Hi Folks;
Here is my rolling block from Uberti. The pistol was a presentation gift I received four years ago, it's chambered in 357 magnum. Just recently I have been able to master what had to be done to compete successfully with it. While it has an accurate chamber and barrel, the sights and trigger were awful.
My particular gun has only had cast bullets through it, this is a difficult hurdle for the gun. Factory sights were meant to accommodate magnum velocities, kinda. Slower bullets were impossible to correctly adjust for at fifty plus yards. Ta Da, new front sight. At over three quarters inch high, it constantly caught on holster and anything else that came in close proximity. The gun also has an over-sized front dovetail which had been a challenge to overcome. Competitive shooting events I participate in, using this pistol, allow for both sight and trigger modification to a degree. The cartridge discharges were enough to make both of the sights wander enough to cause nice clean misses. There is no wind-age adjustment other than slamming it up against a trucks solid step bumper. First found movement was in the rear sight. A simple drill and tap locked it down. The sight is made of considerably harder metal than the barrel. The front sight was also drilled and tapped, but not into the barrel. This deal also gave a very precise, though small, wind-age adjustment. NRA hunter pistol and Lawnsteel ranges begin at 40 meters with rams set at 100 meters. My committee of friends decided the barrel test would be set for 72 meters, OK. All four shooters utilized a fully prone Creedmore position. Worst five shot group was never outside five inches with one group at three inches. I wish my shooting was good enough to brag about my group. All four complained about the horrible trigger.
The trigger is a replica of the original model as well, complete with brass cast parts and burrs. Springs are of new technology, but true to profile and feel. Files, honing and shotgun shell vinyl gives a smooth seven pound, four ounce pull. Another test firing produced even better groups, but no compliments on my trigger job.
Uberti managed to give my pistol a chamber slightly longer than SAMII spec for 357 magnum. My solution is to seat the bullet outside the crimp ring. No problem when using a Lee factory crimp die with a closed breech barrel.
Last year I captured silver in unlimited small caliber, at the Florida state Lawnsteel matchs. The gun qualified for production but my confidence in the gun was not sufficient to stray from an old favorite. Shooting in unlimited left my ego an out, when not successful.
This year I intend to use the gun in all classes. We'll see. I have yet to see another of these guns in any caliber anywhere. Who else has one? What caliber? Do you like it? How does it shoot? What praise or curses? The certification board just shrugged their shoulders and waved me through.
This firearm is now accurate far beyond the offhand competitive shooting I do. It is the most ergonomically comfortable pointing handgun I own. It's also the best ever shooting, piece of shit, I've used. Go get one, you'll love to hate it too.
Roy