I am the "proud" owner of 4 Pietta Colt repros, a brass frame .36 Navy, a steel frame .36 Navy, a steel frame .44 "Navy" and a '61 Navy.
I have only done any real amount of shooting with the steel frame .36 Navy, over the past few days I put about 40 rounds through it. At first I used light "target" loads and then decided to try a 25 gr. "max" load of Pyrodex P, with Buffalo Bullet conicals. I only fired 6 "max" loads and then discover that the end shake of the cylinder was greater, the rear of the slot for the wedge is badly peened and the wedge now goes all the way in to the frame with finger pressure (bad) and also falls out with finger pressure. The gap between the forcing cone and cylinder is greater then when it was new. In effect, the gun has shot loose after only a few bigger charges.
Also, my .44 Navy has only 12 rounds through it with light loads and round balls, and is visibly starting to peen the wedge slot already, as well as my other brass .36, with only 6! 12 gr. loads through it, has the start of peening. I am an experienced BP shooter and do not abuse my guns, and do not "over hammer" the wedge, only pushing or very lightly tapping it until it is just flush to the right of the slot.
In contrast, my Uberti 1851 .36 has just about maybe 60 rounds through it, and looks like it just came out of the box, as it should. I expect a gun I pay $2-300+ for to actually be a GUN! that will last for a very long time. I feel my Uberti will still be tight after thousands of rounds, but my Piettas are already starting to wear after only handfuls of light charges and careful assembly and dis-assembly. Pietta's seem like display pieces that are only meant to maybe be fired a few times, the steel is so soft that you can't expect any reasonable use out of them. I now have to fashion some kind of shim to make my Pietta's useable so I can at least get my money's worth out of them. No more Piettas for me.
Moral - Buy Uberti! For $100 more or so you get a revolver that will actually be able to be used, especially now that Beretta has taken them over.
I have only done any real amount of shooting with the steel frame .36 Navy, over the past few days I put about 40 rounds through it. At first I used light "target" loads and then decided to try a 25 gr. "max" load of Pyrodex P, with Buffalo Bullet conicals. I only fired 6 "max" loads and then discover that the end shake of the cylinder was greater, the rear of the slot for the wedge is badly peened and the wedge now goes all the way in to the frame with finger pressure (bad) and also falls out with finger pressure. The gap between the forcing cone and cylinder is greater then when it was new. In effect, the gun has shot loose after only a few bigger charges.
Also, my .44 Navy has only 12 rounds through it with light loads and round balls, and is visibly starting to peen the wedge slot already, as well as my other brass .36, with only 6! 12 gr. loads through it, has the start of peening. I am an experienced BP shooter and do not abuse my guns, and do not "over hammer" the wedge, only pushing or very lightly tapping it until it is just flush to the right of the slot.
In contrast, my Uberti 1851 .36 has just about maybe 60 rounds through it, and looks like it just came out of the box, as it should. I expect a gun I pay $2-300+ for to actually be a GUN! that will last for a very long time. I feel my Uberti will still be tight after thousands of rounds, but my Piettas are already starting to wear after only handfuls of light charges and careful assembly and dis-assembly. Pietta's seem like display pieces that are only meant to maybe be fired a few times, the steel is so soft that you can't expect any reasonable use out of them. I now have to fashion some kind of shim to make my Pietta's useable so I can at least get my money's worth out of them. No more Piettas for me.
Moral - Buy Uberti! For $100 more or so you get a revolver that will actually be able to be used, especially now that Beretta has taken them over.