I have one in .45 Colt with a 5" Wells Fargo sized barrel. It shoots great, but how well will they hold up compared to a peacemaker type gun?
Mine is blued with the 7 inch barrel. They got some bad press several years ago when the Italians first started making them. Seems they shot themselves to pieces after only a few hundred rounds were put through them. The problems regarding their failty were addressed and they are supposed to be pretty tough now. I hope so, since I paid around $750 for mine. I've only got about 200 rounds through mine and about half of that is light Schofield ammo - (180 gr.). Mine is still as tight as it was on day 1 and quite accurate at 25 yards with 45 Colt ammo and more accurate with the 200 gr. and 180 gr. Schofield ammo. 8)
There were two versions coming out of Italy, the good one was the Navy Arms Schofield made by Uberti. These guns were solid and did not have significant problems other than not being able to shoot black powder loads because the gas seal was eliminated. The other version, the Cimarron Armi San Marco was the really bad and the ugly since it was poorly fitted and even broke open when being fired. Cimarron discontinued importing them and ASM has been purchased by another company as has Uberti by Beretta. The Navy Arms guns seem better built as far as strength goes compared to the originals with better steel and more of it in the right places.
I've got a pair of them, 7" barrels, .45 Colt, shoot them gunfighter. I like them alot, just have to make sure finger is off trigger when cocking them.
Seems like the Navy Arms versions have a good reputation from what I have experienced and from what others have too in using them in matches. I personally like the fact that reloads are a snap compared to the SAA and the trade off of having to release the trigger isn't too much of an issue. In a gun fight I think the Schofield shooter in real life would have an advantage.
I have two Navy Arms, Wells Fargo Models, consecuively S/N'd, with the 5" barrels. Between main matches and practice I have loaded (by actual count) in excess of 20,000 rounds of 45 colt ammunition for these two revolvers and my main match rifle. Since I practice much more with the revolvers than I do with the rifle, I would estimate that I have shot 7,000 to 8,000 rounds through each of these revolvers in the last 5 years. They have not given any problems as far as reliability is concerned and the only thing needed is to give them a good cleaning now and then and check all screws for tightness once in awhile. The screws do tend to loosen up after several hundred rounds. I don't know if this is a problem with the Colts and the Colt clones also as I have never owned either.
The only modifications that I have done to them is to remove about the top half of the front sight to get them to shoot to point of aim at 7 yards and lighten the tension on the mainspring for smoother operation.
I enjoy shooting them and would recommend them for anyone that wants something a little different from the norm.
As noted in the other posts, they don't handle black powder well, you have to keep your finger off the trigger when cocking because of the transfer bar safety feature and the Cimarron guns were a piece of S**T (this is the voice of experience talking on the Cimarron guns).
Rich Heller
Yeah, Cimarron even admitted to me that ASM did a lousy job that made them look bad too. They ended up refunding most of the money on these guns. The are now talking with Uberti to see if they can import a Schofield version made for Cimarron and the .44 Russian version too. I hope they do and we will have to wait and see. Some screws on all my guns will loosen up over time. I just check them periodically and if they do it too much I use a small piece of teflon tape in the screw threads and they usually stay put.
If those screws are backing out - thoroughly clean the threads in the frame and the screws themselves and put a dot of clear nail polish on them as you screw them back in.
Once it dries - it'll hold nicely and you can clean out the holes and threads as needed with acetone.
Scouts Out!
One thing to be aware of if you use nail polish is to try not to get solvents and cleaners like gun scrubber in the screw head area as it will dissolve the nail polish. Teflon tape eliminates the worry over using solvents and having the screws loosen up.
The only complaint I have about my Navy Arms is that it spits gasses every once and a while. But I have a very early serial #5@@@. Also the .45 LC empties will slip under the extractor every now and then.
