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Thread: Is there a source of cap and ball revolver that work right out of the box perfectly?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Is there a source of cap and ball revolver that work right out of the box perfectly?

    Is there a source for quality replica colt cap and ball revolvers that do not need to be fixed out of the box. I go on to youtube and see all sorts horror stories of broken springs, faulty arbors, improperly bored cylinders, etc.
    I would be willing to pay a bit more to be sure of getting a gun made to speck out of the box and not have to spend time getting it fixed.
    I am interested in getting the .44 colt army model 1860.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    I had a Colt Second Generation 1860.
    It seemed Perfect.
    But that was a higher dollar gun , built in the '70's.
    From what I have seen,
    Almost All BP revolvers seem to have some issues.
    Not as much in design , but just Quality Control.

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master


    stubshaft's Avatar
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    I have had fairly good luck with Pietta's, but for what you ask for the ONLY C&B revolver that is goof proof right out of the box is a Ruger Old Army!!!
    Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

    Men who don't understand women fall into two categories: bachelors and husbands!

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master Nobade's Avatar
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    Yes, Ruger Old Army. Everything else needs attention.

  5. #5
    Boolit Bub JuliettDeltaGolf's Avatar
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    If you can afford it, buy any new revolver you like and send it to a reputable smith to have it worked over before you use it. I've heard he can have long wait times, but Mike Brackett of Goons Gun Works does phenomenal work, and Gary Barnes of Cartridge Conversion .com is good too. Out of either, you'll get a gun that's more reliable than an original.
    Jordan Goodwin, Blacksmith
    www.axe-n-anvil.com

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    I bought a Remington 1858 from Dixie and had no issues whatsoever. I also bought a Uberti-made Colt 1860 replica and it worked just fine.

    It's just luck of the draw - people who don't have problems probably don't put up Youtube videos.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master hoodat's Avatar
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    The one I had was a 36 cal Remington Navy, sold under the Lyman name, and I think made by Uberti. Bought it in the seventies. It was great quality and accuracy, and I never had a hitch. I've since sold it to a Civil War Reinactor, and kind of wish I hadn't.

    In your search, you might keep your eyes open for the Lyman brand. jd
    It seems that people who do almost nothing, often complain loudly when it's time to do it.

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy freakonaleash's Avatar
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    I have dozens of them. None of them were faulty out of the box.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    I have Pietta's - 3 1860 .44's, an 1861 .36, a couple 1851's -.44 and .36, a couple 1862 5 shot .36's, a little .31 'Pony Express' an 1858 Remington .44 - no problems with any as far as basic functionality, load and shoot without incidence out of the box. I might have a Uberti or two in there but no real differences. I do have a brass 1851 that has severe cylinder end shake -given to me used. Stay away from the brass frames - depends on what you plan on casual shooting, most are fine. Might need some tuning for SASS kind of competition.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master


    Soundguy's Avatar
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    all the uberti and pietta wheelguns I bought were 'shootable' out of the box.. on some I did some improvements either with arbor shims or changed out nipples or polishing the cylinder holes.. but all were shootable out of the box.

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy
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    Here's the big issues, Uberti is going to have the short arbor, and possibly late timing. Pietta fixed the arbor but lately I've seen a few with the wedge slot in the arbor not being wide enough. Also seen a few that the arbor was too long! On top of that toss in late timing on about 80% of the Piettas. Taylor's claims to weed out the ones that have problems but if it's Uberti the arbor is short. Mike Brackett is a great guy to send stuff to but he is backed up considerably. I offer tuning as well at a reasonable price, if you want details feel free to private message me.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master bedbugbilly's Avatar
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    You kind of make it sound like we should all be careful about shooting a C & B revolver "right out of the box" . . . OMG . . . there HAS to be something wrong with it . . . and of course . . . and after all . . . you went right to the supreme authority . . . youtube . . . where anybody with a video camera is a star.

    Seriously . . . don't go looking for trouble with a cap and ball revolver er "right out of the box". Yes . . . like any brand of ANY handgun . . . there could be an issue . . . . that's why there are warranties.

