Pistolero
Well-Known Member
The first Colt revolver I ever bought was a 1861 Navy 3rd Gen Colt. I like the gun
but the grip frame is a bit small. I have had that one since the 70s. About 15 years
ago, I bought a Pieta replica 1860 Army, which looks a lot like the 1861 Navy, both
really handsome guns, IMO. In any case, the 1860 Army grip really felt good and I
appreciate the slightly larger size.
About 10 years ago I ran across a bargain priced USFA Rodeo, a modern high quality
clone of the Colt SAA. I have never been able to really appreciate the SAA revolvers, IMO
the grip frame is just too small. Without measuring, it feels smaller than the 61 Navy,
but might be the same, don't know.
In any case, Ian mentioned that he had a Uberti clone with an 1860 grip frame......wheels
whirring to life. I had wondered several years back whether the various Colt grip frames
were interchangeable.
Last year, I bought a raw casting (well, Ruger did do a couple of important machining passes
at the interface surface to the main frame) in SS of a Bisley grip frame to put onto my .45 Convertible
Bhawk. That project went well - basically to explore whether I liked the Bisley grip frame without
buying a whole Bisley Ruger. On that one, the grip is OK, but doesn't really set me
on fire. Haven't switched it back, may need to shoot it then switch at the range, and shoot the
other one, back to back to decide. Fitting wasn't too hard, so it helped my comfort level and
understanding, although the Bhawk isn't exactly the same, they are very similar to SAA.
OK, now I have some experience fitting a grip frame, and Ian triggers something that I had thought
about enough to check and find out that there are folks who apparently make money buying
Pietta BP revolvers and tearing them apart and selling the pieces. Presumably, they make a
profit, but regardless - the grip frames are available. Not super cheap, but about $150 got me
a new 1860 grip frame with solid style grip, from the same seller, so presumably from the same
gun.
Initial measurements showed good likelihood of fit, so I dove in. The only real problem was
that the Pietta rear holes in the trigger guard were about .012 too close together, and screws would
bind. I drilled the holes out about .006", and the head counterbores, too, but that wasn't enough.
Finally just kludged it a bit by pushing the brass trigger guard (a cosmetic disadvantage, IMO, YMMV)
against the drill bit to wallow it out maybe .010. This did it, and the screws went in. The screws
in the steel backstrap went right in, no issues at all. Did not get the screw that joins the two
parts that make up the grip frame, contacted the seller about that as it is an oddball. Currently they
are not joined, and they do spring slightly, so the brass trigger guard sticks out of the grip about 1/16"
at the bottom. Ugly. Loosening the top screws on the back strap and then putting in the bottom screw
and tightening them back will solve this when I get the screw. This will be easy with the screw,
and the original SAA screw is nothing like the 1860 one.
The backstrap extends slightly above the frame at the top, a normal fitting issue. I will file this
down later as it is out of the way and only cosmetic. It will need rebluing.
Another issue is that the Pietta brass trigger guard was pretty thick, and the trigger tip hit it.
I ground off 1/16th inch from the tip of the trigger, which does not affect the trigger face
at all since the tip was ground pointed. I then filed out about .050 from the trigger guard
inside (still rough, needs final shaping and polish yet) to get clearance. 1860 hammer spring
is wrong for SAA, but SAA hammer spring fit the 1860 grip, after drilling the hole in the spring out
by about .003, just a hair difference in diam, even though threads were totally diff -
I guess Pietta uses what is convenient on the insides.
But, I love the gun's new feel! This is a huge improvement, IMO. It appears to me that, within
manufacturing and fitting tolerances, the grip frames of all of the Colt revolvers, BP and smokeless
from 1851 to 1873 are "basically" interchangeable, although a pure drop in cannot be reasonably
expected. Grip frames from two SAAs are not perfectly interchangeable and they are ground and
finished to the frame.
So, if you have always thought the SAA grip frame was too small - it is fixable.
Pix.
Here is the old grip laid on top. They are aligned well at the mainframe interface area. You can see
how much longer it is.
