51 Navy sheriff

[Rebel Dave]

Hi All
 I just acquired a Pietta 51 Navy Sheriff. Its .44 cal. I was hoping to be able to shoot conicals in it, but Idon't think I can. I tried loading a paper conical in it, but there's not enough room, to swing it under the rammer.
There's also not enough meat to grind out, to make the conicals fit, under the rammer.  Oh well I guess I'll have to shoot round ball paper carts in this one. This .44 51 Navy seems to have the same loading window of the .36 cals.
Has any one ever ground out some metal in the loading area, in the bbl frame to shoot paper conicals in a 51 Navy .44 cal ???.



I wanted a shorter bbl 51, but I couldn't find one in .36 cal, so I got the .44 cal.

On another note..... The last three Piettas I have bought, have been outstanding quality. The CNC machining is definetly paying off. Arbor lenghts are perfect, The actions are spot on. Grips are great. the internals don't need any stoning. They lock up tight with no cyl movement. They have definately came a long way.
I only wish they would hide the lettering on the sides of the  bbl, under the loading lever.

Dave

[sourdough]

Regarding Piettas:

I found this on another forum: Pietta Factory Tour. Long but good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdnbNJKJ9ZE&feature=youtu.be

I totally agree about the newer guns. I have a pre-CNC 1851 Navy (AZ/1990) that I am in the process of fitting a CNC bolt and hand to it. No comparison. A. Pietta states in the vid that prior to CNC, they used parts made by other suppliers. To wit, this revolver has a safety pin slot cut into the hammer face, but the rear of the cylinder has no safety pins! The bolt head slot in the frame is longer than the CNC guns (I have 8 for comparison), and the screw hole locations in the two bolts are different, necessitating a bit of round needle file work to the newer bolt's hole, about 1/64" or less.

I don't know about sculpting the load aperture, but you could always load the cylinder off the gun using a Tower Of Power or similar device.

Regards,

Jim

[Hawg]

I agree Pietta's are good guns but IMO the grips on the newer ones are grotesquely fat, nothing like the originals or even older Pietta's which are a lot thinner without the proud wood.

[sourdough]

I totally agree with you about the grip. That's why I like the "tail" configuration better (kind of like the difference between 1911 and 1911A1 mainspring housings), which also has a shorter/smaller "wrist" right where the upper curve is. If you don't like the thickness of the "trumpet" shape of the lower grip, it can be taken down quite a bit. I can live with the butt flare on the "tail" grip just fine. Even original Colt Navy grips came in many configurations, so there is no "one" correct style.



From Nathan L. Swayze's " '51 Colt Navies" (1967):



Jim

[ShotgunDave]

Dave, there's not enough meat to open the window up a bit? I have done it to all my Pietta 1860 Army pistols. I know the Navy is different though. How much material do you need to remove?

[Hawg]

  I can live with the butt flare on the "tail" grip just fine.

The flare on the butt isn't what bugged me it was the extreme curve on the front strap that gave them the trumpet look. if they would have kept the tail and made the front strap like the new ones and kept the grips slim I would have been happy. As it is tho I like the new grips better.

Dave, there's not enough meat to open the window up a bit? I have done it to all my Pietta 1860 Army pistols. I know the Navy is different though. How much material do you need to remove?

The window is tapered. There's plenty of room to open it up for conicals but you also need to taper the inside of the ram because Pietta's ram is designed for round balls.

[Yolla Bolly Brad]

Regarding Piettas:

I found this on another forum: Pietta Factory Tour. Long but good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdnbNJKJ9ZE&feature=youtu.be


Regards,

Jim

Thanks for posting that video. This is the kind of environment I work in and I can tell you they have a very modern and efficient factory.

[Fingers McGee]

If you are still looking for some .36 Sheriffs Models, there is a half dozen or so listed on October Country's web site from the Dr Jim Davis Collection.  That with numerous other rare models. I just bought the NIB Stainless Steel Sheriffs Model Navy for my collection.

http://www.octobercountry.com/doc-james-daviss-revolver-collection/

[sourdough]

Thanks for posting that video. This is the kind of environment I work in and I can tell you they have a very modern and efficient factory.

Here's another good vid of the Pedersoli stockmaking operation:



Jim

[Yolla Bolly Brad]

Cool video Sourdough. It's a little surprising that they use American walnut.

[sourdough]

If you are still looking for some .36 Sheriffs Models, there is a half dozen or so listed on October Country's web site from the Dr Jim Davis Collection.  That with numerous other rare models. I just bought the NIB Stainless Steel Sheriffs Model Navy for my collection.

I looked up OC right after you posted this and I think this might be what you scored. Very nice! Very obscure distributor/importer. IIRC this is the outfit that had something to do with Replica Arms/El Paso.



Have you received it yet?

Jim

[Fingers McGee]

Not yet.  Have FedEx tracking number. Due Monday.