QUIGLEY SHOOTING ASSOCIATION NEWS
Quigley Shooting
Association News by Ken Hall
UBERTI’S 1873 CATTLEMAN
(The Colt that never was)
The desire to own a model 1873 had been with me since childhood. Many years ago, on holiday in Blackpool with my parents, I saw a toy replica of an engraved model ’73, complete with opening loading gate and two-piece ‘bullets’ in which a paper cap could be placed that would make a most pleasant bang when fired. The only problem was that it was a prize in a bingo stall.
My mother, bless her, who was a bit of a bingo addict, kept returning to the stall and notched up enough wins to procure the said item. Back home in our street ‘shootouts’ following the Saturday children’s matinee at the local fleapit, I would find myself out- gunned by the other urchins with their roll cap fuelled pistols but not to worry because I had an ‘authentic six-shooter’ and so learned to economise with ammunition at an early age. Sadly, somewhere along the way the pistol and I parted company and for many years I have searched for a replacement.
Back in the ‘good old days’ (pre 1997) when law- abiding British subjects were trusted to own and fire cartridge revolvers, I had a yen for a couple of Sam Colt’s 1873 revolvers so that I didn’t have to keep borrowing a friend’s pistols for Western-type shooting competitions. Alas, just as I was about to purchase them - or more accurately, modern Italian made replicas - a lone madman’s actions brought about a change in the law in this country that dashed my hopes and aspirations. In order to continue with pistol shooting, which had always been my preferred discipline, indeed my very first firearm was a Colt’s model 1911 of 1913 vintage, I purchased a brace of Remington model 1858 black powder pistols made by Euroarms which are very accurate and pleasant to shoot.
A friend and fellow member of my club at Diggle Ranges, turned up a short while ago with a new acquisition, a black powder, muzzle loading revolver made by Uberti of Italy based on their very popular (in free countries at least) cartridge-firing Colt replica marketed as the ’Cattleman’. It was love at first sight, I had to have one, I immediately contacted my local dealer, Fox Firearms, who put in an order with UK importer, Henry Krank. A short time later and one was in my possession.
My first reaction upon opening the box was one of pure delight, the pistol was all I was expecting, the colour case-hardened effect on the frame contrasted nicely with the charcoal blueing of the barrel, cylinder, trigger and backstrap. For the sake of authenticity Uberti have retained the ejector rod and housing, although this is of no actual use without cartridges. Another nice touch is the inclusion of the patent dates on the lower frame as on the original Colt. Aesthetically, this is a good looking pistol and only differs from its origins in that the cylinder has cut- outs in the rear where the percussion-cap nipples are placed. Fit and finish were well up to the standard now expected of Uberti’s products.
When it comes to loading the ‘gun that never was’ it differs from the norm. Genuine muzzle-loading pistols generally have the means of loading built into the design but, the ‘73 was originally designed as a cartridge pistol so, in order to charge the cylinder it must first be removed (a simple task - depress a button and pull out the base pin) and then charged with powder and ball using a purpose-built mechanical loader and then replaced in the frame before finally capping each nipple immediately prior to firing. A loading jig is readily available as a separate item from Krank’s but many have made their own personalised versions.
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