Uberti Product reliability?

[newshooter]

Does a guy need to be concerned about the reliability/ quality of any of Uberti's blackpowder revolvers? I've been considering for a while the purchase of the 1851 Navy Squareback, or possibly the 1861 Navy, and have put it off because of the possibility of getting a bad example (the website I've been looking at currently states something like a 26% return rate on the '51). It would probably be a great inconvenience to have to repack the gun if I got a reject, I don't get by the Post Office or UPS very often. I do want one and from what I've read Uberti is the place to go, I'm just not the guy who needs to mess with a model that is likely to be some sort of trouble.

[Will]

Well with just a couple exceptions I've had to work on every cap and ball revolver I've had. I've had the best luck with Uberti and for the most part all I've done to them was replace the nipples with Tresso brand so they'll take #11's.

That said try some place like Midway, and if you run across a "too good to be true" price it probably is! You might get a good one but then agian you'll probably be sending it back. That said these are fairly simple guns and if you are mechanicly inclined very easy to work on as long as the chamber lines up with the barrel when in battery. I had one very nice looking Pietta that didn't.

Probably your safest bet is to get one from Taylors, Buffalow arms or Cimmeron. Taylors and Buffalow suposadly handle Cimmeron guns and there' suposed to be rite straight out of the box but I've never had one so I couldn't tell you. I do know they are a bit higher priced so if it's not rite I'd pitch a fit.

If you don't mind the somewhat slow loading, you'll probably be tickled with a 51 or 61 navy. The ballance and handling are superb, accurace is very good and there surprisingly powerful for such a little ball.

[Will]

I just read your ealier post and would add that I don't care for the sqaure trigger gaurd on the navy modle. But then I have large hands, and do like the square trigger gaurd on my Walkers.

As for reliability, I've had to replace variouse springs and a couple of hand and spring assemblies. The parts are easy to get from VTI gunparts. Other than that I've put close to three thousand rounds through both me 51 navies with very little wear. Most of the wear is holster wear, not functional wear. I shoot 22 grains of real black powder, no subs, and a .380 cast round ball. The Uberti especialy likes the .380 round ball, .375 is just a hair too small for it. They also don't get coddled or pampered, they get shot and shot a lot with only infreqent cleanings to keep them running.

[newshooter]

Maybe I don't need a squareback then, but a rounded 1851.
I'm not sure, is a #10 a smaller cap than the #11 or is it larger? (the way a 12 gauge shotgun is larger than a 16), which one is historicaly accurate?

[Will]

#10 is smaller and fits most factory nipples. I like the tresso brand, they fit the more comon #11, specificly they fit Remmington #11's perfectly and last a long long time. I do have a tin of #10's for use on a 58' Remmington that I haven't gotten around to getting new nipples for.

As for the trigger gaurd, only you can decide on a round or square back. The square back is an earlier design from what I understand and the round came about latter in the 51' production run. Me personaly I like the look of the square back, but like I said I have very large hands. Even so I could probably get used to it on the navies, but my first ones had the round trigger gaurds and that's what've stuck with.

I would also add that where ever you get one, first thing you do after playing with it a bit and before firing is to tear it down to every last screw and clean it real good to get rid of any petrolium oils. Lube everything with bore butter and reasemble and it'll function longer and be a whole lot easier to clean.