My USFA 45 Colt came apart!

[Dusty Miller]

The ejector rod housing on my USFA 45 Colt flew off today and upon examining the threads in the side of the barrel I'm beginning to think its a real wonder it took this long!  This gun and my Ruger Vaquero are starting to look like tradeable items with my FA 83 shoot'n as good as it does. 

[Lloyd Smale]

im sure they will fix it but id consider bucking up and asking them if they would for a few bucks install a ejector rod housing stud. Most of the custom smiths do it and it ends the problem of ejector rod housing screws shearing. 9 times out of ten what happens is the screw comes loose and shears. A guy needs to check all the screws on any single action every 50 or so rounds.

[Old Griz]

The more I read, the more I'm glad USFA couldn't fill my order.

[Lloyd Smale]

any gun is subject to mechanical failure even a FA or USFA. I hear all the time that people are upset because there expensive gun failed. Something like an ejector housing shearing can be avoilded by taking a screwdriver to the range. Even a 1000 dollar gun needs a little preventive maintanance. It needs to be kept oiled (in the right places) and the screws tightened. there has been a rash of FA and USFA bashing lately on the fourms. I dont own either but have shot enough of both to sure want one. They are both top shelf guns that are hands down more percisely made guns then a ruger. But there still a gun and will sometimes break like any other gun if shot alot. I guess if money bought you perfection porche and mercedes wouldnt have service departments. Especially in the case of the usfa single actions there still basically a copy of a colt and still have some of the weeknesses. I guess i dont see the mentality of some people who think because they spent a 1000 bucks on a usfa gun that it should be perfect and shoot all of its bullets into one hole and never fail. The same person probably owns a 1000 out of the box 1911 and knows its weeknesses. Ive spent twice as much as a usfa and half again as much as a FA on some of my customs and know there weeknesses. At the price your paying for the quality in a usfa single action there the bargin of the century for what your getting. The basicaly a hand fit hand make custom gun with tolarances that put the original colts even to shame and go price one of them! What do you think kimber or springfield would charge you for a gun buillt like that!! Buy a ruger send it off to bowen or clements and just have a basic caliber conversion and tune up done to get yourself a decent 44 special and your into as much as what youd pay for a top of the line usfa gun. Will you end up with a better gun. Thats questionable. Youll probably have stouter gun but i dont personaly think youll have a better gun.

[Rich S]

As always, this type of thread is very interesting.  I own a 2nd gen. Colt, three USFAs and a Uberti.  While the Colt and the USFA are very attractive and well built guns, the Uberti is as accurate a revolver as the others.  One would think that the primary reason for having a firearm is to place rounds on the target and if the Colt or the USFA costs three times the Uberti, they should have three time the accuracy.  Of course, that's not true.

The only fault I find with the Uberti is the color case hardening or lack there of.  The blueing and general fit of the revolver is certainly as nice as the USFA (my Colt 's case colors have faded 50%) but the case colors are top of the line on the USFA.  Silly but it just makes me feel good when I look at them.  And from what I'm told by a gunsmith friend, the internal parts of the USFA are rock hard and well fit.  Does it make it a more accurate gun then the $350 Uberti, no, but it is a quality firearm.

Rich

[Zeus]

Lloyd, I know what you mean.  What's funny is the differences in guns from the same manufacturer.  You can take my FA 454 and my FA 500 Wyoming for instance.  Both are Premier models.  However, the 500 is built "better" for lack of a better word.  The 454 is built tight and like a tank but you can feel the difference in the 500 vs the 454 if you handle them at the same time.  The trigger on the 500 is the best I've felt on any revolver, hands down.  The 454 is really good but not like the 500s trigger.  I have VERY LITTLE movement on the cylinder of the 454 and NO movement really on the 500.  However, both of these revolvers will outshoot me and most others any day of the week.  My rugers have all been a little different from one to the next also.  But, like you mentioned, oil in the right places and a little preventative maintenance goes a long way.  Now, every company will also built a lemon every now and then.  I purchased a Ruger hunter in 41 magnum when they were first announced and it had to be mailed back to ruger before I could shoot it.  The loading gate was built slightly out of spec and it would ruin the gate detent spring if you opened it about 15 times.  I replaced the spring thinking that was the cause and it was ruined immediately.  You couldn't get the loading gate to open at that point.  They replaced several parts including the barrel for some reason and when I received it back, it would definetely shoot.  Now, I had a chance to tour the USFA facility in Hartford a couple of years ago.  Everyone was pretty much on vacation so I really had the run of the place with the engineer in charge at the time.  It was a great trip.  I was amazed at the amount of time that goes into each of thier guns.  I will own one before long.  I have a hankering for either the Flattop or one of the PreWar versions.  I shot Mike Cumpstons PreWar and it flung a craving on me a few months back.  GS

[jimster]

I have both a USFA premier model and a Uberti Evil Roy model and both are very accurate.  Looking at the insides when they are apart it's easy to notice the time spent on the USFA, but the Uberti still shoots just as good. I have to say the USFA is very nice and I'm glad I ordered one and it was worth the money to me anyway. The only thing I wish i would have done different when ordering it was get the CCH hammer instead of the polished sides. I'd like to do something about the polished sides on the USFA someday.  Went to the range last week with both guns, and after about 35 rounds the ejector housing srcew was not tight on the evil roy model.  I have had to tighten up a few other screws too now and then.  One time I got a single action home and the cylinder base pin latch was almost all the way unscrewed.  I take screw drivers with me me to the range also, otherwise I'd be going home way too early.

anybody ever did anything with the polished sides of a hammer?  I'd like to try something...or maybe I should just cough up the money for a good CCH job on it?

