Uberti vs. Pietta?

[Michael J. Spangler]

I’m stuck here.

I want a 4 click Colt clone.

I hear the Cimarron’s Frontier models are made by Pietta and have 4 clicks. Rumors of MIM parts and cast instead of forged frames. Supposedly finished and fit every bit as nice as a Uberti right now.

The Uberti’s from Cimarron have 3 clicks. Which means adding another $100+ to get a new drop in hammer and trigger.

Unless I go with the Arizona Ranger model which is the replacement for the Evil Roy model. 4 clicks but “Arizona Ranger” on the side of the barrel and about $200 more. Supposedly slicked up really well though.


I’m wondering if anyone here has experience with relatively new Pietta and Uberti revolvers? Anyone own one of each and have a nice side by side comparison?

Yeah 4 click means something to me. If not I would stick with the Vaquero I have.

I’m thinking the Uberti with the upgraded hammer/trigger might be the way to go. Maybe it’s just the poor photography on the catalogs and anywhere I see online but it looks like the Pietta’s don’t have as nice a “color case hardened” patina on them.

Thanks for the help!

[Michael J. Spangler]

I guess the other option is an old model Uberti. Supposedly thinner front sight blade and rear sight notch which doesn’t lend itself to accurate shooting. I guess the whole fixed sight whether wide or narrow is kind of not meant for that

Can anyone confirm this difference on the sights?

[M-Tecs]

https://forums.sassnet.com/index.php?/topic/318487-best-and-worst-saa-clones-advice-please/

https://forums.sassnet.com/index.php?/topic/287401-most-correct-functioning-1873-clone-made-now/

https://www.emf-company.com/store/pc/1873-Great-Western-II-Revolvers-c64.htm

Not cheap but this one is the claimed to be equal to or superior to Colts.

https://stdgun.com/single-action-revolver-case-colored-45-lc/

[Pereira]

I have a Cimmarron Pietta, it's the pistolero model.
I'm pretty sure it has the 4 clicks.
Not a home at the moment so can't check to be sure. mine is in 45 colt.

RP
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20231231/bf4d1483a9451b8b500d1aaa474d15e7.jpg

[shooting on a shoestring]

Here’s a picture of my 4 clicker Uberti Smoke Wagon in 44-40 on the left and my 3rd gen Colt SAA in 45 Colt on the right. Both with 5.5” barrels. The Uberti sights are wider and in my opinion better than the Colt’s.
321568

[shooting on a shoestring]

The Uberti above was made shortly before the 3 clickers came out. Its hammer did have the pivoting shelf at the bottom of the hammer shank. During the first disassembly, a pin punch must have bumped into the hammer and all the “shelf” parts fell out. Oh well. I put it back together without them and it shoots just fine.

[shooting on a shoestring]

I’m I big fan of 4 click single action revolvers. I see beauty in the simplicity of their actions. No un-necessary parts. Adding safety parts to a single action is an abomination. It’s a feeble attempt to make up for idiocy.

[elmacgyver0]

If it's that important to you just buy a Colt.

[Michael J. Spangler]

Here’s a picture of my 4 clicker Uberti Smoke Wagon in 44-40 on the left and my 3rd gen Colt SAA in 45 Colt on the right. Both with 5.5” barrels. The Uberti sights are wider and in my opinion better than the Colt’s.
321568

Old model frame on the Uberti or Pre War?
Thank you!!





If it's that important to you just buy a Colt.

Yeah I’m not really down with spending 3X the money on a third gen. Especially with the mixed reviews I’m reading on the third gen fit and finish.

[pdgoutdoors]

I have a Cimarron Pietta. The model is the El Malo 2. It was made in 2023 and is indeed a 4 click. I don’t have any side by sides to compare it to, but I like it a lot. The fit and finish is fantastic. The color case hardening is done well. The only thing to be aware of is the cylinders slug at .453-.454 like the old SAA’s. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20231231/bc2cda686d9652d30f87402937b0be02.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20231231/b6db8888e791a61de67bd8cd0ce022c1.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20231231/33a2fb20baaf58d19cb3a2ad39e0807a.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bird]

I only have 1 Uberti, and that's a 357, 3 click late 2022 production from Taylors. It has .366'' cylinder throats, which is no good for lead bullets. The grips fit proud. Rough forcing cone. Shoots jacket bullets ok, and has a nice trigger. Tried to get another correct size cylinder, but they make all the new cylinders at .366'' which is to their spec. Uberti only makes their firearms to their standards, and best of luck using any proclaimed warranty.
I will never buy another Uberti product again. China could make better copies.
Stick with something like a Ruger where you can use the warranty and get customer satisfaction and parts/repair when needed.

