Product Reviews

Review: The revolver is beautiful, the fit of the wood to metal and brass to steel is excellent. But the action is rough and gravelly on cocking and catches twice on letting the hammer down slowly. I haven't tried to shoot it yet. So we will see if that affects the operation.

Review: Overall I’m impressed with the quality of this revolver. With one exception the fit and finish are very nice. Timing is good and it shoots to the point of aim. More attention needs to be given to the shaping of the bottom of the barrel where it abuts the front of the frame – the barrel is a little too thin on both sides which results in a “step” rather than a smooth transition where the barrel and frame meet. The other problem is the fitting of the base pin to the barrel it is entirely too tight. It was impossible to remove the barrel for an initial cleaning by pushing it off with the loading lever. It took about an hour of fiddling to bump the cylinder/frame loose from the barrel without damaging anything. If it wasn’t for this overly-tight base pin condition the revolver would have gotten 5 stars.

Review: The weapon is excellent, great price and it feels like an extention of my hand. You just can't get the same feel in modern weapons. Fit and finish are great, they are vastly better than the original. Can't say enough about it, EMF has a real winner here.

Review: Nice piece, great price, great service.

Review: The Pietta is a generally faithful reproduction of the Colt four screw model 1860 Army, with some exceptions. The rifling does not reproduce the deep groove period rifling, but is of a more modern type. Obviously the steel is modern, and lighter than the original (which weighed in at a hefty 43 oz. unloaded). Of course it does not reproduce the patent dates on the frame and cylinder, or the one-line Colt address found on top of the barrel, since these are trademarked. But these differences are cosmetic. Out of the box, the gun looked excellent. The frame has a beautiful, shiny case hardening, the bluing on the barrel is polished. Unlike the typical walnut grips on both Piettas and Ubertis, this model had a reddish stain on the walnut grip, which also sports an inspector’s cartouche in the proper place. The fitting of the grips was about par for these firearms, very good along the straps but too wide where the grips meet the frame by a small fraction, leaving a small lip. Although I have been able to sand this lip off on other pistols I own, the red stain here prevents it. Further, and as is consistent with the Italian manufacturers, the grips are basically plain walnut with a little oil rubbed on (maybe) as a finish. I think they look dull, but again, this is typical for both Italian manufacturers for all of their basic Colt clones, including their 1873s with walnut grips. I personally prefer a shinier finish, accomplished with fine finish sanding paper(1500 grit) and a few coats of Tru-Oil. As was expected, the gun was covered with a fine oil to protect the gun prior to sale, and the owner’s manual details an initial cleaning. It was during the removal of this protectant that the first flaws emerged. First, the flat “case hardening” on the loading lever, wasn’t. In fact, it rubbed off, as did the same finish on the hammer. The finish on the same parts on my Pietta 1861 Navy is far superior. A disappointment that I will have to correct with cold bluing. Second, the action was horrible. The hammer grated against the frame, and when lowering it (rather than pulling the trigger) caused it to hang. It was very stiff. This was unacceptable. The trigger was crisp, unsurprisingly, as the sear on the Colt action is very short. Time for an action job. Fortunately, disassembling the pistol and polishing the innards is a simple job. Removing the barrel, which is usually an easy affair with an assist from the loading lever, was unusually difficult, a result of the tapered end of the cylinder pin that fits into a receptacle just below the barrel being slightly too wide. Significant force on the lever was required, and replacing the barrel required a few swift taps from a soft faced hammer before it was fully seated. Obviously the gun was not hand fitted, but slapped together out of assembly line parts. It is not a deal breaker, since it does not effect the operation of the pistol, but still an irritation. Removing the grip and digging into the trigger group revealed a lot of excess lubricant. More significantly, when I tested the locking cam lobe against the locking cutouts in the cylinder, I found that 3 of 6 were too tight, an issue that can cause improper lockup, a cylinder drag line, and peening of the lock cutouts on the cylinder. Some fine wet/dry sanding paper on the flats of the locking cam and a small file to remove excess steel in the locks remedied these defects. As noted above, the hammer did not fit cleanly into the frame, and when polished, revealed abundant tool marks. [I am guessing that Pietta CNCs a length of steel to the trigger spec, then cuts it into individual triggers.] Polishing of the mating surfaces between the lower lobe of the hammer and the inside of the frame notch remedied the scraping, and a small file on the edges of the hammer cut in the frame allowed freer movement. When reassembled, the pistol operates smoothly, locking and unlocking when it should. There is a small amount of residual hang up when a lobe on the hammer slips over the rear of the locking cam leg, but a reprofiling of the cam leg will remedy that as well. Next time. There is nothing "wrong" with the Pietta, it is a solid pistol when modestly tuned. At this price point, it is a decent value.

Review: Beautiful right out of the box. Haven't shot the pistol yet but everything looks good about it. EMF shipped very fast, great service, well packed. A good experience.

Review: I was a tiny bit skeptical when the shipped price was less than some used ones going on gunbroker. I was very happy to find the quality is the same as my other piettas, and also what is currently in stock at cabelas. Great fit and finish, cocking and timing a little rough, but overall exactly what I expected. 20 minutes with some files and polishing compund later, feels like it couldn't get better. I should have grabbed a pair!

Review: Great company to deal with and excellent customer service!

Review: Very nice piece...Fast delivery...

Review: This pistol exceeded all expectations. Grip was a little rough but after comparing to the real thing it was historical correct. Will be buying another soon

Review: did not have a chance to fire this gun yet but feels solid..came in a nice box..looks good.well done.

Review: This is my first cap and ball gun purchase. The gun is better than I expected. The first time I shot it I had none of the problems the internet led me to expect. I am very pleased with my purchase. I am very impressed with the customer service from EMF.

Review: EMF's customer service and friendly knowledgable staff is first rate and second to none! This revolver is a first class product, smooth as silk action, flawlessly made, and beautifully executed. Pietta is a world class maker of the highest order and when combined with EMF and their superior service it is an unbeatable combination. I will be back to buy again.