Uberti Cattleman 45 Colt. Weak Gun?

[Archer Dan]

I just bought 2 Stainless 45 colt cattlemans. I was purchassing a Ruger Blackhaw (for saftey reasons. Everyone said they were very strong and safe, and the Uberties were weak because of their design) when an old SASS shooter Told me he thought the Uberti is a better made revolver. After 250,000 shots, (That is not a typo) Everything is still fine. Springs included!

He told me that he had used high pressure loads in it when he went to Alaska, with ne damage to the revolver, and no pressure signs on the brass.

I have looked everywhere I could think of to find the pressure rating for this calibur in this pistol. The 357 mag offered, is much higher pressure than the 14,000 cup of the 45 colt. I know the cylinder walls will be thinner, But shouldn't this model in Stainless be rated somewhere in the same ballpark? If the design can take the pressure in 357 mag, it should take the pressure in 45 colt. Pressure is pressure.

Untill I hear what Uberti has to say, I will stick with the data I have. It is the safe way. But what do they say their pistol is rated for?
What pressure?
357 mag pressure?
Or this weak 14,000 cup?

[clayflingythingy]

The Uberti is basically a Colt copy. The Colt was also offered in 357 BUT no one recommends using souped up loads in the Colt when chambered for 45 Colt. If you read enuff old books and magazine articles you will find references to 45 Colt guns letting go when someone tried to hot rod them. Never use anything but standard loads in a 45 Colt Uberti. I suspect the thicker chamber walls make a big difference in the guns being able to digest 357 mag ammo. Nor am I aware of any gun in which stainless steel makes it better able to withstand higher pressure.

[Archer Dan]

Good stainless can be stronger. Does it make a big difference? No.

Thanks for the response. What you say is what I know about the older guns, and older steel in the 73. I would like to know what Uberti's tests show and what their cattlemans pressure rating is for this caliber.

I want to verify if it is this weak. Industry standard presure rating for 45 colt is 14,000 psi, not cup. Since they do not follow the same curve, this error on my part can make a considerable difference.

Since we don't plan on hunting with these pistols, we will not be loading over 14,000 psi for the revolvers
in the first place. We do plan on loading 45 Long colts hotter in a modern 92 45 long colt, or 454 **** Lever rifle, for hunting.

Knowing there is an exstream difference in Strength dictates the degree of precation taken to avoid accidents in our 4 3/4" cattlemen.

It is too bad they are weak, as we far prefer them to the rugers.

Is there any hard data on their strength from Uberti techs, or are we left completely in the dark here?

[clayflingythingy]

I have not read any tests where anyone has run heavy loads thru an Uberti to find out what pressures it can take with regard to 45 Colt and doubt I ever will due to liability issues if someone had a gun let go.

As far as someone shooting thousands of heavy loads thru an Uberti with no problems that may be possible. On the other hand I remember reading a story by Ayoob that he related about a Colt Python. Some guy was reloading above recommended loads in the gun and called Elmer Keith to ask if his load was OK. Keith said if the cases were extracting OK then the load was probably safe. The guy shot the gun for some time with these loads until one day it blew all to heck and gone.

Me, I'll stick to 45 Colt loads at 800 to 850 FPS in an Uberti or any other Colt clone.

[Will]

I don't know about smokless loads,( I stick to light loads in smokless) but a load of 38 grains of black powder drop tubed and a 250 grain soft cast slug and magnum primmer are almost more than I can handle with the navy grips. The barrel points skyward and it kicks like a mule. Now if it had army grips or Buntline you'd probably do better. But if 1000 fps average with a 250 grain soft lead slug doesn't do it not a lot else will.

The bigest differance between the Ruger and Colt clone is metal thickness, the Ruger old Vaquero is just plain thicker and heaver.

[dgunner]

Well I e-mailed Uberti to ask them what the max cup is for a cattleman, I have not heard back. I do know that they are strong guns, but I would like to know just how strong. I do not want to push things to the limit of the gun, but try and squeek out a bit more. We will see if they write me back, I have my doubts that they will.

[jtg452]

Well I e-mailed Uberti to ask them what the max cup is for a cattleman, I have not heard back. I do know that they are strong guns, but I would like to know just how strong. I do not want to push things to the limit of the gun, but try and squeek out a bit more. We will see if they write me back, I have my doubts that they will.

I bet you never hear back from them or they tell you not to go 'off the reservation' with your reloads and stay within SAAMI specifications.

Besides, unless you have test barrels to measure CUP or PSI (you need separate rigs for both, by the way) you are just guessing.

Personally, I ain't gonna shoot something that might blow up a gun while it's IN MY HAND based on half-a$$ assumptions and pure guesswork- and unless you have verifiable FACTS and empirical data, that's exactly what you are doing.

Ballistic lab techs get paid real good because it is a specialized technical skill and they have a LOT of every expensive, specialized equipment at their disposal.

Uberti guns are replicas based on a design that's over 130 years old and the internal design hasn't changed much in almost 150 years. Yes, modern metallurgy is superior to what was used in 1873 but, especially with the large bore calibers, there's still only so much steel in those chamber walls at the thinnest point.

If you want to turbo charge the big bore wheel gun calibers, BUY MORE GUN THAN A UBERTI if for no other reason than safety.

I'm not going to try to go 200mph in a Model T Ford. I can theoretically build one up to do it, but that don't mean it's a good idea. The Model T has it's limitations and I know it.

The older, large framed model Blackhawks and Vaqueros simply have more steel in the cylinders because they are about 10% bigger than the Colt SAA based Uberti guns and they will stand up to more pressure. Thompson Center single shot pistols will shoot cartridges that make the .45 Colt look like a spit ball coming out of a Bic pen. If I wanted to soup up the .45 Colt, I'd start with something that will handle the abuse, not one of my Italian clones.