Reproduction SAA manufacturer's accuracy specs

[unclenunzie]

Greetings. I have an Italian made SAA clone (.45 Colt, 5.5" barrel) that shoots high and to the right. I sent it in to be checked out since it has been this way since NIB. They inspected and tested it with some commercially available cowboy loads (Ten-X 250 Gr RNFP), and returned it to me with a test target and the following accuracy specs being met:

At 15 Yards:
2" left or right of POA
4" above POA
2" below POA

The test target matched my experience of high and to the right but as mentioned fell within the above specs (6 rounds fired).

I was initially disappointed by their response, but the longer I think about it I'm wondering if my expectations are too high for a good quality SAA clone, and that meeting the above specs is acceptable from the factory. This is my first and only single action revolver, so my experience is very limited.

Forgive the poor photo quality, I'm too cheap to get my damaged phone camera replaced again. What are your opinions?

 

[BobWright]

This has been my experience with Ubertis vs. Ruger:












Bob Wright

 

[ontarget]

This has been my experience with Ubertis vs. Ruger:

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Bob Wright

Jeez Bob, looks like you better keep practicing.

 

[BobWright]

Jeez Bob, looks like you better keep practicing.

At my age, this is about as good as I can do. Age does take a toll.

Bob Wright

 

[LaneP]

Some of these guns respond better with some load experimentation. If you're happy with the overall build quality of the revolver I would work with it. I've found that shallower rifled barrels work better with harder bullets and deeper rifled barrels respond better with a softer alloy.

This is a 50 shot group benched at 25 yards from my Ruger NMV .45 Colt, shot this morning. Load is a commercial cast 250 grain FP and 5.8 Trail Boss (max load from Hodgdon website).



This same Vaquero doesn't do well with softer bullets that work like a champ in my Uberti Dragoon converted to .45 Colt, and spreads them all over. I would be fine with the groups you're getting from your example, but maybe toy with different bullets and powder (or different commercial loads if not a reloader).

 

[Keith G]

I always reckoned that was part of the charm with them, knowing how they shoot. Kinda like a good dog, only you can make it do what you want it to do.

I agree that some load/bullet experimentation will likely dial it in a bit. Other than that I think it’s time spent sending lead down range and becoming friends with it. Have fun!

 

[Catman42]

your gun should keep a tighter group, i have several uberti colts and they all shoot very very tight groups to point of aim at those ranges you describe. two things need to be checked on you fine gun. take a bullet that you use, just the bullet, and see if you can pass it through the front of your cylinder. if it wont pass through or maybe just a couple of holes are too tight, that is your problem. if the holes are too tight it will undersize the bullet as it comes out of the cylinder and you will not have perfect accracy. now the next thing is the forcing cone. the forcing cone is the tappered entrance to the back of the barrel. i redue all of my revolvers, rugers, uberties, and smiths. a perfect forcing cone helps achieve perfect accracy. as you rotate the cylinder by cocking the hammer most likely it locks up tight and lines up with the ballel. should not be a problem with the gun. now their is a third thing you need to check, sometime this happens with rugers but i havent heard of it with uberties. when the factory screws the barrel into the frame if the threads are too tight it can shrink the barrel at that point. if that is true for any revolver the bullet will undersize at that point and accracy will be very bad. how to check that is get a pure lead round ball a little over sized for the bore. tap it into the muzzle with a small rubber hammer. with a wood dowel push it through the bore and if when it gets to the frame if their is no restriction your ok but if it get tight their that is a gunsmiths problem that needs to be fixed. all three of these things in a revolver, any revolver needs to be perfect or it wont give good groups. i bought a ruger new 45 long colt bisley last winter. it shot horrible right out of the box. the clinders were reamed with worn out reamers at the factory. i redid the forcing cone my self and sent the cylinder to a gunsmith who just did cylinders. when it was reamed to the proper size it shot about one one groups from a rest at 20 yards. before that they were all over the place. all my uberti colts shoot really tight. your gun is fine gun, it needs to be checked for what i wrote in this reply. if any more question, feel free to ask.