Cimarron Firearms and Uberti of Italy have well-earned the reputation for great guns at great prices. Head to any Cowboy Action Shooting match and you’ll undoubtedly find the guns from these giants of the industry very well represented. That goes doubly so for Cowboy Action Mounted Shooting.
For their newest release, the Pistoleer, Cimarron Firearms has created a budget-minded six-gun modeled closely after the Pre-War Colt Model P. I’ve reviewed several Cimarron guns now and the level of historically accurate detail they put in the guns is amazing, and much appreciated. Every one of their guns is a good looker and a good shooter, and this Pistoleer is no exception.
Cimarron Firearms is far more than an importer of Uberti guns. Those two companies have a partnership that spawns decades and generations. If you want to learn more about those companies, I’d highly recommend the Story of Cimarron Firearms on their Youtube channel.
The Pistoleer line will eventually have two different finish types and come in both .45Colt and .38/.357Magnum. One model will include a polished hammer and trigger guard as well as a nickel plated backstrap for a two-tone effect.
I received the more traditional version, with everything blued, including the frame and backstrap. Even on this fairly inexpensive model, Cimarron hasn’t forgotten to pay attention to the finish. With this all-blued model, the finish is subdued, with nothing particularly flashy. The black blued metal throughout the gun is polished to a shine, but not a mirror finish. It’s well done and even throughout the firearm.
The ejector nut is the new model half moon style as opposed to the larger full circle on the Old Model guns, which were more similar to the early Colt black powder cartridge frames.
Continuing in that same style, you’ll find a charcoal blued base pin latch. That’s a nice touch, and it’s carried on to all of the exterior screws. They are not bright blued nitre, but the more traditional blue found on the early guns. You’ll need sunlight or bright indoor light to bring out the colors.
According to Cimarron’s press release and my email conversation with them, the Pistoleer is currently scheduled to be in two finishes and two calibers, but so far only this one 4 3/4″ barrel length. Unless it’s a revolver specifically for hunting, this is very much my preferred barrel length. It’s long enough for a good sight radius, fast out of the holster, and is also simply aesthetically pleasing since it ends along with the ejector housing. The early originals had longer barrels than this, but we find people all over the West cutting these barrels to this length almost immediately after the old Colts were released.
The grip on the Pistoleer is two pieces of walnut that include Cimarron’s medallion logo. The walnut is stained in the slightly reddish hue we often see from Uberti. The wood-to-metal fit is adequate, but nothing spectacular. On this particular gun, the wood is flush on the left side of the gun where it meets the frame, but slightly proud on the right, maybe by half a millimeter.
Uberti didn’t skimp on the trigger of the Pistoleer. It breaks clean, with no take-up and little movement. Measured on a Lyman digital trigger scale, the average of five trigger pulls was 1 lb 9.2 oz. I would have guessed less. The trigger shoe itself is small, thin, and curved, in the traditional form. There is a minor bit of backlacklash as the hammer falls, but nothing to take you off target.
When this revolver is at rest, there is, as there should be, some amount of cylinder end shake and play. Shaking the gun in the hand will result in audible and tactile sounds of the cylinder shaking fore and aft, left and right. But there’s not much give at all, certainly no more than any of my Colts.
Upon full lock-up however, the rotational play and end shake completely cease. When it matters, the Pistoleer locks the cylinder up nicely.
I’m not sure what the hammer spring weight of the Pistoleer measures, but it is much less than my older Uberti Cattleman. I recently re-sprung a couple of Ruger Blackhawks with 17 lb. springs, and the Pistoleer feels noticeably lighter than those guns. It was so light and easy to cock that I was concerned that it would fail to ignite hard primers.
This fear was put to rest, as CCI Large Pistol #300 primers are all that I have available for my reloads. The gun set over 200 of these without issue. As CCI primers are about the hardest commonly available, if it sets off these, it will set off anything you are likely to run through the gun. The end result is an easy to cock, very fast and reliable firearm.