I had one 45 For about 5 years with no problems. In the Spring I got a pair of the 38's with 7 inch barrels and have shot them in over 15 matches with no problems so far. ::)
Here's an up date on the problem I had with my Navy Arms Schofield. I purchased this beautiful gun when Navy First started advertised them. My serial Number was 226. A few weeks ago I sent it back to Navy Arms because the gun had become very hard to cock. I had thought it was some fair wear and tear on the cylinder bearing pin that protrudes from the ejector star.
I got a call from Navy a few days after I sent it to them. The gal said my Schofield had cracks in the frame and in the chambers of the cylinder. To top it off, they couldn't do anything for me as I had gotten it almost ten years ago.
So, after cleaning it up some, I donated it to the US Army Ordnance Museum at Aberdeen Proving Ground. The Director was very happy to get it as they didn't have one to display with their US Military sidearm display.
So now it serves a useful purpose. Gathering up enough cash to get a new one is my next goal.
Man, how many rounds did you have through that Schofield? I wonder how the cracks developed or if the loads you were using were a bit hot?
I put upwads of 2500 plus cowboy loads through my Schofield. The breaktops are not known for their strength so I would never put hot rounds through it.
Most of the rounds put through that Schofield were 185 - 230 grain lead bullets loaded in Starline Schofield Brass with loads of Unique from 5 to 6 grains.
Quote from: Hell-Er High Water on September 24, 2005, 08:38:41 PM
As noted in the other posts, they don't handle black powder well, you have to keep your finger off the trigger when cocking because of the transfer bar safety feature and the Cimarron guns were a piece of S**T (this is the voice of experience talking on the Cimarron guns).
Rich Heller
BAH Humbug!!! ;D
Shot my (now retired) Schofields (ubberti, 7" & 5") with the holy black for years! Got me second place in frontier cartridge category last year at the European Championships (and 7th overall).
Its not the gun, Its the loads!
And i retired them becasue they were getting kind of rickety after 5-10 thousand cas loads through them...
Well, I got my new Schofield and I can see I'm going to have to develop a load that this gun likes. It shoots a bit low with the 230 grain and 250 grain bullets and AA#5 and Trail Boss powders. If it warms up some between now and the end of December I'll get it out to the range and try out some loads with Unique and Clays along with the above powders until I get it to shoot where I think it needs to be for CAS.
Slower moving bullets tend to hit higher so you could try a lighter load.
SR
I have had good luck with 225-250 grain bullets and it depends on how far away from the target that affects the accuracy. At longer ranges the lighter bullets seem to impact to point of aim.
After reading several of these posts, I was at a gun show and handled (though I think it was more of a fondle!) a NA Wells Fargo model #3. The man had set the price at $799, and wouldn't deal, although he said he had the gun several months and couldn't move it. SOOOOO, I just ordered TWO 5" 'er's on the internet and got a much better deal. I have 7" 'er's now, but got to go with Hell-Er High Water, the 5" 'er's handled superbly; the balance was great. Hope these guns work as well for me as they have for HEHW and Joss House!
Thanks all for sharing infor on the NA guns,
LCR
new to the Boss Forum Have a Uberti Wells Fargo , like it very much with 200gr reloads . cTried a Russian was not impressed, sights to small or non existint, could not reach hammer without changeing my grip, was not totaly impressed at all.
I would like to see a Russian/Schofield hybrid, in .45 Colt with the finger groove and grip of the Russian.
The problem with the sight on the Russian is easily remedied, not a duelist pistol, but fabulous as a traditional category gun..can`t beat the balance and very very accurate. JMHO
Doc
Quote from: Doc Hawken on December 15, 2005, 07:49:28 PM
The problem with the sight on the Russian is easily remedied ......... JMHO
Doc
How?????
:)
While we're making up "wish lists", I sure like to see Uberti or anyone else make the Schofield to it's original frame and cylinder dimensions for .45 Schofield only. Way back when, Cimmarron said they were going to get this done but I have serious doubt that it will ever happen. The copies are both too long and muzzle heavy compared to the original and I haven't ever bought one for that reason. While they're at it, make it like the original so it will shoot with black powder right out of the box too.
