Originally Posted by
JRD
Battis,
This may be a slightly imperfect history of USFA, but is as I understand things and is probably close to the facts. My information was gathered from several sources who had direct interactions with USFA over the years, and is not from gunshop commando's or internet rumors.
In the mid-late 1990's, US Patent Firearms Co. started in the original Colt building in downtown Hartford. Colt had moved from the downtown factory by the river to West Hartford in the early 90's. The original Colt building was in rough shape, but as part of a city revitalization project, the original Colt building was renovated (not by Colt), including the original Blue Dome with Rampant Colt statue atop it. The renovated factory was turned into mixed use.
US Patent Firearms probably thought it a brilliant coup to move into the original Colt factory and make reproductions of Colt products. The president of USFA was reportedly a big Colt collector with family money to back him up. Their first ads, which I remember reading in Shotgun News prominently featured something to the effect of "Made under the Colt dome...", which gave me the impression they were made by Colt, and yet the Colt company name was nowhere in the ad. I remember being confused by the ad, but it sure looked cool.
Colt sued US Patent Firearms, the exact legal jargon I do not know, but essentially that they were infringing on Colt's trademarks and brand by confusing consumers by saying they were built "under the Colt dome". Whether the suit was won or settled, I don't know, but US Patent Firearms Co. changed their name to US Firearms Co (USFA), and changed their advertising. (Remember historically Colt's was Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Co.)
Now the guns, from what I've heard, the first USFA guns were made from Italian parts that were brought into the US as machined parts and then finished and assembled in Hartford. Later, USFA did buy CNC machinery and started making parts in house. Whether they made every single part in house, I'm skeptical of. Parts like stampings and springs were likely outsourced to specialty stampers or spring winders, but I don't have first hand knowledge here. They plausibly could have machined every machined part in house.
USFA quality was reportedly excellent, probably better than the late 90's-early 2000's Colt's, as Colt was struggling at the time.
From what I've heard, USFA was never a great money maker for the owner and more of a hobby. They had grand plans and reintroduced a fairly faithful copy of the Lightning rifle. Unfortunately that coincided with the Italians and Brazilians introducing lower priced pump rifles nearly simultaneously. I also had heard that USFA had intentions of reproducing the Woodsman and Ace.
Eventually USFA discontinued all Colt repro's and introduced a bizarre 22 semi-auto called the ZIP 22. They were not a success and USFA closed down.
Battis, I typed a whole bunch there, and realized I don't know anything directly pertaining to cap and ball. My intuition makes me think they are in the same category as the early USPFA SAA's copies, imported machined parts finished and assembled in Hartford, but that's just my hypothesis. I'd take a close look at the guns, but I doubt they'd have any proof marks being assembled in Hartford. Make your decision based on the quality of the guns as you observe them. They aren't Colt's and will never be, but were probably well made. If you can get them right, they may be cool to have, but that's your call.
Jason