Pietta

[Highwall]

I took my new Pietta 1873 45 Colt to the range today since the weather was complimentary.

Actually it did quiite well but no matter how much I shoot it, it's still not a Colt or Ruger.

You get what you pay for. ☹️

[El Sobrante Kid]

51 minutes ago, Highwall said:

I took my new Pietta 1873 45 Colt to the range today since the weather was complimentary.

Actually it did quiite well but no matter how much I shoot it, it's still not a Colt or Ruger.

You get what you pay for. ☹️

 

Almost always true. And knowing that before you buy can usually save a person a lot of grief and/or aggravation and/or regret.

[watab kid]

you could add rugers or colts to your array and shoot as the feeling hits you , its what i do , yjr tugers sytand up to the riggers of our game well with little to no worries , but i still have piettas and ubertis as well as a couple colts that occasionally get dhot 

[Go West]

I have several sets of Rugers, but my favorites are my Piettas in .45. I'm not sure how old they are, but they look good with the finish holding up well and are quite accurate. I've heard that they are very similar to 2nd generation Colts. That said, shoot what you like, this is America where we all have choices.

[Dantankerous]

9 hours ago, Highwall said:

I took my new Pietta 1873 45 Colt to the range today since the weather was complimentary.

Actually it did quiite well but no matter how much I shoot it, it's still not a Colt or Ruger.

You get what you pay for. ☹️

 

I'm curious, what exactly were you expecting? I'm not being disingenuous here and the reason I ask is I PERSONALLY have had brand new revolvers from Smith and Colt fail almost out of the box. A new Colt Python shot exactly one round down range before the trigger bound at the back of the trigger guard. A fourteen hundred dollar gun failed after one round. Likewise, a brand new Smith and Wesson Mountain Gun exhibited multiple failures in the first box of ammo shot through it. That is a twelve hundred dollar gun. Both have gone back to the factory for repair.

 

So if you were actually able to shoot your gun and enjoy it, I call that a win. 😀

 

 

 

 

[Rye Miles #13621]

9 hours ago, Highwall said:

I took my new Pietta 1873 45 Colt to the range today since the weather was complimentary.

Actually it did quiite well but no matter how much I shoot it, it's still not a Colt or Ruger.

You get what you pay for. ☹️

Interesting that you grouped Ruger with Colt. They’re not even close in my experience. I don’t care for Rugers at all. Pietta is the closest thing to a Colt ( I have 4 Colts) and I’d take one over a Ruger any day! Just MHO 🙄

[Griff]

I have to wonder what you were expecting.  I feel that no firearm will meet the demands of this game/sport straight out of the box.  I didn't KNOW that nearly 41 years ago when I started... but... at my very 1st EOT @ Coto de Caza in Apr, 1986, I learned that.  I'd been shooting about 8-9 months with a factory 3rd Gen Colt in 45 Colt.  The 1st day I struggled a bit with my handgun... Not unusual for me.  One of my posse members suggested I take my Colt to Bob Munden and have him cowboy tune it for me.  I did... Bob returned with my tuned Colt the next morning.  What a difference.  I had to check the serial number 4 or 5 times before I believed it was the same gun.  I had him subsequently tune my backup pistol, a Armi Jager in .38/.357, and a couple of more over the next few years.  All were much better for the experience.  I've never been a frontrunner for a category win (well... with very few exceptions), at any major match.  At my best I was slightly ahead of the middle of the pack, by best finish at an EOT was in 1987, (3rd Place BP, top 5 1990 & 1991 in Frontier Cartridge), my best finish overall was in 1990, with a 33rd, (IIRC).  But, smooth working guns are just SO MUCH more enjoyable to compete with.   Even my Colt 2nd Gen 1851s are tuned and modified.  Do I always get thru a match with them flawlessly... no.  But, that is the nature of Frontiersman.  Have they broken after being tuned?  Yes.  Once in 39 years, a broken bolt leg on the last shot of the last stage of day 2 of a three day match.  Luckily, my trusty backup pistol was up to the task for day 3!  A new bolt, and the primary gun is back in business.   I've shot my 1851s in Frontier Cartridge, Elder Statesman, Cattle Baron and of course, Frontiersman, even shooting CAC as a Frontiersman Gunfighter two years running.  I truly believe that sole reason I don't end up on the podium every match I enter, is because I simply don't like running fast... ALL THE TIME.  Hell, I don't even jog.  A leisurely stroll is more my speed.  Finishing a match without a broken gun, whether at the head of the pack, or eating dust... is still a WIN.

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

12 hours ago, Highwall said:

I took my new Pietta 1873 45 Colt to the range today since the weather was complimentary.

Actually it did quiite well but no matter how much I shoot it, it's still not a Colt or Ruger.

You get what you pay for. ☹️

Is your Pietta a Great Western ll  Pietta  ? 

I have found them to be excellently built guns myself. 

They even are running the Ruger style plunger on the hand instead of the Colt style spring .

Rooster 

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

Highwall,

 

Then why on earth did you bother in the first place??  A Ruger isn't even close to a Colt, and they both need help out of the box.  A Pietta doesn't need much at all, beyond the abysmal Cylinder Base Pin.

 

So What's Yer Point, exactly.  Just needed something to Whine about without purpose?? 

[Horace Patootie, SASS #35798]

My OMVs have nothing done except springs. Never had any trouble with them. Also my two pairs of Piettas work just fine.

Horace

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

14 hours ago, Highwall said:

You get what you pay for.

Do you always?  Here is a comparison of features.  The Pietta is a pretty close copy of a Colt 2nd Gen.

