Author Topic: cimmaron vs. cabela's (Read 3275 times)

Will52100 · « **on:** December 13, 2003, 06:20:42 AM »

I am thinking of a new walker or dragoon revolver, I know they would both be Uberties, but is there enough diferance in price to justifie the Cemmaron?

This will be one that gets a lot of shooting and have had to do a little minnor smithing work to all the ones from cabelas. Nothing major, just a little aggrivating. They were piettas.

Thanks,

Will

Flint · « **Reply #1 on:** December 14, 2003, 08:54:18 AM »

Very unlikely that a Cabelas Walker or Dragoon would be an Uberti, The Remington Revolving Carbine is an Uberti because no-one else makes it.

The Shrink · « **Reply #2 on:** December 14, 2003, 09:10:29 AM »

Even if Cabela's were a Uberti, which I doubt, there would still be a big difference. Cimmeron orders the basic firearm from Uberti and then farms out fit and finish to local gunshops. They cost more because they are basically hand finished before you get it, you don't have to do it yourself.

Dutch Canyon Red · « **Reply #3 on:** December 14, 2003, 03:49:30 PM »

It seems to be a roll of the dice anymore as to quality... everybody has their bad days, even gun builders. I bought a consecutive numbered pair of Open-Tops from Cimarron a couple of years ago and they looked real nice. The first thing I did was to disassemble them to inspect the innards. There was about a quarter teaspoon of steel shavings in the hole under the barrel where the base pin goes. The barrel had to be driven off with a nylon punch. After cleaning up the mess and reassembling the pistol, it has worked just fine. The other one had a firing pin that extended through the frame about twice the distance as it's twin. I cleaned it thoroughly and took them both out for a test drive. I only fired the one with the long firing pin three times since I was feeling some blowback spattering my right hand. Sure enough, those three primers were perforated. The next time I went to the range, I brought a small stone and cut down the firing pin a little at a time until it was "just right". Both Pistols have worked great since then and the fit and finish was very good. I do think that a little more care should have gone into their assembly, especially since one pays for it when buying from Cimarron. Just last week, I ordered a consecutive pair of Pietta 44 cal 1851 Navy Sheriffs (5") from EMF. I have heard all manner of horror stories about the quality of Pietta pistols for at least the last five years. I did not expect a whole lot from pistols that cost less than $200.00 each. What a surprise! The fit and finish is almost as good as the Cimarrons. I only say almost because the grips are just a teensy bit wider than the frame up near the top. The cylinder throats are all either .449" or .450". The timing is right on, as far as I can tell by inserting a range rod through the barrel. The bolt does not drag on the cylinder. The bores look good and don't appear to have any tight spots. The only thing I found to complain about on disassembling them was that three nipples on one pistol and two on the other were rusted shut... probably from blueing residue. They cleaned up easily with a torch tip cleaner and Ballistol. I haven't had a chance to fire these pistols yet so my opinion may change but I think they are keepers. I guess the point of all this is that, when you buy a mail-order pistol, you don't really know what you will get. It would be better if we could go to the store and look first.

El Confederado · « **Reply #4 on:** December 14, 2003, 08:17:22 PM »

Pard,
The best thing I can tell ya is, listen to Red there.
I have bought many a pistol that folks have just went on and on about how crappy the one they bought was and well, some of it is true.Lets take the last 1860 Pietta I bought, I handled 3 different ones till I found one I was happy with, however , the same goes for the last Ruger I bought. So what does this tell ya, mail order =luck of the draw, on any firearm, Italian or American. Play touchy feely with it at the shop= you get the one you want and the one that feels right to ya.

Will52100 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 15, 2003, 07:51:54 PM »

Thanks guys, figured for the price the action and fit and finish augt to be better from cimarron.

Checked with cabela's and the walker is a uberti, same as one I got from them years ago.

Just got a Pieta 36 police from cabelas, basicly a short barrel '61 navy. Real nice fit and finish, but a few functional problems. Nothing I couldn't handle but required a little grinding and smith work. Guess since I have the tools I'll just make time and save myself the extra money as the fit and finish will be good or they'll get the sucker back!

Dalton Masterson · « **Reply #6 on:** January 24, 2004, 03:51:49 AM »

My Walker is Uberti from Cabelas. It is older, and the finish came off in no time. It is now antiqued, but the new ones I have been seeing in the store have a very rich bluing, and look and handle excellent. DM

Blackhawk44 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 27, 2004, 01:21:14 PM »

Goto http://www.iar-arms.com/. They offer the Walker for $260 as opposed to $330 for Cabelas. Nice folks. Bought one last year for a friend. Seller makes little difference since confirming that Uberti is the only plant in the world making Walkers and second model Dragoons in some years. Unlike Win 92's, Sharps or '51 Navies, if you want a '66, '73 or Walker, it will come from Uberti.

