Colt SAA Clones

[jmort]

"...got flat primers and sticky extraction..."

That is why I said "maximum load for gun" as you had no choice under the circumstances. I find most of the complaints people have with Unique go away or are minimized at the higher end. When I had .45 Colts, they were Rugers so it was never an issue, but I went with 9 grains with a 255 SWC when the gun could take more. I'm not one for maximum loads/"full power."

[The Virginian]

I think it is a mistake to redline the gun or the cases in any handloading excercise. To me accuracy with good performace is paramount. The modern clones of the SAA can take more than the original because of the modern steel construction, but make no mistake, no matter who makes it, the SAA is still a 19th century design and has its limits.

[robertbank]

I think it is a mistake to redline the gun or the cases in any handloading excercise. To me accuracy with good performace is paramount. The modern clones of the SAA can take more than the original because of the modern steel construction, but make no mistake, no matter who makes it, the SAA is still a 19th century design and has its limits.

Truer words were never spoken. The design though is solid within the limits of the gun. Rugers will take more but are heavier make no mistake. Charles makes a good point , I have been there facing a rather large Black Bear with a 1911 in my hands loads with 200 gr LSWC at 165 PF. Now he went his way eventually and I went mine. That said he would not have survived the encounter had it got personal. 8.5 gr of Unique under the 255 gr bullet would be sufficient for most encounters. Has worked in the past and the bruins aren't any bigger.

Take Care

Bob

[The Virginian]

I have seen black bears go right down with a 1911 loaded with 255 Keith LSWC in .45 ACP cases loaded to about 825 fps. I know of one person who took one with one shot with a 200 grain XTP bullet in a 1911 in .45 ACP. Shot placement with a black bear matters more that what you are shooting them with starting at 357 magnum and up.

[Vulcan Bob]

You are quite correct Sir, the term "full power" was to imply that it was a factory ammo equivalent load as by Winchester and Remington. However in SASS events that load was a cannon! My normal .45 Colt load these days is a 270gr LSWC around 900fps using Power Pistol powder.

"Full power" for 250 grain lead boolit is 9.5 grains and keep to SAAMI spec. I would go to 9 grains with the 255 grain SWC as Unique likes the upper end of its range.

[Ubet]

I use a pair of Cimarron Frontier revolvers for Cowboy Fastdraw. They are made by Pietta and function very well straight out of the box. They have some features that the Uberti's don't such a replaceable bushing around the firing pin frame and a separate press in bearing on the cylinder, instead of being a one piece cylinder like the Uberti. While the Uberti's are good revolvers I chose the Frontier's, the finish, etc just seemed a little nicer.

[Changeling]

The cat is officially out of the bag!!!

No, the Cat get's upset like everyone else! He handles things very nicely in this forum, THINK about it!

[Dale53]

I bought a new Cimarron in .44 Special a number of years ago. It is extremely accurate (under 1" at 25 yards) has a terrific, light, no creep trigger, but has 1st Generation Colt type sights. That is to say, a skinny front sight and a tiny "v" rear sight. It also shoots low, left at 25 yards. I can correct both problems but haven't yet done this (turn in the barrel a "bit" and file the front sight). It IS a beauty and it deserves to be properly regulated. I NEED to do that:



If you want a Colt look alike with original Colt feel made of modern materials for a fraction of the Colt price, you might want to consider a Cimarron.

FWIW
Dale53

[Changeling]

I bought a new Cimarron in .44 Special a number of years ago. It is extremely accurate (under 1" at 25 yards) has a terrific, light, no creep trigger, but has 1st Generation Colt type sights. That is to say, a skinny front sight and a tiny "v" rear sight. It also shoots low, left at 25 yards. I can correct both problems but haven't yet done this (turn in the barrel a "bit" and file the front sight). It IS a beauty and it deserves to be properly regulated. I NEED to do that:



If you want a Colt look alike with original Colt feel made of modern materials for a fraction of the Colt price, you might want to consider a Cimarron.

FWIW
Dale53

How do you move the barrel to line up correctly with the sights, does one need a barrel wrench and frame block?

Will this break any kind of barrel/frame "union" like locktite? Will this void any gurantee from factory ?

If one wants to change loads/boolit weight "back and forth" how is that done relative to sighting sinse it is not a removeable/changeable front sight?

What is there gurantee in the USA where I live?

[robertbank]

Bill it is called the Callahan 4.75 & 6.5" barrels and Callahan Target New Model 8/5" & 7.5" barrels , both in 44 mag.

