Problems with Schofield.

[SAA GunSlinger]

Hello, im new to the cowboy action shooting scene. Ive always adored schofield revolvers and had finally saved up to buy a pair from Uberti. I was very excited to get them but i was shocked to see that with in 12 bullets one of them broke! When you would break the top of the gun open to reload the star ejector would get jammed in the open postion and not close, preventing you from closing or loading the gun. I took it inside, took it apart, cleaned it and then put it back togther. I then went back outside and fired it agian and it did the same thing. The star ejector jammed in the open postion and i was unable to close the revolver. Im extremely upset with this, i payed $1,766 dollars for brand new uberti schofields only to have one of them break with in 12 bullets. I have bought guns from uberti before and they were great but i didnt expect this kind of poor craftmanship from their company. I sent the firearm to the company for repairs and the gunsmith i sent the gun back through said it would take a good long time to get the gun back. When paying almost $1,800 dollars on their schofields i shouldnt have to do this. Has this problem happen to anyone else with their schofields??? Thank you for your time.

[napp]

No, I haven't had such an experience as yours. All I can do is agree with how you must be feeling. If I had a new gun break that quickly, I wouldn't want it repaired...I would want it replaced with another gun. If it was part of a matched set, I would want both guns replaced with a new matched set. I don't know anything about Uberti customer service. Maybe some of the old hands here can chime in on that.

Have you lived a good clean life? It just doesn't seem fair that someone would have to be assigned to Fort Riley and have something like this happen to them at the same time.

Thanks for your service. Keep on cocking those cannons.

[pmeisel]

Please let us know how this is addressed by your vendor...

[hickstick_10]

were these loads BP?

[SAA GunSlinger]

They were cowboy action rounds. They worked fine with one of them but not with the other schofield.

[Foto Joe]

I feel your pain.

I'm on my second Uberti Schofield, the first was a Russian that was bad out of the box and wouldn't even rotate when loaded, too little clearance between the cylinder and the recoil shield.

The one that Uberti replaced it with was a Model 3 and in 44-40 and has an indexing problem due to the locating pin on the star ejector being too far out. Once that was fixed, I found that the ratchet had been prematurely worn because of it. Uberti now has it to replace the ratchet/ejector.

If it's of any comfort, Uberti customer service is top notch. The should only have the gun for a couple of weeks but...you need to have the shop follow up on it with phone calls. Uberti isn't too hot when it comes to keeping you informed.

I'm not overly impressed by the workmanship on the new Uberiti's. I've got a 30 year old ASM that still has the original nipples on it that I have more faith in.

Just for reference, if you've ever got to do this again, deal directly with Uberti and skip the gun shop. Let us know how this pans out.

[SAA GunSlinger]

Im sorry to hear that your schofields have also been troublesome as well. Thanks for the advice and i will keep ya updated on what happens.

[arcticap]

I know of a fellow who bought one and after several attempts by Uberti to fix it were unsuccessful, he asked them if they would let him trade it towards other guns of comparable value. They said yes so he chose several BP revolvers which he sold off to recoup his losses.

[sewerman]

my friend had one years ago and he had problems with a tiny flat spring that kept breaking when he opened it and then released the trigger.

after a couple of breaks and repairs he sold it, fixed of course.

other than that problem it was like a women.... ya love it, but can't live with it!

and as usual he wishes he had it back now!

S.M.

[Foto Joe]

I just got off the phone with Uberti regarding my Schofield which I sent in to them directly last week. Turns out, they say this one is also unrepairable. I've got a sneaking suspicion that they DO NOT ever repair guns, they just replace them. They will be sending me another Model 3 in 44-40 with a 5" barrel. Hopefully this one will work the way it was intended. 3rd time's a charm right?

I will say that Uberti customer service is VERY good, even if their guns come up a bit short. If I was you, I would contact the gunshop that sent yours in and lean on them to call Uberti and check the status of your gun. Chances are they will be receiving a replacement but I know from experience that once you call Uberti, things tend to happen faster. Squeaky wheel and all that don't ya know.

