Uberti Leech & Rigdon

[sourdough]

I continue to wonder why Pietta doesn't offer a L&R.  They have all the parts - a round barrel assembly and plain cylinder from their Griswold to just put on a '51 frame. If they ever start selling those I'd snag me one ever so fast. 

Those are one helluva good lookin' revolver, like yours Shotgun.

G Dog, you must have the patience of Job if you think Pietta is ever going to market a L&R! I emailed Pietta a few times a couple of years ago about it, and the best response was something like "We'll think about it".

I think I will be dead and gone before that happens, so I decided to do it on my own. I bought a Pietta 1851 Navy .36 steel [CP] (2016) on a one-day sale from Cabela's for $170 shipped (yeah, back in the recent dark ages!), and now I have a Traditions Pietta 1851 Navy .36 steel [CT] (2018) I bought from Old South for $219 shipped. I bought the Traditions gun because I had heard that they were the cream of the Piettas (not), so I kept it intact to remind me of that fact.

I also bought a Pietta G&G [CN] (2015) from Cabela's for $220 shipped, and I think that may have been one of the last ones shipped from Sidney NE as Cabela's never offered it online again. When I got it, the first thing that came to mind was L&R!

Early last year I decided to use the Cabela's gun for my L&R, and I bought a Pietta smooth cylinder ($95) and a Pietta part octagon/part round barrel ($125) from VTI Gun Parts. I used the load-lever/rammer assembly, the wedge, and the wedge screw from the octagon barrel for the new barrel assembly. (Pietta 1851 Navy .36 "type" guns are like Legos.)

http://www.vtigunparts.com/store/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=66&cat=Pietta+1851+Navy

My Pietta L&R:



The same barrel assembly/cylinder on my Pietta 1851 Navy 2nd Model .36 [CM] (2014) "tail" grip profile (my fantasy belt-size 1851 Navy Dragoon 2nd Model):



The octagon barrel and engraved cylinder found a new home.

I am well satisfied.

Regards,

Jim

[Captainkirk]

I am well satisfied.

As you should be. Nice work, Jim.

[sourdough]

Cap, thanks for the reply!

If one chooses to acquire a Pietta G&G for the barrel and cylinder only, EMF is the only source that I know of these days. As of today they are again out of stock, but last week they were in stock. That leads me to think that they are somewhat in demand and sell out quickly. Their price is $275 plus shipping. If one wants one get on their backorder want list.

Cabela's could sell a ton of them, but BPS seems to be lessening Cabela's stock of everything.

Glad I got mine.

Regards,

Jim

[ssb73q]

Hi, a new Uberti Leech & Rigdon was purchased from Dixie Gun Works:

https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/page/product/product_id/8657/product_name/RH0611+Uberti+Leech+and+Rigdon+Revolver

Externally the revolver is perfect in fit and finish. However, the internal parts show cost cutting by Uberti. The hand has burrs and the bolt face is very rough where it wouldn't be long before the cylinder bolt slot lead-ins were chewed up. The revolver is timed properly, but a bit rough. The revolver was made in 2017 and has no visible markings (date code, proof marks, etc.) other than the serial number on the exposed part of the frame. The date code and proof marks are hidden on the bottom of the frame that is covered by the brass trigger guard. The only barrel markings are on the bottom of the barrel.

Interesting that this Uberti revolver arbor and barrel arbor hole are tapered. The lockup with the wedge is very tight, in fact so tight that removing the barrel is difficult. The loading lever is required to pry the barrel off the frame. I wonder if this arbor taper is Uberti's solution to a short arbor? Other than adding a arbor length set screw, I may leave this taper alone that will probably loosen some with revolver use.

A reduced power spring will be installed in the revolver, the bolt face polished, and the hand deburred. I'm still not sure what I will do with the engraving on the cylinder.

The new revolver:

Regards,
Richard

[Hawg]

Cabela's could sell a ton of them, but BPS seems to be lessening Cabela's stock of everything.

Cabela's used to sell a lot of different models.  I can take my G&G and 51 navy and make a L&R or a S&G.

[ShotgunDave]

She's a real beauty Richard, mechanical issues aside.

