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Asm 1851 navy .44

12K views 13 replies 10 participants last post by  hambiscut 
#1 ·
I bought a armi San Marco copy of an 1851 navy in .44 caliber it was made in 1995 and is unfired in excellent condition steel hardened Frame everything is tight and right.1 paid $165 and I'm having trouble getting a value on this gun I'm thinking I got a good deal but reading up on the gun I see some mixed opinions on the manufacturer asm I would like some input of someone who has one of these for I am new to black powder.
 

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#3 ·
I've had one for about 12 years. She's been shot a lot and never a problem. I would also say you got a pretty good deal. I like it as much as both my Remington bp revolvers. Clean it well after shooting and well lubricated you shouldn't have any problems.
 
#4 ·
The ASM's I've seen are all nice quality (as is yours). I've read that quality ranged from just OK to exceptional. Old replica cap& ball revolvers have taken on a life of their own with regard to collectability, so yours in unfired condition may be collectable to the right person.

If not worth an obscene dollar value to a collector, consider becoming a black powder shooter.

BUT FIRST:

Go to www.1858remington.com, and ask around in their Colt section, just to see if yours has any great collectors interest first.
The 1851 Colt .44 should actually be called the Army model -- the Navy was .36 cal., but manufacturers take generous liberties with historical accuracy and naming ...

Today you can get the same design steel frame revolver made by Pietta or Uberti within about a $200 to $300 range, depending on the retailer & if they have them on sale this week. Take a look around the websites for Midwayusa & Cabelas to see more models & descriptions of cap & ball revolvers.

I'm not sure about parts interchangeability between Armee San Marcos, Uberti & Pietta, but should the need ever arise, the guys at the 1858 Remington forum can offer a lot of resourceful guidance.

Should you decide to fire it, the first step is to determine if it uses #10 or #11 caps. Too small & the cap won't seat properly on the nipple & may cause misfires. Too large & the caps can come off - they usually head straight for the slot forward of the hammer & require disassembly to retrieve.

Avoid any advice from someone recommending to pinch or squeeze loose primers in order to make them fit.
 
#5 ·
Actually, it is what Colt would call "of Army caliber", and is a sort of fantasy item. Got a rebated cylinder and bullet diameter of the 1860 Army, but the octagonal barrel and loading lever style of the 1851 Navy. A thing Colt never made. Nor anyone else I am aware of. Which doesn't make it a bad gun - more punch than one of Navy caliber, if slightly ahistorical.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I didn't see any proof date stamped anywhere in your pics - in Roman Numerals, it was stamped on the right side of the frame & is the date it was proofed. The date is normally the only indication of the general date of manufacture. It may be stamped elsewhere on the frame, such as just forward of the triggerguard.

As with any brand new & unfired gun of any type, it's always a good idea to completely disassemble it and clean, not only all individual parts, but also all internal recesses in the frame. To this day, there is often machining residue, plus original grease may have begun to varnish up.

All the newer Pietta & Uberti guns are manufactured to quite tight tolerances on state-of-the-art computerized machining equipment. Such is not the case with your ASM. It had more actual hand craftsmanship involved. Nevertheless, they never seem to get everything all cleaned up before assembly, so it's a good idea to clean out any residual metal chips or dust.

For disassembly, it's imperative to have a set of proper fitting screwdrivers. Any old cheap set will do, as long as you're handy with a grinder & can fit blades to the screw slots. Screws on all the Italian Replicas have never been known to be very hard (unless you specifically buy the Uberti Hardened version of screws).

Disassembly & reassembly is pretty straightforward - I disassembled Dad's 1861 Colt Navy for the first time in the late 60's. Clyde, OTOH, only had access to stone tools as a kid, so he's got a jump in experience level to predate us all ...

From what I can determine, you're somewhere in southwest PA, so lead, powder & caps should still be readily available. No telling whether #10 or #11 caps will be the best fit for the ASM, since nipple diameters seem to vary a little from batch to batch & some folks swear one size fits, while others contend the other size is correct - this is true to this day with even current production Uberti & Piettas.

see: http://1858remington.com/discuss/index.php/topic,5267.0.html

Datecodes using 2 letters were introduced in 1997 (AA)

 
#9 ·
May I suggest you replace the factory nipples/ cones with Tresso Brand. Better quality, and a much more user friendly in regards to caps.
Wendell
 
#11 ·
I had an ASM 1860 Colt Army a while back and let it go in a trade. Still kicking myself about that moment of stupidity. It was a nice pistol that shot well. Yours looks real fine and good on ya with your find! I have a Pietta coming in .44 and I hope it looks half as good as your ASM!;)
 
#12 ·
@OP - it looks to be nice piece, just bear in mind that ASM [Armi San Marco] are now one with the Titanic. Any spare/replacements you might need will have to be fettled from generic parts from TOW or DGW. I'd say that you got at least your $165.00 worth, but not a whole lot more.

People interested in making a profit with Colt replicas tend to buy second issue Colts these days.

tac
'Colt' 'Walker' serial #1816
 
#13 ·
IF anything ever goes wrong with your revolver, it will likely be one of two things:

(1) The little flat spring attached to the hand breaks or comes loose from the hand.(This part is known as the "Hand & Spring.") Don't try to fix it, just buy a replacement hand from Dixie Gun Works and install it. You might have to do a little "custom fitting" but probably not much.

(2) There is a "Two Fingered Flat Spring" (a.k.a. "Trigger & Stop Spring") in the bottom of the frame. You can see it when you remove the Trigger Guard and turn the gun upside down. When the factory spring breaks on you, replace it with a music wire spring from Wolff Gun Springs. Just order the one for the Colt Peacemaker.

A music wire spring will last three lifetimes and never give you any trouble
 
#14 ·
I had an A.S.M. 1860 colt a while back. It shot well, was reliable with CCI #10 caps and 30 grains of Goex fffg powder.
It was as impressive as any centerfire pistol I've shot and I have shot a few.
I did not see any issues with my 1860 and just maybe the person who owned it, prior to me acquiring it, did all what was needed to make it reliable.
 
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