Year Production/Era to Avoid??---Uberti 1873 Cattleman .45 Colt Revolvers

[Rebel Yell]

Are there year(s) of production that should be avoided in this revolver?  I hear warnings from various sources and know-it-alls who say guns, like the Uberti Cattleman produced prior to the new factory, should be avoided.  Is that the generally accepted opinion? 

Thanks   

[Abilene]

Hadn't really heard that myself, regarding quality, but I'm not sure.

However, early Cattleman had a leaf spring on the hand and more recent have a coil hand spring.  At first only Cimarron Model P's had the coil spring, but then Uberti started putting it in all the Cattleman.  I'm not sure when that was.  At least 10 years ago I think, maybe more.  Also, the Model P had better steel in the cylinder and barrel, and again Uberti decided it was easier to just use the same steel for all the guns so the Cattleman got the better steel as well.  Again, not real sure when, 10 years ago or more I'd guess.

And if you buy a black powder frame model, the older ones use a smaller size basepin screw that is hard to find.  Can't give you a year on that either.  I'm just full of vagueness, aren't I?     Maybe some other pards will chime in who know a little more detail.

Welcome to CasCity by the way!

[Fingers McGee]

Can only speak to what I have experienced.  Had a ca. 1991 and 1999 .45LC/ACP dual cylinder Cattleman that I use for Cowboy Action Shooting until I traded them off for a new pair of Cattlemen ca. 2003 in 44-40.  Never had a lick of problem with either pair.  All had been slicked up with spring kits and had forcing cones cut.  Shot the 45s for four years without hand spring breakage.  The 44-40s came with coil spring & plungers.  They don't get used much anymore because I'm primarily a C&B shooter now; but, they do get trotted out once or twice a year using BP cartridge.

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[TinMan2]

Just a reply to the early type with the leaf spring on the hand.  I've shot Cap N Ball for 20 years without the failure of any of the hand springs.  In 15 years of Italian cartridge guns with the leaf hand spring not one failure of a spring (any spring!).  I shoot my guns a lot but I'm not a cowboy shooter.  I keep my guns clean and lubed with grease for black powder and oil for smokeless.  The one and only spring malfunction was a hammer/bolt flat spring that broke on a 44 special genuine Colt in 1985.  Never had an Italian copy fail.  The Uberti's I had were "Regulators" from the late '90's and early 2000's.  All but one C&B were Pietta's and they all still shoot excellent.  Latest purchase is a Pietta 4.75" CC'ed in 44 and it has the transfer block like a Ruger and a coil spring for the hand.  Haven't fired it yet...........IMO it's how you care for your single action that makes them dependable. 

[llanerosolitario]

older Ubertis  had very large chambers, with a tendecy to break cases, so reloaded cases didnt last much.