[FLINTNFIRE]

The ones I own are a pair of Uberti models of 73 in 45 colt are older 4 click with a narrow sight compared to the 45 colt pietta 4 click , all had the stupid 2 notch pin , the pietta has a notch only on bottom , uberti notch on pin is all the way around , all pins were shortened to eliminate the safety groove which when pushed in blocked hammer .

[shooting on a shoestring]

Michael J. My Uberti is a prewar type with the traverse cross pin to retain the cylinder arbor.

Also, I have 3 third gen Colts. I am happy with all of them. I bought the Uberti because it was in 44-40 and I wanted the caliber. Colts in 44-40 are hard to fine and harder to buy. So I grabbed the Uberti. It’s a fine gun. The bluing is good but the color case hardening is faux. Its dimensions for barrel cylinder gap, chamber throats and groove diameters were all better than I was expecting. It was “tuned” from the factory and has a very nice action and is very lightly sprung. In fact I wish it had a bit more power in its main spring and may change that at some point. I have had a couple of light strikes when it was fairly dirty from firing.

I get that you’re not into spending 3x more money for a Colt. But I have no regrets. Mine have been/are great. Only knock on them is their main springs were too heavy and I lightened 2 of them by thinning and polishing. If CZ gets back into making new SAA’s I’ll probably have to have one.

What caliber are you looking to get?

[Michael J. Spangler]

Michael J. My Uberti is a prewar type with the traverse cross pin to retain the cylinder arbor.

Also, I have 3 third gen Colts. I am happy with all of them. I bought the Uberti because it was in 44-40 and I wanted the caliber. Colts in 44-40 are hard to fine and harder to buy. So I grabbed the Uberti. It’s a fine gun. The bluing is good but the color case hardening is faux. Its dimensions for barrel cylinder gap, chamber throats and groove diameters were all better than I was expecting. It was “tuned” from the factory and has a very nice action and is very lightly sprung. In fact I wish it had a bit more power in its main spring and may change that at some point. I have had a couple of light strikes when it was fairly dirty from firing.

I get that you’re not into spending 3x more money for a Colt. But I have no regrets. Mine have been/are great. Only knock on them is their main springs were too heavy and I lightened 2 of them by thinning and polishing. If CZ gets back into making new SAA’s I’ll probably have to have one.

What caliber are you looking to get?


Great info thank you.
I would like to go with 45 Colt. I really like that cartridge and I’m already set up to cast/load for it.

[bcraig]

https://www.emf-company.com/store/pc/1873-Great-Western-II-Revolvers-c64.htm
https://i.imgur.com/5SYPYZTm.jpg https://i.imgur.com/biTqCR0m.jpg

pictures of mine ,not bought at EMF,I cant remember where I bought mine right off the bat but mine in 45 colt came with the 45 ACP cylinder as well from the Factory and without the brass trigger guard.4 3/4 Barrel Gunfighter II,black plastic grips,Drop forged frame.
Very good looking Pistol,Pics shown for view of the Color Case.
I have had it for 4 years and have not shot it yet so cant tell you how it shoot's.
4 clicks

https://www.sportsmansoutdoorsuperstore.com/category.cfm/CurrentPage/2/sportsman/single-action-revolvers/brand/EMF%20CO/dept/Firearms

[shooting on a shoestring]

Ahhh yes. 45 Colt and single action revolvers. It’s like they were built for each other…..in 1873.

My first single action in 45 Colt was a New Model Ruger Blackhawk 7.5”. I loaded it the full spectrum from bashful to bashing. Three things I discovered were:
1. 250 gr boolits will decimate your lead pile.
2. you don’t need to load into magnum velocity to be effective.
3. 900 fps is way more fun than 1300.

I still have Rugers in 45 Colt. I think 4. They don’t get out to play very often. The Colt SAA has been out in each of the last two weeks and will probably go a third time this week. I’ve had the Colt a couple of years now and it’s definitely my favorite revolver in 45 Colt. It fits me well. I’m about 5’ 8” 170 (now that I’m old and fat). Probably about the average size for a man in 1873. The Colts and clones are sized right. They are lively to handle and shoot. The Rugers are ok, but the their New Model cast frames are just chunky and slow to move. Which is a good thing in heavy magnums but not in 45 Colt.