GW
Cimarron is still working with Uberti to bring out a Schofield for them sometime in the future. They insist that Uberti make all their guns to their specifications and not the average run of the mill that Uberti USA and even Beretta offers. Stay tuned we shall seen.
I also have the cavalry mod 7 inch
so far i like the gun , i had to thin out the trigger spring to reduce the trigger pull it was not a hard job to do .
mine shoot's point of aim at 18 yards with the 200 grn bullett with 5 grns of tite group.
im thinkin of another one in the near future.
Further reviews can be posted at:
http://www.cascity.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=7
I have a Navy Arms Schofield 7" barrel model in .45 LC. Came with a lousy trigger pull, so I sent it to Bozeman Trail Arms (http://www.ycsi.net/users/gunsmith/) for some work. When Tom Sargis did the action work on it, he also removed the hammerblock safety parts. What I ended up with is a smooth-firing revolver with a crisp 3-1/2 pound trigger pull that shoots to point of aim with my standard load (.45 S&W w/ 230 grain RNFP @ 750 fps). I love it. Handles and shoots as well as my S&W Model 3. As for reliability, I'll let you know when I have another couple thousand rounds through it. :D
Smokey Jim Wall
I've got two Schofields. One is a Navy Arms with the 7 inch barrle. It is the special founders edition that i was lucky enough to buy for $750 at a gun show a while back.
The second is a ASM version that has the Wells Fargo barrel. It is a great shooter and is solid as a rock. Regardless of what some say about this brand it is as solid as my Navy Arms version and has more rounds through it too. Probably close to a thousand rounds through it at this time and it is still as tight as new.
Both are in .45 Colt. I love Schofields more than the Colts, but I also have a Colt clone. I just don't use it as much.
Here are some pictures to enjoy.
I have to admit I am liking my Schofield Navy and Taylor's & Co. replicas more each time I shoot them and can't wait to get out and shoot them especially since the Navy Arms one came back from the Taylor's gunsmith.
I have two Navy Arms Schofields, of the late '80s early '90s vintage.
I have refrained from entering on this thread because it is really a case of apples or oranges.
Mu guns were owned until last year by a Territorial Governor who polished any rough surfaces, added Sambar grips and brass front sites, and opened up the reverse arch in the rear site to give a slightly wider site picture.
And these were his 'practice' Schofields; he used a set of Modern S&W Schofields to actually shoot with. So for approximately 20 years the main wear they got was from being drawn from the holsters and using snap caps.
And the thing about using Holy Black in a Schofield? I don't know what the previous owner did, but I regularly shoot Schofield .45 cal loaded with Goex Powder, and it eats it with aplomb.
I can seriously say that the limits on these pistols is operator error and nothing to do with the pistols
(http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab107/WaddWatsonEllis/SchofieldsandPocketWatch-1.jpg)
How many rounds can you shoot before the BP starts to make it bind?
Let's see ... Most SASS shoots are six stages figure 5 rounds out of each gun per stage ... so maybe 30 each/60 total ... there is no cylinder binding after 30 .... I am SO spoiled with these pistols!
Is there anything that you do to them like grease certain areas to keep them from overfouling when shooting?
Hi VG,
I just clean them within 24 hours of a shoot and liberally lube them with CLP ... but I think the difference is not in me or any lubing I do ... it is the homemade 'smithing that the previous owner did ... which is lost to me and on me .... the previous owner has his own life challenges and I do not enter into his world unless invited .. which is rare.
So I just thank (in my mind) the Big Guy and the previous owner for the bounty I have been given ...
Good enough for Wyatt Earp-Good enough for me ;D
http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,36641.0.html
The interesting thing here is they are functioning with BP loads as they do not have the gas ring on the cylinder as the originals do to keep fouling out of the cylinder arbor. Even with smokless and lead loads the gun will get a little sticky after shooting a 100 rounds or so.
