New Pietta 1873 SAA

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Old Stumpy

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Just bought this revolver at my LGS, and thought that I would give my opinions about it.

Colt SAA.jpg
It's in .45 Colt, with 5 1/2" barrel, with PVC eagle grips.
First impressions are excellent. Better than I expected really.
Really tight tolerances, very tight flash gap, and perfect timing.
What was surprising is how light and smooth that the hammer draw was.
Trigger pull is crisp and smooth. Maybe 3 pounds or so.
I get the impression that Pietta is setting these up for CAS.
The barrel slugged out at .450", with chamber mouths being a very close fit on .452" JSP bullets.
(Also measured .452" with Starrett dial caliper.)
The cylinder axis pin has two notches rather than a circular groove to secure it, with one acting as the lawyer safety, by extending the pin into the path of the hammer to act as a block.
The pin measures .249" and it would be nice to replace it with a Colt axis pin, if it would fit.
The rifling is of suitable depth and should engrave lead bullets well.
The forcing cone looks great. Not too long, not too short.
There is an aluminum or steel spacer inside the grip frame to stop the grip screw from being over-tightened and damaging the grips.
Checkering on the hammer. Not sharp, but it looks good.
 
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Old Stumpy

Great review, very thorough and insightful. Good looking single action, especially with the color case hardened frame, blued finish, and the eagle on the grips!

I could make similar comparisons to my Pietta Colt Model 1860 with it's build quality, overall fit and finish, and with how smooth the action and trigger are.

A0d5wpn.jpg
 
I have been eyeballing one of those in 45 Colt for some time now. Yours looks great. I was unsure about Pietta but they are cheaper than the Uberti. I'm very happy with my Uberti El Patron in 357 but I'm also Dutch so if I can save a few bucks going with Pietta I might go that route for my 45.
 
The cylinder axis pin has two notches rather than a circular groove to secure it, with one acting as the lawyer safety, by extending the pin into the path of the hammer to act as a block.
The pin measures .249" and it would be nice to replace it with a Colt axis pin, if it would fit.
The Uberti base pin measures .245" diameter (or, depending on how you measure it, slightly more or less). VTI Gun Parts has the "no safety" version with a single groove, for $18. This worked in my Armi San Marco as well as my Ubertis. I believe it would work in your Pietta.
 
The Uberti base pin measures .245" diameter (or, depending on how you measure it, slightly more or less). VTI Gun Parts has the "no safety" version with a single groove, for $18. This worked in my Armi San Marco as well as my Ubertis. I believe it would work in your Pietta.

Thanks for the reply. I suspect that it will work. The close tolerances are really close, on my cylinder pin at least. So one that is a hair smaller would not make a difference.
 
The Italians make good stuff.

It's a wonder given their taxes, labor laws, union strength, and bureaucracy that they can make high quality firearms at reasonable prices but that none of the great old names in American firearms can.
 
pietta is improving their quality. their saa are the ones they are improving the most on. they are tight and hold up well. with both the uberti and pietta that flat spring on the under side of it, replace it with a wolf wire spring, the flat will bend or break in time, the wire one wont. unless you have the tools you cant do this but i have about 12 cowboy uberti revolvers. all of them i redid the forcing cone to perfection. i have the tools. also did my two smiths. factories never do the forcing cones as good as one can do them with the right simple tools. tighter groups results.
 
Old Stumpy
Beautiful six and thank you, for your first impressions, please keep us up date with some range time thoughts about the italian.

czhen
FL
 
AlexanderA

The Uberti base pin measures .245" diameter (or, depending on how you measure it, slightly more or less). VTI Gun Parts has the "no safety" version with a single groove, for $18. This worked in my Armi San Marco as well as my Ubertis. I believe it would work in your Pietta.

I did something similar with my Armi San Marco, EMF Hartford Model, U.S. Cavalry SAA. Was a bit of a snug fit but it worked out just fine.

fhXSO4Y.jpg
 
Just bought this revolver at my LGS, and thought that I would give my opinions about it.

View attachment 865823

The barrel slugged out at .450", with chamber mouths being a very close fit on .452" JSP bullets.
(Also measured .452" with Starrett dial caliper.)

Lovely pistol, and you have the dimensions down correctly. Why buy a Colt SAA which comes from the factory with 0.458" chamber throats, when you can buy a pretty pistol like this, and it will shoot 0.452" bullets accurately?
 
I like the Pietta's better than the Uberti's now since Uberti went to retractable firing pin . You just don't see any in my LGS or area , those are guns I like to examine before buying .
 
The Pietta revolvers (the original design without a transfer bar ignition) are my favorite Colt clone. Is yours an EMF Great Western 2, a Cimarron Frontier, or sourced elsewhere?
 
I love my Great Western II in .357. Rock solid, smooth 4 click action. While carrying 6 up in my Blackhawk is nice and having the Ruger non-warranty warranty is great, I prefer the look and feel of my Pietta.
 
The Pietta revolvers (the original design without a transfer bar ignition) are my favorite Colt clone. Is yours an EMF Great Western 2, a Cimarron Frontier, or sourced elsewhere?

It's marked Pietta on the barrel and the box is all Pietta.
 
@Old Stumpy in your pic I see your gun has a hammer mounted firing pin. Was it purchased new or used? I thought Pietta went to a transfer bar system.

It was purchased new in the box. The only one at my LGS. However, I think that it had been sitting on a shelf for a while. I knew about the transfer bar model but I though that both designs were available.
 
i hope uberti gets rid of the floating firing pin design.the one i have was unreliable, so i talked to taylor imports. he said put a shim in the slot for the firing pin to keep the firing pin forward. i did that and now it is reliable. however no safety on it but the old real colts didnt have a safety either. glad pietta is improving their quality.
 
glad pietta is improving their quality.

It's very good. Better than my Pietta Remington 1858(1863) cap & ball. Nice smooth polished finish.
The grips seem a little thicker where the eagle is than the hard rubber grips used on Ruger Blackhawks and Single Sixes, but no problem.
 
Just bought this revolver at my LGS, and thought that I would give my opinions about it.

View attachment 865823

The cylinder axis pin has two notches rather than a circular groove to secure it, with one acting as the lawyer safety, by extending the pin into the path of the hammer to act as a block.
The pin measures .249" and it would be nice to replace it with a Colt axis pin, if it would fit.

I bought this Pietta/Cimarron 3 1/2" .45 several months ago. It had the same cylinder center pin as you described...two notches with one for a safety of sorts. I found it annoying and replaced it with a Colt pin. Perfect fit & works great. Since it then had one genuine Colt part I decided to add the Colt grip medallions. Now I guess it's a poser. :uhoh:

414285396.jpg
 
It was purchased new in the box. The only one at my LGS. However, I think that it had been sitting on a shelf for a while. I knew about the transfer bar model but I though that both designs were available.

Both are available. Some retailers specified transfer bars in revolvers so Pietta makes them. EMF in California is the US warranty repair station for Pietta revolvers. An EMF rep told me that transfer bar-equipped revolvers are a large percentage of their repair work.
 
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