Their website only lists a 44 Russian in their top break model. No 44 Spl listed.

Take Care

Bob

[felix]

Dale, please don't mess with the sighting. Mucho' fun can be had finding the load to shoot at one POA. It took me 6 months to find one for the Hammerlii lookalike, but one I did. Bottom of Bull full-bead sighting, 50 foot NRA slow fire, 6.0-700X-185 Lyman ACP shoots in the dead center. All 6 cylinders, a 10 spot each. ... felix

[robertbank]

Dale, please don't mess with the sighting. Mucho' fun can be had finding the load to shoot at one POA. It took me 6 months for find one for the Hammerlii lookalike, but one I did. Bottom of Bull full-bead sighting, 50 foot NRA slow fire, 6.0-700X-185 Lyman ACP shoots in the dead center. All 6 cylinders, a 10 spot each. ... felix

Felix tough to find a load that will shoot right more than his loads do now. Most of the clones come with a tall front sight so the owner can adjust by filing down the FS to match his loads.

I have a Beretta Stamped that shoots POA with a 250 - 260 gr bullet but off to the left an inch at 15 yards off a pistol rest. I am going to have either the barrel turned slightly by a 'smith or have the rear sight filed on one side slightly.

Take Care

Bob

[robertbank]

I have a Cimmaron Lightning that would not shoot to point of aim. It was about 14 inches left at 20 yards. It went back and forth from their Texas outlet several time and once in person to the owner. They did not know what they were doing and bent the front sight so far over it cracked the bluing and the solder joint where it meets the barrel.
Long story short a Alq gunsmith found it was a bad crown. Now it shoots to point of aim.

Hey Bill I will try polishing the crown. Tks.

Bob

[square butte]

I kinda like the old style Colt V notch. Somehow it seems to work better for my older eyes. Do the newer Cimarron - Uberti still have the V notch?

[felix]

Bob, change the acceleration curve to adjust the barrel torque curve (hand held pistol, don'cha'know) which moves the muzzle. Do this with primer/powder/boolit changes. Must have various powders, primers, and some different boolit WEIGHTS to find the REQUIRED combination to do the job. I know, finding the components is a nightmare these days. Use all the different ACP powders you can find, for example. ... felix

Talking about natural timing changes here, not those for which a gun needs to be modified. Say one or two inches out of center at 50 feet can be tuned in. That 14 inches of error at any range indicates a severe gun problem. ... felix

[robertbank]

Engineers, the only reason I took Physics at all was because she was 4' 10" and very well endowed as I recall. She now is all of that vertically and horizontally. I think she took up mothering after school. I left physics with a "C".

:>)

Bob

[Dale53]

Felix;
I have had excellent results in the past regulating fixed sighted revolvers. This particular Cimarron is really not too far off. I want to work with a particular field load (the Skeeter load) and a slight movement of the barrel (tightening it just a bit) and a bit filed off the front sight will do it without damaging the gun. You do need to protect the frame while doing it - you can't just "willy-nilly" it, of course. Frankly, the sights are so primitive compared to, say, my Ruger Bisley Vaquero (which has really excellent fixed sights), that I might just decide to let it go. It's not like I don't have a couple of Flattop Ruger .44 Specials with adjustable sights. It IS a pretty thing, tho', and it can easily be rated a "Perfect Packing Pistol"...

FWIW
Dale53

[35 Whelen]

Dale, please don't mess with the sighting. Mucho' fun can be had finding the load to shoot at one POA. It took me 6 months to find one for the Hammerlii lookalike, but one I did. Bottom of Bull full-bead sighting, 50 foot NRA slow fire, 6.0-700X-185 Lyman ACP shoots in the dead center. All 6 cylinders, a 10 spot each. ... felix

I love load development, chronographing, etc., but my modus operandi for my fixed sight handguns is to regulate the sights with the load I'll use most, usually a hunting load, then hold here or there when shooting other loads.

[35 Whelen]

Dale, I have a .44 Special identical to yours (except all the finish is gone) and the best thing I did was to take it to a machine shop and have a machinist mill the rear sight groove out to 1/8"; just about the same as that of a Vaquero. After doing that and then regulating (filing) the front sight, which got me down to the thicker portion of the front blade, the sighting system was infinitely better.
I recently bought a couple of new front sights from Brownell's, which are uniformly thick, and installed them on both my Uberti .44 Specials then regulated them to my hunting loads. Now the sights are practically identical to those on my Vaquero.

35W