My clone SAA...update pictures

3386 Views 21 Replies 11 Participants Last post by Merwin2, Jul 31, 2013

Merwin2

Discussion Starter · Jul 26, 2013 (Edited)

3

Got the 357 Pietta I was talking about in the best clone thread. This one is from CAI and has the Colt style recoil shield. It has no name markings, such as Western or such, only Piatta and CAI with Vt address under barrel. Came in a Puma Westerner box. Very nice case colors and fit /finish is also good. Hope it shoots like it looks. Some not very good pics. It is too hot right now to take in natural light. Tried by a window with mixed results.

Updated Pics as promised. These are after I rubbed in about 6 coats of Tung oil, to about 60% fill. Last pic is the before. Hope you like it. Leather for holster ordered.

Jim.

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davevall

· #2 · Jul 26, 2013

Looks good to me. Good luck with it!!

jcs

· #3 · Jul 26, 2013

Nice looking gun. Enjoy!

therevjay

· #4 · Jul 26, 2013

All my percussion replicas are Piettas. They seem to work just fine.

Merwin2

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jul 26, 2013

therevjay said:
All my percussion replicas are Piettas. They seem to work just fine.

Good to hear, I'm hopeful.

BobWright

· #6 · Jul 26, 2013

Looks like a keeper to me!

Bob Wright

Lawman67

· #7 · Jul 27, 2013

Should be fine. here is a tip. if you want to make it more Colt like, check out Western and Wildlife Wonders. They make replica Colt style Horse and Eagle Grips. I picked up a pr for a Ruger New Vaquero in bright stainless . Looks a lot more colt like ,and except for my nickel Colts , I shoot the blued Colt guns with the Horse and Eagle grips. Kind of wanted one bright gun with the black grips so I got the replicas ,and they look and feel really nice.

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Frank V

· #8 · Jul 27, 2013

Nice, I kind of like the holster too!
Congratulations.

Reactions: 1

Wyatt Burp

· #9 · Jul 27, 2013

It looks nice. And it has an extra bonus, imo. The bottom of the trigger guard is not flat bottom like 3rd generation Colt's, but rounded like turn of the century SAA's. I think some early B.P. SAAs might have been rounded, too. It seems to be a sporadic and obscure feature, but it looks much better to me.

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Merwin2

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jul 27, 2013 (Edited)

Frank V said:
Nice, I kind of like the holster too!
Congratulations.

Thanks. I've fudged on the holster. I made it for my S&W New Model 3 about 40 years ago. It does look good with the SAA, but the ejector makes it a no fit. Guess I'll have to get some skirting leather and make a copy. Only this time I may line it, instead of Mink oil and graphite.

Jim

Merwin2

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jul 27, 2013

Wow...who knew, well obviously you do. Now that you mention it, I looked at my Uberti Stallion, a scaled down SA frame in .22 and it has the flat bottom. You're right the round looks much cooler somehow. It also has the inset recoil shield which seems to be a pet peeve with some members about the Italian imports lack thereof.

Colt-SL

· #12 · Jul 27, 2013

That's a beauty, CONGRATS!

BobWright

· #13 · Jul 28, 2013

As to the value of a hardened firing pin bushing insert (or recoil plate, if you will) I will tell you of my experience with an early Iver Johnson/Uberti Cattleman in .44 Magnum. After firing a few rounds, the firing pin puckered up a little crater where it passed through the frame. When a round was fired, the primer flowed back into this pucker and bound up cylinder rotation. I stoned the crater down smooth, but it formed up again. I swapped off that gun after firing only 300 rounds through it. I wrote Iver Johnson about the problem, with no response.

I have recently bought two other Ubertis, neither of which has the firing pin bushing. But so far the problem has not arisen. My guess is that there is a clearance around the firing pin and the frame stops the hammer from any overtravel.

Bob Wright

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Merwin2

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jul 28, 2013

BobWright said:
As to the value of a hardened firing pin bushing insert (or recoil plate, if you will) I will tell you of my experience with an early Iver Johnson/Uberti Cattleman in .44 Magnum. After firing a few rounds, the firing pin puckered up a little crater where it passed through the frame. When a round was fired, the primer flowed back into this pucker and bound up cylinder rotation. I stoned the crater down smooth, but it formed up again. I swapped off that gun after firing only 300 rounds through it. I wrote Iver Johnson about the problem, with no response.

I have recently bought two other Ubertis, neither of which has the firing pin bushing. But so far the problem has not arisen. My guess is that there is a clearance around the firing pin and the frame stops the hammer from any overtravel.

Bob Wright

Yeah, I've heard no problem on many guns and yes it's an issue from a few owners. Well this has it so it should not ever come up. Colt thinks it's important enough to use it on all their guns.
Jim.

Frank V

· #15 · Jul 28, 2013

Merwin2

If I had that kind of skill with leather, I'd make a shuck just for that gun!

It's a nice gun in it's own rite & should have good leather.
We'd like a range report when you get a chance???

Reactions: 1

Merwin2

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jul 29, 2013

Frank V said:
Merwin2

If I had that kind of skill with leather, I'd make a shuck just for that gun!
It's a nice gun in it's own rite & should have good leather.
We'd like a range report when you get a chance???

Thank you very much Frank. Will do on both accounts.
Jim.

pyshtrvr

· #17 · Jul 29, 2013

Those guns have a lot of early SAA earmarks. Beveled cylinder, early hammer , thin grips, beveled trigger frame, round trigger guard.

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Merwin2

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jul 29, 2013 (Edited)

pyshtrvr said:
Those guns have a lot of early SAA earmarks. Beveled cylinder, early hammer , thin grips, beveled trigger frame, round trigger guard.

You put a smile on my face...thanks!
Jim.

Check back to 1st page top for update pics.

Reactions: 1

pyshtrvr

· #19 · Jul 29, 2013

They missed it by.....that much, w/out the bullseye ejector head. But you can't knock the effort.

Merwin2

Discussion Starter · #20 · Jul 30, 2013

pyshtrvr said:
They missed it by.....that much, w/out the bullseye ejector head. But you can't knock the effort.

Actually it is all the features on a Colt prewar, down to the ejector rod. Check out my new post about beautiful hi buck Colt SAA prewar on Joe Salter site. It has all the same features. Actually the biggest difference is the barrel on my 357 clone does not taper, like the real Colts.

Jim.

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