Uberti 44-40 SA question

[Doc Moses]

I recently got an Uberti off the wire as a back-up. Loving it. I think the serial# has it as being made in 1998. My questions are; did it originally have a safety?  The new ones do but what did the older ones have?  The double groved cylinder pin or some kind of hammer block, or nothing?

2ndly, if I wanted a safety would the new rebounding hammer and trigger work or is there not enough room on the inside for them? Not really looking to add the safety. It would be pricey unless someone who took theirs out sold me their old parts, but I am curious. I tend to get obsessive about stuff like this so any info is appreciated. I could not get a good answer to either question on the Google.

Thanks for any info.

[Savvy Jack]

The Uberti safety features are included in this thread

[Tex Jones, SASS 2263]

I think that the pistol you're talking about has a small block on the front of the hammer, below the firing pin.  That block could be positioned so as to prevent the hammer from dropping completely, which would keep the firing pin off the primer.  I had one like that and although that block was present, I never used it as a safety.  If I remember correctly, it could be removed without any effect on the use of the pistol.  That system has been replaced with the current system, which retracts the firing pin when the pistol is in battery.  The hammer safety on the new Ubertis can be replaced with a traditional hammer and, if one wanted to retrofit it into an earlier model, it could probably be done although it might need some fitting. 

 

The other method that was used by Armi San Marco was an elongated cylinder pin, which when pushed in as far as it would go would extend through the rear of the frame and would prevent the hammer from falling.  I don't know if that method is being used currently.  

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

Uberti SA safeties come in several flavors.  Originally there was a "Hammer Block" that was activated by the Safety Cock Notch, with a spring load return.  Very obvious it the top of the hammer.  Next up is the Two Position Base Pin.  Pushed in all the way it blocks the hammer fall.  Most recent, is that really dumb stupid Retracting Firing Pin thingie.

 

The only one that can be easily fitted is the Two Position base pin.  The original "Safeties" were never intended as actual safety devices.  They were added to Uberti SA guns to pass the idiot BATFE "Drop" test for import.  Domestic SA guns were never required to pass the "drop" test.  

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Howdy

 

Quite a few years ago Uberti replicas of the SAA had a hammer block. Identifiable by the piece directly under the firing pin. I bought one like this used about twenty years ago, long enough ago that I don't really remember quite how it worked. As I recall there was a thin part that slid down and blocked the hammer somehow. It has been a long time, sorry I don't remember specifically how it worked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later, there was the silly cylinder pin with two notches on it. If the pin was inserted all the way back, it would block the hammer from falling all the way. Pulling the pin forward to the second position allowed the hammer to fall all the way. This style was a pain in the butt, I can remember shooters showing up at the firing line and their first shots were click, click, click because they had forgotten to pull the silly pin forward.

 

 

I bought this Uberti Cattleman used about twenty years ago. It had the silly two position cylinder pin. I replaced it with a standard cylinder pin.

 

[Griff]

I don't ever recall seein' any safety on a Uberti revolver before the two position cyl. pin.  I have an EMF Hartford from 1993 that used that method.  The good thing is that C&B revolvers don't have to pass the drop test!  Frontiersman, doin' it the original way and keepin' it real!  (Except for those cheatin' SODs usin' ROAs)!

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

The hammer block shown by Driftwood had a tiny little spring loaded pushrod activated by the Trigger Sear slicing into the "Safety Notch" which pushed that odd lookin piece into alignment with a ledge in the frame.

 

The quick fix for the two position base pin is/was to remove the last 3/16 of the base pin, dress it smooth and push the base pin all the way in like it should be.

 

The Retracting Firing Pin is just plain STUPID. 

["Big Boston"]

3 hours ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

The hammer block shown by Driftwood had a tiny little spring loaded pushrod activated by the Trigger Sear slicing into the "Safety Notch" which pushed that odd lookin piece into alignment with a ledge in the frame.

 

The quick fix for the two position base pin is/was to remove the last 3/16 of the base pin, dress it smooth and push the base pin all the way in like it should be.

 

The Retracting Firing Pin is just plain STUPID. 