The guy who does my reloading only uses Goex ... and since Goex is kind of an 'almost like' BP, it avoids the problems normally associated with BP ... I dunno ....
Goex makes real black powder and a substitute, so he may be using the later?
I dunno ...
I would believe it would be the substitute, because I know that the new Schofields do have a problm with BP ... and it was a major concern at first, but now I feel pretty good about it ....
An original Schofield is lucky to go 25 rds. before binding. S&W lengthened the gas collar on the Model 3 three times because of fouling problems. The secret today is to use a LOT of grease on the cylinder pin and to use Big Lube bullets. I once fired NINETY SIX consecutive real BP rounds in a buddy's Uberti .44 Russian w/o binding by doing the aforementioned.
I found my new #3 Russian in .44 Russian functions very well with black powder. My older Navy Arms Schofield in .44-40 on the other hand not so much. After much searching, the problem lies with the most unlikely of places. The breechface. Somehow fouling accumulates there and makes everything drag. There is no blow-by, but ridges of fouling are there. I only discovered thisupon shooting my last cylinder full while trying to burn off my surplus ammo. Maybe it's the .44-40 chambering, and this wouldn't happen with straight wall cartridges.
Quote from: Short Knife Johnson on February 24, 2011, 08:25:47 AM...Maybe it's the .44-40 chambering, and this wouldn't happen with straight wall cartridges.
Has nothing to do with chambering and EVERYTHING to do with the lack of an historically correct gas collar. Read my previous post about lubing it. ;)
The gun mags I've read say the reason the reproduction Schofields have problems with BP are that they made them with too tight of tolerances. The forcing cone is too close to the cylinder and there is not enough room for the BP fouling to let the cylinder to move after it builds up just a little bit.
I don't shoot BP in my guns so I never have a problem. But it sounds like lots of S&W repros do.
I think it comes back to the modification of the design and modern tolerances in CNC machining of the parts. BP and BP substitute as a rule will not work well in modern S&W replicas.
Guns with the tighter tolerances shoot BP better. The gas collar PREVENTS, much like tight tolerances, the fouling from entering into the cylinder pin area which impedes cylinder rotation.
Gentlemen,
I have a Navy Arms Schofield "Wells Fargo" Model with the 5" barrel and simulated ivory grips. I like it a lot, but I'd like to trade it with a pard for a 7" Cavalry Model. do you know anyone who'd be interested in such a trade? If I can find someone to trade with, I'd like to at least get the proper wood grips with the Inspector's Cartouche, so it looks correct in the holster.
Respectfully,
Fritz
I've got a 7" Cavalry model with "Mexican Eagle" bone grips....One of my absolute favorites...accurate, great trigger...
(http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a44/Jayhawker27/008.jpg)
I've been looking for a 5" but the other day I ran across an 1872 Open Top that might delay the next Schofield...
Well, if you're interested in a trade. please let me know. It's a great shooter; just not correct for an old Horse Soldier like me!
R/S
Fritz
I like how those grips make the gun look. I've got a card from a guy at a recent gun show that makes custom grips for various models and he said he does Schofield grips quite a bit. He has lots of materials to use, Ivory, Mammoth Ivory, Zebra, Giraffe, and other animal bone. His grips (the ones he had examples of) were great looking. When I order I think I will buy the giraffe ones for both of my Schofileds. I want to get some scorpions etched into them.
Love the pearl ones on mine.....My favorite six shooter.....
Quote from: WaddWatsonEllis on February 16, 2011, 02:37:01 AM
Let's see ... Most SASS shoots are six stages figure 5 rounds out of each gun per stage ... so maybe 30 each/60 total ... there is no cylinder binding after 30 .... I am SO spoiled with these pistols!
I hear ya pardner! My 5 inch barrelled Uberti does not bind up at all!
Swede