USFA 1851 C&B on GB ....

[Professor Marvel]

Ah My Happy Netizens ...

whilst perusing the ye candy over on GB whatever should I come upon but one of the incredibly elusive
USFA 1851 C&B revolvers..

So, we have to ask ourselves, is it legit or fabrication?
Inquiring Minds and blah blah blah .... don't blame me you guys said you were bored....

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/819152795

yhs
prof marvel

ps: Smith's aka King Sooper aka Kroger "Natural" Peanut butter is yummy and doesn't separate!

[Abilene]

Interesting.  Not much in the way of case colors on the frame.  Or maybe none?

[Buckaroo Lou]

Honestly I know very little about identifying USFA black powder revolvers other than seeing the barrel roll mark identifying it as such. Even though it is stated the firearm is unfired I personally believe the revolver has been out in the open quite a bit. The grips show some scuffing and I see some minor scratches on the metal parts. The cylinder has turn marks, the freckling on the trigger guard grip strap, the faded case coloring on the frame and faded backstrap. All of these indicate to me the firearm has been handled quite a bit. There appears to be a little bluing wear on the front edge of the cylinder in one of the photos that might indicate the firearm has a little holster wear. Just my two cents worth.

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[Coffinmaker]

My initial thought was someone had a really heavy hand with a buffer.  The edges of the barrel flats are really rounded over.  It is especially rounded over nest to the roll stamp on the top flat.  To me it doesn't appear to meet the standard of USFA.

I'm not the guy who knows it all about USFA, however I always thought the 1851s were from the USPFA time frame??  Dunno.  May have been made from Uberti parts.  If made from Uberti parts may well have ALL the Uberti fallacies.  I wouldn't buy it.

[Dave T]

My initial thought was someone had a really heavy hand with a buffer.  The edges of the barrel flats are really rounded over.  It is especially rounded over nest to the roll stamp on the top flat.  To me it doesn't appear to meet the standard of USFA.

I'm not the guy who knows it all about USFA, however I always thought the 1851s were from the USPFA time frame??  Dunno.  May have been made from Uberti parts.  If made from Uberti parts may well have ALL the Uberti fallacies.  I wouldn't buy it.

My impression exactly. I think I read somewhere C&B USFA guns are gussied up Ubertis and this one looks like it's been handled a lot, even if it hasn't been fired.

Dave

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

Greetings All,
As for if, or if not, this gun was made up from Uberti parts (along with another Italian manufacturer - who's name escapes me at the moment), I can, with absolute certainty, guarantee you that it is an entirely Italian made gun that was "fit & finished" by USFA.
As for USPFA vs. USFA markings, that is also no guarantee of the gun's heredity.  Hundreds of Italian import guns were marked USFA.  USFA markings alone do not make your gun an "all made in the USA" firearm.  The line didn't change with the change of the name.  USFA continued to import Italian parts, either entirely or in part, long after they removed the word "Patent" (as the result of threatened litigation from Colt Firearms) from their name.
All that being said, the USPFA & the USFA C&B's, along with the handful of cartridge conversion revolvers, were, unlike the pistol represented above, beautifully fit & finished with vivid CCH & bluing.  God only knows what happened to that gun! 
I am the proud owner of one of less than 35 1851 Navy .38 cartridge conversions that were issued by USFA (and it is marked as such, not USPFA).  Yes, it is entirely Italian made but, having been assembled & finished by USFA, stands head & shoulders above any Italian import that you will ever find.
CJF   
 

[Abilene]

...I am the proud owner of one of less than 35 1851 Navy .38 cartridge conversions that were issued by USFA (and it is marked as such, not USPFA).  Yes, it is entirely Italian made but, having been assembled & finished by USFA, stands head & shoulders above any Italian import that you will ever find.
CJF

Would you have any pics to share?  Would like to see that.

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

Abilene,
A photo can be found on the first page of "The Pictures Pages" section of our forum.
CJF

[Major 2]

Greetings All,
As for if, or if not, this gun was made up from Uberti parts (along with another Italian manufacturer - who's name escapes me at the moment), I can, with absolute certainty, guarantee you that it is an entirely Italian made gun that was fit & finished by USFA.
As for USPFA vs. USFA markings, that is also no guarantee of the gun's heredity.  Hundreds of Italian import guns were marked USFA.  USFA markings alone do not make your gun an "all made in the USA" firearm.  The line didn't change at the change of the name.  USFA continued to import Italian parts long after they removed the word "Patent" (as the result of threatened litigation from Colt Firearms) from their name.
All that being said, the USPFA & the USFA C&B's, along with the handful of cartridge conversion revolvers, were, unlike the pistol represented above, beautifully fit & finished with vivid CCH & bluing.  God only knows what happened to that gun! 
I am the proud owner of one of less than 35 1851 Navy .38 cartridge conversions that were issued by USFA (and it is marked as such, not USPFA).  Yes, it is entirely Italian made but, having been assembled & finished by USFA, stands head & shoulders above any Italian import that you will ever find.
CJF

  The name that escapes you is Armi San Marco   ASM 

[Capt. John Fitzgerald]

Thanks, Major!

[LonesomePigeon]

Sold for $614.00

This one certainly did not look as good as others I have seen. Maybe it's covered in a coat of wax? Those case colors look very dull.

[Abilene]

Abilene,
A photo can be found on the first page of "The Pictures Pages" section of our forum.
CJF

Thanks, Captain.  Find looking piece.  Being as it is a conversion, I was looking all over the picture pages in the STORM forum with no luck until it dawned on me that you meant the USFA pics!