Nuances of the Italian Single-Action Revolver

Some of my favorite movies were made in Italy and lately I’ve come to appreciate the singleaction handguns made in Italy as well. Marketed under the Cimarron, Beretta, and Navy Arms logo, these revolvers are Uberti all the way. There are nuances of the design, however, that are well worth exploring. There are no less than four safety systems to be found, for example, including two in current production.

This means that the gunsmith undertaking a smoothing-up of the Uberti action must be aware of the differences in the revolvers. And although some of the general rules apply to them all, when ordering parts you must be sure of the exact model you’re working on. As I mentioned, I’ve encountered four different types of safeties on Uberti revolvers, but there may be more. Since foreign-made single-actions are often required to have some type of safety, this is to be expected.

The original guns are pure Colt SAA with no additional safety. These guns must be carried with five rounds loaded and the hammer down on an empty chamber. A variation I have seen on older guns is a knurled dial on the hammer that is turned forward when the gun is fully loaded. This component should keep the hammer from touching the cartridge, but I personally don’t care for this safety and wouldn’t trust it. The Navy Arms Deluxe pistol has a small block in the hammer.

When the gun is loaded and the hammer fully down, the hammer is eased back slightly until it clicks and this block is activated. It will not let the hammer touch the cartridge. This is a good system for those who prefer the traditional hammer-mounted firing pin. Another safety I’ve seen is the transfer-bar system used in the new Beretta Stampede-type revolvers.

Along with Though well-designed, the author still prefers leaving an empty chamber under the hammer. the Colt Cowboy, this is the only type of replica revolver that I believe is truly safe to carry fully loaded. Unlike the modern Ruger revolvers which have a proven safety system, the Stampede operates like the Colt Single Action Army. There is a half-cock notch and the loading gate is opened with the gun on half cock. The Ruger can only be opened when the hammer is fully down.

In my opinion, for anyone who wants to own an authentic cowboy gun with good safety features, the modern Ubertis offer an excellent compromise. Nevertheless, for real peace of mind, it’s still a good idea to carry five rounds in the chamber and lower the hammer on an empty chamber. There are several problems with the SAA-clone guns that sometimes have to be addressed. Sight regulation is one, though the modern guns seem

better in this regard than those of the past. And I still see revolvers that experience cylinder binding. But probably the common complaint is a lousy trigger action. Some of these guns have very nice trigger actions but, by and large, the factory Ubertis can benefit from a little improvement, so let’s looks at the best means of smoothing a trigger. Remember, above all else, a trigger action must be safe.

A too-light trigger can be a danger to all involved, and if the job is botched, only a complete overhaul with new parts will cure the problem. My old friend Leroy Ray once told me the majority of single actions that came into his shop had been "played with more than shot." That’s probably still true, especially with all the practice that takes place for cowboy-action events. When working on these guns, I’m glad I have the Chapman screwdriver set with which to remove the backstrap.

I take the screws loose in tandem, working one a bit and then the other a turn or two, until they are all out (and returning them in the same fashion). When the screws are out, the backstrap will not fall away. Usually, it must be gently tilted and rocked off the frame. Care must be taken in polishing these parts, as angles can easily be ruined. It’s a good idea to have a clean light-colored mat under the gun for the next procedure.

With the backstrap placed to the side, loosen the hammer-spring retaining screw, and rock the hammer spring from under the hammer. Lay the hammer spring and screw aside. (You will regret it if you lose these screws.) Remove the screws holding the trigger guard to the frame, and remove the trigger guard. You will now begin to see some of the subtle and not-sosubtle differences in these pistols. Late-production pistols have a hand and spring that resembles the Ruger.

I’ve read about a test in which a Navy Arms revolver was cycled 40,000 times in a special machine. The old guns would never have survived the equivalent of 800 boxes of ammunition or a lot of playing fast draw. The Colt SAA-style was not as rugged. Considering the amount of money shooters have spent trying to make a Ruger handle like a Colt and a Colt last as long as a Ruger, Uberti has done a good job with the modern upgrades. Older models, however, are more Coltlike.

Next, remove the hammer screw and take the hammer out of the bottom of the receiver. The cylinder hand will usually fall out at this time. Carefully look at the position of the trigger spring, remove its retaining screw, and slide the trigger spring out. Now the hammer spring and trigger spring can be replaced with W. C. Wolff springs that allow a better, lighter trigger. They really make this an outstanding factory gun, and we can do the same with even older-model Ubertis.

It is possible to lighten the factory springs, but I admit to having little experience with the process. Basically, you must grind and polish the spring to a thinner contour, reinstall it, try the action, and perhaps try again. I’m sure there are gunsmiths who can knock this job out quickly, but I’ll use the W. C. Wolff springs.

The trigger spring can be addressed as well, but again I prefer to replace the main spring and hammer spring in my guns with W. C. Wolff units. I have done some hammer work on single-actions, and what I say next may be considered controversial by some. In several of the old-style revolvers with the odd-ball knurled safety in the hammer, I removed this safety. Often, it became loose and moved to the safe position on its own, preventing the gun from firing.

Since the gun should be carried with five rounds only, I considered this to be safe enough in my hands. I would, however, replace the entire hammer on a customer’s gun. The modern hammer blocks may work or they may not; and as someone once said, it’s a shame to buy any new gun that may fire when dropped. Still, I carry even my Rugers with five rounds in the chamber. And I would never modify an unbroken safety device.

When working with the Ubertis, I’ve found that polishing the bearing surfaces of the hammer can sometimes improve the smoothness of action. In older production, the hammer surfaces were often the very roughest part of the gun. Hidden from view, they were seldom well finished. Just remove the burrs and high spots, being careful not to change the angles of the hammer. Here we can get into trouble, and here we can achieve smoothness with a little finesse.

Binder Ad (p/u from page 18, AGM-June 04) This type of problem can be addressed by careful stoning and polishing. I well remember an article I read on the single-action revolver some 30 years ago. The writer was testing a revolver that had been brought to him for a checkup. Someone had butchered the action, but the author of the article didn’t know that. He cocked the gun to test the action, and before he could bring it up to firing level, the gun went off and blew the toe of his boot off!

You may have heard of the "slip gun""a single-action revolver that was meant to be "slipped’ and fired. The gun was fanned and fired as soon as the hammer was released, without benefit of pulling the trigger. I don’t know if any real gunfighters used them; I seriously doubt they would. What probably happened is that excess wear or a gun butcher put the gun into this shape. I had an early German single-action, a Herbert Schmidt, that became a slip gun. Don’t laugh, I enjoyed that gun very much.

It had a heavy barrel and was quite accurate. But the metal in the hammer left much to be desired. So, anyway, polish lightly’and don’t change the hammer angles! Poorly fitted guns become poorer with shooting, and you can often prevent eccentric wear by polishing the hammer. There are those who recommend placing a small leather shim or pad to shim the hammer spring out a bit from the frame. The theory is that this reduces the severe angle of the spring, and makes for longer spring life.

I honestly can’t swear to the effects of this modification, but I have done it and the gun did seem to have a lighter trigger action afterwards. Trigger actions can be subjective, of course, but you’re just playing unless you invest in a trigger-pull gauge. The best all-around unit I’ve found is made by RCBS and is available from Brownells. And it is inexpensive. There are other variations of the Uberti, including blackpowder styles and the Remington versions.

All have undergone considerable tightening of the internal specifications, and fit and finish are better than ever. While they differ in details, all will respond to the same basic procedures. I’ve worked with many, and key steps in polishing and fitting are the same. The final step is always the same’re assemble the gun and have some fun. I