"New" Uberti and cartridge conversion

FatherJohn · January 12, 2021, 10:46:03 AM

Howdy,

I have heard that post 2015 Uberti have trouble being converted. Is there any truth to this?

What did they change to make it so hard?

Abilene · January 12, 2021, 12:21:55 PM

That is news to me.

FatherJohn · January 12, 2021, 12:31:29 PM

Quote from: Abilene on January 12, 2021, 12:21:55 PM
That is news to me.

It could just be people talking, but I have seen it said before. I just wanted to know if there was any truth to it... or has maybe someone magically transformed one lemon Uberti into "ALL UBERTIS."

River City John · January 12, 2021, 12:53:30 PM

Good luck trying to find the cartridge conversion Uberti of your choice right now . . . .
Kinda makes the idea that Uberti's since 2015 have a tainted reputation somehow a moot point.

RCJ

FatherJohn · January 12, 2021, 02:02:26 PM

Quote from: River City John on January 12, 2021, 12:53:30 PM
Good luck trying to find the cartridge conversion Uberti of your choice right now . . . .
Kinda makes the idea that Uberti's since 2015 have a tainted reputation somehow a moot point.

RCJ

I just want to make sure we are on the same page... I'm talking about taking an 1860 and having it converted, not finding the Richards Mason model from Uberti (although that is on the list... come to think of it just about everything Uberti makes is on the list.)

Abilene · January 12, 2021, 02:38:18 PM

I understood what you were asking, but still have heard nothing of any changes in Uberti Colt-style percussion guns.

I just looked over the Kirst website and no mention of issues there.

FatherJohn · January 12, 2021, 03:40:23 PM

Quote from: Abilene on January 12, 2021, 02:38:18 PM
I understood what you were asking, but still have heard nothing of any changes in Uberti Colt-style percussion guns.

I just looked over the Kirst website and no mention of issues there.

Thank you!

Abilene · January 12, 2021, 04:01:23 PM

If you have plans to convert one, you might just drop a line to Kirst and ask just to be sure.

Coffinmaker · January 12, 2021, 05:09:56 PM

Father John

The only difficulty that may be encountered Converting a Uberti Percussion Gun is the Abysmal fit of the Arbor to the Barrel. It would be an imperative to me, were I to consider converting a Uberti, that in the process, the very FIRST thing to be done is fix the Barrel/Arbor fit.

Stay Safe

PS: Yes. The Abysmal fit of Barrel to Arbor is across the Uberti Open Top design line.

45 Dragoon · January 12, 2021, 05:25:28 PM

I just fitted a Pietta gated conversion to my Uberti 1860 (imported by Cimarron . . . with a silver plated trigger guard!!) from 2018 [CT] with no unexpected problems. The Pietta conversion will accept "factory length" ammo so it's not a "reloaders" conversion. Makes for a very handsome, easy handling shooter!!! (Can't have enough of um these days!!!)

Mike

FatherJohn · January 12, 2021, 05:33:47 PM

Quote from: 45 Dragoon on January 12, 2021, 05:25:28 PM
I just fitted a Pietta gated conversion to my Uberti 1860 (imported by Cimarron . . . with a silver plated trigger guard!!) from 2018 [CT] with no unexpected problems. The Pietta conversion will accept "factory length" ammo so it's not a "reloaders" conversion. Makes for a very handsome, easy handling shooter!!! (Can't have enough of um these days!!!)

Mike

A Pietta conversion in a Uberti gun! That sounds interesting. I guess you can't go back to cap and ball configuration with that, huh?

45 Dragoon · January 12, 2021, 09:19:47 PM

Probably could with a Pietta cap cyl but I can't shoot outdoors in my county so, I have no need or desire for it to go back to a C&B shooter. I can be at an indoor range in 15 mins.though!! Lol!! All my favorite C&B revolvers are cartridge shooters. I shot cap guns for almost 40 yrs and thought cleaning them was half the fun!! I got over it !!! Now, I can shoot my favs with smokless, wipe um off and put um up till next time . . . it's AWESOME.

Mike

River City John · January 12, 2021, 09:30:55 PM

Quote from: Coffinmaker on January 12, 2021, 05:09:56 PM
Father John

The only difficulty that may be encountered Converting a Uberti Percussion Gun is the Abysmal fit of the Arbor to the Barrel. It would be an imperative to me, were I to consider converting a Uberti, that in the process, the very FIRST thing to be done is fix the Barrel/Arbor fit.

Stay Safe

PS: Yes. The Abysmal fit of Barrel to Arbor is across the Uberti Open Top design line.

(My comment on popularity of anything Uberti right now causing unavailability aside, I just used my stimulus check to purchase a R-M '51 in .38spcl.
The arbor was end drilled and tapped and filled with a bolt, which was then filed down until it fit the actual length of the arbor hole.)

All my cap 'n' balls have R & D cylinders, which were drop-in fit. The Remmie is no problem pulling the arbor and popping out the cylinder to reload on the clock. I prefer to not alter the frame so I can shoot both cartridge and loose powder and ball.
(It also means I have not built up the courage to grind away on the recoil shield as of yet to fit a loading gate cylinder on the repro Colts.)

The early days of Italian replica manufacturers, such as ASM, there were horror stories of bad machining and wedges that needed to be driven out with a sledge hammer, etc. This may account for a carryover of bad reputation. Most tolerances and quality have vastly improved since then. There were some stories of some dimensional variance and softness of metric screws from years ago. Of course, if you find an older replica on the secondary market it could make it difficult to use modern replacements. I know that for ease of streamlining the manufacturing, Uberti went to using the same roll engraved cylinder on all Navy copies, regardless whether the original had it. Leech & Rigdon didn't, for example. Also, they started to use the large frame on the Remingtons for both Navy and Army.