Whiskey Hicks Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 In a few months I’ll finally be coming into the money from my dad’s lake cottage sale in Indiana. I stumbled onto the Early Modern Firearms website while Google searching for alternative Colt homages. ((I’ll stay out of the clone vs reproduction debate.)) They some really fancy and nice looking offerings under their Great Western categories. Does anyone have any experience with these? I know some have transfer bars and many of them don’t. I just have to read the specific product descriptions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creeker, SASS #43022 Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 The Pietta Great Western II is a fantastic gun. (Without transfer bar) Probably the closest "homage" to a 2nd gen Colt on the market. The transfer bar models are like all transfer bar SAA clones - 99.9% they are likely perfect. But that 1/10 of a percent that are not perfect will drive folks crazy. I own 4 sets of GWII's and I recently purchased Desert Scorpion a pair of engraved Ubertis. She has been very happy with those. Spring kits, good initial cleaning and a light touch with the Emery cloth for burrs or rubs and you're good to go. Buy the guns you like - Pietta or Uberti - as long as they are from a reputable and cowboy oriented shop or distributor (just in case) and enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cibola Al Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 The fit and finish of my Pietta E.M.F. GWII sheriff is superior to a Uberti revolver I owned. Not much difference when shooting them, but I never really cared for the hammer safety on the Uberti. Also E.M.F. response to inquiries was far quicker and more comprehensive than either Taylors or Cimarron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 PLUS ONE for Creeker you betcha. The Great Western II is probably the best value for dollar of any that are available. I am retired now, but found the Pietta Great Western II to be mechanically excellent. If I were in the market for Suppository Shooters, I'd be shopping Great Western II. When I was still open for business, I built ALL my custom Cap Guns on the Pietta platform. I personally DO NOT like Uberti. I especially DO NOT like Uberti's latest "enhancement" with the retracting Firing Pin. Yuck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jefro, SASS#69420 Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 Yep, GW II are some fine guns from Pietta. Cimarron also has the Pietta in the Frontier model. I shoot the GW II.45 4 5/8" for CFDA and .38/357 5 1/2" Frontier for SASS. Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene, SASS # 27489 Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 Pietta single actions are very nice, except for the base pin that is just slotted on one side so it has to be inserted "just...so". Some don't mind, but pain in the bu# for mine. It was VERY easily remedied with a Uberti base pin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waxahachie Kid #17017 L Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 I wish Pietta would just put the caliber on the barrel, and not all the unnecessary stuff...like "cal 45 LC". Just put "45 Colt" on it, or ".45" or, ".44 WCF". Leave off the: "made in Italy by Pietta", or "black powder only", or any of the other mini-novels they seem to need to put on there. I don't want, or need, anything else. It distracts from the look of the firearm...in my own opinion, of course. Yep...and the base pin...sticks out way too far. it looks like a popsicle sticking out a goat's be-hind!!! I replace them with one that doesn't stick out, a Colt, or an Uberti old style, without the safety notch...even if I have to grind/polish them down. The G.W. II is a really quality revolver...but...it could look better, without me going to some aftermarket trouble, and expense. Don't even get me started on the Uberti retractable firing pin, the soft-as-butter screws, or the stupid looking medallion on the grips. The last uberti I bought, I replaced the retractable firing pin hammer, then the trigger, and the grips, as soon as I could get it to my work table. Of course I did some stoning on the interior, to smooth it out. It had more burrs than a west Texas hay field. I have never had a clone that was ready to go, right out of the box. That seems to be the bottom line, no matter what brand you buy. Whoever invented the Dremel tool will go to heaven for sure...with the guy who invented ice cream, and the guy that invented air-conditioning. W.K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Kiowa Jones #6765 Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 Wax, Many of those thing you dislike are required to get them in country. At one time I felt the USFA were the best. But they are gone. The best now, is the Great Western II`s from EMF. When EMF decided to import these, Will Hansen, EMF`s manager at the time sent one to me for a look-see. He told me take it apart, shoot it, whatever I wanted to do. This guns are 2nd gen configured, even the thread pitch is the same. They have the more rounded tip cylinder bolt/stops and pressed in hardened bolt cams. they even have recoil plate/ firing pin bushings like the originals. But EMF did have them change the weakest link in the colt action, the leaf type hand spring. They changed to the Ruger style coil spring and plunger. This took place in the early 2000's. I still feel the are the best of the clones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watab kid Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 i have a pair in 357/38spcl , i like them every bit as much as my ruger NVs and more than any other ive ever owned , we each have our preferences but the quality is here in these , Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abe E.S. Corpus SASS #87667 Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 I’m looking at EMF’s Great Western series myself. The Deluxe Californian looks to be a good match revolver, with features comparable to the Smokewagon, El Patron or Evil Roy (all Uberti’s). The Alchimista line has the longer grip frame of the 1860 Army, and a wide trigger that is centered in the triggerguard. The Alchimista 2 and 3, I believe, have the wide, low hammer spur. A Canadian cowboy shooter posted a photo of a Pietta 1873 that looks like a Deluxe Californian with the Alchimista wide trigger and wide hammer. I’ve asked EMF about it. I’m thinking that variant has not come to the USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 Putting ".45 LC" on a barrel is in violation of SAAMI standards for cartridge designations. Alexsandro P's guys should know better, good luck, GJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waxahachie Kid #17017 L Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 11 hours ago, Nate Kiowa Jones #6765 said: Wax, Many of those thing you dislike are required to get them in country. At one time I felt the USFA were the best. But they are gone. The best now, is the Great Western II`s from EMF. When EMF decided to import these, Will Hansen, EMF`s manager at the time sent one to me for a look-see. He told me take it apart, shoot it, whatever I wanted to do. This guns are 2nd gen configured, even the thread pitch is the same. They have the more rounded tip cylinder bolt/stops and pressed in hardened bolt cams. they even have recoil plate/ firing pin bushings like the originals. But EMF did have them change the weakest link in the colt action, the leaf type hand spring. They changed to the Ruger style coil spring and plunger. This took place in the early 2000's. I still feel the are the best of the clones. Yep...I agree...the G.W. II's, from EMF, are the best clones out there...well...as you said, now that USFA has bitten the dust. One other one, out there, may approach the USFA, and that is the Standard Manufacturing single action revolver. It is not an Italian clone, and I have never seen one, outside of the for-sale gun-sites, to examine it. The one's I have seen on G.B., are offered for sale around $1,900.00, and from what I can figure out, it is made in the USA. So, with the exception of a USFA revolver, or possibly, a Standard Manufacturing revolver, the Great Western II, as imported by EMF, would be the top Italian clone, as far as quality, and being an accurate copy of the Colt design. If someone was looking to buy a clone, I would recommend a G.W. II. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-BAR #18287 Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 I bought a pair of Great Western II Californians NIB maybe 10-15 years ago. Lovely fit and finish. But the point of impact was 8” low and 10” left for both guns at CAS distance. It was not me. I asked two friends to shoot them over a rest and the POI was the same for them. Yes I could have filed the sights but that much adjustment would be mutilation. Hopefully Pietta has learned how to get a fixed sighted revolver closer than those were. Every Smith &Wesson fixed sight revolver I’ve ever owned has POA/POI pretty close, so it can be done. So that would be my concern with Great Westerns. Hopefully those who have purchased more recent ones may be able to put my concerns to rest. My pair went off in a trade with full disclosure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.