Going thru the safe and found these...

The Pathfinder · May 25, 2019, 10:31:06 AM

A couple of Remingtons, one had the lanyard ring added, the short one started out as an 1890 but I like the '75 better.
The second pic is of my three Replica Arms guns, all use the original style of cylinder pin latch as opposed to the cross-pin. Calibers are 38 special, ser. no. 10 on top, 45 Colt, ser. no. 222 in the middle and 357 mag, ser. no. 273 on the bottom. From all the old adds I've found these were the only three calibers listed that early. At least I haven't found any record of the 44-40 for Replica Arms, only once Navy Arms started with them.

Don't know why the pics came in upside down. Seems to happen every now and again.

Marshal Will Wingam · May 25, 2019, 01:55:25 PM

Nice lineup. When I click on the pics, they show right side up although the thumbnails are upside down.

The Pathfinder · May 26, 2019, 06:10:55 AM

Weird, they work for me as well. I guess I'll never understand these new fangled talking boxes.

russ1943 · May 26, 2019, 10:45:12 AM

Pathfinder is correct 44-40 was advertised in Replica Arms Catalog but was never made. Order one but it was delivered by Navy Arms in Replica Arms Box, but rolled marked as Navy Arms, on top of the barrel, maybe under the barrel it had Replica Arms. Not sure but had to go back because on one cylinder the primer would back out scrape at ll:00 O'clock on the frame, would lock up the gun. Navy Arms replaced it with EMF Outlaw finally, Not a good exchange, with all the catalog crap. B

The Pathfinder · May 26, 2019, 03:30:49 PM

Years ago, many, many years ago now, I bought my first 1875, it was a Navy Arms gun in 44-40 and as best I can remember I was impressed because the serial number was 110. Now as I look back I have to wonder because it had the cross pin frame. Did Navy restart the serial number range? Were there frames that never got used and when Navy took over did they just got the cross pin because that was what was now 'normal'? Unfortunately I let it get away from me in the mid '80's and the GI I sold it to was moved to California so I can't pull it out to check. I wonder if it was one of the Armi San Marco 1875s and if they were their own serial numbers. I currently have 8 1875s but all are marked Uberti. The early history on the replica 1875's has always fascinated me but there just isn't that much really available on them. My earliest one, no. 10, has a date code of XX7 or 1971, and it is marked XX7 not XXVII, both of the 2XX serial guns have XX8 for 1972. My latest is from 2006 and is the long barrel 45 in the upper picture. No idea what the date code on no. 110 was, wish I'd kept that one.

King Medallion · May 27, 2019, 08:42:04 AM

Love my 75's.

Marshal Will Wingam · May 27, 2019, 09:51:53 AM

The 1875 has a wonderful balance and fits my hand like nothing else. For CAS, though, I prefer NMA cartridge conversions because of the shorter feeling action. They're like a '75 with a short stroke kit (and less finger room.)

LonesomePigeon · May 27, 2019, 01:45:13 PM

I didn't know there were repros with the proper latch system, those are way cool. Who made them and for how long did they make them?

The Pathfinder · May 27, 2019, 03:41:55 PM

LP, they were imported by Replica Arms Co. of Marietta, Ohio, before the company was acquired by Navy Arms, probably around 1972 or 73. All three guns are marked by Uberti and as I said were made in '71 and '72.
The exact number of guns made is not known, although believed to be under a thousand. Highest number I've seen on the auction sights is only in the 3XX range, but have also seen a Replica Arms gun in the 12XX range with the cross pin. I know that I received a PM from a gentleman who had ser no 223, consecutive to my 45 cal and I know Long Johns Wolf has a 45 cal ser no 73 over in Europe, but it was sold by Hege.
There was also a company I believe was called Hartford Armory(?) that was producing them the original way and their guns were supposed to be rated to 44 mag, tho I only ever saw one of their guns in person it was a dead ringer for the early Uberti (or the original Remington). Don't know how many they actually made but I know it wasn't that many.
Would love to here anyone chime in to let us know how many of these older models are still out there and to see just how high the serial numbers actually run.

Marshal Will Wingam · May 27, 2019, 07:39:36 PM

I had one of the first pairs of Hartford Armory pistols. They did have the correct ejector latch. Unfortunately, I had to do some serious gunsmithing to make them work. It was like they were thrown together to fill the order. I've often wondered how many were sent out that didn't work.

LonesomePigeon · May 29, 2019, 10:57:51 AM

Probably less than 1,000 made, well they sure are neat and you are fortunate to have those. I have previously heard of the Hartford Armory guns, somebody on another forum recently found two of them. One was in .44-40 and one was in .45 Colt.