 

Colt - barrel lug for ejector, replaceable hammer cam, firing pin bushing.

 

Pietta - all three

 

Standard Arms - two; hammer cam, firing pin bushing

 

USFA - one; firing pin bushing

 

Uberti - none

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

I should probably delete my prior post as the OP really did not ask anything.  He merely said "no matter how much I shoot it, it's still not a Colt or Ruger."  That is 100% correct.  No matter how much I drive a Chevy it's still not a Ford.  I will leave it up as it provides some information on the different single actions.

[Frederick Jackson Turner]

"Buy nice, not twice."

 

Pietta's are just fine - for what they are.  The firearms we use in this game were never meant to be run as fast, hard, or often, as we use them.  Rugers come closest, though.

 

Cheers,

FJT

[TN Mongo, SASS #61450]

My Pietta's have been my main match guns for the last 10 years.  I have several sets of Colts and more Ruger's than I can count. Nothing wrong with Colts or Ruger's, I just like the feel of my Pietta's. 

 

My Pietta's keep on running and I'm not concerned about them getting beat up like I do every time I shoot my Colts.

[watab kid]

ive advised a few folks on getting into this game not to buy a show piece collectible - these are tools of the trade we intend to use and in some instances abuse , but what you like and ask others before you buy , the tool needs to fit the job , and you need to be willing to repare or replace it if it breaks , i did - thats how i ended up with my rugers , 

 

i have a new pair i intend to shoot this year just because , they are ubertis , but my backup is a pieta - because i owned it first and wanted to shoot them 

[JP McLintock]

I've had good luck with piettas, Rooster runs his hard and Salty started with a set, but retired them cuz she found she liked birdshead vaqueros better.

[Lead Monger]

I don’t understand. I have Colts, Ubertis, Piettas and Rugers. All of them are smooth as silk and accurate after being worked on. True, you can buy at least two Italian revolvers for the price of a Colt. They are also much less expensive to repair. Rugers just don’t seem to fit my style and Colt hasn’t made an open top in many decades so it’s the Italian revolvers that get the job done.

[Major Hazzard, SASS #23254]

On 3/5/2026 at 9:14 PM, Highwall said:

You get what you pay for. ☹️

Right, keep telling yourself that.

[Singin' Sue 71615]

Hmmmmm....

I can't count the World Championships...but Slick Mclade has won several with his Piettas. Just sayin...

[Highwall]

On 3/6/2026 at 9:54 AM, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

Highwall,

 

Then why on earth did you bother in the first place??  A Ruger isn't even close to a Colt, and they both need help out of the box.  A Pietta doesn't need much at all, beyond the abysmal Cylinder Base Pin.

 

So What's Yer Point, exactly.  Just needed something to Whine about without purpose?? 

First off you are kind of abrasive for this friendly site. My point is I have won multiple championships with Ruger's firearm quality and accuracy.  My Pietta is a can shooter compared to my .45 Colt Anaconda.

[Lead Monger]

I have an Anaconda, a Kodiak and a Python. What category do you shoot them in? 

[Dantankerous]

5 hours ago, Lead Monger said:

I have an Anaconda, a Kodiak and a Python. What category do you shoot them in? 

High Class category! Nice collection. 

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

My Pietta GWll Rio Deluxe 45 Colt

Best out of the box action I have ever felt.

Parts are inner changeable with second gen Colts.

Build quality is second to none.

Quality is far much higher then what you pay for IMHO.

Rooster Ron Wayne #86029 

Edited March 10 by Rooster Ron Wayne

[Major Hazzard, SASS #23254]

13 hours ago, Highwall said:

My point is I have won multiple championships with Ruger's firearm quality and accuracy.  My Pietta is a can shooter compared to my .45 Colt Anaconda.

Now I'm really confused. 

- Are you saying you could NOT have won multiple championships with Pietta revolvers?   

- I think we can all agree minute-of-soup can accuracy is plenty good enough for Cowboy Action Shooting.  

- How is a Colt Anaconda relevant to this forum?

[Highwall]

19 hours ago, Lead Monger said:

I have an Anaconda, a Kodiak and a Python. What category do you shoot them in? 

IHMSA

[Highwall]

10 hours ago, Major Hazzard, SASS #23254 said:

Now I'm really confused. 

- Are you saying you could NOT have won multiple championships with Pietta revolvers?   

- I think we can all agree minute-of-soup can accuracy is plenty good enough for Cowboy Action Shooting.  

- How is a Colt Anaconda relevant to this forum?

Sorry all, I reckon I'm just a shooter and sometimes get my forums misalingned!

I'm 74 and hope this is not an early sign of dementia. 😧

[watab kid]

16 hours ago, Rooster Ron Wayne said:

My Pietta GWll Rio Deluxe 45 Colt

Best out of the box action I have ever felt .

Parts a inner changeable with second gen Colts .

Build quality is second to none.

Quality is far much higher then what you pay for IMHO.

Rooster Ron Wayne #86029 

i have a pair of these bvut they are 38spcl , very nice revolvers out of the box 

[Tracker Jack Daniels,58780]

I had 4 pairs of Ruger New Model Vaqueros, one set was SASS Vaqueros, then got a pair of Great Western II by Petta. The Piettas were far smoother right out of the box. So much so that when we had a house fire destroyed the gun safe and contents I only bought Pietta GWIIs to use going forward. I have put over 4000 rounds through these and they don't show any sign of wear. I guess I am lucky in that I seem to have gotten much more than what I paid for. I buy 2 Pietta revolvers for the price of 1 Ruger.