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Pietta factory tour - video


Warden Callaway

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Long but good video.

Uberti might want to watch out .

IE like them making the new safety three ckick guns instead of the Original four click Colt style guns .

Pietta is making four click Pistols and it looks like they are steeping up their game !

  

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I started working in a brand new Westinghouse factory in 1972.  It had 17 acres under one roof.   Although a new facility, almost all the machines were old. The interior was as just concrete and steel.  Lighting was adequate.   But soon as the energy crunch hit, they turned out every other light to save on energy costs.  

 

In the mid 80s,  the factory was sold to ABB, a European company.   It took about a year for them to compile the takeover.   When they did,  they pretty much gutted the insides and cleaned up all the dust and ash in the roof trusses, etc. They coated the concrete floors with a light colored epoxy.  The concrete walls and ceiling were painted white.  New lights were installed.   The machines were either cleaned and painted or replaced in an evaluation process. 

 

When I watched this video,  I was reminded how modern factories in Europe are so clean and well lit.  I could tell Alessandra Pietta was a bit embarrassed when they came to the test firing range and found the floor covered with brass. 

 

The hand held camera video was ok some of the time and not good often.  But it was a real privilege to be allowed to get a tour and make a video of it.  

 

Notice on the first half of the tour the amount of CNC and automation?   There was only a glimps of a worker here and there. Pietta said the machines ran 24-7.  

 

What we didn't see is the forging and casting processes.  I figure they buy them from a supplier or make them in another facility. I don't think the facility could have been kept as clean. 

 

I would have liked to seen them completely assemble one handgun on the bench.   We didn't see the bluing or color case processes. 

 

 

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They’re definitely stepping up their game.  Uberti needs to take a lesson on getting their actions right.  Everyone of their guns should be well timed and reasonably smooth right out of the box.   The fact that some of their higher end “tuned” guns have the problems thay do is inexcusable.  Pietta probably doesn’t have near the financial backing Uberti does and are getting their actions mostly right (from what I’m hearing from many sources).  I don’t necessarily think either company makes a better gun (retractable firing pin is a different issue) than the other, I just think they spend a bit more time on fitting the internal parts which is really important.

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Very good video.  Pietta used to have a rep for poorly fitting guns, and the statement made by A. Pietta that they used to have different manufacturers supply some of the parts for Pietta guns rings very true.  ~2000-2001 Pietta went to CNC machining, making all of their own parts, and never looked back. I can only speak towards Pietta C&B revolvers (I have 8 Navies of various flavors: mostly Confederates), and the newer CNC guns have parts interchangeability like Lego pieces. Pietta revolvers made prior to 2000 are not like that. I currently have a Pietta 1851 Navy .36 steel  4-screw frame cut for shoulder stock (date code AZ/1990) that I bought for a VERY good price because it didn't function. I replaced the bolt and hand with newer CNC parts ($13) but had to hand fit those to the older gun's measurements. (Also, the hammer face has a "safety pin" notch but there are no pins on the rear of the cylinder!) That might be something that folks want to keep in mind when buying an older, used gun with problems.

 

Regards,

 

Jim

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I may not seen the blueing part of the fabrication process.

Nevertheless, they step up in quality, models and spare parts.

Over all we can see more interest from manufacturers acting accordingly to the demand, so we are moving in the right direction.

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The TR gun and some of the blued guns next to it had the "Black Powder" frames.

Didn't know they made those. Thought Uberti and Colt were the only ones making those.

Interesting...

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Thanks great video maybe other manufacturers should watch and listen about standardizing parts and making them readily available .

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6 hours ago, Asa Smith said:

The TR gun and some of the blued guns next to it had the "Black Powder" frames.

Didn't know they made those. Thought Uberti and Colt were the only ones making those.

Interesting...

Yep. Good eye. I’ve been lusting over the TR one for awhile. And you can take Colt off that list. They don’t do the BP frame either. Standard was making one, but I understand they’ve discontinued that line 

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