Dalton Masterson · « **Reply #8 on:** January 27, 2004, 04:30:57 PM »

I got mine several years ago for under 200 in the bargain cave, so I can' t complain. To be honest, I only have one from Cabelas that I bought new, the rest are returns, (out of 11). DM

Cheyenne · « **Reply #9 on:** January 31, 2004, 12:45:10 PM »

Shrink, that story about Cimarron re-working the guns is a urban legend in the first order. They come in, are labeled, and shipped out. Only the ones that are shipped to NY and MD are test fired as they have to provide a spent round for those states "finger printing" laws.

Cheyenne · « **Reply #10 on:** January 31, 2004, 12:47:44 PM »

Also, on the Walkers and Dragoons, currently only Uberti and Palmetto catalog them, and Palmetto is mainly offered through DGW, though ASM used to make them, ASM has been gone for a few years. Chances are it is a Uberti from Cabela's.....last time I was in the KC store, the Walker they had was a Uberti.

howdy doody · « **Reply #11 on:** January 31, 2004, 01:28:42 PM »

I have never bought a BP gun from cimmeron, but I flat ou disliked the model Ps I started shooting CAS with. I had so many things wrong with one of them I had to send it back to them and a month later it came back, but by that time I had bought a rooger and like it so much that I sold both the cimmys and got another matching rooger, that got me going without breakdown of fuss when i was learning to shoot CAS abd could concentrate on shooting and not what my guns were going to do this stage.
I bought a pair of 58 pietta remingtons from cabelas and they were what i expected. I did have to slick them and some minor stuff, like change nipples and hammer springs, but they shoot real well, still look good and I expect many more years from them.
I traded for a couple 51 navy piettas. I don't know where they were purchesed. They were unshot and still are not shot, I have one fixed up and ready to go, except for nipples and the other has yet to be worked on. The one I have going would not even let the hammer stay at full cock. Stuff inside was very crude and roung. I did a lot of polishing and on the hammer, I found a sharp piece of metal on the sear like it had never been filed/machined. I had to spend quite a while with it, as I don;t like to mess with sears, but I filed and stoned and when I had it back together it worked fine and feels pretty good. I then had to shape the grips to even fit
at all, what a mess. I ended up having to sand the grips completely, but it looks pretty good. I plan to send the grips to Russ N Hound for some laser engraving soon.
The moral is with cheap C&B guns is you don't know what you are gonna get. It's the vino for lunch over there I think. I hope to have both my 51s up and running by summer and I will give a report. Meanwhile, I have never been afraid to buy anything from Cabelas. They will exchange or refund with no questions asked on about everything they sell.

Roy Cobb · « **Reply #12 on:** February 01, 2004, 09:20:33 AM »

I don't know it all but I can tell you that I have a few C&B pistols and they all smell of garlic, and tomato sauce, and all of them are excellent quality
I bought a pietta 1858 Remington for 50 bucks at a gun show years ago.
I have a SAA C&B from Uberti as well as a Bisely C&B from Uberti and all are exceptional in fit and finish. I like to tweak my firearms a bit so I always detail strip them and polish up the innards not too much just stone some areas that have a rough finish on them...... I will gladly take all those awful italian replicas off you guys, if you have any you just can't stand just send them to me shoot I may even give you a scrap metal price for em by weight.............

The Shrink · « **Reply #13 on:** February 02, 2004, 12:46:53 AM »

Cheyenne

You're right, if it's an urban legand it is of the first water, as I remember reading it in two separate gun mags maybe a year apart. I'd call it creative marketing if I weren't a Christian, but all I can say is that it's a lie, and I don't plan to buy from a lier.

Wayne

FNG · « **Reply #14 on:** September 04, 2004, 04:54:54 PM »

For what it's worth, and I'm certainly no expert, I spoke with a guy at Texas Jacks the other day and he told me that Cimarron, as well as other distributors, order guns from Uberti that are made to their specifications as to fit and finish. He told me Cimarron sent their own springs to Uberti to assure better function and specified a level of fit and finish that ws superior to that offered by other distributors/importers.

filmokentucky · « **Reply #15 on:** September 04, 2004, 06:27:58 PM »

I've had two firearms from Cimarron-an 1873 Winchester and a Walker Colt. At the time I bought mine, a friend bought the same two models from another distributor and saved a few bucks. My guns were clearly finished to a higher standard and had much smoother actions. I have always felt that the premium I paid was money well spent. This was some time ago, so things may have changed. I doubt that they send or sent the guns out for special treatment, but it was common knowledge years ago that the Italian makers would build guns to just about any standard of finish as long as you were willing to pay for it.