Pietta has been making quality BP Cap & Ball revolvers for years. Not familiar with this current run of 10 holers. I did check out the Cabela's promo run of the Plinkerton and wasn't impressed, but that was a Chiappa product.

 

pietta clone

To look at, handle and cycle, these are the best SAA clones I've seen, bar none! High polish, deep blue, rock solid lock-up all the way around, finely fit one piece grips, etc.
Shoots very low, but that's what files and high front sights are for. Still trying to figure out if mediocre accuracy is inherent, or a reflection of my aging eyes inability to work successfully with the SAA style sights. Emails to the factory have been promptly and personally answered by Alessandro Pietta. I'm impressed.

 

They're not made by Traditions, they're made by Pietta and sold through Cabela's.

 

Thanks for your input, it sounds very promising. I really like the fact that it has a too tall front sight, and can be filled for elevation. Now if there was a easy way to adjust windage, (w/o bending the sight) I'd be set. I'll take a look at them soon, I still havent picked up or made up my mind for a 22 revolver since my last thread. Being in Illinois, it has to be steel frame which has limited my options.

 

I personally like the Uberti offerings. 6, 10 and 12 shot .22lr SA with case hardened frame:thumb:

 

Pietta SA

Most recent email has offered to send me a new cylinder to see if this helps with the accuracy issue.

 

http://tinyurl.com/p4nt3w6

 

I thought I read somewhere that the 101 was to be made in a 10 banger.

 

I have one - love it

Pietta SAA type 10-shot 22lr with the additional 22 mag cylinder. I have one that I got from Cabelas. Out the door for just under $300 (tax and all).

First, it feels really good. Solid, steel and just right in the right places. Looks good too. Does NOT have that alloy feel nor any stupid safety (uses transfer bar). The trigger was surprisingly good and I do not need to work on it at all. Timing seems right. For these reasons I give it an A -and I am no newbie to the shooting game.

Bad things were only two.
(1) It did shoot VERY low the first time out to the range. I was happy to see benched 2.5" groups at 25 yards with good 22lr, but they were almost a foot low! Next trip to the range brought a file and slowly worked down the front sight. Took at least 1/3 of it off before I got to a 6 o'clock hold. Left/right was never an issue.
(2) While 22 mags are really hard to find all of a sudden, I had a box of Winchesters and tried them. Groups went up to 8" at 25 yards and were all scattered about. It may shoot them, but sure does NOT like them.

Overall, a surprisingly accurate and fun little SA in 22lr that looks and feels good. Keep an eye out for Cabela's sales and you will do well.

 

consider the EAA bounty hunter SAA

german made, beautiful fit and finish. I love my .22/.22magnum 8 shot 4.75" blue version. very accurate, very heavy and best of all, no funky weird safety!! I passed on the rough rider due to the strange /UGLY safety. the bounty hunter has a ruger type transfer bar so all holes can be filled and safely carried. full size colt clone, correct loading procedure, hammer back 2 clicks, open loading gate. good trigger pull. no, it is not a target pistol, but will surprise you.:bthumb:

 

german made, beautiful fit and finish. I love my .22/.22magnum 8 shot 4.75" blue version.

I believe Pietta is an Italian manufacturer.

 

i just got one of these, it came through Century. It's all steel and a 10 shot in the "matte black" that's not nearly as flat as it looks in all the pics. It's closer to the matte of an old S&W 28. Lock up is really solid, trigger seems good. I'm going to try to shoot it Tues or Wed.

 

I was just at Cabela's browsing around, while the wife went grocery shopping. I saw this nice little Pietta 10 shot .22 single action sitting in the case, and it looked really nice. Bright bluing throughout, with nice wood grips. And the best part was the price of only $299.00!

I handled it and was impressed with the weight of the all steel frame. Even the grip frame was bright blued steel. No Aluminum anywhere. I also like the fact it only had 6 flutes in the cylinder, instead of 10 like the Ruger 10 shot revolvers all have. 10 flutes just doesn't look right on a revolver. This one looks very traditional, yet still provides 10 shots. Now I'm fighting my inner demons about buying one.

The reviews were fair to average on the Cabela's website. Most of the complaints were about the gun shooting very low. That doesn't concern me as much as the mechanics of the weapon, which seem to be of good overall quality. Fit, finish, timing, etc.

To be honest, I need another .22 revolver like I need a hole in my head. But this one really impressed me. For those of you who have purchased it, are you still happy with the overall performance and quality of the gun?

 

Understood. :bthumb: The E.A.A. 10 shot is built on a steel frame. That really put it into my "buy column".

 

i didnt realize that



the 10 shot .22 SAA EAA had a steel frame.

 

This is a video of it.