The Pistoleer includes Uberti’s floating firing pin safety. Quite simply, the firing pin isn’t rigidly fixed on the hammer, so it has the ability to move back a bit when the hammer is at rest. It’s always a good practice to leave the hammer of a traditional single action on an empty chamber, but this floating firing pin provides you some margin of error. Since the pin isn’t pressing hard against the primer when the hammer is at rest, it is less likely to provide sufficient force to cause an unintentional discharge. Still, load one, skip one, load four.
As the Pistoleer is a model based on the original Peacemaker, it features the traditional fixed channel rear sight and simple front blade. The front sight on this particular pistol measures .094″ on my Browne and Sharp calipers, providing a good amount of light on either side of the rear sight while aiming.
Cylinder throats measure .455″, as does the forcing cone, and the barrel groove diameter measures at .451″. As far as the cylinder gap, a .01″ feeler gage can wiggle into the gap when the cylinder is pushed fully to the rear, which is a little more than I would hope for and is likely robbing the round of a little velocity. If this were a Ruger or Freedom Arms single action .45 Colt built for 20,000 PSI or more, I’d like to see that gap closer to .005″. As it’s not, I don’t.
At the range, I spent my last box of Winchester white box for this review (you ungrateful cretins). The only commercial round I had available shot reasonably well, landing an average of 2.2″ five round groups averaged over four shot strings at 25 yards.
The starting load I use in my New Original Henry and Uberti Cattleman Old Model is not appreciated in this particular gun. That round prints 5.4″ groups, and lands 15″ low of the point of aim at 25 yards. A classic Keith style 255 gr. coated bullet, pushed by 6.2 gr. of Titegroup gets the bullet right on target, with a 1.6″ average group. All groups were shot off a bagged rest and through a well-fouled bore.
I’ve had this gun for a little over a month, and in that time ammunition and reloading components haven’t gotten any easier to find. That means this gun has gotten a whole lot of dry fire practice, and not a whole lot of shooting. I put 260 rounds through the gun for this review. Two hundred ten of those were using various hand loads, 50 commercial Winchester rounds. Ten of the handloads were GOEX FFFg black powder, the rest were smokeless powders to include Clay Dot, Unique, and Titegroup. Most of the rounds were shot around 13Kpsi (estimated) pressure.
I wiped down the revolver upon receipt, ran a bore snake through the barrel and each chamber of the cylinder, and sprayed a little CLP in the gun. After that, I didn’t clean the gun in any way until all of the firing was done and it was time for photos.
The gun never failed in any way and showed no additional wear. I measured the end-shake and cylinder gap after the shooting was complete and, as expected, they remained exactly the same. Spent shells were pressed out easily by the ejector, falling with nothing more than an easy press and a tip up of the muzzle.
For folks just wanting a good single action for protection, light game, or target shooting, the Pistoleer would fit the bill just fine. But that’s not why I was interested in it. Ever since I got into Cowboy Action Shooting earlier this year, I’ve been trying to figure out how to get more folks involved. The biggest barrier to entry is the cost of four guns. And as soon as you get them, you generally want to start improving them.
Guns like the Pistoleer go a long way to solving that problem. This gun needs absolutely zero modification to shoot well at any match. Sure, you could probably do some work to it, but it wouldn’t make a difference to all but the top five percent of shooters. That means that Cimarron has put out not just a good gun, but a “race ready” pair of guns in the hands of shooters for about $1,000. Based on what I’ve seen from Cimarron and Uberti in the past, I’m not surprised, but I am appreciative.
The Pistoleer is so new that it’s not up on the Cimarron website yet. If you are interested in one, contact them, or their retailer, Texas Jacks Wild West Outfitters in Fredericksburg, Texas.
Specifications: Cimarron Pistoleer Blued in .45 Colt
Original Manufacturer: Uberti of Italy
Caliber: .45 Colt
Capacity: 6
Barrel: 4 3/4″ shallow groove
Frame: Blued Steel
Cylinder: Blued Steel
Grip: Plow Handle, Blued Steel Grip Frame
Safety: Floating Firing Pin
MSRP: $518.70
Ratings (out of five stars):
Style and Appearance * * * *
There’s no case hardening or fancy wood. There is, however, a great dark blued finish with contrasting charcoal blued screws and accents.
