Uberti Baby Rolling Block

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

Just picked up the subject rifle in .357 mag, and would like to install better sights. Anyone ever do this? Suggestions? Comments?

Also, trigger breaks fairly nice, but is somewhat heavy. Any easy way to improve trigger pull?

[G W Wade]

My buddy bought the Baby Roller in 22 LR, tried to talk him into 357 BUt. He got a Marbles tang peep for Henry Golden Boy (?) GW

[gunarea]

Hey Charlie
I have this action in the pistol. My sincere condolences. Order enough parts to completely replace everything, twice. Then be prepared to refit each part. My Uberti is shot on a weekly basis, the barrel and grip are the only remaining original parts. The firing pin is best to be hand made from a quality drill bit. My cartridges are all fire formed and do not fit in anything else that is marketed as 357 Magnum. The trigger can be made smoother and lighter, but the easy, part of your question makes the answer rhetorical. Even though Uberti calls it a 357 Magnum, don't even go there. Good news/bad news. Most of the steel is low quality, easy to cut, drill, file, work. Mine is now 23 years old, the last pistol to come into the states. While it is pinpoint accurate, the trip to get there, was an experience. My pistol was a gift from dear friends. That is the only reason why such aggravation was warranted. There is another fellow in my shooting circle with one and he has bought two, just to keep one working. His is also very accurate and shot on a weekly basis. He and I addressed the sight issue differently. Most of the rifle and pistol parts are interchangable (kinda). Assembly and disassembly is easy and straight forward. If you shoot it regularly, you will quickly become proficient. The soft metal of the sear faces will need to be filed and you can easily adjust engagement. Plan on installing a trigger stop to gain some parts life. My little shooter eats about 80 rounds every week and I have become better at working on it than I ever wanted to. Good luck with yours.
Roy

[marlinman93]

If the Baby Roller is anything like the original #2 the tang sight will be an issue. The tangs have a slight curve, so flat bottom tang sights have to be bent to match, and the bending process results in changing the spacing, so the sight spacing no longer fits.
I adapted an original #2 with to a Rem. 1.935" spaced tang sight and after bending I had to elongate the screw hole, and the head countersunk area to make it fit the gun. Not sure what spacing these Ubertis have?
A friend bought a .357 Baby Roller years ago, and finally gave up on it. Parts breaking, and the action loosening up were a big problem.

[missionary5155]

Thank you for the information. Helps to know what is just beyond the purchase.

[Jackpine]

Just stumbled on this and realize it is over a month old, so may not be followed, but gunarea, I am curious what exactly have you replaced and why.

I have a 22 LR that I have owned for quite a few years. Bought it cause it was cute and as a plinker, but one day, almost by accident, I shot it at a hundred yards and was shocked. I put the cheap Pedersoli vernier and a Lyman 17a on it and have won both the club BPCR rimfire matches I have shot it in, which have distances out to 200 yards. I don't shoot it as often as you do yours, but have shot it quite a bit, without any issues.

I did just aquire a new one in 357, which I have not had the chance to fire yet. It does have a heavier trigger than the 22, but won't mess with anything till I have put some rounds through it.

[gunarea]

Hey Jackpine
The firing pins were the first failures and that has been overcome by making new ones out of drill bit. Every spring has needed replacement with several getting other springs than Uberti stock. Hammer spring tension bolt broke and was replaced with SAE grade 8. The sears are soft metal and wear out in the neighborhood of 2500 to 3000 cycles. Chamber block is soft enough to wear around the firing pin hole and let primers eat into the face. Hammer spring clevis pin disappears. A drill bit fixed this issue as well. Replacement chamber block and hammer have never been simple swap outs. Last block was actually too high to see rear sight over. Getting the parts is a challenge. Uberti is a great disappointment in this area. My last parts order took two years to be filled. My pistol is a gift given by dear friends, it is the main reason I shoot it regularly and the only reason I have kept it. The pistol is comfortable, handles well, fits me ergonomicaly, is now pinpoint accurate, has been retro fitted enough to increase the durability and it gets fed in a way that keeps it healthy. With my home cast projectiles and handloads, the accuracy is in great doubt here on this forum but witnessed every week at the Lost Nickle Ranch Range. Somewhere on this fourm, years ago, there is a thread about my trials and tribulations with this little pistol. My memory is not so razor sharp but I believe the title is "Uberti rolling block, I love it/hate it." Good luck with yours.
Roy

[dverna]

I loved the looks of the little gun and wanted one in .357. Now am glad I did not get one.

[Nobade]

Sounds like their cap and ball revolvers. Once everything is fit properly, it is quite beneficial to harden all the parts. If they do not have enough carbon in them to quench harden, they can be case hardened. That and a good set of springs should go a long way to making them last.

[Baltimoreed]

Ubertis are interesting, they build beautiful guns but…. I have several of their Winchester toggle guns and all needed work, new correct strength springs, harder screws, toggle work and a barrel but once you get the gun corrected they can be fine rifles.

[G W Wade]

A friend has the Uberti in 22LR and is very happy with IT. Only complaint is the extracter pulls thru the rim once in a while so he has a 3/16 wood dowel to remove. He had a Marable peep installed from a Henry Goldemn Boy I believe GW

[john.k]

With trigger /sear surfaces it often easiest to get a spot of hardfacing metal either tig welded or flame sprayed onto the wearing surfaces.........all of the Italian replica muskets have soft parts,nothing is hardened..............which is pretty dumb,as they all have case colours ,and IMHO properly hardening them would have been a no brainer .....or not.

[ndnchf]

I really like the Remington #2 sporting rifles, of which the Uberti baby rolling block is based. While I have a rack full of #2 Remington sporting rifles, I've thought of adding an Uberti just for a companion fun plinker. But after reading the comments here, my ardor has cooled considerably Uberti has been very hit or miss over the years. They make some really fine, problem free firearms, but sadly, also some that are riddled with quality control issues. It seems the baby rolling block falls into the latter category.

It seems like staying with original Remington #2s is the way to go.

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

I wish I had known of the problems this carbine has before purchasing it. I thought it would be good for grandchildren to move up from .22's. With what I know now I'll load up medium rounds of cast bullets in .357 mag brass to minimize wear on the cute little thing. BTW, I like to shoot it too.

[gunarea]

Hey Charlie
Shot my rolling block today. My load is 3.0 grs of Promo, 160 gr Lyman devistator in 357 mag brass. All cartridges are neck sized only. Gives an avg velocity of 810 fps with 6 fps deviation. It is pinpoint accurate on steel targets at 52 to 75 yds. Just today there was an action failure which will require me to file and reset the sear engagement, again. After twenty two years of this, I have become quite able to hit the sear face a few strokes and it will go for another two or three thousand cycles. The ergonomics of the pistol fit me well and make others come to see what the heck I am shooting. Good luck with yours.
Roy