Good luck and keep us up to date on the progress. When my next "New" one gets here I'll let ya know if I finally get a Schofield that will work.

[Tanker6]

...the "replacement" they're sending FotoJoe is SAA Gunslinger's returned piece.....meanwhile, they're working on Joe's piece so they can ship something back to SAA Gunslinger.....


For goodness sakes, I HOPE it ain't that bad.....

[Foto Joe]

Tanker6,

I certainly hope you're wrong!!! In reality, the "New" replacement gun I got the last time was indeed "New". At this point in time though, nothing would surprise me.

I called them back this afternoon thinking maybe I could work Uberti a little bit since I've had such a bad consumer experience. I was thinkin' I'd try to talk them out of a nickle/pearl model. They were good for it, except they only make them in 45 Colt and 38 Special and I'm standing for a 44-40. 45 Colt, come on, it wasn't even an original caliber!! But they sure are purdy!!

[SAA GunSlinger]

Ive been doing like you all said Im calling them everyday and asking them the status. Mostly because im angered for the pistol being broken out of box and i want my pistol back asap. Ive wanted these pistols for 6 years and i finally got them and i have to constantly remind them of my sorrow of one them being broken when i got it. I have a shooting match coming up in april and i told them i would like it back by mid march so i could get ready for the match. You guys are right the customer service is great and they do make sure you are satisfied before the call ends. I wish they put as much effort into their firearms as they do their customer service. Im praying like hell that my schofield doesnt come back with the same problem that i had when i sent it in. I will be all sorts of angery if i have to send it back in and wait for another 4 weeks. I know im doing alot of whining but ive been wanting these schofields for a long time and you go with a company that ya trust and then are utterly dissapointed, its rather upsetting. It also turns my gut to hear yall having problems with your schofields as well. Ya think paying 1,000 dollars for a handgun you would get high quality craftsmanship. Not 1,000 dollars paperweight. I wish the best of luck with everyone else and their schofields as well because this is some utter bull crap. I will keep yall updated on what happens and how it is handeled through uberti. Thanks for everything

[radom]

Is that a gun issue or operator issue having the spent brass stick under the star?

[gyvel]

I, too, purchased a couple of Uberti top breaks. One was a pre-Beretta Schofield in .38 Special and the other is a post-Beretta S&W Model 3 in .45 Colt. While I haven't had anything "break" yet, I can see that the metal used is very soft and these guns aren't going to take a lot of hard use before they wear out. They are pretty to look at and fun to occasionally play with, but, in retrospect, I wish I had used the money for something else.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot: The hammer block safety on the Schofield .38 hasn't worked properly since day one.

[Foto Joe]

Well, I got my 3rd "New" Schofield back a few days ago. Once again, they sent me a "New In Box" replacement. It would be nice if there was a decent resale price for empty Schofield boxes, I might be able to recoup some of my shipping costs for the replacement guns.

This last new one seems to be much better assembled. No drag mark on the cylinder the first time you cock it, star ejector locator pin not protruding and it indexes properly both loaded and empty. I took it out to my favorite box canyon the day before yesterday for a little walk. I had 30 rounds of 44-40 in smokeless and 7 rounds in Black Powder.

I fired the smokeless first and there were no problems, then put the Black Powder rounds through it also with no problems. I'm thinking that I will probably stuff a couple of hundred smokeless rounds through it though before I start shooting too many properly loaded (Black Powder) 44-40's. It's a little stiff as I would expect a new gun to be.

People may fawn over Uberti Black Powder guns but I'm not impressed. I've got Uberti, Pietta, ASM and Dakota. Uberti is nowhere near the top of the quality list in my opinion. But they are proud of their stuff!!

[Jim Watson]

A friend and I bought ASM Schofields based on a gunzine report saying they were better than Ubertis. They weren't. One would not work out of the box in the store. It was returned and replaced. The first gun and the replacement would function and fire, but hit far off the POA on target.