Customization * * * * *
There’s no revolver in history that has as many modifications and customizations than the Model P and its clones. They cost money.
Accuracy * * * *
With the right round, it shoots great for any hunting or Cowboy Action Shooting.
Reliability * * * * *
Perfect reliability with any round and powder.
Overall * * * *
With a near $500 MSRP, this guns will sell, and for good reason. Cimarron and Uberti have made a relatively inexpensive Old West revolver with good look. A great trigger and outstanding action bumps it solidly over the average three-star rank. The action is far better than I would expect at this price, and it looks nice to boot. If I had a few hundred more primers, I’d have spent them shooting this gun just for the fun of it.
I had to go back and look. It is strange, to me, for a company to market two guns so similar with names so similar as the “Pistoleer” and the “Pistolero”. I got a Pistolero (in Fredricksburg!) a couple years back and haven’t even gotten around to firing it yet! It’s been busy. But the Pistolero is essentially the same gun with an inch or so shorter barrel and blued barrel and cylinder and case hardened frame, brass trigger guard. IOW, cosmetic differences. I anticipate loving hell out of it. It is definitely beautiful.
There were models which had a nicer trigger than the Pistolero, dunno where the Pistoleer is on that subject.
This seemed strange to me as well.
Is this a Short Stroke or the regular length hammer pull?
Were any of your cylinders tight on extraction? My El Patron CMS had some drag on #2 cylinder (nice of Uberti to number them), a vigorous polishing with Maguire’s Mag wheel polish on a RamRodz q tip sorted it out.
I can see saving $200 over the Short Stroke SASS Pro with the lower hammer spur would spark interest in Single Action competition goodness!
Now if I can only get one with an Army 1860 grip….
Not a short stroke. No issues with extraction on any cylinder.
If you want a SAA with the 1860 Army grip, take a look at the Pietta-made EMF Alchimista series. I will never part with my Alchimista II .45; that extra grip length makes a world of difference. EMF was also kind enough to hook me up with the same grip assembly to switch out my Great Western II .357. I have both Pietta and Uberti, and the action on the Pietta is just a little bit smoother.
I bought my first and last Winchester 45 Colt when Wally World got all woke and was clearing out its evil pistol ammo. I found it smoky, dirty, and it coated the inside of my barrel with lead.
Or just swap one off of an 1860 Army.
I’ve done that also, on a Uberti. It takes a bit of patience and hunting because the supply of non-wear and tear parts is often limited.
I really enjoy shooting my Cimarron ’51 Navy Richards-Mason Cartridge Conversion in .38 Special. I have an original which for obvious reasons cannot be fired.
When I received this Cimarron it had a problem with the hammer catching on something as it dropped, plus I paid about $165 extra for the Old West finish (antiqued) and it arrived with a shiny to dull consistent gray finish. I contacted them about these issues and they had me mail it back. When I got it back the hammer problem had been fixed, but nothing had been done about the finish. When I contacted them they gave me a few recommendations about chemicals that I might try to antique it myself. I expressed my displeasure about not getting something I had paid extra for — never heard from them again. I would not purchase another firearm from them again unless I was able to see it first.
Is it really a 1lb 9.2 oz trigger pull or is that a typo?
1 lb 9.2 Oz is the average over five trigger pulls. I think the lowest was 1 lb 8.2 Oz. This is a great weight for a single action. Especially since most folks using this gun will be holding the trigger and working the hammer.
Being single action only, this is pretty typical for this type of Colt pistol, whether Colt, Uberti or Pietta. They are very simple mechanical devices.
I grew up in a Fudd anti handgun household so I’ve only gotten into pistols fairly recently. My only revolver experience is my Ruger Blackhawk .45/.45LC and that trigger is not bad but it’s got to be at least 5lbs.
I plan on getting more into historical firearms in the coming years but after Obama started talking I concentrated on getting the modern stuff before it was gone again.
Great…another want-want-want gun added to the list. I’m never going to catch up at this rate.