 

9 hours ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

Uberti SA safeties come in several flavors.  Originally there was a "Hammer Block" that was activated by the Safety Cock Notch, with a spring load return.  Very obvious it the top of the hammer.  Next up is the Two Position Base Pin.  Pushed in all the way it blocks the hammer fall.  Most recent, is that really dumb stupid Retracting Firing Pin thingie.

 

The only one that can be easily fitted is the Two Position base pin.  The original "Safeties" were never intended as actual safety devices.  They were added to Uberti SA guns to pass the idiot BATFE "Drop" test for import.  Domestic SA guns were never required to pass the "drop" test.  

 

IMHO and according to SASS rules, load 5, hammer down on an empty chamber is the only safety you want. CC has pretty much said exactly what most cowboys think of the various safeties. However, Taylors does sell a one notch base pin to prevent any krap from happening at the line. In my short time shooting Cowboy I've seen the two notch base pin screw up many times. If it is not seated exactly correct recoil of the first shot pushes the pin into safety. It plain ruins your day. This gets worse as the gun wears a bit. I don't know which if any safety yours has, but you really don't want any of them if you shoot Cowboy action. I have a Smoke Wagon with the retracting firing pin and it is by far the worst designed Rube Goldberg contraption going. It is so fiddle phart and any dirt or poorly machined parts will render a gun safe at the worst possible time. 

 

If I read your post correctly I appreciate that you want a safe gun, but in my very biased and humble opinion only a Ruger has an almost fool proof safety that only adds a moderate amount of creep to the trigger. The transfer bar piece is another added part and any added part introduces another place for failure. All SA guns are flakey, but any fiddle faddle Rube Goldberg mechanisms you add only make the occurrence of a problem a bit more likely. 

 

BB 

[Doc Moses]

Yeah, I would like it to be safe with 6. I shoot Rugers so I dont really need a backup.    I kinda want to use the Uberti as my fun Jeep gun. (Toss it in the back with a bix of reloads.) Load 5 is safe 4 CAS. It would be cool to have it safe with 6 loaded for fun shooting. No way will I pay the cost of that new hammer AND the new trigger that it needs. If someone had a system they took out I might buy it especially an older system but...this is a fun gun. I dont want it to be one a super expensive gun.  Happy to leave it as it is but I have this habit if messing with stuff. Usually mess things up!

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

Well Doc.  For your desired use, Wrong Gun.  Maybe.  I certainly wouldn't carry it "Six Up."  The only SA I have seen, safe with Six UP are transfer bar guns.  Ruger, Pietta and at one time Uberti even made one.  Oh well.

[Doc Moses]

Yeah for six up. However right gun cause its so much fun!  Nichol plated stainless, so rust resistant.  Cheap enough that if something happens to it I am mad but not furious. Just wish I still had the transfer bar to make it even better for plinking!  Thanks everyone for your input.

[Griff]

Having carried my Colt SAA as an active LEO, I will admit that I carried it loaded w/5 and hammer down on an empty.  Now, I will say that when I did this, it was mainly as a show piece, parades, historical days, etc., but still, one never knows where one is likely to encounter a threat.  So while the risk was low, it was still loaded with live, man-stopper loads.  Just as when I was with the Sheriff's Posse, when duty dictated I be mounted, I carried a Winchester 94 loaded to the max with 150 grain SPs and an empty chamber.  Hell, it was fun on rifle qualifying days... my old Winchester 94 often had high score for the day against the rest of the boys with their ARs!  Carrying 5 vs 6... is only a concern for a short time; as a pistol is only good enough to carry the fight till you reach your long gun!

[Savvy Jack]

I have carried my Uberti SAA for nearly 12 years, and do so with 5 and hammer on empty chamber. My safety bar has been removed on all of my SAA.  All of the below photos are at least 8 years old. I have a few modern but have no idea where they are.

My main carry is the Uberti 44-40 with my handloads, no factory JUNK! My secondary is the Uberti 357 magnum, both with rattlesnake inlay grips. However, when I know I will be in the slum areas of the earth, I carry an evil black semi-auto with two mags.