliber, blued 8", tapered octagon barrel with .008" deep rifling. 1 in 30" twist, 5 land and 5 grooves. Front sight is .270 dovetailed, blued steel base and blade. Rear sight V-notch in top strap. Six shot. Features silver plated brass triggerguard, blued steel backstrap. 13 ¾" overall and weighs 2 ¾ lbs. Recommended load 22 grains of FFFg black powder with .457 round ball and .44 revolver wad."

So basically, it comes with a target barrel with dovetailed sights and a factory action job. The cylinder bore is larger so it takes a .457 ball unlike the .451 or .454 in the standard model. They are very accurate.

I bought the older ones I had used and my newer one from Cabelas 10 years ago when they were only $270. I wouldn't pay $650 or $700 for one now.

[Mossyrock]

Cabela's doesn't offer that model any more, do they?

[Bishop Creek]

Cabela's doesn't offer that model any more, do they?

Haven't seen them in their catalog or web site for a couple of years now, but their stores may have some.

[Mossyrock]

I know my local one doesn't...and it doesn't look like Taylor's or Cimmaron offer it either.  OK...who besides Dixie offers this beast?

[Hoof Hearted]

Isn't the current Uberti the "Forged Frame" model which is the same as the conversion frame?
If so I would garner that the cylinder and the frame window are larger than an original to accomodate the 6 shot cartridege cylinder................

[Wes Tancred]

Or do Uberti employ convergent boring of the cylinder, as in the R&D conversion cylinders, and keep the original frame size?

It is my understanding that this aspect of Howell's patent applies only to the use of convergent boring in a conversion cylinder meant to be installed in an unaltered percussion revolver. The concept could not be patented for a simple cartridge cylinder, since Colt's had already used it for SAAs chambered in .476 Eley/Enfield, as discovered by Geoffrey Boothroyd in the 1960s.

[Slowhand Bob]

What is the life of a patent?  I thought it was something like seven years?  Did see recently where a drug company was given an extension on their patent, made the news as a special interest 'money talks' headline, passed quickly while congress was supposedly grid locked. 

I have two of the recent 5,5" barl Piettas with the old style solid plate Kirst conversions and four total c&b cylinders.  They did look better and feel smoother than the five older models I had from Cabellas BUT after only minor tuning, the older Piettas were awesomely dependable shooters.  Still watching for Cabellas to run the spare cylinders on sale again but they do not seem to do them as often as in the past.  Pietta has really improved their Colt clones also, never had one of the old versions that would work dependably out of the box but now have half a dozen newer ones and all came ready to shoot.