Author Topic: Standard Manufacturing SAA  (Read 5053 times)

Offline jd45

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Standard Manufacturing SAA
« on: November 12, 2018, 09:00:18 AM »
It's been quite a while since I posted on these forums. I hope everyone has been doin OK......I have. The reason I thought to post this here is that it seems this company has picked up where USFA left off. I may be a little behind the curve cause I just found out about them yesterday by looking at a You Tube video by Hickok45. The fit & finish on these SAs, from what I've seen, is exceptional. Of course it's not the same as handling one. One thing that impressed me, as did the USFA I bought back in the day, is that they used the first gen Colt style solid mount cone-shaped firing pin. It's what decided me on finally getting a USFA SA. Now, I hope everyone reading this is sitting down, cause the MSRP on these is $1895. I'd be interested to read any comments/opinions you guys might have about these firearms. And I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! jd45   

Offline Coffinmaker

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Re: Standard Manufacturing SAA
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2018, 09:40:12 AM »

I personally have a very Jaundiced Opinion.  Both about USFA and now the Standard.  And before you get real excited, Standard has stopped production already.  Because of my lousy opinion, I'll just step back and let "others" address this for you.

Offline Dave T

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Re: Standard Manufacturing SAA
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2018, 09:53:53 AM »
They are producing guns again and there are several threads about them, here and on the Colt Forum. If the OP wants more opinions you can spend an hour reading through all the posts.

As a fan and owner of the later production (all American made parts) USFAs I am happy to see another high quality SA being made in the USA. Others scoff at that and swear they won't pay for it...then grouse about manufacturers moving production and jobs overseas. Oh well, I shouldn't go down that rabbit hole.

Back on point, the Standard seems to be a well made gun from all I have read and seen in photos. There were a few glitches initially but those seem to be corrected and they continue turning them out and they are selling to those who appreciate what they offer.

And best of news to me, they just announced a black powder framed version in 44 WCF. I'm foundationally a 45 Colt shooter but the latest offering from Standard might just push me into another caliber. Of course then I'd have to get a '73 of some persuasion. (smile)

Dave

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Re: Standard Manufacturing SAA
« Reply #3 on: Today at 05:36:23 PM »

Offline jd45

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Re: Standard Manufacturing SAA
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2018, 10:46:04 AM »
Thanx for the posts guys, & Dave, thanx for the tip on the threads about STD on the Colt forum. jd45

Offline OD#3

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Re: Standard Manufacturing SAA
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2018, 05:36:47 PM »
They had issues with the alignment of the fixed, coned firing pins on the very first run; the firing pins were striking the bottom edge of the recoil plate and peening it.  Standard had to re-work all those firing pins so that they wouldn't do that any more, and the re-worked firing pins are identified by their having a slight up-turned look to the nose and a slight flat place along the bottom.  Mine was serial number 54, and its firing pin was one of the re-worked ones.  It works just fine, but that little manufacturing mistake was one of the things people nit-picked and scoffed at.  Some of us found ourselves in the position of being Standard apologists, since this re-worked firing pins were a non-issue in terms of function.  But I have to acknowledge that, since Standard's advertising language was so over-the-top in touting their own superiority, people were somewhat justified in their scorn upon finding a flaw in such an expensive and hyped product.

The good news is that Standard has addressed the firing pin issue on their current run, and the photos I've seen show no signs of the firing pins having to have been re-worked.  They are also including a hole in the back of the hammer now like the 1st Gen Colts.  This was absent on their first run. 

I waited over two months for mine.  The last guy on the Colt Forum who reported receiving one of the newer ones got his in about a week or two. 

Like Dave T, I'm also a fan of the later, all-USA-made USFA's.  And I can say that my Standard compares very favorably to those late USFA's.  So if you're looking for something like those latter USFA's, the Standard will make you very happy.

Conversely, if you just want a good shooter, neither my all-USA-made USFA premium nor my Standard shoot any better than a recent production Uberti.  With the Standard, you're paying for "made in the USA", all parts machined out of bar stock, real bone color-case, and superior fit and finish.  But that is all.  It was worth it to me, but I'm certainly not in a position to buy another any time soon.  These are a major investment for guys like me (and perhaps you, too).  But if you have the dough, buy with confidence.   

Offline jd45

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Re: Standard Manufacturing SAA
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2018, 09:02:29 PM »
OD, I just finished watching your 19 minute video with STD#54 & what you describe relating to the "massaging" the firing pin so it wouldn't scrape the recoil plate & the test with the Prussian blue shows they rectified the issue on that run of the SAs. Your gun is certainly a work of art, & something to be proud of. I guess I'll just have to be content with my lowly "all-USA made" USFA, (grin). Seriously, I love it. The action is smooth; & it's accurate, & because it's made of high quality steel, Brian Pearce says it can hold up under 20,000 lb loads, but I will only very occasionally run them, sticking with the std 14,000 lb for the vast majority of my shooting.  Enjoy it!!! jd45

Offline Capt. John Fitzgerald

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Re: Standard Manufacturing SAA
« Reply #6 on: November 13, 2018, 04:38:46 PM »
JD45,
 Glad to see you back among us!
CJF
You can't change the wind, but you can always change your sails.

Offline jd45

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Re: Standard Manufacturing SAA
« Reply #7 on: November 13, 2018, 06:49:07 PM »
Thank you, Captain...….it's good to be back! Happy Thanxgiving to all! jd45

Offline jd45

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Re: Standard Manufacturing SAA
« Reply #8 on: November 13, 2018, 06:58:35 PM »
OD#3, I was just watching your range video & noticed the Uberti "Rooster" dropping the cases very easily as opposed to the STD & USFA Rodeo, which caused me to wonder whether the chambers on it were bored to the high side of the spec,.....492", I believe, vs the STD & Rodeo being bored to the low side of the spec, namely .480". I'd be interested to hear your opinion on the subject, and thanx. And Happy Thanksgiving to all! jd45

Offline VAplinker

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Re: Standard Manufacturing SAA
« Reply #9 on: November 13, 2018, 08:25:37 PM »
I had my finger on the button with Bud's Gun Shop to buy a 4 3/4 Standard (they have them in stock), and a late series USFA popped up real cheap. So I bought the USFA just now. Price was just too good, and I couldn't say no. For me, they are tried and true.