I’ve been wanting a good single-action revolver for quite a while, and would love to have a levergun/revolver pair in .357 mag. This one jumps to the top of the list, on cowboy cred, function, and price. One of these days, maybe, when finances are in tune and ammunition is actually available again…
This ammunition you speak of…it sounds wonderful.
“This ammunition you speak of…it sounds wonderful.”
You spend considerable time south of the border on business. Get your primer factory put together down there where ‘regulations’ are far less onerous and do something about the problem, dag-nabbit!
😀 Just like a dream, isn’t it.
Yessir. Everybody should have a single action in their collection. My current one is a Ruger single six convertible.
As for lever guns I was glad to hear that Ruger bought Marlin. Gives me hope for the future. I have a .357 gp100-7 that I would like to pair with a carbine in the same caliber.
Since you mentioned both Single-Six and Marlin, that’s my current .22lr “old west” set-up. Ruger Single-Six (convertible) and my grandfather’s Marlin ORIGINAL GOLDEN-39M (that’s how it’s stamped on the barrel).
.22 short, long, & long rifle…both of them eat it up & spit it out…all day long. With the Ruger also able to consume .22 WinMag, I’m pretty much never starving when it comes to rimfire fun in regards to any ammo/caliber shortages…
IMHO that 39 Marlin is a dandy.
I have a Single Six convertible that has been a mainstay on the farm ever since it washed up after a flood (one of two such guns!). It’s one of my favorite firearms and probably the most used pistol I own.
As its origin would suggest, it has some significant damage to the finish and some small parts. The crown is not ideal.
So early this year I sent it off to Bobby Tyler for the kitties titties. Full refinish, case hardened frame, new sights, mesquite grips, trigger, action and accuracy work, custom holster….
Should be done any day now.
Boomstick Arms is also building me a pair of custom Single Six guns in . 327 Federal. 4 5/8″, blued, case hardened, action job and transfer bar delete, etc. These are for CAS, but would also do well for daily carry.
I really like the Single Six, the gun that built Ruger.
Free guns are always nice though I could do without the flooding (or tornados or hurricanes or fires or any other form of “Natural Disaster Delivery”™).
I hope you’re going do to a review (photoshoot?) of the finished single-six convertible. Would love to see the finished result.
Also, nice review on the Pistoleer!
I love stories like that, free gun which is bedraggled piece of shit, send it off with way too much money and convert to artistic masterpiece, are there any embedded diamonds? Sounds really cool, leaves me wondering how a gun “washes up” on a farm. Thanks for sharing.
Larry, to date I’ve had 2 guns, 2 cars, and 1 body wash up. We flood hard.
I think maybe I identify with that little gun a bit. Decent enough little gun. Nothing fancy, but handy and it worked just fine.
Lost. Beat up and washed up.
Found.
Restored better than new.
I’d be happy to write a review, but it’d likely be more of sermon, and if memory serves, you’d prefer it not.
JWT. I bought mine new on impulse. I was going to pick up a 9mm auto loader and at the last minute decided I did not have a single action in my safe and there was the Ruger, just sitting there.
I’ve owned and used a bunch of single actions. I’ve never hidden the fact that I’m a revolver fan. I like a .357. But when it comes to a single action I really like .45, .44 magnum/.44 special. And Rugers work for me.
It’s not surprising so many guns wash up in floods, because of all those guns lost in boating accidents.
“Yessir. Everybody should have a single action in their collection.”
The only one I have now is the tiny NAA Mini-revolver, it has a hammer safety of a notch between cylinders. Works a charm for it, as long as you bother to engage it.
Which makes me wonder, now that I think about it – Could a single-action Colt be configured in a similar way? Could an indentation be drilled between the cylinders so the firing pin could rest there when the hammer was down? On the NAA, when you draw the hammer back, the cylinder finishes its rotation and is then ready to fire.
