Anyone have a "floating firing pin" Uberti SAA replica?

[Major 2]

Hmmm. Just posted in the Clone forum that my new three-click Uberti Model P is giving quite a few light strikes. Cimarron advises that I am not pulling the trigger correctly. Odd to start pulling triggers incorrectly after 70 years doing it.

Eh  I saw your other post, and the reply you got from "someone" at Cimarron suggesting "Transfer Bar"? on you Model P....  I'm not accepting that you are "not pulling the trigger correctly" response.

I know Ruger has Transfer Bar's, some Pietta & GW II's do as well.
Taurus Gaucho's old models & the new ones being reintroduced a Shot 2024 also have transfer bars.
The once Uberti made Beretta Stampede had transfer bars. West German JP Sauer's had transfer bars.
These are fundamentally different mechanical interference hammer strike functions.   

May be semantics, BUT is that what "they" call the Uberti designed internal hammer floating firing pin ?

I've read where...
* a burr inside the hammer was the issue causing the internals to bind.
* Heavier main spring solved the issue.
* Lube was the answer
or to replace the safety 3 click hammer with the original design 4 click hammer.

I'm glad Cimarron will look to repair your issue.

[Tronicst1]

Eh  I saw your other post, and the reply you got from "someone" at Cimarron suggesting "Transfer Bar"? on you Model P....  I'm not accepting that you are "not pulling the trigger correctly" response.

I know Ruger has Transfer Bar's, some Pietta & GW II's do as well.
Taurus Gaucho's old models & the new ones being reintroduced a Shot 2024 also have transfer bars.
The once Uberti made Beretta Stampede had transfer bars. West German JP Sauer's had transfer bars.
These are fundamentally different mechanical interference hammer strike functions.   

May be semantics, BUT is that what "they" call the Uberti designed internal hammer floating firing pin ?

I've read where...
* a burr inside the hammer was the issue causing the internals to bind.
* Heaver main spring solved the issue.
* Lube was the answer
or to replace the safety 3 click hammer with the original design 4 click hammer.

I'm glad Cimarron will look to repair your issue.

I had the floating firing pin and replaced the hammer and trigger with one from Taylor's & Co.

https://www.taylorsfirearms.com/shop.html

Works fine and turns your gun from a 3 click to a 4 click as well.

[Tronicst1]

I had the floating firing pin and replaced the hammer and trigger with one from Taylor's & Co.

https://www.taylorsfirearms.com/shop.html

Works fine and turns your gun from a 3 click to a 4 click as well.

https://www.taylorsfirearms.com/1873-cattleman-original-style-4-click-parts.html

[Froogal]

ALL of my SAA revolvers have the floating firing pin except for the Ruger Vaquero. The only one that ever gave any trouble is the Pietta and it took only about 10 rounds to cause it to misfire. I gerry-rigged the hammer and firing pin to take out the excess "float" and now it works, but I am not happy with it.

[Abilene]

Okay, I have a problem with the title of this topic.  Despite the topic title, most of the discussion has been regarding the "retractible" or "telescoping" firing pin system, aka the Cattleman II, aka 3-clickers.  The term floating firing pin actually refers to the firing pins in all of the current reproductions, as well as all the Colts other than 1st gen.  They move around a bit, you can wiggle them.  Totally normal.  And they should never cause problems on their own, although Froogal apparently owns an exception to that rule.  So the retractable firing pin safety thingie is not floating firing pin, although it sorta is because it wiggles a little, too, but overall a different animal.  Okay, rant over.  I just cringe a little every time I see the title again. 

[Hair Trigger Jim]

Eh  I saw your other post, and the reply you got from "someone" at Cimarron suggesting "Transfer Bar"? on you Model P....  I'm not accepting that you are "not pulling the trigger correctly" response.

I know Ruger has Transfer Bar's, some Pietta & GW II's do as well.
Taurus Gaucho's old models & the new ones being reintroduced a Shot 2024 also have transfer bars.
The once Uberti made Beretta Stampede had transfer bars. West German JP Sauer's had transfer bars.
These are fundamentally different mechanical interference hammer strike functions.   

May be semantics, BUT is that what "they" call the Uberti designed internal hammer floating firing pin ?

I've read where...
* a burr inside the hammer was the issue causing the internals to bind.
* Heavier main spring solved the issue.
* Lube was the answer
or to replace the safety 3 click hammer with the original design 4 click hammer.

I'm glad Cimarron will look to repair your issue.

Transfer bar might actually be a good way of describing the function of Uberti's system.  When the action is operated, a bar connected to the trigger rises up into position to transfer the force of the falling hammer to the firing pin, as seen in this video from Uberti:


That is the same function as the transfer bar on a Ruger, but the bar and firing pin are both carried in the hammer, making for a very different appearance.  And yes, the details are certainly different, but I can see why they'd call it a transfer bar.

It's an interesting concept, but it seems to be a challenge to implement, and I'm not sure why they thought they needed it.  Maybe if subcompact 9mm pistols all need to be double-stack these days, they thought an increase in everyday capacity from 5 rounds to 6 would be a big selling point in today's market?

[RRio]

Firing pin enabler?