Ammo, sandbags, different shooters had no effect. The local gunsmith put a range rod down the barrels and it would not even go all the way to the other end. Literally crooked barrels. So back they went. After six months and no results, we inquired with the importer. They agreed to refund the wholesale price of the guns. We had special ordered them so all we were out was the $25 each charged for registration by the FFL.

I put my refund into a SAA repro which does fine.
My friend upgraded to a Colt.

[SAA GunSlinger]

"Is that a gun issue or operator issue having the spent brass stick under the star? "

No it was not operator error, once the gun had opened their was no way of closing it short of taking the whole gun apart and cleaning it, the star ejector would tighten up as stiff as a drum and would not retract back into the cylinder no matter what you did.
I HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS THOUGH! I called the company today and they told me that they are going to replace my broken one with a brand new firearm. I was very pleased to hear this! They told me that the problem with the revolver was that their was a gap problem with the cylinder. I should have my brand new schofield in 2 weeks! I must say im very pleased with the customer service. When i get the new schofield back and if it works perfectly. They will still have my buisness.

[Foto Joe]

I wouldn't think it's going to take two weeks. They'll probably have the paperwork done by Tuesday morning and it will leave that afternoon or the next morning. In my experience when they say they are going to replace the gun, I've got it in my hands in less than 7 days.

Good Luck

[SAA GunSlinger]

I certainly hope that your right, if i could get it that soon that would be fantastic. Funny how you mention paper work because when i asked the company how long it would take to get here they said they were already working on the paper work to get it ready to go! Thanks for all the help everybody! I greatly appreciate it!...ill keep ya updated on how the new revolver works when i get it!

[SAA GunSlinger]

Well i got the schofield back a couple days ago, i was very pleased with the customer service. This schofield is different from my other one, this one will not let the firing pin rest all the way forward. It seems to be a new safety on this new one that i got back. My other schofield will let the firing pin rest all the way in. It looks like a new saftey feature to prevent the firing pin from resting on a loaded chamber. I think is a rather nice feature instead of leaving a chamber unloaded to rest your hammer on, this new safety lets you load all 6 chambers with out the worry of the firing pin resting on a primer. Anywho, i went out to shoot it and it shot rather well, i put half a box of ammo through it. The accuracey was great and everything worked well beside one thing. After i got done shooting and ejected my empty shells i noticed one of the shells were not shot. I shrugged my shoulders and thought it to be a dud and picked it up but the firing pin didnt even strike it. I didnt really think anything of it, After a few more cylinders of firing it happened once agian. I was concerned with it happening agian so i quickly loaded it up once agian and began firing. All 6 rounds fired just fine. Im rather puzzeled. I put almost 30rnds through it and it seem to jump a chamber 2 times while doing it but as soon as i noticed the problem, it began to shoot just fine. I think it might of been operator error because of it was mechanical it would of kept repeating itself and also i think i may have not been cocking it properly. Other then that, i have no complaints. It works rather well, ill be going out tommorow to shoot to see if the problem occurs agian. I certainly hope you guys can also keep me up to date on how your schofields are working as well and i do greatly appreciate all the help that has been given. Thanks a bunch and keep your powder dry

[Foto Joe]

It sounds like you may not be done yet. Having had three Uberti Schofields in the last four months has made somewhat of a cynic.

My last one did what you are describing with the firing pin. The hammer would not fall all the way to firing position unless the trigger was pulled from full cock and it was allowed to fall under spring pressure. Releasing the hammer from half cock by drawing it back and pulling the trigger while easing the hammer down would cause it to rest at a quarter cock position. Same went for full cock, if you eased it down to resting position it would stop at quarter cock. This is not normal.

The safe position for the gun is with the firing pin rested "between" the cartridge heads all the way down. My first one (Russian) and my last one (No. 3 - 2nd Model) both rest the hammer all the way down. The Russian was replaced because there was not enough room between the cylinder and the recoil shield to allow it to index the cylinder when it was loaded.

