The right SAA?

Boar · May 11, 2006, 05:58 AM

My company is making a western and I'd like to know which Single Action Army clone would be historically best for the movie? I'm not buying 6 Colts. Forget it. Way too much money. I have some requirements...

Requirements:
1. Hammer mounted firing pin
2. Has to be .45LC
3. Not a Ruger or Taurus b/c of firing pin issue
4. Economic (that means under $500)
5. Qaulity for the money
6. Either blued or a case-color finish
7. Wood grips
8. and of course...looks like a Colt (no one is going to see the thing up close)

(Crap! I meant to add the EAA Bounty Hunter to my poll. It's too late. ARGH! Is there a way I can add it?)

I know most clones are made by Uberti but their qualities are different depending on the seperate companies standards. A Cimarron is not a Navy Arms etc. Don't talk trash about a particular firearm unless you've had personal experience with it. Period. If you say Ubertis suck and you've never owned one...shut up. If you've owned an Uberti and it sucked...tell me. Thanks for the help!

Someone's going to tell me to get a Colt even though I said no. Just wait.

sundance44s · May 11, 2006, 08:40 AM

When you say under 500 bucks .. there is only one i`ve seen that would fit the bill .. Cabelas has a Uberti 45 single action ..they call it a Millennium .. i`ve handled one but never owned one , but for the price it looks like a nice piece . 299.99 its in the shooting & reloading book 2006 .

Hafoc · May 11, 2006, 06:12 PM

Of course the Millenium is matte-finished instead of shiny, but likely that wouldn't be noticable on screen. Especailly if you rubbed some oil on them, which ougut to give them a BIT of shine.

I was going to say that if you want Old West authenticity, you might want to look at the early-style "blackpowder" frames, with a set screw retaining the base pin instead of the later-style spring-loaded crosspin latch. But in the late Old West period you might have seen the crosspins, and besides, that's such a small detail that odds are nobody would see, notice, or care anyway.

Only Ubertis I ever had were a couple of blackpowder Colt repros, a Dragoon and Pocket Dragoon. The engraving on the cylinder of the Dragoon had been double-struck, and the Pocket Dragoon had a little chip out of the grip's corner. But they both functioned perfectly.

I had an EMF Hartford once. Beautiful thing to look at, but the cylinder didn't lock up properly. Sometimes, when cocked, the cylinder would continue past the lockup point, so that the hammer wouldn't hit the primer and the weapon wouldn't fire. Which was just as well, since in that condition the chamber wasn't lined up with the barrel.

To be fair, I had special-ordered the EMF as nickel-plated. Somewhere I got the idea that it didn't come plated from the factory; they had to import it, take it apart, plate it, and put it back together. I don't know where I got that idea, but I seem to remember something about it. In any case, all of that could possibly have messed up the cylinder bolt somehow. Or perhaps it was just a weak or broken spring; they do tend to break on Colt repros, especially the smaller springs.

Kaylee · May 11, 2006, 07:01 PM

I had a nickeled Uberti Cattleman that I liked.. matter of fact its sitting in Coal Creek Armory for 350 right now I think.

The springs are an issue.. regardless of what clone you get the Wolf wire bolt spring is worth getting! $10 is cheap insurance against finding your cylinder suddenly not locking up.

Smokin_Gun · May 22, 2006, 12:34 AM

I don't think you can beat the authentic build, price, or quality for your money with the Uberti... Cimarrons are Ubertis.

View Poll Results: Best historically accurate SAA clone?
Uberti	5	50.00%
Cimarron	3	30.00%
Navy Arms	2	20.00%
EMF	0	0%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 10. You may not vote on this poll

May 11, 2006, 05:58 AM	#1
Boar Member Join Date: September 12, 2005 Posts: 44	The right SAA? My company is making a western and I'd like to know which Single Action Army clone would be historically best for the movie? I'm not buying 6 Colts. Forget it. Way too much money. I have some requirements... Requirements: 1. Hammer mounted firing pin 2. Has to be .45LC 3. Not a Ruger or Taurus b/c of firing pin issue 4. Economic (that means under $500) 5. Qaulity for the money 6. Either blued or a case-color finish 7. Wood grips 8. and of course...looks like a Colt (no one is going to see the thing up close) (Crap! I meant to add the EAA Bounty Hunter to my poll. It's too late. ARGH! Is there a way I can add it?) I know most clones are made by Uberti but their qualities are different depending on the seperate companies standards. A Cimarron is not a Navy Arms etc. Don't talk trash about a particular firearm unless you've had personal experience with it. Period. If you say Ubertis suck and you've never owned one...shut up. If you've owned an Uberti and it sucked...tell me. Thanks for the help! Someone's going to tell me to get a Colt even though I said no. Just wait.

May 11, 2006, 08:40 AM	#2
sundance44s Senior Member Join Date: February 6, 2006 Location: Hernando , Ms. Posts: 579	sundance44s When you say under 500 bucks .. there is only one i`ve seen that would fit the bill .. Cabelas has a Uberti 45 single action ..they call it a Millennium .. i`ve handled one but never owned one , but for the price it looks like a nice piece . 299.99 its in the shooting & reloading book 2006 .

May 22, 2006, 12:34 AM	#5
Smokin_Gun Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 2005 Location: Mojave Desert, CA Posts: 1,195	I don't think you can beat the authentic build, price, or quality for your money with the Uberti... Cimarrons are Ubertis. __________________ "I Smoke Black Powder" "Favor an 1858 Remington" SGT. Smokin' Gun, Mosby's Rangers 43rd Virginia Cavalry C.S.A. SASS# 19634, ... Admin:http://blackpowdersmoke.com/oldcoots/index.php

May 11, 2006, 06:12 PM	#3
Hafoc Senior Member Join Date: August 20, 2005 Posts: 552	Of course the Millenium is matte-finished instead of shiny, but likely that wouldn't be noticable on screen. Especailly if you rubbed some oil on them, which ougut to give them a BIT of shine. I was going to say that if you want Old West authenticity, you might want to look at the early-style "blackpowder" frames, with a set screw retaining the base pin instead of the later-style spring-loaded crosspin latch. But in the late Old West period you might have seen the crosspins, and besides, that's such a small detail that odds are nobody would see, notice, or care anyway. Only Ubertis I ever had were a couple of blackpowder Colt repros, a Dragoon and Pocket Dragoon. The engraving on the cylinder of the Dragoon had been double-struck, and the Pocket Dragoon had a little chip out of the grip's corner. But they both functioned perfectly. I had an EMF Hartford once. Beautiful thing to look at, but the cylinder didn't lock up properly. Sometimes, when cocked, the cylinder would continue past the lockup point, so that the hammer wouldn't hit the primer and the weapon wouldn't fire. Which was just as well, since in that condition the chamber wasn't lined up with the barrel. To be fair, I had special-ordered the EMF as nickel-plated. Somewhere I got the idea that it didn't come plated from the factory; they had to import it, take it apart, plate it, and put it back together. I don't know where I got that idea, but I seem to remember something about it. In any case, all of that could possibly have messed up the cylinder bolt somehow. Or perhaps it was just a weak or broken spring; they do tend to break on Colt repros, especially the smaller springs.

May 11, 2006, 07:01 PM	#4
Kaylee Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2000 Location: The Last Homely House Posts: 1,677	I had a nickeled Uberti Cattleman that I liked.. matter of fact its sitting in Coal Creek Armory for 350 right now I think. The springs are an issue.. regardless of what clone you get the Wolf wire bolt spring is worth getting! $10 is cheap insurance against finding your cylinder suddenly not locking up.