(EDIT – I’m *loving* my new NAA mini. Manufacturing quality is greatly improved over my first one, bought in 1998. Lockup is much tighter, machining is cleaner, just a bunch of small improvements that improves it a lot…)
It would be a bit chancy, I think. The reason you find it on the NAAs and some of the open-top percussion cap revolvers is because they both hit so high on the cylinder that you have a lot of space for the indent/pin, whereas with a centerfire revolver, you’d be drilling at the very narrowest point of the gap between the chambers.
If I really wanted that sixth round I’d just go with one of the models with updated internals that includes a transfer bar, like the Vaquero. On my .45, there’s barely any space between the rims of neighboring cartridges.
Cloud buster I’ve often wondered why other SA’s weren’t built like the NAA’s and you answered that question for me this evening. Good observation.
Geoff, which NAA did you get? I love my black widow, enough that I can’t decide if I want my next .22 to be a wrangler or a mini master.
I specifically wanted the standard .22lr for an experiment down the road.
In the meantime, I daily carry it with a ‘clamshell’ Kydex holster on a paracord neck lanyard. It looks like this :
https://www.amazon.com/Elk-River-Sports-Mini-Revolver-Holster/dp/B07P5GYC31/ref=sr_1_19?crid=E4RC27BAVZDB&dchild=1&keywords=naa+holster&qid=1602563014&sprefix=NAA+%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-19
Works like a charm, after I modified it a bit. The Kydex was cut, with no treatment to the edges, so it had a bit of a ‘sharp’ feel to the edges.
A few minutes with a Dremel polishing cylinder smoothed the edges out very nicely. *Extremely* comfortable to wear, within a few minutes of putting it on, I completely forgot it was even there.
This is my second new NAA-Mini. My next will be one of the convertible mag/22lr versions, and I’m seriously considering a Mini-Master with the 4-inch barrel and target sights as plinking toy…
Cloudbuster has got it right on the money. The old black powder Colts all came that way. There was a vertical slit in the hammer that is supposed to go over a pin in the cylinder slot to keep it from slipping off, but those pins are quite fragile. The 1873 colts do have a half cock safety that is quite effective that prevents the trigger from being pulled at all. A tab on the top of the trigger fits into a slot on the base of the hammer and it can’t move until the hammer is fully cocked. It is the position in which the pistol is loaded.
You will love a lever gun in .357 Mag. I made up some power loads for my Rossi 92 stainless. 125Gr JHP’s go out of that thing at 2250 fps by my chrono. That is just about the same as a 7.62×39 out of an AK short barrel. The .357 is an entirely different cartridge out of a carbine. Cowboy loads feel like shooting a 22LR.
When you say leave the hammer on an empty chamber for traditional single actions, do you mean just Colt pattern or is this standard practice even for transfer bar guns like Rugers? I currently only own double actions so I’m curious. Also that western rig is classy!
No. It’s safe to load Rugers all the way. The Colt design allowed the firing pin to rest directly on the primer of the ammo. Boom could accur when not planned. If your modern single action is built on the Colt pattern it is not safe to carry with 6. The old school Rugers that were made prior to about 1975 followed the old Colt pattern and they were not safe to carry with 6.
If you question the safety of the particular revolver look them up on the web.
They are pretty safe on half cock, SASS shooting rules require loading only five. The Ruger style transfer bar is safe, and the Pietta have adopted a similar transfer bar system, including a plunger style hand spring instead of the traditional Colt leaf spring (which is the one part most likely to fail). The Uberti is supposed to be safe, since there is no pressure on the firing pin when the hammer is down (it free floats); this system was developed to keep the look of the traditional Colt hammer and firing pin (which is not free floated).
Safe unless dropped, especially from horseback.
“The Colt design allowed the firing pin to rest directly on the primer of the ammo. Boom could occur when not planned.”
And that could be lethal if it fell from a cowboy’s holster onto its hammer, even on hard-packed dirt or wood saloon floor… 🙁
As long as they are built after 1973.
This is for traditional single actions without a transfer bar.
Central, That is a nice looking rig, isn’t it?
JWT, is that a Randall? Looks like a Bowie. Can’t tell if the handle is rosewood or micarta. Looks like a scalloped butt cap. Black sheath is a nice touch. Matches the gunbelt.