Look closely at the firing pin. You are looking for galling or rub marks against the frame. It's possible that the firing pin is hitting the firing pin orifice off center and not going through it or loosing so much energy when it strikes off center that it won't detonate a primer. I have noted on my last one that it has a rub mark from hitting the side of that orifice just slightly off center. Mine does not miss fire and the hammer will rest all the way down. I will probably dress the firing pin with a jewelers file and smooth it out when I get back home.

Also, check to make sure that the locating pin on the star ejector is flush with the ejector. It should not be protruding up between the ratchets. If it is, use a drift/punch to drive it down flush or eventually the hardness of the hand hitting just the top of the ratchet will round off the ratchet and it will fail to index on that cylinder properly. This has nothing to do with the hammer falling, it's just one of those quality control issues that Uberti has.

Operator error is probably in your head (no offense intended). If you pull that hammer back to full cock and then pull the trigger, a properly functioning gun will go bang. I just don't think that there is a way to get it to full cock "sort of". From full cock you should also be able to ease the hammer to rest with the firing pin through that orifice.

[SAA GunSlinger]

Hmmm thats rather intresting. I compared my schofields last night and their firing pins and one of them did have rub marks and wasent exactly centered. Earlier that day i went out agian and took the new one out to shoot to see if the misfires would continue. My first cylinder through it misfired, i examined it and i noticed that the safety block (that new safety feature i was talking about before) activated and stopped my firing pin from striking the round. I placed the unfired round back into the gun and began to fire once agian misfire but this this time it actaully struck the primer but no bang. The 3rd time was a charm, after that i put a box 50 rnds through the schofield with out a problem and it shot great. What would you suggest i do? Should i send it back to the company?, Ignore it?, or is their anything personally i can do to fix it? Im honestly content with the gun, i fear if i send it back that i will get something back thats alot worse but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. FotoJoe? How have your schofields been worken for ya lately? and thanks for all your help these pass weeks. (darn i was hoping it was operator error, thats alot easier and cheaper to fix lol)

[SAA GunSlinger]

FotoJoe you were right....I took the new schofields trigger and firing mechanism apart and noticed that the safety block was malfunctioning. I compared it to my other schofield that works great and i immediately noticed the internal problem. With the safety block malfunctioning the gun misfires constantly. I am through with uberti!!!! I cant believe they would send me another broken gun! Im taking it to a gunsmith and having them fix it...i do not dare send it back to uberti because ill probably get another gun returned to me with more problems then the last. For the price we pay for these guns i am disgusted with them. Hopefully this safetl block mechanism problem will be fixed with ease but until then its back to the drawing board

[Foto Joe]

If the GS can fix the gun, go for it. Keep in mind though that if he can't, you might own it. I don't know how good of an inspection Uberti does when they receive one back, but if they find that someone tinkered with it, the warranty is void.

Now here's an interesting question, you say you dis-assembled the trigger mechanism. How scary is it in there? I took my second one to the gunshop and asked them to break the screws loose so I could take it apart for cleaning. I didn't want to risk dinging up the screws as some giant with an impact put the things in there at the factory.

The guy at the gunshop told me that he wouldn't loosen the screws and that I didn't want to take it apart, period. I was told that it was much to complicated for me (a mere mortal). I have no fear of pulling a Colt's pattern gun down to the frame other than having a screw roll off into nowhere, they're simple. It would be my assumption that Schofield's being made in the same time period were also manufactured so that they could easily be dis-assembled by the user for cleaning.

It appears that the cover on the side of the frame is machined with extremely tight clearances, does this thing pop off when you pull the screws. I was also told that the trigger mechanism is held in by a "through-pin" that is pressed in. If you could shoot a video of taking one apart, I promise you it would be the only one on YouTube and I'm betting I'm not the only one out there that is interested.

As far as how mine is running, I haven't fired it again yet. I just got 100 44-40 Starline brass in from MidwayUSA on Saturday and my press is set up on the picnic table outside the 5th Wheel as of yesterday. The brass I was using was mixed head stamp and a pain to load because of a few thousands difference in length, but they were shorter than my case gauge so they wouldn't trim. I've got a couple hundred 9mm to load before I change the powder dispenser over for 44-40's.