I also have a preference for the ejector rod length barrels. My other two Colts are 4.75” barrels in 38-40 and 44 Special. The 3/4” difference between them and the 5.5” barrel 45 Colt doesn’t show up on target, but the shorter ones feel handier and I like the looks better. I really think the looks and feel of the single actions is half the appeal of them for me. I just like them!

I’ve never been attracted to the 7.5” barrels. I find pistol barrels longer than 5 or 6 inches are just laborious to lug and don’t fit anywhere I want to carry them. They even seem awkward storing them. But that’s MY bias.

What barrel length are you looking for?

[Michael J. Spangler]

All of the rugers I’ve had were ejector length. Neither of the blackhawks tickled my fancy but the vaquero is close to what I’m looking for aesthetically. I keep getting a step closer each time I buy a single action
I don’t mind the 5.5” but I think the 4.75” is the winner in my book. I’ve owned enough DA revolvers to know I like a 5” or shorter barrel for general range work.

[35 Whelen]

I’m stuck here.

I want a 4 click Colt clone.

I hear the Cimarron’s Frontier models are made by Pietta and have 4 clicks. Rumors of MIM parts and cast instead of forged frames. Supposedly finished and fit every bit as nice as a Uberti right now.

The Uberti’s from Cimarron have 3 clicks. Which means adding another $100+ to get a new drop in hammer and trigger.

Unless I go with the Arizona Ranger model which is the replacement for the Evil Roy model. 4 clicks but “Arizona Ranger” on the side of the barrel and about $200 more. Supposedly slicked up really well though.


I’m wondering if anyone here has experience with relatively new Pietta and Uberti revolvers? Anyone own one of each and have a nice side by side comparison?

Yeah 4 click means something to me. If not I would stick with the Vaquero I have.

I’m thinking the Uberti with the upgraded hammer/trigger might be the way to go. Maybe it’s just the poor photography on the catalogs and anywhere I see online but it looks like the Pietta’s don’t have as nice a “color case hardened” patina on them.

Thanks for the help!

Understand that Uberti's and Pietta's are not the same size revolvers, the Uberti's are a bit larger, very similar in fact to the New Vaquero's. Pietta's we're told are physically the same as Colt SAA's.

I started with Uberti revolvers and had owned and shot quite a few when I bought a Cimarron (Pietta) Pistolero in 45 Colt. It just never felt "right" to me and I could never get it to group for beans. It could very well have been just one lemon, or me. All of my Uberti's have been accurate with some of the later examples being really accurate. A few years ago I bought a 7 1/2" Uberti Flat Top 44-40 and fitted a .44 Special cylinder to it. It was the new 3-click example, which I detested, so I also ordered a replacement trigger and hammer. It was so friggin' accurate I just never bothered converting it to 4-click. After that I bought a used '17 production 4 3/4" Uberti Frisco. It is a 4-click example and has the hammer with the hammer block that is actuated when the hammer is drawn to the first (safety) notch, a feature that I really like. Like all the other Uberti's I've owned, it's cylinder throats are perfect, relative to the barrels groove diameter. It too is a very accurate revolver. I shot a buck with it at a smidge over 40 yards and it was a easy "chip" shot.

Maybe your answer is a used Uberti, if you prefer them to Pietta's. It's very easy to tell the 3-click models from the 4-click models at a glance by the position of the trigger in the trigger guard.

35W

[justindad]

I have a 4.75” 4-click Uberti Regulator. It was my first pistol and man I was a terrible shot… until I started to reload. That gun has never shot factory ammo well, but I can sometimes make a 5-lobe clover leaf from 10 yards with that gun (does that mean I’m a bad shot?) when shooting my handloads. The forcing cone is a cheese grater. I replaced the trigger spring and main spring with a lighter version from Wolfe - very much worth it. I had to chamfer the firing pin hole after the firing pin impact created a volcano mouth that snagged brass. It’s my favorite gun to shoot.

