Uberti 1861 Navy video

[ssb73q]

Hi, Mike up a video on the Uberti 1861 Navy:



Regards,
Richard

[ShotgunDave]

Another great video from Mike.

I gotta say, I agree with Sam Colt. The 61 is a prettier gun than the 51. But that's just mine and Sam's opinion. Your mileage may vary.

[G Dog]

I gotta say, I agree with Sam Colt. .

Yep, it's  one pimpin handgun.  Unlike the Pietta that I own, Uberti got it right. 

I try to avoid posting “I seem to remember reading once ...” sort of sentence fragments but I seem to remember once reading that Colt’s 1861 model got a design award for aesthetics form some French 19th Century mechanical design competition.  Has anyone  here encounters that particular factoid?  Part of the Galerie des Machines at the Paris World’s Fair 1889, maybe?

If the 1861 didn’t get a blue ribbon somewhere - it should have done.

Bellevue did right to put the wood back on that puppy.  The German chemists didn’t develop plastics until much later in the relevant century.

[sourdough]

Cute video from Mike. He always adds a bit of humor to his stuff.

I will have to say that, even though I have contemplated having an 1861 in my collection, I am not particularly driven to do so. I really don't prefer the streamlined barrel look. I like the full octagon of the 1851, but I most like the part round/part octagonal barrel of the Leech & Rigdon, Griswold and Gunnison, and the Dragoons.

Historically, there were only about 100 4-screw CFS 1861 Navies made, between SN 11000 and 14000, and did not have the steel/iron TG. I will hand it to Uberti for providing the attachment stock recess on the bottom of the backstrap. Pietta does not which is really screwy as almost every 1851 Navy 3-screw that Pietta produces with a brass backstrap does have the recess. Go figure.

Regards,

Jim

[Navy Six]

I was interested in Mike's comments about the replacement grips and how he found them uncomfortable. For many years I looked at pictures of Elmer Keith's single action that had the Mexican eagle grips and finally fitted a pair to a Colt SAA. Was disappointed to find them uncomfortable with heavier 45 Colt loads as the raised design dug into my palm. Was almost at the point to try again with a 36 Navy due to reduced recoil, but this time with the Hickok Eagle grips. Darn it Mike! Now I'm not sure after listening to him say he was going to take his grips back off. Anyway, always find Mike's videos interesting and enjoyable.

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hello Guys,

Mike mentioned that both the 1851 & 1861 had a 12 year run, and the fact that the 1851 outsold the 1861 each year of production.
Not hard to believe, in the days of the 1851 it was considered "state of the art".
The 1861 started production during a Civil War, and during it's 12 year lifetime the Cartridge Revolver was making it's debut.
Just a little something to be considered as to why the 1861 was outsold by it's older brother.
Another great video from Mike.

AntiqueSledMan.

[G Dog]

Hello Guys,

Mike mentioned that both the 1851 & 1861 had a 12 year run, and the fact that the 1851 outsold the 1861 each year of production.

AntiqueSledMan.

It’s true that Bellevue said that but his statement seems ambiguous and a little misleading.   Popularity can sometimes be inferred from number of units sold but ultimately people bought what was actually on hand for purchase.

The seeming popularity of the 1851 over the 1861 could be explained more by availability and less by consumer choice.  Colt produced 272,000 1851’s over a 23-year production run.  Only 38,000 1861’s were produced over a 12-year production period.  That’s over a 7:1 ratio.

In the old days either mod would serve quite well but modernly, a man needs at least one of each.