No sir, the Randall is a bit pedestrian compared to that knife. It was custom made for me by ABS master smith Don Lange a little over two decades ago. It’s been all over the world with me, including a couple of tours in Afghanistan. Desert ironwood handle. Rowe leather.
jwt, it was hard to see but and honest mistake. Not familiar with that bladesmith, but not unusual. There are so many out there. Even twenty years ago. I have blades I consider superior to Randall. Sometimes I mention them and get a blank stare, other times it’s, “You have a what!?” I like Randalls because they’re forged in Florida and a nice knife. I expect you have an affinity for things made in the Republic of Texas.
Also a big fan of Randall. Keep getting more. Never seem to have enough.
I have a .45 Colt Berretta Stampede Marshall which is also made by Uberti but it has a transfer bar and a rebounding firing pin like a Ruger. It has a 4″ barrel and birdshead grip so it’s not really a replica of anything. I just think it’s cool. Good shooter. Hits at point of aim within handgun distance and a real looker. It’s my BBQ gun.
Colts were designed to be carried on the first cocking notch, which lifts the hammer away from the firing pin. This is simmilar to how a lot of DA decocker guns don’t actually decock all the way down.
The modern practice of leaving one empty is simply a result of the Safety Polizei taking over all aspects of life. As mentioned SASS competition rules require it. In fairness, the cocking notch is not that deep.
This is confusing.
First: “For their newest release, the Pistoleer, Cimarron Firearms has created a budget-minded six-gun modeled closely after the Pre-War Colt Model P.”
Second: “As the Pistoleer is a model based on the original Peacemaker.”
The Peacemaker was 1973, no? The Single Action Army?
1873, not 1973!
As opposed to the Old Model black powder frame. Sorry for any confusion.
I’m hearing even BP percussion caps are non-existent these days!
(Start small, brass percussion caps. Mexican primer factory, Mexican primer factory, Mexican primer factory. Call it ‘Los Hombre’s Primers’… 🙂 )
I have no problem finding caps. Actually just pick some more up today. Same with bullets and powders. The only issue is primers. Especially Federal primers, which is, of course what I really need.
I own two single action revolvers — a Vaquero and a Wrangler — and would add a Cimarron if I could find one in the godforsaken state in which I live.
How do you like the wrangler? I’ve been thinking about getting two. One for each son…
The Wrangler is a terrific plinking revolver and a bargain at twice the price.
Cimmaron will ship one to your favorite FFL, as long as you don’t mind paying full retail. There are lots of other versions at the usual on line clearing houses like Gun Broker and Guns America.
jwm, “Everybody should have a single action in their collection.” Those words should be chiseled in stone. I’ve owned Ruger and Colt single actions since I was 19 y.o.a. A better trail revolver is hard to find and they’ll still stop a bad guy. If you don’t like a SSA you’ve never seen a good American Western or read a little history.
Suar and Sons, Hawes .22 16 years old, used it running trap line. Brass back strap rosewood grips, deep blue, real pretty gun
Holy shit. I hadnt thought about Hawes guns in forever.
They certainly had a range of guns in their catalog in the 70s.
Funny thing was that I never saw them in gun stores. Seen a few at gun shows.
I bought a used 1851 Navy at a gun store, quite cheap. Heavy piece of iron, but a reliable shooter. Hawes went bankrupt decades ago, which is why they are rarely seen.
SAA. You know what I meant.
I’m not sure which was first for me, a Ruger MkI .22LR target pistol or the 7.5″ Blackhawk in .357 Magnum, but I had them long enough to not remember when I got them as a kid. Certainly no later than 7th grade. Even at a young age, the .38SPL was very easily managed in that Blackahawk. By the time I was in my teens it was helping me take game. That’s the gun that made me love hunting for Javelina.
I need a second stimulus check. Whoops shhhhh you idiot, it’s supposed to be a new Chinese big screen and toilet paper, not firearms
If it comes, mine will be all guns. A takedown Ruger 10/22 and a 200-dollar BATF stamp for a form-1 can build like what Jeremy S built…
I never got a check. But if the second round sends me a check I will splurge on something, like a new bike. I’m riding a 12 yo bike now.