    Some folks like to "slick 'em up" or "tune them up" . . . . no different the someone who buys a car and then finds things wrong with it that need "fixing" . . . when actually it runs just fine.

    I have had a great number of C & B revolvers in the last 60 some years of many different brands . . . yea some did need a higher front sight 'cause they have a tendency to shoot high . . . . Pietta and Uberti are both good revolvers and they provide many, many people with a lot of fun and enjoyment "right out of the box".

    I have purchased probably a dozen different C & B revolvers in the last five years - both Pietta and Uberti . . and had no issues with any of them. Remington and Colt clones.

    If you are worried about getting a "clunker" . . . then go buy it in person and look it all over and feel the action before you buy it . . . no different that purchasing any other type of handgun. If you are going to shoot competition with one . . . then either learn how to "tun it up or pay someone who does it professionally to do it for you . . . . but it's not "tuned up guns that win competitions . . . it's the person holding it.

    Can a C & B revolver be made to shoot "better? Of course . . . but that all depends on how much you want to put into it - a throat job . . . . installing new sights if yours spent shoot to POA . . . . or y9u can do it like our ancestors did who considered them "tools" and not "play things" . . . they learned how their revolvers shot and learned where to aim at various distances to het what they needed to. In the early 60s, I hunted bunnies with a off brand '51 Navy . . . no where near the quality of today's Piettas and Ubertis . . . but I took my share of rabbits with it and even a few tree rats.

    Maybe I just have a lucky rabbit's foot . . . but I have had NO issues of any kind with any of the Piett or Uberti C & B revolvers I've purchased in the last several decades - pocket models,
    Armies or Navies - We're all different and I guess we all "expect" different things. Buy one, clean it up, shoot it, take care of it and then if there is something that "bothers" you . . . fix it to your individual standards . . . . but have fun with it . . . that's what it's all about. Good luck.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master

    Electrod47's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nobade View Post
    Yes, Ruger Old Army. Everything else needs attention.
    10-4, The only one bullet proof.

    But, remember Cap and Ball guns when they were brand new and handed to the troops during the "unpleasantness" Had broken springs and other stuff right out of the box. People just dealt with it.
    “You should tell someone what you know. There should be a history, so that men can learn from it.

    He smiled. “Men do not learn from history. Each generation believes itself brighter than the last, each believes it can survive the mistakes of the older ones. Each discovers each old thing and they throw up their hands and say ‘See! Look what I have found! Look upon what I know!’ And each believes it is something new.

    Louis L’Amour

    The Californios

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    ROA out of the box for sure here, BUT---- I wish they would have designed in a little longer bolt carry delaying the drop into ramp entrance instead of on the side of my pretty stainless cylinder. Look at all of them, but I am going to work on that!

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy
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    Again, Ill have to say it "Ruger Old Army". Plus you can buy a replacement cylinder to shoot brass cartridges also.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by crandall crank View Post
    Again, Ill have to say it "Ruger Old Army". Plus you can buy a replacement cylinder to shoot brass cartridges also.
    If you want a Ruger old army, it will have to be second hand: Produced 1972 to 2008
    But they will apparently handle smokeless power being built with the same metallurgy as their other revolvers.
    The revolver was tested by loading each chamber to capacity with Bullseye smokeless powder and a lead ball. While this might result in catastrophic failure in other firearms, the Old Army proved to be strong enough to handle the pressure
    Relative to cartridge conversion, that does not appeal to me at all. What is not clear is if the old army ruger will handle conical bullets or not since I would want to use paper cartridges.

  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by bedbugbilly View Post
    You kind of make it sound like we should all be careful about shooting a C & B revolver "right out of the box" . . . OMG . . . there HAS to be something wrong with it . . . and of course . . . and after all . . . you went right to the supreme authority . . . youtube . . . where anybody with a video camera is a star.

    Seriously . . . don't go looking for trouble with a cap and ball revolver er "right out of the box". Yes . . . like any brand of ANY handgun . . . there could be an issue . . . . that's why there are warranties.

    Some folks like to "slick 'em up" or "tune them up" . . . . no different the someone who buys a car and then finds things wrong with it that need "fixing" . . . when actually it runs just fine.

