Belt Auction

Opinions on this beautiful Uberti?

Your opinions on this drop dead gorgeous uberti? I understand the ammo is somewhat hard to find. This would be my pack gun when I go hiking, and I am also very fond of that very powerful .44-40 cartridge. http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=167460676

Public Comments

1. Uberti has done good work introducing some of the old classics, but this caliber is not that hard to find and Marlin makes their lever action in 44-40.
2. Note in the fine print that seller is ASSUMING its made by Uberti.... Although it looks like an Uberti, im not sure i would shell out $400 for a revolver online that could be a reproduction of a reproduction. Spain and Italy had a ton of companies that copied other makers and sold for half the price. They arent usually bad guns, but i wouldnt risk it. Here's the quote from the seller: "Made in Italy No maker markings High quality construction and I assume that Uberti is the maker"
3. No way I'd buy anything on line that doesn't have a pedigree stamped on it.
4. I have owned 3 Uberti single actions, one with bird head grips like the one pictured. I may be mistaken but believe they make frames for Colt while Colt still makes some single-action in their custom shop. My Uberti all had Colt patent dates on them But I think it also had Uberti on it.( dont have it in front of me at the moment. The one pictured looks like the nickle isn't very shiny so don't know how well it was treated. Some of the fram screw heads look a little buggered also. Possibly the front sight may have been "lowered to better be on point of aim. Keep in mind that some bore cleaners can and will eat the nickle off a gun. All my Ubertis were in 45 Colt. My only complaint with any of them is that they are not " calibrated" very well to point of aim. Some were pretty off even at 7 yards. Consistent, but off. I also have an Uberti copy of a Winchester 1873. I would have to agree with others that assuming it is an Uberti, might be taking a big chance. I don't know what they currently cost but the last one I bought was about $530. in nickle. I have fired exactly 50 rounds out of it. Spent another $230 on a Mernickle holster/belt set-up. That was about 7-9 years ago. Guess it will be time to sell it soon since it sees daylight about once a year and then I don't shoot it.
5. Here is a Uberti made “Colt Stallion Lighting”; http://www.ubertireplicas.com/foto/revolver_1873stallion/03%20big.jpg You will note the front sight is different (filed down) and the grips is slightly different. The patent marks are similar but the trigger guard is slightly different also. Colt also made the Thunderer which has a similar desighn and Uberti has made them also but they differ from the one you linked to. It is a nice looking revolver but I agree with the others that it may NOT be a Uberti. Uberti stamps their guns with a U surrounded with a Octagon or stamps their name. This PDF shows manufacture marking for black powder guns; https://store.bluebookinc.com/Info/PDF/POWDER/MBPProofmarks.pdf I dint see that stamp on that revolver. This link talks about the Uberti proof marks and where they are located with photos; http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=406662 So I have to say it may well not be a Uberti. And I wouldn’t buy it without knowing who made it. Looks are one thing, how well its made and what kind of steel quite another. I would keep looking, used Uberti revolvers can be found just takes some looking.
6. It's pretty... but... Guns are like women, okay? You don't get one without knowing what (or who) she is, or what they've been through... A $400 date with a crackwhore wouldn't be quite as nice as a $400 date with a genuinely good woman... same goes for firearms. Dumping $400 on a potential gamut of problems isn't quite as reassuring as putting $400 on a gun of known origin/quality. You could be purchasing some poorly made replica that someone shined up that they "think" is a Uberti...