Jim

[Dusty Miller]

I dropped that gun off today at my gunsmith and also told him to do a trigger job on it.  Last trip to the range I was alternating between my FA '83 and the USFA guns and the difference between the two triggers was quite noticeable.  This business of paying $1200 for a gun and  having to  have a trigger job done on it is quite annoying to say the least.   

[Graybeard]

If you guys would buy you a tube of blue loctite you'd not need to use those screwdrivers nearly so much and so wouldn't wear them out as often. Treat your screwdrivers more kindly and use blue loctite on the screws. But still keep them handy cuz you'll still need them eventually.

[Lloyd Smale]

Dusty i have a bunch of custom sixguns by alot of the major gunsmiths and just about to the one theyve never had triggers that i was happy with. The average guy is happy would a crisp breaking 4 lb trigger but im spoiled and like them at about 2 lbs. Even some of my 2000-3000 dollar guns needed trigger work. Im going to tell you why. A gunsmith will usually charge about 50 bucks an hour for his time. A decent trigger can be done in an hour or two. An exceptional ruger trigger takes many hours of trial and error. My buddy does mine for free and has spoiled me rotten but ive seen him take 8 hours on one trigger to get it perfect and i dont know how many times in that process he assembled and dissasembled that gun. A gunsmith would have to charge 500 bucks to do a trigger job like that to make it profitable and who would pay for it. Instead they spend maybe an hour or at the most two and get you an exceptable but not perfect trigger. As a matter of fact im heading up to his place tommarow to drop off some guns to have done. Two of them are my .500 linebaughs that ive been actually shooting for a couple years with a leg dropped on the spring. Something i preach against all the time. So when you get a FA or a custom and the trigger isnt exactly perfect maybe youll understand that most of the gunsmiths are capable of doing it but if you want perfection your going to have to buck up and pay for it and it doesnt come cheap!!!!!!

I dropped that gun off today at my gunsmith and also told him to do a trigger job on it.  Last trip to the range I was alternating between my FA '83 and the USFA guns and the difference between the two triggers was quite noticeable.  This business of paying $1200 for a gun and  having to  have a trigger job done on it is quite annoying to say the least.   

[Dusty Miller]

I like shooting my guns but not to the tune of $500 for a trigger job.  I'll just settle for "excellent" and let you guys who are roll'n in dough enjoy the "perfect" triggers. 

[Lloyd Smale]

Dusty im surely not rolling in money and if i had to pay for a trigger job id totaly agree with you. Im fortunate to have a freind that does all mine for free. My point was just that sometimes we expect just a little to much for our money. You cant go to your local mechanic with a ford and give him a 100 bucks and come out with a porche.

I like shooting my guns but not to the tune of $500 for a trigger job.  I'll just settle for "excellent" and let you guys who are roll'n in dough enjoy the "perfect" triggers. 

[Dusty Miller]

Loyd, this is a USFA gun, I ponied up $1150 for it.  When my Ruger Vaquero needed trigger I just had it done and didn't whine!  But a SA revolver approaching $1200 in value (more than that with tax, license, and doc fees) should have a top notch trigger.  No excuses as far as I'm concerned. 

[paul105]

The ejector rod housing on my USFA 45 Colt flew off today and upon examining the threads in the side of the barrel I'm beginning to think its a real wonder it took this long!  This gun and my Ruger Vaquero are starting to look like tradeable items with my FA 83 shoot'n as good as it does. 

Dusty, did you send your USFA back to the factory for repairs??  If so, what did they do??  I had problems with the Ejector Housing Screw -- I applied locktite, and was still having problems keeping the screw tight.  Finally looked at the threads in the barrel.  They looked battered.  I sent it back to USFA with a letter stating that I thought the threads in the barrel were the problem (yea, the screw threads were also stripped) -- it was returned today -- they replaced the screw.  I was just sick -- $70 shipping and insurance for a $2 part (they charge $8).  I couldn't bring myself to remove the screw to see if was damaged when the screwed it back in the mess in the side of the barrel.  I'll look this weekend and report back.  If those threads in the barrel are in spec, they sure are strange looking -- can't imagine they will hold the screw under prolonged recoil.

Paul

[paul105]

Shot 60 or 70 rounds yesterday.  Ejector Housing screw was loose, so I removed it and took some pictures.  The screw is only held in by about two threads at most.  You can see the edges of the screw are already flattening.  The screw hole in the barrel is a mess.  I'll call USFA Monday and see what they say.





Paul

[Dusty Miller]

Yep, mine didn't look any better.  Its in the shop now awaiting a screw from the factory.  Its a good thing I've got other 45 Colts to shoot!!