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Stainless Steel Uberti Colt Reproductions
ken44-40
Member Posts: 201 ✭✭✭
UPDATED 20 May 2017
There have been a few additions to the list since the last update. There have been two revolvers located in Switzerland, and I just acquired a pair of 1851 Navies - one of which is a consecutive serial number with the first SS Colt I bought back in 2006. Here is an updated thread with a picture of the latest two at the end.
In the early to mid 1980s, Uberti produced a line of stainless steel percussion Colt revolvers that were imported to the US by Allen Firearms, Santa Fe, NM; Southwest Muzzleloaders Supply, Inc. Angleton, TX, Uberti USA, and possibly others. They are now also known to have been sold in Europe under the HEGE dealer name.
Phil Spangenberger did an article about these stainless revolvers in the October 1983 issue of Guns and Ammo Magazine. According to the article, the models that were being imported were the 1851 Navy, 1860 Army, 1861 Navy, 1862 Pocket Navy, and 1862 Pocket police. Thanks to Dr. J.L. Davis of RPRCA, Claremore, OK, I have a 1984 price list for Uberti products that lists fourteen different models of Stainless Steel Colts produced by Uberti at that time. Subsequent price lists expanded the line to 16 models by adding 4 ? inch barreled Pocket Navy and Pocket Police. The complete model list, known so far, is:
1851 Navy, Oval Trigger guard Revolver, Cal. .36
1851 Navy, ?Sheriff?s Model? Oval Trigger guard Revolver, Cal. .36 *
1851 Navy, ?Sheriff?s Model? Square back Trigger guard Revolver, Cal. .36
1861 Navy, Civilian, Revolver, Cal. .36
1861 Navy, Military, With Fluted Cylinder, Revolver, Cal. .36*
1861 Navy, Civilian, With Fluted Cylinder, Revolver, Cal. .36
1862 Police, Semi-Fluted Cylinder, Revolver, Cal. .36, Barrel 6 ??
1862 Pocket Navy, Engraved Cylinder, Revolver, Cal. .36, Barrel 4 ??*
1862 Pocket Navy, Engraved Cylinder, Revolver, Cal. .36, Barrel 6 ??
(* - have identified location of examples of these models)
(@ - have this model)
The current total of known revolvers is 31. I have nine of these revolvers and know of twenty two in the hands of other collectors or BP shooters. The latest two that have been identified were listings for two 1851 Navies on Gun Broker. Two of the known revolvers are in Switzerland, and one is in England. The Swiss models are marked Hege and the English model has the typical Allen Firearms barrel address.
Anyone with information concerning Allen Firearms, Southwest Muzzleloaders Supply or any other Uberti Stainless Steel Colt style revolvers is requested to contact fingersmcgee@charter.net I am seeking information as to models, manufacture dates, serial numbers, barrel markings, barrel lengths, trigger guards, and any other characteristics as well as any catalog, brochure and original packaging information.
There have been a few additions to the list since the last update. There have been two revolvers located in Switzerland, and I just acquired a pair of 1851 Navies - one of which is a consecutive serial number with the first SS Colt I bought back in 2006. Here is an updated thread with a picture of the latest two at the end.
In the early to mid 1980s, Uberti produced a line of stainless steel percussion Colt revolvers that were imported to the US by Allen Firearms, Santa Fe, NM; Southwest Muzzleloaders Supply, Inc. Angleton, TX, Uberti USA, and possibly others. They are now also known to have been sold in Europe under the HEGE dealer name.
Phil Spangenberger did an article about these stainless revolvers in the October 1983 issue of Guns and Ammo Magazine. According to the article, the models that were being imported were the 1851 Navy, 1860 Army, 1861 Navy, 1862 Pocket Navy, and 1862 Pocket police. Thanks to Dr. J.L. Davis of RPRCA, Claremore, OK, I have a 1984 price list for Uberti products that lists fourteen different models of Stainless Steel Colts produced by Uberti at that time. Subsequent price lists expanded the line to 16 models by adding 4 ? inch barreled Pocket Navy and Pocket Police. The complete model list, known so far, is:
1851 Navy, Oval Trigger guard Revolver, Cal. .36
1851 Navy, ?Sheriff?s Model? Oval Trigger guard Revolver, Cal. .36 *
1851 Navy, ?Sheriff?s Model? Square back Trigger guard Revolver, Cal. .36
1861 Navy, Civilian, Revolver, Cal. .36
1861 Navy, Military, With Fluted Cylinder, Revolver, Cal. .36*
1861 Navy, Civilian, With Fluted Cylinder, Revolver, Cal. .36
1862 Police, Semi-Fluted Cylinder, Revolver, Cal. .36, Barrel 6 ??
1862 Pocket Navy, Engraved Cylinder, Revolver, Cal. .36, Barrel 4 ??*
1862 Pocket Navy, Engraved Cylinder, Revolver, Cal. .36, Barrel 6 ??
(* - have identified location of examples of these models)
(@ - have this model)
The current total of known revolvers is 31. I have nine of these revolvers and know of twenty two in the hands of other collectors or BP shooters. The latest two that have been identified were listings for two 1851 Navies on Gun Broker. Two of the known revolvers are in Switzerland, and one is in England. The Swiss models are marked Hege and the English model has the typical Allen Firearms barrel address.
Anyone with information concerning Allen Firearms, Southwest Muzzleloaders Supply or any other Uberti Stainless Steel Colt style revolvers is requested to contact fingersmcgee@charter.net I am seeking information as to models, manufacture dates, serial numbers, barrel markings, barrel lengths, trigger guards, and any other characteristics as well as any catalog, brochure and original packaging information.
Comments
If you need info on mine let me know.
I believe it to be a preproduction model which may be one of just a few. As I previously said, it was a display model in their Connecticut showroom when I bought it .
I wrote Uberti in Italy and they said there is no record of ever producing that model in SS.
I believe it was tied to Colts' intention of producing a line of Colt percussion revolvers in SS. Colt changed their mind and I have a letter to that effect.
Colt was going to produce the 5 models in SS - they were even catalogued and included in the 1982 price list. The powers that were at Colt's at the time canceled the whole repro project for whatever reason.
Uberti may have no record of producing the SS models; but the fact that some exist, and Guns and Ammo did an article on them, belies that claim.
My conjecture from the serial numbers I have found and the date code range is that somewhere around 8000 could have been made in the 5 years between 1983 and 1987. That would equate to around 100 per year for each of the 16 variations.
Ken
My email is fingersmcgee@charter.net