TSMGguy Posted February 2 Report Share Posted February 2 (edited) Just ordered one of these. It is an excellent quality tribute to the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn. Looks like Uberti has mastered their color case hardening process. It used to be thin and tinny looking, but now it exhibits the colors you'd expect. The revolver is outfitted with a long base pin which acts as a safety, blocking the hammer when desired. The gun has a "black powder" frame. Two base pin screws are included (shown), one of which is historically accurate. Original markings are faithfully executed. Photos from the Classic Firearms web site. Edited 8 hours ago by TSMGguy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timkel Posted Tuesday at 10:43 AM Report Share Posted Tuesday at 10:43 AM It's all about the details, very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rekraps Posted Tuesday at 01:24 PM Report Share Posted Tuesday at 01:24 PM Really a nice piece! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSMGguy Posted Tuesday at 03:01 PM Author Report Share Posted Tuesday at 03:01 PM You'd think that the gun would be barrel heavy, but balance is about perfect. Misters Richards and Mason knew what they were doing when they designed this piece! Some history here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Single_Action_Army Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted yesterday at 03:41 AM Report Share Posted yesterday at 03:41 AM I have a 5 1/2" Cimarron Arms SAA that I bought in January, 1999, and the box indicates was manufactured in September 1997. Such a silky action, and bright blue color. I love looking at, and shooting this revolver. I never thought about the case color. My case color looks good to me, but the photos you posted do look richer. I have photographed it along with a 3rd generation Colt from my collection. BTW, it doesn't look like the Cimarron box has changed since 1997. David Albert dalbert@sturmgewehr.com 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSMGguy Posted yesterday at 01:25 PM Author Report Share Posted yesterday at 01:25 PM (edited) Here's one man's opinion on the current offerings of Italian first model SAA revolvers. I have to say that the Uberti offerings are very nice indeed. I have been unable to find an attribution for the following: Italian Revolvers Considering they all come from two factories, Pietta and Uberti, you should know they are not all the same. The two factories have different machining capabilities. Each importer, (Cimarron, Taylor’s, Cabela’s, EMF, Dixie Gun Works, etc.) also has different specifications for each model. The quality of the product depends how the firearm was “Spec’d” and on who is checking to make sure those specifications are being upheld. I am talking about engineering specifications. From the type of steel used to the hardness of the trigger to the precise dimensions of the hand. Quality control personnel overseas and in the US are the key. I am not fond of Italian models that have internal safety mechanisms in the hammer, retractable firing pins, transfer bars or finishes that look like black spray paint. Call me and I’ll explain. “Four clickers” take some getting used to if you are new to single action revolvers. All Uberti made revolvers now have a retractable firing pin in the hammer and only three clicks unless you buy the Old Model black powder frame. All Pietta made revolvers are still four click Colt Replicas. Price and quality go hand in hand with Italian revolvers . The production of Italian revolvers has never been very consistent. I have seen the machining and parts fitting vary a lot over the years. There just seems to be an ebb and flow in quality with Pietta and Uberti revolvers. Some years Pietta has better quality, some years Uberti has better quality. Cimarron F.A. The Model P – Made by Uberti. “Pre-War” & “Old Model”. The “Pre-War” model has the retractable firing pin in the hammer and a three click action. These have a wide notch rear sight and squared front sight. The retractable firing pin does create reliability issues in the competitive setting. Many shooters have had problems with these. Fitting a standard hammer and trigger work converts these to a regular 4-click action. The “Old Model” has the black powder frame with the single screw that holds the base pin in the frame. The Old Model, black powder frame, does not have the retractable firing pin safety in the hammer and has the four click authentic action. However it does have a V-groove rear sight and a “pinched” front blade just like an original early 1st Gen Colt. On both of these the bluing is deep and the case coloring is attractive on most of them. If you are going to dry fire hundreds of times a week and shoot every week-end, expect to replace some parts from time to time. Have a set of SAA screw drivers. Clean, oil lightly and snug the screws regularly. Model P, 45LC, 4 3/4 weighs 2.15 lbs. NOTE: The new (2017-Present) Cimarron Model P “Pre-War” with the cross pin frame has the floating firing pin in the hammer. This is a three click action because there is not a “safety” notch anymore. No longer an authentic replica. Some will love it, some will hate it, some won’t care. Cimarron F.A. The Frontier. Made by Pietta. These are a nice Colt SAA replica with an authentic four click action. It has the 1st Gen Colt beveled cylinder detail. This model has the cross pin latch that holds the base pin in. It uses a coil spring and plunger on the hand for reliability. This gun has a natural balance that just feels great in the hand. It shares being the lightest with Great Western II. These have a wide notch rear sight and a squared front blade. The bluing is deep and the case coloring is attractive on most of them. If you are going to dry fire hundreds of times a week and shoot every week-end, expect to replace some parts from time to time. Have a set of SAA screw drivers. Clean, oil lightly and snug the screws regularly. Frontier, 45LC, 4 3/4 weighs 2.15 lbs. Edited yesterday at 03:12 PM by TSMGguy correct spelling 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSMGguy Posted yesterday at 04:43 PM Author Report Share Posted yesterday at 04:43 PM IMHO, about the best finished, best fitted SAA clone available today comes from Standard Manufacturing Company, their model SAR7C1. It is perfection in every detail, right down to the single piece burled walnut grips. This doesn't look like something purchased off the shelf at Bud's, but it is. About three times the cost of the Italian entries, and entirely US made. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted 1 hour ago Report Share Posted 1 hour ago On 2/7/2025 at 11:43 AM, TSMGguy said: IMHO, about the best finished, best fitted SAA clone available today comes from Standard Manufacturing Company, their model SAR7C1. It is perfection in every detail, right down to the single piece burled walnut grips. This doesn't look like something purchased off the shelf at Bud's, but it is. About three times the cost of the Italian entries, and entirely US made. That is a beautiful pistol. Now I need one, lol. David Albert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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