[Green Frog]

I have owned 5 single actions over the years; 3 Ruger Blackhawks (one of which I sold then replaced with #3) and two Ubertis, a Navy Arms 32-20 which was upgraded and tuned by Navy’s gunsmith and a Smoke Wagon 45 Colt from Taylor’s that was (of course) Taylor Tuned. Both of them “spell their name” with four clicks. Also, both are as slick as anything I’ve ever held. The Rugers are pretty good, but there’s just something about the original Colt SAA design, done well, that is hard to beat!
Froggie

[Tall]

So, I have several Colt Single Action Armys and a single Uberti. The Uberti is an older Flat Top Target in 44 WCF. It's a tack driver. Remarkably accurate and I would not change a thing. It has a three click action and came with a longer base pin with two positions as a safety. Want four clicks? Buy a Colt, you won't regret it.

[Abert Rim]

The slight increase in cylinder diameter of the Ubertis -- and attendant gain in strength -- is useful when considering a Colt clone you might wish to hunt with. Brian Pearce discussed this in the March/April 2017 issue of Handloader.
"....Most (Uberti cylinders)manufactured since the late 1990s have tested at 34 and are constructed of quality 4130 series chrome-moly steel.
The Uberti revolver features a more or less .020-inch larger diameter cylinder ( 1.670 inches) than the Colt SAA ( 1.650 inches); however, the distance from the axis of
the cylinder and the center of the bore is the same. This adds significant steel to the outside of the cylinder, as well as over the bolt notch ( effectively doubling that thickness), which is the SAA pattern revolver's weak link. If your Uberti is of late manufacture, it will handle .45 Colt loads that generate similar pressures as .45 ACP factory loads
that are industry rated at 21,000 psi, or 23,000 psi for +P loads...."

[gc45]

Shot both my 2nd gen colts for years before a friend talked me into Cowboy Action so bought 2 Uberti's just for that, both in 45 colt chambers. After shooting these guns and working up loads I became disappointed and sold them both and never shot any Cowboy Action events as it was not my thing. I do like my two Rugers though, one BH 45 and one flat top in 44 Special.

Rugers are tough, acturate when loaded right and never any issues with either one.

Clones can be good for some, I just prefer a real Colt for how it's made and how it functions. Cost is huge now and buying the clones has allowed many to own a single action, and that is a good thing.

[35 Whelen]

Shot both my 2nd gen colts for years before a friend talked me into Cowboy Action so bought 2 Uberti's just for that, both in 45 colt chambers. After shooting these guns and working up loads I became disappointed and sold them both and never shot any Cowboy Action events as it was not my thing. I do like my two Rugers though, one BH 45 and one flat top in 44 Special.

Rugers are tough, acturate when loaded right and never any issues with either one.

Clones can be good for some, I just prefer a real Colt for how it's made and how it functions. Cost is huge now and buying the clones has allowed many to own a single action, and that is a good thing.

You were disappointed with CAS or Uberti revolvers? If it was the revolvers, what was it? I own Colt and Uberti's and other than costing more I can't find any advantage to the Colt's, and found a few shortcomings that shouldn't have been present in revolvers that cost four figures.

35W

[Mr Peabody]

I shoot one of the Cimarron Frontiers in .357. After Doug honed the cylinder for me I have a pistol that I'll keep.

[Michael J. Spangler]

Ok so it sounds like they both might slug on the large side cylinder wise.

Is that a common issue or is not everyone seeing that?

[35 Whelen]

Ok so it sounds like they both might slug on the large side cylinder wise.

Is that a common issue or is not everyone seeing that?

In my experience Uberti knows how to build revolvers, especially where cylinder throats diameters vs. barrel groove diameter is concerned. So when I got in from work this evening I grabbed three of my Uberti's; one of the .357's, one of the .44 Special's and my only .45 Colt, cleaned the cylinders and slugged and measured the throats of each. They couldn't have been more perfect-

https://i.imgur.com/szOYn9bl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/whcDkGrl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/pViMnxJl.jpg

35W

[Michael J. Spangler]

In my experience Uberti knows how to build revolvers, especially where cylinder throats diameters vs. barrel groove diameter is concerned. So when I got in from work this evening I grabbed three of my Uberti's; one of the .357's, one of the .44 Special's and my only .45 Colt, cleaned the cylinders and slugged and measured the throats of each. They couldn't have been more perfect-

https://i.imgur.com/szOYn9bl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/whcDkGrl.jpg https://i.imgur.com/pViMnxJl.jpg

35W


Spot on!

I think an old model might be in my future.