Pietta Revolvers from Marstar?
- Thread starter Kdrunkin1
- Start date
I saw some recently when the Marstar rep visited an IPSC shoot. The Pietta copies of the Colt Peacemaker M1973 are well finished and reportedly are almost identical copies of the original. When I tried to cycle the action, I didn't find them to be as slick as a Colt however. Still and all, they sell at about a quarter the price of a Colt and they will likely do the job for Cowboy shooting quite well.
No, they are a different company in Italy than Beretta.
No, they are a different company in Italy than Beretta.
From what I remember, American Arms bout their guns from Uberti.
Beretta owns Uberti. Uberti makes 2 near perfect replicas of the 1873, one with the early cylinder release and one wit hthe later style release.
Uberti makes a third version which beretta markets as the stampede. The only differences between the Uberti and the Beretta are that the Beretta uses a modern transfer bar safety and has bakelite grips similar to 1st gen colts, while the Ubertis are offered with wood or faux-ivory grips and have no transfer bar safety. Frankly, I think the safety adds another possible failure point to a design already known as delicate, so I'd save myself the extra $100-150 and get the Uberti over the Stampede if I wanted one of these guns.
The Pietta guns, on the other hand, are relatively new. Uberti has made their 1873 for many years now and the machinery they are using is starting to be a little old-tech and more labor intensive than the newer gear. This adds to their finishing costs and the end price. The Pietta machinery is much newer and more automated which, they claim, allows less hand fitting during assembly and lower consumer costs. Also they offer less variants.
All the reviews I've seen claim that the Pietta 1873 is every bit the equal of the Uberti 1873. Neither is as good as a real 2nd gen or earlier Colt, but then nothing is these days - not even 3rd gen or later Colts! The earlier Colt remakes were hand fitted and assembled individually in the USA from Uberti rough forgings and that individual attention to each gun really jacked the price and performance up. The work that went into the Gen 1's would be impossible at todays labor casts as no-one could afford to buy them!
Frankly, my next SAA will be a Pietta in .45LC. Marstar is undercutting the Uberti dealers by over $100 per gun and having now seen both in person, I would not be able to justify the Uberti;s additional cost.
That being said, the Black Powder Ubertis are better finished and fit than the Pietta ones. If appearance is important, get an Uberti BP revolver over the Pietta. The Pietta 1860 Army I have works just fine though, but the polishing and grip fit is not up to Uberti standards.
Beretta owns Uberti. Uberti makes 2 near perfect replicas of the 1873, one with the early cylinder release and one wit hthe later style release.
Uberti makes a third version which beretta markets as the stampede. The only differences between the Uberti and the Beretta are that the Beretta uses a modern transfer bar safety and has bakelite grips similar to 1st gen colts, while the Ubertis are offered with wood or faux-ivory grips and have no transfer bar safety. Frankly, I think the safety adds another possible failure point to a design already known as delicate, so I'd save myself the extra $100-150 and get the Uberti over the Stampede if I wanted one of these guns.
The Pietta guns, on the other hand, are relatively new. Uberti has made their 1873 for many years now and the machinery they are using is starting to be a little old-tech and more labor intensive than the newer gear. This adds to their finishing costs and the end price. The Pietta machinery is much newer and more automated which, they claim, allows less hand fitting during assembly and lower consumer costs. Also they offer less variants.
All the reviews I've seen claim that the Pietta 1873 is every bit the equal of the Uberti 1873. Neither is as good as a real 2nd gen or earlier Colt, but then nothing is these days - not even 3rd gen or later Colts! The earlier Colt remakes were hand fitted and assembled individually in the USA from Uberti rough forgings and that individual attention to each gun really jacked the price and performance up. The work that went into the Gen 1's would be impossible at todays labor casts as no-one could afford to buy them!
Frankly, my next SAA will be a Pietta in .45LC. Marstar is undercutting the Uberti dealers by over $100 per gun and having now seen both in person, I would not be able to justify the Uberti;s additional cost.
That being said, the Black Powder Ubertis are better finished and fit than the Pietta ones. If appearance is important, get an Uberti BP revolver over the Pietta. The Pietta 1860 Army I have works just fine though, but the polishing and grip fit is not up to Uberti standards.
The Pietta gun are very well made. Pietta made guns for Uberti at some time and were imported under the Uberti name in the USA. I found exactly the reverse of Claven2 : My Pietta Black Powder 1860 Army was better fitted - perfectly fitted - when compared to a Uberti BP 1851 Navy.
Check your Uberti - I would not be surprised that you find the Pietta proof mark on some of the better one you see.
Check your Uberti - I would not be surprised that you find the Pietta proof mark on some of the better one you see.
Janeau, Pietta NEVER - repeat- NEVER made guns for Uberti. They are two competing cmpanies. That would be like Winchester making Remington 700's. Just does not happen. In fact, Pietta even uses different threads on all screws than Uberti does.
They also use slightly different steel blends, different blueing, different grip design, the list goes on and on.
It's WELL established that the Uberti guns are better fit in the BP models. Go read any thread in any BP forum.