 

I recently went nuts buying and fixing up a bunch of cap and ball pistols. I used to think Uberti was the best and Pietta a distant second. I found out they have really come up and make some fine guns. I would now order one with no hesitation.
With all the cap and ballers, I opened up the sight notch on the hammer, smoothed the interior of the workings, lightened the main spring a bit, installed high quality nipples and stripped, stained and refinished the grips in oil. The result has been very smooth, accurate and reliable pistols.
Pietta has my confidence.
Unfortunately, I put my Pietta Dance revolver in the sonic parts cleaner with brass cleaner instead of parts cleaner or soapy water. The result was my new gun came out stripped to the white metal.
My only choice was to antique it. so I used browning solution and a toaster oven to heat up the metal.
I also took the opportunity to file off all the Italian markings.
If you like the Museum look, working on a $300 gun makes the fear subside so you can take the risk of messing it up.
I also smoothed out the trigger guard of it's right angle edges.
As to your gun, I had a USFA twelve shot SSA and it was great fun to shoot but unloading and loading was a bit of a trial for the impatient.

When I screw up I like to do it well. I also stripped a 1851 Navy at the same time. Now also museum finished. This one is a Uberti London.

 

https://eaacorp.com/index.php/guns/handguns/bounty-hunter-weihrauch-113

The website shows both the 10 shot .22 / .22 WMR, and the .357 Magnum at 2.4 pounds, (38.4 ounces). That's the same weight of a steel framed Colt Government Model 1911.

By comparison an all Stainless Steel Ruger Single Ten weighs the same at 38 ounces.

http://www.ruger.com/products/newModelSingleSixSingleTen/specSheets/8100.html

 

Also, there is this:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/guns/maps/state.html

It would appear some states have a, "Banned For Melting Point" law that prohibits Aluminum framed guns from being sold, if the melting point causes the frame to deform at 850 degrees or less. Supposedly these companies like Heritage and E.A.A. make steel framed guns for states that have these laws. This I'm not sure about. This is confusing to say the least. Because it would almost appear they make both, depending on the market they sell to.

Another thing that adds to this confusion, is the 10 shot model costs substantially more, ($512.00 MSRP), compared to the 8 shot model that retails for just $362.00.

 

And to make matters even more confusing, there is this old thread from www.singleactions.com My head hurts!

http://singleactions.proboards.com/thread/5952/received-new-22-wmr-revolver

"The newer ten shot are all steel and pass the melt test."

 

it is VERY confusing

I did notice the higher priced , and heavier bounty hunter, I bet that is the all steel version for sale in the "melt test" states!! what a dumb law, probably put on the books back when 15.00 "Saturday night specials" were the rage in America. I remember in 1969 a friend bought a cheap RIG .22 revolver for his wife! it wouldn't index correctly and spit lead shavings every where! he dropped it one day and the frame broke in half!! LOL. the best way to check for steel or alloy is still the magnet test. one does NOT stick to my 8 shot BH, does it stick to the 10 shot frame??? this exploration is fun, I am a retired, bored ,70 yo gun nut and enjoy researching things like this.

 

I am a retired, bored ,70 yo gun nut and enjoy researching things like this.

I'm the same, but only 63. I ordered this thing because I thought the frame was steel. If it's Aluminum I'll be a little disappointed. Especially because of the $150.00 increased cost over the 8 shot model. Because of that I'm hoping it's steel.

I'm sure if it is Aluminum it will be fine. The cylinder and barrel are quite massive on the 10 shot model, and I love the old fashion rounded barrel crown on the muzzle. I'm not a big fan of these counter bored, or dished out crowns. To me they just don't look right on a single action. In the video I posted, there is a distinct difference in the finish of the grip frame, and the frame itself. Much like a blued Ruger Blackhawk. That leads me to believe the frame on the 10 shot is in fact steel. I should be getting the gun either tomorrow or Friday, then I'll know for sure. I will try to post some pics with my phone. If I can E-Mail them to my desktop, and get them posted without committing suicide!

 

Good news. I got shipping confirmation on my new E.A.A. Bounty Hunter from Davidson's this morning. And on the "item shipped" it said:

1 771122 EAA BOUNTY H 22LR/22M 4.75B 10
STEEL FRAME 10RD

So it would appear the 10 round models do have a steel frame. I should be getting it tomorrow.

 

Bill t



sounds like it is steel, give us a report as soon as you get it! I hope you love yours as much as I do mine. steel or alloy, I think they are excellent SAA clones and don't receive the respect they deserve.no comparison between the rough rider and bounty hunter. yes, there is about a hundred dollar price gap but it is worth it!! looking forward to hearing about your new revolver.

 

I just picked it up about an hour ago. The gun is beautiful! If I had to choose one word to describe it, MASSIVE! This is the biggest, beefiest, heaviest, .22 revolver I've ever seen or handled. It reminds me of my Ruger Super Redhawk. Everything from the barrel, to the frame, to the massive cylinders, all scream heavy duty.

I really don't mind the weight at all, because this will be strictly a target and plinking, "fun gun". But it would carry nicely in a good fitting holster. The frame is STEEL. The grip frame and the ejector rod housing will not attract a magnet. For a fixed sight single action, the sight picture is good. It comes with a nice thick blade front sight. It doesn't appear to be too tall, so I'm hoping it will shoot point of aim at 25 yards. I'm not a big fan of the large amount of flutes on these 10 shot cylinders. But I have to say, on this gun it doesn't look bad at all. I think it's because of the very large diameter of the 10 shot cylinder. It measures a full 1.733" in diameter. Like I said, this thing is MASSIVE!