    I have had a great number of C & B revolvers in the last 60 some years of many different brands . . . yea some did need a higher front sight 'cause they have a tendency to shoot high . . . . Pietta and Uberti are both good revolvers and they provide many, many people with a lot of fun and enjoyment "right out of the box".

    I have purchased probably a dozen different C & B revolvers in the last five years - both Pietta and Uberti . . and had no issues with any of them. Remington and Colt clones.

    If you are worried about getting a "clunker" . . . then go buy it in person and look it all over and feel the action before you buy it . . . no different that purchasing any other type of handgun. If you are going to shoot competition with one . . . then either learn how to "tun it up or pay someone who does it professionally to do it for you . . . . but it's not "tuned up guns that win competitions . . . it's the person holding it.

    Can a C & B revolver be made to shoot "better? Of course . . . but that all depends on how much you want to put into it - a throat job . . . . installing new sights if yours spent shoot to POA . . . . or y9u can do it like our ancestors did who considered them "tools" and not "play things" . . . they learned how their revolvers shot and learned where to aim at various distances to het what they needed to. In the early 60s, I hunted bunnies with a off brand '51 Navy . . . no where near the quality of today's Piettas and Ubertis . . . but I took my share of rabbits with it and even a few tree rats.

    Maybe I just have a lucky rabbit's foot . . . but I have had NO issues of any kind with any of the Piett or Uberti C & B revolvers I've purchased in the last several decades - pocket models,
    Armies or Navies - We're all different and I guess we all "expect" different things. Buy one, clean it up, shoot it, take care of it and then if there is something that "bothers" you . . . fix it to your individual standards . . . . but have fun with it . . . that's what it's all about. Good luck.
    Sir, I am merely pointing out the faults that I've seen and fixed with these replica revolvers, I am not the definitive authority on them and never claimed to be. This being said, you decided to land on me with both feet. I have personally seen the aftermath of the short arbor problem on several of the big horse pistols so I pass along that experience as a heads up. If you just forked over 450.00 in your hard earned cash would you want your prize to try to destroy itself? And yes lots of folks buy these guns and never have a problem, does that mean you are the ultimate authority? Lighten up, will you. And by the way I never went to You tube to learn anything on these revolvers, my experience is gained the old fashioned way, by doing it and learning from it.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by Jackrabbit1957 View Post
    Sir, I am merely pointing out the faults that I've seen and fixed with these replica revolvers, I am not the definitive authority on them and never claimed to be. This being said, you decided to land on me with both feet. I have personally seen the aftermath of the short arbor problem on several of the big horse pistols so I pass along that experience as a heads up. If you just forked over 450.00 in your hard earned cash would you want your prize to try to destroy itself? And yes lots of folks buy these guns and never have a problem, does that mean you are the ultimate authority? Lighten up, will you. And by the way I never went to You tube to learn anything on these revolvers, my experience is gained the old fashioned way, by doing it and learning from it.
    I believe that Bedbug was referring to the original post and not to you at all. Relax.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    Thought about this one for a day and returning to original Post question. If wanting my 2 cents I would first say if you are serious, really serious about getting one is spend the time educating yourself prior. Every one of us knew nothing until we absorbed the knowledge by reading, doing, experiencing in no particular order. Learning the different platforms and then diving deeper into all the available information online now for that specific platform you will have a great head start compared to a uneducated purchase. You may find one manufacturer has had short arbors, some have had soft guts and touch as many as you can and try to get the feel and timing knowledge. You will read about nipple and cap marriages and all those issues. When you grab one and know what each click means and what just happened and why it happened, then look down pipe and make sure no crescents are seen at 9 or 3 on a clean cylinder hammer back. There are ways to fix arbor and barrel/cylinder gap issues if found to be an issue by multiple means later. I have found great pleasure in well timed, correctly fitted BP revolvers but I paid the piper. And the #1, no half cock back up, to full cock and then home! If serious a prior education is priceless.

  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy garbear's Avatar
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    Ruger Old Army
    Garbear

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