It looks like it has a nice piece of wood on it too.

I'm interested to know how you resolve the cylinder scene too.

[sourdough]

Cabela's used to sell a lot of different models.  I can take my G&G and 51 navy and make a L&R or a S&G.

I have done the same. I thought I made that point but maybe I did not make it clear.

Regards,

Jim

[Hawg]

Cabela's used to sell a lot of different models.  I can take my G&G and 51 navy and make a L&R or a S&G.

I have done the same. I thought I made that point but maybe I did not make it clear.

Regards,

Jim

You did as far as the L&R but I didn't see a reference to the S&G.

[ssb73q]

Hi, all the internal issues with the new Leech & Rigdon have been fixed. The reduced power spring installed, internal parts polished, and a set screw was used to lengthen the arbor to create a 0.004" cylinder/barrel gap with the C&B cylinder and a 0.003" gap with conversion cylinder. The brass was polished and a dovetail sight for an 1858 was installed. The sight will need to be filed down to have poi=poa @25yds. The revolver now cycles as smooth as a fine Swiss watch. Still thinking on what to do with that engraved cylinder.

Some photos:

Regards,
Richard

[Dellbert]

That one looks really good Richard. I like the Pietta you put together sourdough. I thought about putting one together a while back, with cash being so tight now I don't see that happening any time soon. I do have a Uberti Colt 51 that is a fine gun that is in fine shape, it just needs the arbor needs to be lengthen other than that it's one of my best shooters. I don't want to fire it any more till that is fixed. You got me wanting to buy that Pietta round barrel and put it on my steel frame 51 now. I looked on VTIs web site and found the barrel I need to fix it up. Will put that on my to do list and go from there.

[ShotgunDave]

Nice work Richard, as always.

If I may ask, why did you go with a 1858 front sight? It's funny because mine had that sight on it when I got it. I removed it and put a brass bead back on. I do like that you used a steel dovetail on this one. I'm not a fan of the brass ones.

[ssb73q]

Hi Dave, funny you mention the front sight. I must be living right because just after I cut my dovetail in the barrel, I saw that the 1858 sight fit perfectly, it drifted right in without any modification. I had a tall brass front dovetail sight ready to go, but why bother when the steel sight fit perfectly without requiring any further work. I widened and deepened the rear sight aperture using a dremel cutoff wheel.

BTW, I fixed that taper arbor issue that had the barrel very difficult to remove after hammering the wedge in hard. A little fine file work and 400 grit sandpaper polishing work did the trick to narrow the tapered arbor by ~0.001" allowing the barrel to be easily removed after the wedge is pulled. Since I'm still mulling over what to do with my cylinder, I put antiseize on the nipple threads. I'm going to check some dimensions on one of my extra plain 1851 Pietta cylinders. The plain Pietta 1851 cylinder may work after shortening it to Uberti 1851 cylinder length. A project for another day.

As soon as the black flies die and go to hell, I will test fire the L&R and adjust the front sight height. Laser boresighting shows the front sight is now too tall and will need to filed down.

Regards,
Richard

[sourdough]

Cabela's used to sell a lot of different models.  I can take my G&G and 51 navy and make a L&R or a S&G.

I have done the same. I thought I made that point but maybe I did not make it clear.

Regards,

Jim

You did as far as the L&R but I didn't see a reference to the S&G.

Hawg, the revolvers you used as a base for the L&R and the S&G is what I did, but to create a more accurate S&G one will need to have another smooth, non-engraved cylinder (which I ordered from VTI) in order to have both pistols at the same time.

Jim

[Hawg]

Cabela's used to sell a lot of different models.  I can take my G&G and 51 navy and make a L&R or a S&G.

I have done the same. I thought I made that point but maybe I did not make it clear.

Regards,

Jim

You did as far as the L&R but I didn't see a reference to the S&G.

Hawg, the revolvers you used as a base for the L&R and the S&G is what I did, but to create a more accurate S&G one will need to have another smooth, non-engraved cylinder (which I ordered from VTI) in order to have both pistols at the same time.

Jim

This is true.

[sourdough]

Mine.



Jim