In terms of comparing an 1851 to an 1860 - well... :roll: Where's that Norinco Viking clone again??? :lol:
They also use slightly different steel blends, different blueing, different grip design, the list goes on and on.
It's WELL established that the Uberti guns are better fit in the BP models. Go read any thread in any BP forum.
In terms of comparing an 1851 to an 1860 - well... :roll: Where's that Norinco Viking clone again??? :lol:
Claven2, You are dead WRONG !!!!
PIETTA did made guns and parts for UBERTI. Do your reseach Mister !!! Many UBERTI gun do wear the factory marking of PIETTA . This is absolutely not like Winchester and Remington... Pietta and Uberti collaborated for years and years. And is still not unusual for Italian gunmakers to do so.
I had in my hand at least 3 examples of Uberti guns wearing Pietta proof and manufacturing marking along with the Uberti's. Hallucination maybe !!! Uberti and Pietta manufactured guns under other names . As for my PB guns, CFC demanded identification...
They are so the same that parts do interchange on the black powder family of repro gun. The authority on repro is Dixie in the USA. They are the one who pionered the Italian gunmaker in doing reproduction work for the US market way back in the 60. Check their catalog for some history on it.
UBERTI just got purchased last year by Beretta. This is a new affair. PIETTA is going alone now and do their own marketing and sale. The new line imported by Marstar is different and with time the product line will differ even more.
PIETTA guns are of the same quality and in the black powder line, I can state they are made and fitted better than the UBERTI. All the black powder line parts interchange down to the screw size and threads.
As for the Norinco Viking clone - spend less time on this forum and make your own reseach. Norinco do have a copy...GET over it .. NORINCO try to copy anythings....that you should know !
PIETTA did made guns and parts for UBERTI. Do your reseach Mister !!! Many UBERTI gun do wear the factory marking of PIETTA . This is absolutely not like Winchester and Remington... Pietta and Uberti collaborated for years and years. And is still not unusual for Italian gunmakers to do so.
I had in my hand at least 3 examples of Uberti guns wearing Pietta proof and manufacturing marking along with the Uberti's. Hallucination maybe !!! Uberti and Pietta manufactured guns under other names . As for my PB guns, CFC demanded identification...
They are so the same that parts do interchange on the black powder family of repro gun. The authority on repro is Dixie in the USA. They are the one who pionered the Italian gunmaker in doing reproduction work for the US market way back in the 60. Check their catalog for some history on it.
UBERTI just got purchased last year by Beretta. This is a new affair. PIETTA is going alone now and do their own marketing and sale. The new line imported by Marstar is different and with time the product line will differ even more.
PIETTA guns are of the same quality and in the black powder line, I can state they are made and fitted better than the UBERTI. All the black powder line parts interchange down to the screw size and threads.
As for the Norinco Viking clone - spend less time on this forum and make your own reseach. Norinco do have a copy...GET over it .. NORINCO try to copy anythings....that you should know !
Claven..to settle this one-once and for all :
Here is the VIKING : http://club.guns.ru/eng/handguns.html
Here is the Norinco copycat : http://www.norincosports.cn/detail_product_English.jsp?productid=81&cssid=1
Here is the VIKING : http://club.guns.ru/eng/handguns.html
Here is the Norinco copycat : http://www.norincosports.cn/detail_product_English.jsp?productid=81&cssid=1
I handled some of the Pietta SAA's today at our local 2 day gunshow. They were on MD Charlton's company table. Charlton is the Canadian S&W rep and has his main business here in Victoria, B.C.... 
Anyway, the Pietta SAA's seemed to be well made. Saw some blue/case color with 1 pce wood grips, and some with faux ivory 1 pce grips. Saw some nickel ones with the 1 pce faux ivory. Barrel lengths 4 3/4", 5 1/2" and 7 1/2". The one's I looked at were either in .45 Colt or .357 Mag. Didn't ask for the prices and they weren't marked with them. Will check that out tomorrow. If I was in the market for a SAA for cowboy action I really consider on of these Pietta's. 8)
I'm betting Marstar has the best prices in the country on them too, though. :wink:
Anyway, the Pietta SAA's seemed to be well made. Saw some blue/case color with 1 pce wood grips, and some with faux ivory 1 pce grips. Saw some nickel ones with the 1 pce faux ivory. Barrel lengths 4 3/4", 5 1/2" and 7 1/2". The one's I looked at were either in .45 Colt or .357 Mag. Didn't ask for the prices and they weren't marked with them. Will check that out tomorrow. If I was in the market for a SAA for cowboy action I really consider on of these Pietta's. 8)
I'm betting Marstar has the best prices in the country on them too, though. :wink:
1858 buffalo gun from marstar
Hi kent, I bought a 1858 buffalo gun last summer for cow boy shooting. Its from marstar. It has a 12 inch hex barrel,a brass frame ,good sights and is so much fun to shoot. I cast my own bullets for it .I load each chamber with 32 grains of FFFG HODGDON easy clean propellant. I love it. It washes off all of the residue with simple cold water. Tride the regular black powder,but had to clean the gun constantly and the cylinder would tighten up. Absolutly no probs with the 777.Oh, the gun also has an adjustable rear sight.Kdrunkin1 said:
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