There are quite a few nice quality bikes available for about 600 bucks these days. American-made quality frames and the higher-end Japanese component groups. Flat-proof tires like Gatorback or Continental’s Armadillo gets you tires nearly puncture-proof.
This is truly the golden age of bicycles for what you get for your money…
My Specialized Globe was 600 bucks 12 years ago. Good tires are a must. We have these weasely little thorns here that will shred a standard tire in no time at all. Even downtown. I don’t know where the hell spawned things come from, but they are awful.
Off the top of my head I don’t remember the brand of tires it has currently. But they’ve got kevlar in them and seem to be good.
Thanks for the review. Seems like a nice wheel gun for the money.
A single action revolver is the pinnacle of ballistic machinery…..followed closely by a lever action rifle.
There is no doubt about the wonderouse workings of a mechanical device when shooting one…..or loading one.
I started with a Ruger Super Bearcat in 1973. It has been many a weary mile and still gets shot from time to time. Although my hand is a little larger than it was in when I was 10.
Did you mention the safety system in this revolver? Is it a fixed firing pin, transfer bar or another of those extended base pin deals?
I did, yes, and included a photo as well.
Have only one single action pistol , Ruger 22LR / 22wmr , heavy 6″ B , its a keeper , will teach ya to slow down on shooting and reloading , still enjoy it , time to time . each to their own .
I have two Piettas, one a 7 1/2″ in .357 and the other a 4 3/4″ in .45 Colt, and I bought a used Winchester/Miroku to match it. The .45 is one of my all time favorites. I made faux ivory grips that came out quite well, and it shoots to point of aim. It has a very slick action. It is what got me into reloading, since commercial rounds are pricey and there are a large number of powders and bullets available for a variety of uses. My experience is that the “cowboy action” loads are very light, with rated fps of between 650 and 750. 7 grains of Unique should run 850 fps, right in the .45 ACP range. Bullet weights run 185 gr to 300 grain, and the latter in a hard cast lead is a solid hunting round, but JHP and properly sized copper solids are also available (if you hunt in California). (I prefer bullets with a cannelure for crimping the case, which gives consistent OAL and prevent bullet set back.) Rounds for modern lever action rifles (e.g. a Winchester 1892) can be loaded safely to double the pressure of handgun rounds–just don’t mix them up!
If you get one of these and it is a bit gritty, it is an easy thing to take one apart (nine whole screws) and polish the interface between the frame and the base of the hammer.
I would be interested in learning more about how to evaluate the different single action safeties… I have a Taylor’s which I believe is strictly load one, skip one, load four all the time… re-reading your post, however I believe it’s made by Uberti so it might have that floating firing pin. What am I looking for?
(Incidentally the single action wheelgun is a favorite of new shooters I am breaking in. My kids, relatives, visiting non-gun people, all of them love the experience of shooting that thing. The shape, the pointability, the old-school clickety clack mechanism, the rolling recoil…all put a smile on their faces.)
I would also be interested in a sermon/story about that foundling flood revolver. That’s the sort of thing that gets passed around and read for years.
Any single action that does not employ a transfer bar should be loaded with the hammer on an empty chamber. A floating firing pin, extended cylinder base pin, notched cylinder, or really anything else other than a transfer bar shouldn’t be counted on prevent discharge on a dropped single action.
The floating firing pin works fine for the gun in your hand and ready to fire, or if you need to carefully lower the hammer on a live round.
Load one, skip one, load four is the cowboy way.
Just to stir up things a bit, there is another option to carry 6.
With several vintage cartridge revolvers I own, as well as that of my 1975 .357 Colt SAA, I can park the hammer on the cylinder, in the gap between two cartridges, so the firing-pin is not resting on any primer. The firing pin blocks the cartridge rims and prevents the cylinder from rotating until the hammer is cocked.
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James here, it is 21 June 2022…I want a SA Pistolero” QUESTION…Does this pistol have the “4 clicks” (like a colt) when you cock it.???? Please send answer ASAP..Thanks
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