Marshal Will Wingam · May 29, 2019, 03:03:41 PM

I don't have them any more. After I got them to work, I wanted to be done with them and and sold them.

The Pathfinder · August 05, 2020, 11:52:21 AM

Ok, resurrecting an old thread to update some info. Found this old Replica Arms 1875 on GB the other day, serial number 00436 and it has the cross pin frame. Prior to this the highest number with the original style frame found was in the three hundred range, but the lowest number I had heard of with the cross pin frame was over one thousand. Here we have evidence that the cross pin frames seem to have started around 400 or so? Also serial number looks to be re-stamped or at least over-stamped.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/875850436

Also I finally found an Armi San Marco 1875, weird that it took me so long as its an EMF piece made in 1997 in 44 WCF, you can see it here. Got it from Altamont, I guess it was used as a grip model and appears unfired. Weird thing is the serial number is in the 143XXX range.

https://www.gunbroker.com/Item/868075726

sack peterson · August 09, 2020, 09:03:10 PM

Do we really have any reason to believe ASM made an 1875? I cant distinguish that gun from Uberti's 1875 in any way. That gun is in Uberti's serial range for that time period.

The Pathfinder · August 10, 2020, 07:08:04 AM

Sack, I kind of agree with you. I think Uberti made the parts and ASM assembled them, they were right down the street from each other. The gun is from EMF and does have the ASM mark and I cannot find any indication of any mark used by Uberti. The measurements I've taken have all been right in line with what I've seen between my other Uberti 75s. The serial numbers on all of my pre 2000 Uberti are only 5 digits or less, my my closest being a 1990 gun being in the 17XXX range, the 1997 ASM is 6 digits in the 143XXX range. Oldest I have after that is a 2006 Uberti with a J prefix in the 74XXX range. Don't know rightly when Uberti added the prefix letters to the serials or how high they got before they did. To me at least it looks like ASM serialed all of its handguns in order irrespective of the model, not having ever found another ASM 1875 to look at up close I don't have anything to compare it to.
If anyone else wants to chime in with a year and serial range feel free, we never turn down a chance to learn more about these.

sack peterson · August 10, 2020, 08:13:07 PM

Uberti's serial range was numerical through 2000, and they went up to about 200000. I just bought a 99 Uberti that is say serial 162xxx. Then they rolled over to a J prefix range that lasted till about 2007. Then they went to a U prefix range. They have had a couple ranges since, their volume continues to grow

The Pathfinder · August 11, 2020, 08:00:35 AM

Wow! I hadn't thought the 1875 production was that high, I mean they went from 17XXX to 1962XX in just 9 years during the 90s. Looking at that it appears that the serial numbers were applied to the frames before they were passed out for production. Everybody must have wanted something different from the old Colt there for awhile. I'm not going to complain tho', it's let me put together a rather eclectic collection of both originals and multiple reproductions. Heck, my eleven 1875s alone run the gamut from 1971 to 2018, serial numbers from 10 to UF7XXX. Can't wait to see what they come up with next. Maybe they'll actually put the lanyard rings on as a regular part of the 1875. (hint, hint)

Abilene · August 11, 2020, 12:43:40 PM

Quote from: sack peterson on August 10, 2020, 08:13:07 PM
Uberti's serial range was numerical through 2000, and they went up to about 200000. I just bought a 99 Uberti that is say serial 162xxx. Then they rolled over to a J prefix range that lasted till about 2007. Then they went to a U prefix range. They have had a couple ranges since, their volume continues to grow

Just as an aside, the Cimarron Lightning and Model P Jr. models had s/n with a "J" prefix for years, then it became a U. I was told that the "J" originally had been a "U" but part of the stamp had broken off, so they continued with the "J" for years until replacing the stamp.

Back when Harford Armory was making guns, Lou Graham brought a pair of '75's to the Texas black powder championship one year, and let me handle them. They were some of the smoothest guns I have ever laid hands on. But her husband worked for Hartford Armory, so that might have had something to do with it.

sack peterson · August 12, 2020, 09:54:00 AM

Quote from: The Pathfinder on August 11, 2020, 08:00:35 AM
Wow! I hadn't thought the 1875 production was that high, I mean they went from 17XXX to 1962XX in just 9 years during the 90s.

Cattleman and Remmie are in the same serial range, they probably sold 10 times as many Cattleman

The Pathfinder · August 12, 2020, 01:47:44 PM

Sack, thank you. I had asked about that possibility somewhere before but never received a reply. Nice to know I haven't completely lost it, just mostly. Now if we can just find the consecutive pair where one is the old style frame and one is the cross pin so we know just how many of these bloody things they made, somewhere in 1972.