Author Topic: Who manufactures which clone?  (Read 7826 times)

Offline Sergio Leones Kid

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Who manufactures which clone?
« on: April 07, 2013, 10:00:32 AM »
Hey Guys,

As you can probably tell from the title of my post I'm rather new to the world of SAA clones and am finding it hard to wrap my mind around which clone manufacturers produce the models sold by the big distributors here in the US:  EMF, Taylors, Cimarron.

Based on my lurking around here for some time...this is my first post...it seems that these three companies have used both Uberti and Pietta at various times to produce their 6-guns. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like the Cattleman, for example, was produced by both Uberti and Pietta at different times. What I'm hoping to confirm is which of the 2 Italian companies is producing a SSA for which of the big 3 US distributors.

EMF SAA clones = Pietta
Cimarron SAA clones = Uberti
Taylors SAA clones = Uberti

This brings up two more questions. Are the models being sold by these 3 distributors just private label Uberti and Pietta guns or are they unique in some way to what Pietta and Uberti offer themselves? In other words, does EMF, Cimarrom, and Taylors just have the Italians slap their name on a gun that is no different from the competition...a Cimmaron Uberti is the same as a Taylors Uberti, they just have different model names. Or is each gun offered by the 3 distributors made by the Italians to specs they provide so that perhaps a Taylors Uberti is superior in some way/feature to a Cimarron Uberti, or vice versa?

BTW, these are the models I'm looking at for my first SSA purchase:

EMF Great Western II
Taylors Smokewagon or Cattleman
Cimarron Model P "Old Model"

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Offline Coffinmaker

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Re: Who manufactures which clone?
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2013, 05:56:20 PM »

I'll try and simplify it for ya.  Currently, Pietta and Uberti manufacture the vast majority of CAS guns offered.  Cimarron, EMF & Taylor's are the Big Three surviving importers.  There are some old wives tales about different importers "specifying" a specific level of build quality.  Los wives tale.
The only differences in the different importers guns are the importers roll stamps and some displayed patent dates.  Mechanically, they ate all the same from the manufacturer.
Currently, all three importers retail guns manufactured by both Uberty and Pietta.  They call them by different names and keeping track of whom is manufacturing what gun for who, is a full time job without benefit.  The only one that's easy to keep track of is EMFs GW II.  It's a Pietta.
Pick out a gun from an importer, buy it, have it set up and then play with it.  I personally feel the SA guns manufactured by Pietta are the best value for dollar in the current market.

Coffinmaker

Offline Sergio Leones Kid

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Re: Who manufactures which clone?
« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2013, 02:39:18 PM »
Thanks for the reply Coffinmaker. It seems you really can't go wrong no matter which manufacturer or distributor you choose. I guess it all comes down to price and customer service.

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Re: Who manufactures which clone?
« Reply #3 on: Today at 08:33:31 AM »

Offline Coffinmaker

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Re: Who manufactures which clone?
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2013, 07:41:33 PM »

Precisely

Coffinmaker

Offline Maj.Bull S. Hitter

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Re: Who manufactures which clone?
« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2013, 11:32:12 AM »
 Are all the clones , true clones ? Do parts interchange with Colt's ? Other Clones of different manufacture ?

Offline Bugscuffle

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Re: Who manufactures which clone?
« Reply #5 on: June 12, 2013, 06:06:16 PM »
We are leaving out an important part and that is the differences in customer service among the various importers. The importer is the one that you will need to contact for warranty work or to get information on the different models. I'm not about to get into judging the customer service of any of these, but maybe some here can give us their experiences with the  customer servive departments of some of these importers.
I will no longer respond to the rants of the small minded that want to sling mud rather than discuss in an adult manner.

Offline Coffinmaker

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Re: Who manufactures which clone?
« Reply #6 on: June 12, 2013, 09:51:03 PM »
Maj BS,
wish I could ban the term "clone" as used in firearms.  ESPECIALLY in CAS firearms.  SHORT answer ..... NO.  None of the current manufacture REPRODUCTIONS are actual clones of the SAA.  Many, not even close.  The now defunct Armi San Marco factory in Italy probably made the closest copy of the SAA.  Their quality however, was open to question and they failed. 
Current manufacture guns from Uberti and Pietta (SAA copies ONLY) are fairly close but parts will not interchange.  Some parts may be made to fit and work, but not many.

Bugs,
I worked with ALL the importers as an active gunsmith.  They all have/had their faults, but mostly try to to take care of their customers as best they can.  I, and I know others, who have had parts on order from Uberti for several YEARS.  Same with Pietta.  The Italian factories march to a different drum.  They sell everything they can make and then some.  I can't in all good conscience bad mouth the customer service of any of the current importers.  I've had great service from all of them, and I have had the occasional POS experience.  By and large mostly good. 
The best parts experience is from VTI Gunparts.  NONE of the importers will sell parts when they get down to their "warranty" stash.

Based on the work involved in prepping the SA reproductions for competition, I personally consider Pietta's guns the best value for dollar of all the current guns.  Same for BP guns.  There is simply less work to prepping Pietta guns.  Uberti guns can be prettier, but by and large take more prep work.

Coffinmaker

PS:  The most consistently good customer service has come from EMF

Offline Curley Cole

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Re: Who manufactures which clone?
« Reply #7 on: June 14, 2013, 01:09:02 AM »
I think the GW2 is the best clone on the market today. Also I have had the BEST after sale service from the folks at EMF. Debbie has done wonders. Old Top and I both have had some work done of guns while we waited in the lobby looking (drooled) at their guns in stock.

When Old Top was making his own version of a Alchiemesta (mated an 1860 bs/tg to his GW2s we needed screws specific to that change over. (GW screws didn't fit and neither did 1860 screws.) I emailed Alchimesta personally and he sent us 2 sets of tg/bs screws directly to my home and free of charge. ya can't beat that kind of service...

I have old EMF Dakotas, some Taylor pistols, a couple of Colts and SEVEN GW2s.

good shootin

curley
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Offline RRio

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Re: Who manufactures which clone?
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2013, 01:30:11 AM »
Are all the clones , true clones ? Do parts interchange with Colt's ? Other Clones of different manufacture ?




I've been working on Colt SAAs and the replicas since 1978, I learned from one of the great masters, Bob James.
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Offline sail32

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Re: Who manufactures which clone?
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2013, 03:23:59 PM »
Hi RRio,
Nice information drawing.
Do you have a similar drawing for Pietta ?
Thanks,
sail32

 

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