I was at a cowboy match this past weekend, and one of my fellow competitors said that some of the internal components (sear, hammer) in Uberti revolvers were made out of softer/lower quality metal and would wear more rapidly than other brands (Ruger, Colt). Anyone know anything about this?
Uberti Cattleman II durability
- Thread starter Shed
- Start date
- Status
People make stuff up all the time. You're not going to find anyone who has done a statistically valid sample shooting multiple Colt's, Ruger's and Uberti's until they wear out.
I wouldn't be surprised if Ruger used a stronger steel, but in the long run what difference does shooting 30,000 rounds vs 40,000 rounds make? Once you've spent $10,000 on ammo the $500 gun is a moot point. A Colt cost 3X what a Uberti costs so any comparison would need to take that into account.
I wouldn't be surprised if Ruger used a stronger steel, but in the long run what difference does shooting 30,000 rounds vs 40,000 rounds make? Once you've spent $10,000 on ammo the $500 gun is a moot point. A Colt cost 3X what a Uberti costs so any comparison would need to take that into account.
Driftwood Johnson
Member
Howdy
First off, your question was about Cattleman II durability. The Cattleman II is the new one with the retractable firing pin in the hammer. It has not been on the market long enough t get much of a track record.
Regarding the original Cattleman, which has been on the market for a long time, they have quite a long service history.
I can tell you that the case hardening on the internals of Uberti products is very thin. If one goes at them with a file, one can cut through the case hardening layer very quickly. If one does this the underlying steel is quite soft and will wear fairly quickly. But you have to cut though the case hardening first. The full cock notch on my Uberti 1873 rifle had been subjected to a bad kitchen table action job before I bought it and the hammer soon started following the bolt down, rendering the gun unsafe. I had to replace the hammer and trigger because of this butcher job, after that it was fine.
I have a couple of 1st Gen Colts that are over a hundred years old, and their timing is still fine. Of course, they have probably not been used as much as the Ubertis or Rugers that some guys use in CAS. My 2nd Gen Colts have served me well for about ten years of CAS now, no sign of anything wearing out yet, knock on wood.
I know Ruger heat treats their frames all the way through to make them tough. I do not know if they heat treat the internals the same way, but I can tell you that Ruger internal parts have a larger cross section than the internal parts in a Colt or clone, so they will naturally not tend to wear out as quickly.
First off, your question was about Cattleman II durability. The Cattleman II is the new one with the retractable firing pin in the hammer. It has not been on the market long enough t get much of a track record.
Regarding the original Cattleman, which has been on the market for a long time, they have quite a long service history.
I can tell you that the case hardening on the internals of Uberti products is very thin. If one goes at them with a file, one can cut through the case hardening layer very quickly. If one does this the underlying steel is quite soft and will wear fairly quickly. But you have to cut though the case hardening first. The full cock notch on my Uberti 1873 rifle had been subjected to a bad kitchen table action job before I bought it and the hammer soon started following the bolt down, rendering the gun unsafe. I had to replace the hammer and trigger because of this butcher job, after that it was fine.
I have a couple of 1st Gen Colts that are over a hundred years old, and their timing is still fine. Of course, they have probably not been used as much as the Ubertis or Rugers that some guys use in CAS. My 2nd Gen Colts have served me well for about ten years of CAS now, no sign of anything wearing out yet, knock on wood.
I know Ruger heat treats their frames all the way through to make them tough. I do not know if they heat treat the internals the same way, but I can tell you that Ruger internal parts have a larger cross section than the internal parts in a Colt or clone, so they will naturally not tend to wear out as quickly.
Crunchy Frog
Member
I’ve been shooting cowboy action for over eight years. The Uberti rifles are very popular; in fact before Winchester started making 1873s and 1866s just a few years ago just about all of the ‘73s and ‘66s were Ubertis.
I know lots of people who shoot Uberti revolvers. Perhaps not quite as rugged as a Ruger but they will usually give years of service and if a part should fail, replacements are available. Oh, and Ruger parts can break, too.
I know lots of people who shoot Uberti revolvers. Perhaps not quite as rugged as a Ruger but they will usually give years of service and if a part should fail, replacements are available. Oh, and Ruger parts can break, too.
- Status
