My New Toy - Pietta Peacemaker .357

colt45gunner

colt45gunner

CGN frequent flyer
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
4   0   1
Location
Toronto
My new toy is in and wanted to share. Just picked it up today.
It's a Pietta 1973 (Peacemaker design) in .357.. 5.5" barrel. Went with this cal. so I can shoot .38 out of it as well, or maybe most of the time (especially bringing new shooter to the club) shoot the sweet but pricey Boom .357 once in a while... This will just be another toy for occassional shooting...

Will go to range tomorrow and get a few rounds down range and will report back my thoughts on the gun & accuraccy, to my abilities.....

Thanks to those who replied to my earlier thread asking for opinion on models....a few said they like theirs and use it as main gun in cowboy action. Well, maybe I should save the thanks till after checking it out ;)

01212012559.jpg


01212012560.jpg
 
Last edited:
Sweet, I like the case-hardening. I've always had a 'thing' for old west style singles but Ionly have DA's. Something about the singles just screams HOLSTER! and with range rules the way they are, the only way I'd get pleasure from one is to joint an old west action competition. Still, can't wait to hear how it shoots.....pardner!
 
Thanks ya'll..
I did manage to shoot it today, but had a guest come and forget to bring my range rest bag and was short on time to shoot this and 2 other guns with my guest..
It did shoot fairly well just freestyle 2 handed, and figured out where it zero is at 10m, but didn't really get a chance to sight in and check grouping with careful rested shots...
and didn't get any .357 for it yet.. just found some 38 reloads, which very smoky (I guess kinda goes with old wester style gun)

I will get out with it's inteded .357 within the week and slow down and get some targets posted.. hopefully by next weekend at the latest...

I did find the grip positioning in respect to the trigger & trigger guard to be intrusive to each other.. what I mean is your trigger finger is squished up against the the frame on the upper part of the trigger guard and you're pulling trigger on the upper part of the curved trigger... (in short your grip & trigger finger line up a little higher & are kinda reaching downwards into the trigger guard)..once you get used it it, I guess it'll be fine.. and the gun is kinda cool.. but I guess it's a design flaw from those years...it helps if you hold the gun little lower on the grip, but then you're holding the gun wrong and the pinky is under the grip....
Look forward to getting some .357 thru it
Local shop is out of umc cheaper stuff and found some for good price and will pick up this week..:D:D

oh yah, I like hearing that clicking too...
 
Actually the proper way to hold a western style single action is with the pinky under the grip just like you found that it tried to make you do it. By holding it a little lower you'll find that the grip is far more natural. And if you're shooting it with mostly .357Mag then it'll tend to rotate in your grip from the recoil. Having your pinky under the grip aids in easing off your grip and using the pinky to return the gun to the correct holding position.

I found mine tended to shoot very low. The front sight is likely a true copy of the .45Colt sight. And with the .45's there must be more lift before the bullet leaves the barrel. With .38's itjust doesn't lift like that. I'm still working the front sight down with a file to reach where it hits accurately to POA. But I'm working it down slowly and finding that it makes a difference how I hold it and also the fact that I shoot these guns in the one handed "duelist" style for the cowboy shooting I'm doing. With a two handed hold the gun doesn't lift as much and I'd need to shorten the sight even more. So pick a load you're using and stick with it.

By the way, most will agree that these guns won't stay in time very long if shot with a steady diet of .357. They won't grenade in your hand but the internal parts will likely tend to wear faster and make for premature play in the cylinder and rotational play. A better option for a steady diet of .357 would have been a Ruger Blackhawk.
 
BCRider said:
Actually the proper way to hold a western style single action is with the pinky under the grip just like you found that it tried to make you do it. By holding it a little lower you'll find that the grip is far more natural. And if you're shooting it with mostly .357Mag then it'll tend to rotate in your grip from the recoil. Having your pinky under the grip aids in easing off your grip and using the pinky to return the gun to the correct holding position.

I found mine tended to shoot very low. The front sight is likely a true copy of the .45Colt sight. And with the .45's there must be more lift before the bullet leaves the barrel. With .38's itjust doesn't lift like that. I'm still working the front sight down with a file to reach where it hits accurately to POA. But I'm working it down slowly and finding that it makes a difference how I hold it and also the fact that I shoot these guns in the one handed "duelist" style for the cowboy shooting I'm doing. With a two handed hold the gun doesn't lift as much and I'd need to shorten the sight even more. So pick a load you're using and stick with it.

By the way, most will agree that these guns won't stay in time very long if shot with a steady diet of .357. They won't grenade in your hand but the internal parts will likely tend to wear faster and make for premature play in the cylinder and rotational play. A better option for a steady diet of .357 would have been a Ruger Blackhawk.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the fedback.. I will hold such way from now on.. well, I didn't use a rest yet, holding for a carefull shot at 10m, i found I have to aim so the top of front sight is about an 1/8" of an inch higher the the top of the rear notched sight...if bullet swings up a bit in its natural flight before coming down, I think at 25m keeping sight within the rear notch and flush to top of rear, should be on at 25m, but I'll check that out later this week...
I'll be shooting this only occaissionally and mostly when bringing guest to the club.. and mostly with .38... 357 once in awhile for fun factor.
 
Last edited:
That's about what I found as well.

You're also going to find that the arc and fall would only bring the sights to being correct when shooting at 50m or more.

I'll defer to someone that knows the history of such guns more but I wonder if the sights were set up to hit a man on horseback at 100 yards or so. If that's the case it would explain the front sight being so tall and the old adage of "to shoot a man in the chest aim for his belly" when referring to a closer in gunfight.