I am in the crowd that is happy a finely made (by all accounts) American single action is on the market. I don't think many of us were too happy how Standard handled the fair criticism they got on round one, but at least they fixed it. OD - I am guessing it was your videos I watched - really appreciate you taking the time. I also watched Hickok's bit. The video where the shooter brought out a USFA, a Standard and a Colt, oh a Uberti as well - that was pretty neat. I really enjoyed that video and it helped demonstrate what a lot of us were likely curious about in a real comparison. Seemed like the Standard grouped really well - granted, the sample set of one. I've had Colts that were both amazing pieces of machinery, and others that were total garbage.

If a Standard is on my horizon, it may be a bit - at least next calendar year. I will always be in the market for a gun that is made by folks who give a damn and take pride in their work.

Offline jd45

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Re: Standard Manufacturing SAA
« Reply #10 on: November 13, 2018, 08:37:15 PM »
VAPlinker, I'll bet money you'll be as happy with your USFA as I've been with mine. Hope you enjoy it! jd45

Offline OD#3

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Re: Standard Manufacturing SAA
« Reply #11 on: November 14, 2018, 07:33:42 PM »
Sorry for the late reply; I hadn't expected many comments.  This board has been getting little attention lately, which is sad; I've probably learned more on CASCity than any other "cowboy gun" forums.  Sorry to say I'm part of the problem; I haven't been posting much on here lately.  The Coffinmaker must think me quite the fair-weather poster of late.

Interesting question by jd45 on the size of the chambers on Uberti vs. Standard, USFA, Colt, etc.  I SUSPECT that Uberti's chambers are reamed a little larger than Standard and USFA.  I say this only because, despite the high level of polish on both the Standard and the USFA premium chambers (shinier and arguably a higher standard of polish than Uberti used on that "Rooster"), the "Rooster" cases did fall out almost every time on their own, while the cases on the other guns were more reluctant to fall.  I don't have PIN guages.  I'm beginning to think I should attempt to acquire some with the zero money I have left in the bank (acquiring a Standard, two USFA Rodeos, and a USFA Premium in the space of a few months have wiped me out).  I have received more questions via PM and email about chamber, throat, and bore diameters than about any other question.  Unfortunately jd45, due to my aforementioned "damn the torpedoes" attitude towards high-priced single actions, I have no facts yet--just conjecture.  But I surmise that the Uberti had more generous chambers than the other revolvers on the table that day.

That "Rooster" and the Uberti .44 were borrowed guns.  The owner has had very good luck with every Uberti he's acquired over the last few years.  I have not.  My Cimarron (Uberti) Thunderer was made more recently than that "Rooster", and it was out-of-time as received.  And even after getting that mostly situated, I was never able to get the chambers to line up properly at half-cock.  Its predecessor, a Cimarron (Uberti) 7th Cav that I traded for the Thunderer was also poorly timed and rough as-received.  I have the same problem (half-cock timing not lining up the chambers centered enough in the loading gate window) on that 1983 Colt 3rd Gen.  I only say this to illustrate that I've received more than my share of misbehaving SAA-style revolvers, and it was a real pleasure to discover that my Standard and all three recently-acquired USFA's were perfectly timed with tight lockups and close barrel/cylinder gaps. 

VAplinker, if I had been you, I'd have gone with the late series USFA too.  Hopefully, Standard is in it for the long haul, and you can always (at least for now) save up for one.  The late series USFA's were great guns.  It is almost a toss-up between my Standard and my USFA Premium in quality, but they don't make USFA's any more.  Ironically, I only ordered the Standard because I had "missed the boat" on USFA's back when they were still being made, and all the ones I'd seen for sale since USFA shut down were outrageously priced.  So I resigned myself to never getting a USFA, but I didn't want to make the mistake again of passing on another all-machined, all-USA-made SAA-style revolver.  So I quit even looking for a decently-priced, late USFA, and as soon as I got an email that Standard's SA was "available for immediate delivery", I fired off an order.  I had no sooner done that when two all-USA-made USFA's at decent prices crossed my path in short order.  So I bought them.  And not long after the Standard arrived, a late USFA Premium was posted for sale on this very forum, again at a very reasonable price.  So I bought it.  And some of the stuff that I anticipated selling to offset this buying spree did not sell.  And that's why I sit here typing comments on forums instead of measuring chambers with nonexistent guages---a broke (but not broken) man.  Enjoy that USFA!

Offline jd45

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Re: Standard Manufacturing SAA
« Reply #12 on: November 14, 2018, 09:13:17 PM »
OD#3, your reply was a very interesting read! And you inadvertently answered a question I had about announcing a gun for sale on this site. Apparently it is permitted, possibly even encouraged. I have one that I'd like to find a good home for, if possible, & it is a USFA revolver, but an older one that originally had Uberti parts in it, called an Omnipotent Target. I've mentioned it here in the past. jd45

Offline OD#3

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Re: Standard Manufacturing SAA
« Reply #13 on: November 15, 2018, 05:16:58 PM »
I wasn't aware there were any omnipotents made before USFA went to all-USA-made, but I guess there were.  Why don't you post yours for sale in the classifieds section?  That's where I purchased my latest USFA.  Good photos would help, too. 

 

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