SAA Comparison: Colt 2nd Gen Vs USFA

[CraigC]

The devil is in the details and details are what sets the USFA's apart from all the rest. Those details obviously matter to some folks and they're willing to pay for it. The smoothness on the inside of a USFA is a tribute to their machine work, not some unnecessary anal retentive need to polish everything. If a USFA was as rough on the inside as a Colt, it wouldn't function. I will tell you this, it results in an extremely smooth action that feels like a precision instrument. Virtually any Colt or replica benefits greatly from a professional action job. I've spent more time stoning the action of a Colt New Frontier than I ever did on a Uberti. Totally unnecessary on a USFA. A tuned Colt feels much like a tuned Uberti to me. A late model USFA with new springs feels very different.

 

[Dave T]

One of the things that hurt USFA was what someone called their false start. Initially they were importing parts from Uberti and fitting and finishing them in the Hartford plant. That was during the "US Patented Firearms Co" period. They were turning out nicer guns than Uberti did at the time but they weren't truly "Made in the USA" guns.

USFA eventually got around to sourcing all their parts in the US (some time after serial number 23,000) and a lot of that was even their own production. But when they were turning out the guns Craig, myself, and a few others are talking about the stigma of those Uberti parts guns was still around, making people not want to pay the asking price, let alone what they were actually worth.

Dave

 

[CraigC]

Yep, exactly! I have one of the early USPFA guns. It's a nice one but it's basically just a gussied up Uberti from a time before Uberti really improved their guns. There is certainly a huge difference between them and the later domestic guns. Good news for me is that I got a really good deal on it. It came with two full leather rigs from C.O.W.S. and was just over $400 back in 2004. Shown here on the bottom, with a later all domestic 12/22.

 

[czhen]

Please allow me to put my .02 cents over this thread. First, I don't have I couldn't afford one in the past and when money wasn't the issue they were gone for ever.
The models with Uberti parts got bad reputation because the Italian manufacturer did not have the warranty/service it has now.
Therefore, it was a mole in a Mona Lisa serigraphy so purist owners of Colt legacy, ban the new comer from heaven. Later accepted in the court with honors but was too late, the owners got pissed tired of pouring money gave market the finger with a zippo burner more than a pistol.
Sadly ending for an incredible effort.
I remember CDNN having them for sale, college, house and 2 birds were my priorities on those times otherwise my opinions would be based on hand experiences.