[Long Johns Wolf]

When you were to buy your new Cattleman II at HEGE in Germany they will offer to exchange the hammer/trigger against pieces of traditional production, free of charge.
Long Johns Wolf

[Major 2]

Uberti - Cattleman II - Retractable Firing Pin 
"retractable" or "telescoping" firing pin system,    OK

"Transfer bar "? 


The video does show how pulling the trigger fully thru could affect the function 
It's actually a clever bit of engineering, if functioning as designed.

a headache if it does not.... 
   






   

[Hair Trigger Jim]

I agree, it's certainly not what we think of!

But it's close enough that I can see why they'd try to call it the same thing.  It's not lying, just dishonest.   

[Oregon Bill]

My Model P shot well yesterday -- 40 rounds without an issue. Thinking it might have just needed some breaking in.

[RoyceP]

I have Colt SAA's and I have a Uberti with the retractable firing pin system. The Uberti has three clicks, all the Colts have four. I did buy the Taylors hammer and trigger kit for my Uberti. Mine also has the coil spring for the hand. I took the revolver all apart and ended up reassembling it as it was originally. The coil spring was daunting to say the least.

Other than the number of clicks I don't think you would be able to tell any difference.

[RRio]

Uberti - Cattleman II - Retractable Firing Pin 
"retractable"

Retractable Firing Pin  -  Yeah!     

[Froogal]

Call it retractable, or call it floating. Really make no difference because if it floats too much, or retracts too much, you WILL experience some mis-fires.

[Cheyenne Logan]

While I admit to not reading every response in this thread, I will say that Uberti has made some models with a "Floating firing pin", mounted in the frame, not the retractable one....Taylors hadd brought them in....I know because I saw some Taylor's revolvers listed on Grab a Gun at a really good price point, but there was something off in the picture.....finally contacted Taylors andf aske dif this particular model had a floating firing pin, mounted in the frame, and was told it was.......not sure they still bring them in, but they were priced good.......they looked like the old Beretta guns.

[cpt dan blodgett]

I have 2 of the Cattleman series.  One is definitely a cattleman II current model that I purchased from Taylors.  Intially it failed to fire after 1 round.  I was about to send it back to Taylor's but on a whim blasted the hammer with brake cleaner then lubed everything on hammer I could get oil into really well. Some 500 rounds later not another failure to fire except a bad primer that had serious dent from firing pin.  My other I bought off the wire is much easier to cock, wonder if some work or a spring kit installed.  Given how easy it is to cock I worried about failure to fire but has never failed to go boom. 

The lawyer inspired floating firing pin seems to function.  As far as 3 or 4 clicks well with all the excitement was it 3 or 4 clicks is sorta lost count.  I do not need 4 clicks enough to spend $100 per gun and possibly some smith work to get the 4th click.

[RoyceP]

So I visited my local gunsmith shortly after making my last post. My Uberti now has the "four click" (unsafe according to lawyers) action and the firing pin is no longer retractable on the hammer. I take it to the range for the first time tomorrow. Oh and also while he was at it the gun now has a 44 Special cylinder fitted. It was previously a 44 WCF revolver - now it has both cylinders.

So it is now a little less safe but works like the old Model 1873's did.

[Cheyenne Logan]

Not to defend lawyers, but it keeps being repeated that the Uberti Retractible firing pin was brought on by the lawyers....actually the GCA '68 mandates that imported revolvers must pass a drop test, where a hammer is set in it's "safe" position over a cartridge, and a weight, equal to the weight of the loaded revolver is dropped on the hammer from 3 feet ( I think).....if the revolver fires, it's denied importation, if it passes, they repeat it......the first 1871-72 Uberti was sent to ATF Technology for testing, when we got it back, it had passed, but the hammer spur was past vertical! They dropped the weight on it several times!

I have one of the newer guns, and yes I've replaced the hammer/trigger with more conventional parts. I never had a misfire, but did notice you could feel the sear trip and there was a lot of overtravel in the trigger, if you didn't keep pulling the trigger, it would have a light strike......it constantly was misfiring when my son used it, and I could easily duplicate it by stopping the trigger pull when the sear broke.....didn't let trigger go forward, just held it after the break. 

The Pocket Conversions, though you need a big pocket for that 6.5" barrel(!), have the retractable firing pin. My oldest son has one (cut back to 3.5"! ), it hasn't misfired but it still has quite a bit of overtravel....the firing pin system allows it to be a five shooter, instead of a four shooter. While mentioning that model, again thanks politicians and ATF as the little gun has to have the barrel length to make up enough "points" to be imported.

[Abilene]

Hi Royce - nice looking flat top. I'm guessing you took that picture before upgrading (downgrading?    ) it to 4-clicks, right?  That's nice that you now have a .44 convertible.  I added a 44-40 cylinder to my 44 Spcl Thunderer to make a convertible as well.  Lucked out as it was a drop in fit.

[RoyceP]

Yep I took the picture in 2021 so long before I upgraded / downgraded or whatever. The parts took maybe 12 months to arrive and cost around $200. Parts came from Numrich. The gunsmith charged $156 dollars including tax so total invested in the revolver is about $1056 so I think it is a far better investment than the same thing in a Colt product.

I don't think the 1968 law has anything to do with it.