Author Topic: Maker of 1858 (Read 801 times)

Cowpox · « **on:** March 21, 2005, 06:23:37 AM »

There is a 5 1/2 in 1858 Remington listed on one of the internet gun auction sites. The seller didn't mention a maker, country, or importer, but had several good pictures. It looks pretty good, so I sent a message to the seller asking who made it. His response was, "Made by Santa Barbara Spain." That's a new one on me. Does anyone here know anything about Santa Barbara, or the quality of their products ?

filmokentucky · « **Reply #1 on:** March 21, 2005, 06:46:41 AM »

Never heard of this maker. I'd suggest you get a Uberti. Right below the gun I think you are talking about is another listing. I've done business with this gentleman and was well satisfied. Spanish quality control is all too often an oxymoron.

Cowpox · « **Reply #2 on:** March 21, 2005, 07:45:10 AM »

Thanks for the comeback filmokentucky, I wasn't planning on buying it, once I found out it wasn't Uberti or Pietta. I just wanted to know if some of the others here had heard of this outfit.

Cowpox · « **Reply #3 on:** March 21, 2005, 10:37:49 AM »

filmokentucky, I looked at the one under this one, and it was a brass framed Traditions, so you must have looked at a different one. The one I am talking about is on Gunbroker, Item #29924882, Remington 1858 New Model Army Repro 5 1/2 Bbl, about a third of the way down. Looks good in the pics, but like you say, it ain't a Uberti.

filmokentucky · « **Reply #4 on:** March 21, 2005, 11:30:48 AM »

Try item #29945957. This will give you an idea of price and what is available in this range.

Cowpox · « **Reply #5 on:** March 21, 2005, 02:24:20 PM »

Now that's more like what i'm laying for ! I had looked at that one too. But I want one with the 5 1/2 in barrel and color cased frame. I only asked about that Santa Barbara because I had never heard of that Company. I'm still hoping someone who knows something about them reads this thread, and sheads some light for us.

ribbonstone · « **Reply #6 on:** March 21, 2005, 02:39:32 PM »

Can't speak for the pictols, but some of CVA's rifles were Santa Barbara made.

Cowpox · « **Reply #7 on:** March 21, 2005, 04:32:05 PM »

Thanks for the info ribbonstone, I have a CVA Squirrel rifle I built from a kit, so even though I have never heard of Santa Barbara, I may have something they made.

John Traveler1 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 21, 2005, 07:37:26 PM »

The firm of "Santa Barbara" is/was the Spanish national arsenal near Madrid, Spain.

They currently produce weapons for the Spanish army and police forces, and at one time (up to the middle 1980's, I think), they had a sporting arms branch that made modest quality blackpowder reproduction guns and provided complete sporter mausers and parts kits for building your own '98 mauser sporter. Quality was only so-so, and the parts I examined were all rough-as-cast and rough machined. The barrels were surprisingly well finished and shot well. I've known several shooters that had rebarreled their M-98 actions with Santa Barbara barrels and they gave excellent service.

Cowpox · « **Reply #9 on:** March 22, 2005, 02:39:21 PM »

Thank you John Traveler1, Now I have a good idea of who and where Santa Barbara is. When seeing your reference to their rifle barrels, I even remembered seeing ads for Santa Barbara barrels in gun publications a couple of decades ago. I didn't realize they were made in Spain though. Maybe they still advertise, but I quit subscribing to magazines a number of years ago, when all they could write about was custom competition .45 auto pistols. Quit Shotgun News about then also, when most of the prices were replaced with P.O.R. Thanks again.