Both cylinders go in and out very easily without a struggle. The lockup is nice and tight. This thing is really well made, and the finish is beautiful. I'm hoping to get to the range next week to fire it up. I've got some .22 WMR ammo I'll have to dig up. I have plenty of .22 L.R. around. For now I'm just going to give it a good cleaning and oiling. For anyone looking for a really stout, well made .22 revolver, I don't see how you could go wrong with this 10 shot Bounty Hunter. I'll try to get some pictures of it posted up tomorrow. Any day you bring home a new gun is a good day! :bthumb:

 

I looked at one at a LGS and was somewhat impressed. The barrel looked the size of a .45 with a .22 hole bored into it. Looked like they made the revolver from .45 parts with smaller holes for the .22.

 

I looked at one at a LGS and was somewhat impressed. The barrel looked the size of a .45 with a .22 hole bored into it. Looked like they made the revolver from .45 parts with smaller holes for the .22.

I think that is exactly what they did. The gun fits into my El Paso Saddlery holster perfectly that I bought for my Ruger .45 Blackhawk convertible.

 

congrats bill T

you are gonna love it!! it IS BIG isn't it. looks like a FULL SIZE colt SAA. I agree about the quality, the action on mine is very smooth and crisp. I love the clicks as you thumb the big hammer back. I have put about a 100-150 rds through mine , about 25 as magnum loads, and I have noted one very interesting observation. there is NO drag mark at all around the cylinder on either one! it locks up and is timed beautifully but isn't leaving a drag mark. in my shooting career of 55 years I haven't seen this before. I have had all kinds of revolvers and ALL I can remember left a ring around the cylinder. some more some less . hummm, could this BH be an exceptional assembled revolver!? BILL, get it to the range soon and break it in. be sure to inspect and clean the bore and cylinders, give a few spots a little lube and blast away. does yours have the raised "thumb rest" ledge on the left grip panel? I think I am going to get rid of mine since it is not comfortable shooting lefty. mine had a very tight ejector rod at first, stiff and tight. it has worn in now but would try and stick when sliding it down to punch out cases.

 

you are gonna love it!! it IS BIG isn't it. looks like a FULL SIZE colt SAA. I agree about the quality, the action on mine is very smooth and crisp. I love the clicks as you thumb the big hammer back. I have put about a 100-150 rds through mine , about 25 as magnum loads, and I have noted one very interesting observation. there is NO drag mark at all around the cylinder on either one! it locks up and is timed beautifully but isn't leaving a drag mark. in my shooting career of 55 years I haven't seen this before. I have had all kinds of revolvers and ALL I can remember left a ring around the cylinder. some more some less . hummm, could this BH be an exceptional assembled revolver!? BILL, get it to the range soon and break it in. be sure to inspect and clean the bore and cylinders, give a few spots a little lube and blast away. does yours have the raised "thumb rest" ledge on the left grip panel? I think I am going to get rid of mine since it is not comfortable shooting lefty. mine had a very tight ejector rod at first, stiff and tight. it has worn in now but would try and stick when sliding it down to punch out cases.

I cleaned and lubed it last night. I also gave it a good oiling. Yes, mine has the "raised thumb rest" grip panels. I have large hands, and this revolver fits me much better than my Stainless Single Six Convertible does because of the larger frame along with the bigger grip panels.

My ejector rod is a bit tight as well. I gave the spring and rod a good oiling, and worked it some, now it's much smoother. The gun shipped very dry. I'll take some pics of it later today.

 

i dont have that one - my taste runs to 6-shooters , but i have a pair of cimmaron birdshead grip in that 4.5 barrel length - they work great

 

Don't worry about the alloy grip frame. Just get a standard center fire 1873 Pietta made grip frame in metal and fit it to the gun. Get a brass one and you just polish to finish. I bet you could pick up a Pietta grip frame and make it work. Must be the same screw pattern. Also consider stainless steel polished to a high finish. Check the parts suppliers. If I'm not mistaken, the 1851 Navy has the same grip as the 1873 but you bester check me on that.
Heck, I just got a Ruger single six in 17hrm and guess what? Alloy grip frame.
Here is a picture of a USFA 12 shot 22 with Burl maple grips from Outlaw grips. Also a heavy one. I bet they made it a 12 shooter so the six flutes would divide evenly into the chambers.

 

Don't worry about the alloy grip frame. Just get a standard center fire 1873 Pietta made grip frame in metal and fit it to the gun.

The grip frame on the 10 shot E.A.A. Bounty Hunter .22 models are made of STEEL, not alloy. The gun weighs 45 ounces! The big bore Bounty Hunter models weigh in at 38 ounces. The extra 7 ounces is from less metal being removed from the barrel and chambers in .22 cal. It's a large frame handgun.