OK so I have a USFA 7.5" all blue 45 Colt

[Hoof Hearted]

Early pistol with box and papers. Hammer has white sides like a Colt 2nd generation.

Who here can give me the lowdown on what I have and WHY it was produced this way?

Regards, HH

[yahoody]

Why was it produced all blue and polished flats on the hammer?  Full blue is the least expensive.....way to finish a firearm, short of no finish on the gun, which USPFA and USFA sold variations of as well.  Too bad as in this case, the bright blue and bright nickel  guns were prepped and polished very well.   A quick comparison of the bright blue and the bright nickel guns from USPFA and USFA  seemed (IMO) to have the same quality prep work (as in very good).  At that point, the metal is prepped and the final finish choice is the last thing to be added and "cheap" by comparison to the metal prep part of the finish.

[Hoof Hearted]

Depending on the hammer and fiiring pin style and frame milling you have on your gun, it is a SAA made up from Uberti parts  that was sold here by USPFA....later after being threatened with a law suit IIRC the name of the company was changed to USFA.  The parts may have been fit and finished here as well but no guarantees on that or how much of the gun was actually done here.

Why was it produced all blue and polished flats on the hammer?  It was Cheap.....

Gee Thanks...............

[Advertising]

[yahoody]

you're welcome

[Hoof Hearted]

I was asking mainly because I wondered if this was a specific model, emulation of a movie gun, or something special ordered.

yahoody,
I have a grasp of the history of United States Firearms and Doug Donnelly and I tried to word my question so as not to invoke the type of response you posted.

Maybe someone else will chime in with something other than an opinion?

Regards, HH

[yahoody]

Fair enough.   

USPFA produced cosmetics duplicates of your 7.5" gun in 4 3/4", 5.5".  Not uncommon and initially less expensive version of the blue and color cased USPFA SAA.   But in fact just a Uberti parts gun.

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

Hoof Hearted,
"Cheap" was, obviously, an insensitive word to use (and I am sure that Yahoody meant no offense by using it).
You mention that your gun is an "early" USFA offering.  When USFA first started out (as US Pt FA), they imported Uberti guns in the whole which they then disassembled, finished, and then reassembled here (according to USFA).  From there they went to importing Uberti parts which were then finished and assembled here at their Hartford facility.  Next step was the gradual transition to "all US made" parts.
The all blued offerings, such as your gun, were offered as a less expensive alternative to the blued and CCH models, bluing being much less expensive to produce than the CCH models.  No less quality, just a more affordable overall finish.  Nothing special about them other the the reduced  price.  No emulation of a "movie gun," no special order.  Just a standard, reduced price model of their regular SAA offerings.
Hope you are enjoying your "early" USFA and I hope to hear more from you here on the forum.
Sincerely,
CJF (forum moderator)

[hanover67]

Actually, USFA would produce anything you wanted. I have an all-blued Single Action. I originally wanted a Rodeo II, but was told USFA was no longer making nickel-plated guns. So, I settled on an all dome-blued, 4 3/4" .44 Special Single Action with the barrel marked "Russian S&W Special .44" This was in 2009, so a late model USA gun. It may be less valuable than a CCH gun but I don't care. Its mine, and its unique. Photo attached.

[Hoof Hearted]

Some pictures of my "Cheap" and "poorly fit and polished" USFA................
(It had been so long since I took it off the safe wall I thought it was a USPFA)

[Pettifogger]

I wish I had a pair of "cheap" ones like that.

[yahoody]

Pretty guns for sure.

The original question was, "Who here can give me the lowdown on what I have ..."

Looks to be a very early USFA built on Italian Uberti parts.  Cast Italian hammer, narrow firing pin are the first indicators of those parts.  Likely the front sight  and grips as well.   I would expect the serial number range to be  under 22250 on this gun.  USFA guns using USA made parts in part or in whole start around 22300 or for the HN guns around HN 47280.

The plum color on the blueing is another indicator of an early gun when compared to the later AB or DB blue finishes are original Uberti.

I originally wrote, "Too bad as in this case, the bright blue and bright nickel  guns were prepped and polished very well.   A quick comparison of the bright blue and the bright nickel guns from USPFA and USFA  seemed (IMO) to have the same quality prep work (as in very good). "

No matter..as the full blue versions were sold at a discount compared to the blue and color cased or full nickel guns because the blues guns were less expensive to produce for USFA.

[Old Doc]

I have an all blue USFA Cowboy in .44 spl with 7 1/2 barrels and polished hammer . It is my Paladin revolver and is matched with an Alfonso Paladin holster and belt .

[GaryG]

From a prep standpoint (excluding Rodeos & nickel SAs), the final polish was all the same.  The difference in production costs between an all blue vs. a colorcase/blue was less than $50.  All all blue gun could be shipped 2-3 weeks faster than a CC/blue gun.  You have a nice one.

[Old Doc]

From a prep standpoint (excluding Rodeos & nickel SAs), the final polish was all the same.  The difference in production costs between an all blue vs. a colorcase/blue was less than $50.  All all blue gun could be shipped 2-3 weeks faster than a CC/blue gun.  You have a nice one.

Gary , I believe it was you , who , when I asked why there were two different Gunslinger finishes , you said it was because your finisher got tired of dressing up in the Hazmat suit . True ?

[GaryG]

That's correct.  The original was rusted.  The big issue was that after the rusting process, the parts were put into a solution of baking soda and water to stop the rusting process.  If this wasn't done or not left into the solution long enough, the rusting process was never stopped.  The gun looked great going into the box but after a few days it was basically completely rusted.   They then went to oil and steel wool on a blued gun.

[Old Doc]

Fortunately , mine was done by the second process . The original ones have a mottled appearance , which I did not like as well .

[Hoof Hearted]

From a prep standpoint (excluding Rodeos & nickel SAs), the final polish was all the same.  The difference in production costs between an all blue vs. a colorcase/blue was less than $50.  All all blue gun could be shipped 2-3 weeks faster than a CC/blue gun.  You have a nice one.

Thanks Gary!

Good to hear from the source instead of the gossip!