It doesn't look like much, but for me it is a huge improvement.
Bill
but the grip frame is a bit small. I have had that one since the 70s. About 15 years
ago, I bought a Pieta replica 1860 Army, which looks a lot like the 1861 Navy, both
really handsome guns, IMO. In any case, the 1860 Army grip really felt good and I
appreciate the slightly larger size.
About 10 years ago I ran across a bargain priced USFA Rodeo, a modern high quality
clone of the Colt SAA. I have never been able to really appreciate the SAA revolvers, IMO
the grip frame is just too small. Without measuring, it feels smaller than the 61 Navy,
but might be the same, don't know.
In any case, Ian mentioned that he had a Uberti clone with an 1860 grip frame......wheels
whirring to life. I had wondered several years back whether the various Colt grip frames
were interchangeable.
Last year, I bought a raw casting (well, Ruger did do a couple of important machining passes
at the interface surface to the main frame) in SS of a Bisley grip frame to put onto my .45 Convertible
Bhawk. That project went well - basically to explore whether I liked the Bisley grip frame without
buying a whole Bisley Ruger. On that one, the grip is OK, but doesn't really set me
on fire. Haven't switched it back, may need to shoot it then switch at the range, and shoot the
other one, back to back to decide. Fitting wasn't too hard, so it helped my comfort level and
understanding, although the Bhawk isn't exactly the same, they are very similar to SAA.
OK, now I have some experience fitting a grip frame, and Ian triggers something that I had thought
about enough to check and find out that there are folks who apparently make money buying
Pietta BP revolvers and tearing them apart and selling the pieces. Presumably, they make a
profit, but regardless - the grip frames are available. Not super cheap, but about $150 got me
a new 1860 grip frame with solid style grip, from the same seller, so presumably from the same
gun.
Initial measurements showed good likelihood of fit, so I dove in. The only real problem was
that the Pietta rear holes in the trigger guard were about .012 too close together, and screws would
bind. I drilled the holes out about .006", and the head counterbores, too, but that wasn't enough.
Finally just kludged it a bit by pushing the brass trigger guard (a cosmetic disadvantage, IMO, YMMV)
against the drill bit to wallow it out maybe .010. This did it, and the screws went in. The screws
in the steel backstrap went right in, no issues at all. Did not get the screw that joins the two
parts that make up the grip frame, contacted the seller about that as it is an oddball. Currently they
are not joined, and they do spring slightly, so the brass trigger guard sticks out of the grip about 1/16"
at the bottom. Ugly. Loosening the top screws on the back strap and then putting in the bottom screw
and tightening them back will solve this when I get the screw. This will be easy with the screw,
and the original SAA screw is nothing like the 1860 one.
The backstrap extends slightly above the frame at the top, a normal fitting issue. I will file this
down later as it is out of the way and only cosmetic. It will need rebluing.
Another issue is that the Pietta brass trigger guard was pretty thick, and the trigger tip hit it.
I ground off 1/16th inch from the tip of the trigger, which does not affect the trigger face
at all since the tip was ground pointed. I then filed out about .050 from the trigger guard
inside (still rough, needs final shaping and polish yet) to get clearance. 1860 hammer spring
is wrong for SAA, but SAA hammer spring fit the 1860 grip, after drilling the hole in the spring out
by about .003, just a hair difference in diam, even though threads were totally diff -
I guess Pietta uses what is convenient on the insides.
But, I love the gun's new feel! This is a huge improvement, IMO. It appears to me that, within
manufacturing and fitting tolerances, the grip frames of all of the Colt revolvers, BP and smokeless
from 1851 to 1873 are "basically" interchangeable, although a pure drop in cannot be reasonably
expected. Grip frames from two SAAs are not perfectly interchangeable and they are ground and
finished to the frame.
So, if you have always thought the SAA grip frame was too small - it is fixable.
Pix.
Here is the old grip laid on top. They are aligned well at the mainframe interface area. You can see
how much longer it is.
It doesn't look like much, but for me it is a huge improvement.
Bill
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