My own two have probably around 2000 to 2500 rounds each through them from shooting the past couple of years. So far the only thing that has changed in them is that the trigger is now silky smooth and lighter feeling compared to the slightly catchiness they had when brand new. But then I've shot primarily .38Spl through mine. THey've each seen maybe a dozen or less actual magnum rounds in all that time. If you'll be using mostly magnums I hope that it holds up well for you.
 
love mine!! have 4.45" & 7.5" with fake ivory grips...had to slightly file front sight of shorter barrel, longer barrel is dead on...both are accurate, 38 only, should last awhile, (357 once a year on milk jugs)
 
Above, are my first 10 shots (with Remington UMC 130 gr. 38special) using a shooting bag rest and I was in a odd leaning down position doing so and not so comfortable.. I don't think I was in good form.. but here it is.. will do another better test later.
there's 11 shots in there, the ones with red dot next to them are the 10, there on and few above was some extra fun shots I took after..
But as you can see it shoots very low at 15yrd.. I was aiming, for bullseye or slighty under.. hard to tell with black sights and black target (will use white with red dot on next run) I'm also shooting to the left, but that must be me... as others have said about these guns, they need front sight filed down.. will get to that when better tested and know for sure, it zero.

But I like the gun in general, seems to have a smooth rotation and nice clicking sound...
I put a few .357 rnds thru it.. wowa baby, nice kick... I'll get some groups of that soon too.. let me break him in a bit (notice, didn't say her, not with a magnum load) :D
I may be back to range this wed., will retest her more carefully and post newer results of both 38 & 357

TargetGrouping1.jpg
 
Just ordered one for myself...my first revolver. I got the 4.75" version in .357Mag. Hopefully these things are as fun to shoot as they look. I'll update as soon as I receive it and have a chance to fire it.
 
Congrats to you Brordo. They really are fun to shoot. ESPECIALLY in the old one handed movie or bullseye style.

And a note to both of you and anyone else with the old style original Colt action replicas. When you load you already know you go to half ####. But be aware that to avoid a "newbie" drag line around the cylinder caused by the cylinder "bolt" (the correct period and Colt name for the locking lug) it is imperative that you go to full #### before lowering the hammer.

On the casual shooting range this isn't a big deal as the normal mode is to load six then close the gate, raise to point downrange then go to full #### for the first shot. But if loading to put in a holster or to pass off to someone you want to lower the hammer. THis means to avoid the nasty looking drag line you want to go to full #### FIRST then carefully control the hammer, pull the trigger and lower the hammer.

A note on this aspect. The original style action as copied by the Italians is NOT drop safe. So it was normal back in the day and is still normal now for carrying in a holster to only load 5 rounds and carry with the hammer safely down on the empty hole.

To load and lower safely the traditional way is to flip the gate, go to half ####, load one, skip one, load four. If you then flip the gate shut and turn the gun over you'll see that the empty chamber is up at the "10'oclock" position patiently waiting for you to go to full #### and index the empty position up to the hammer fall position. You can then lower the hammer on this empty position and holster safely.

If you messed up and missed it and the empty chamber isn't at the 10'oclock, as seen from behind, then simply spin the cylinder around and stop it with the empty at that location while still in the half #### setting.

Of course if goes without saying that if you're lowering the hammer on a loaded chamber that it should be done while the gun is pointed safely downrange "just in case" you slip. And I would only do so if you're going to lay the gun down while pointed downrange and step back to let someone shoot right away that you trust with the round being chambered.

Not only are they not drop proof but they are actually easily set off if they should happen to fall onto the hammer with a sharp arrival. So consider that. You may want to practice the loading 5 idea if you're loading and passing off to someone.
 
Thanks so much for that info BCRider...I'd really hate to make a newbie mistake like those mentioned.
 
my Pietta has 4 positions the hammer can be in, cocked, half cocked, slightly cocked and fully down.
I have to fully #### it after being at half ####, or else it will not go down and pulling on the trigger while at half ####, doesnt move.. so you have to fully #### and either fire or pull trigger and slowly lower hammer to half ####, or the other 2 positions.
now, if i pull trigger from full #### and start to lower hammer and then let go of trigger, the hammer will stop at half ####.. if i let trigger go after passing half #### position, it'll stop at that partial #### position, also keeping it from firing.
so it has safeties. But they are mechanical ones and i can't say 100% that they'll never malfunction.
and I'm told keeping hammer at that slightly cocked position is the right position to have it in when not firing it or storing it.
so, it seems safe not to accidentally fire....
 
From the half #### for loading there is a little distance that you have to draw the hammer back. But if you do you can then pull the trigger and lower the hammer from there before the next click. And that's where the cylinder drag issue can come in.

You can try this for yourselves. Put the gun in half #### and then pull on the trigger. While holding the pressure draw the hammer back. After a small but noticable amount of hammer travel you'll feel the trigger jump a little. That's the point where the nose of the trigger sear came out of the captured half #### notch. It's here that if you lower the hammer instead of going to full #### that the timing of the bolt will be messed up and it'll end up dragging on the cylinder if you turn it after lowering the hammer.

The secondary hooks on the hammer that hold it back are not all that big and tough. If dropped and the gun hits on the hammer it can still bust off the sear nose or jump the hook from the shock and let the hammer fall. So all in all it's still best to do it like the old western folk did.

In reality unless you're shooting in cowboy action events you're normally going to load all six, #### the hammer and shoot until empty. So it's really not a big deal. But I find it's nice to know all these old time tricks and why they did things the way they did. If nothing else I can bore the folks at parties with my esoteric and rather useless knowledge....:D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom