Gun Tests & the Cimarron Modle P

[Dusty Miller]

The May issue of Gun Tests has a comparison article in which they discuss the relative merits and demerits of the Cimarron model P and the Ruger Blackhawk convertible (45 Colt/45 ACP).  I was suprised at the very positive evaluation they gave the Cimarron, sans the 45 ACP cylinder.  They rated the fit and finish very high and in general lavished praise on the gun (as long was one sticks with the 45 Colt round).  Does anybody here have this gun and does it rank up there with the better class of SA revolvers?  The price sure looks good.

[Lloyd Smale]

probably a good gun i had a cim lightning and it was a fine gun but i sold it right after they made me pay to have a sight silver soldered back on that flew off while shooting. I try to stay away from companys that dont back there products. One more thing in my opinion gun test magazine doesnt even make good toliet paper!!!!

[m-g Willy]

I have the same gun (Uberti) 7 1/2 "BARREL 45 Colt Hartford Model from EMF. The fit and timeing is better than any Ruger or COLT that I own.
After over 3 years of  carrying it through the woods with more than 4000 rounds run through it ,I only have good things to say about it!
The Ruger is nice if you like adjustable sights for differant loads.
But I only use one load in my SAA's , 8.5gr. of Unique with a 255gr. SWC for 900 fps
In my opinion  the Uberti SAA is the BEST SAA you can buy.
--Willy

[jd45]

I think you'll find the USFA Colt SAA replica's are head & shoulders above anything else out there, but they're priced higher. I just ordered  a gun from them, one step up from the Rodeo, & my FFL dealer got it for me for $825.00(msrp is $1075.00). But I'll tell you this.......he got me an AWA Peacekeeper a couple of years ago for $599.00. I should have spent the $200.00 extra & got the USFA right off the bat. Don't get me wrong........Uberti's are great guns...I have an 1860 Army & an 1873 Sporting Rifle....both are works of art. But the USFA guns, of which I have one already, are better, in my opinion. jd45

[Lloyd Smale]

got to agree on the usfa guns theres none finer!

[Dusty Miller]

I've got the USFA SAA in 45 Colt but haven't had a chance to fire it yet.  This business of having to work for a living is really cutting into my range time!

[Greeenriver]

I have three SA 45's that I use for Cowboy Action Shooting, all have the same Wolf spring kits in them, all have had the sharp edges and milling marks slightly smothed up. Two are Uberti's and one is a Colt.  The Uberti's are MUCH better shooters than the Colt. I use BP(sub)loads in CAS, and the Colt will not get through a match without binding and needing a drop of oil here and there. The Uberti's will go two or three days of shooting without a hitch, and are consistantly more acerate to boot. The Colt has been retired to "Investment" duty.  The Uberti's are "Using" guns. Cimarron's are made by Uberti, I believe. I have handled a few of the USFA SAA copies, and they are a decent gun, but not enough better than my Uberti's to justify the more than double cost. The USFA high end guns are usualy smother out of the box than the Uberti guns are. They are usualy timed well, but both my Uberti's were timed right, I have heard of some Uberti guns that were off a little on the timming.  But most new Colts need a good action job to make them shoot well at the speeds that CAS guns are used.

You might want to also take a look at the new Tarrus SA. I've heard some good things about them. Havn't seen one yet myself to comment on them.

Greeenriver(Sure rambled on that time, didn't I??)

[jd45]

Greenriver, I'd be interested to hear you say what benefits I'd get with a Wolf spring kit in my USFA SAA replica. Any help in shooting accurately
will appreciated. Thanx, jd45

[Greeenriver]

jd45, never having handled you USFA, I would have no idea if it could benifet from a Wolf spring kit. The USFA's I have handled at stores were very smoth out of the box. Also, I have no idea what you like in the rate of heavy or light springs. I like very light trigger and hammer springs, most of my CAS guns run from 1 to 2 lb triggers, some like them heaver, it's just a matter of personal prefrence. My Uberti's have hammer springs just heavy enough to reliably pop the primers. The USFA pistols I handled had a little heaver springs than what I usualy use. Again, personal preference.

I find I shoot much better with the lightest triggers I can get, this has been a preference of mine for over 30 years now, I like triggers about 18 to 20 oz if I can get them there reliably. I find that I tend to pull the shot off target less with lighter triggers.

Again, I can't say what benefit YOU would get from a Wolf spring kit, only what benefet I get. When I have the guns apart instaling the spring kits, I also use a couple of Hard stones to break the sharp edges and remove any machine burs left over from the manufacture.  Uberti's normaly benifet from this. I have never had a USFA apart to look at the inside, however, the ones I have handled did feel smoth out of the box.

I find I realy don't know just how to answer your question. I am not sure if it was a serious question, of if you feel that I was slamming your choise of guns. If a serious question, I can only say that the lighter springs let me shoot better, and if you thought I was slamming your gun, or USFA's in general, I truly am sorry if I offended you. I only observed that to me, they wern't enough better to justify the more than twice as much cost.  Others feel they are enough better to pay their price. Opinions vari. The opertunity to pick from diferent makes of pistols is one of the things that makes this a great country.

Greeenriver(Realy not intending to offend)

[jd45]

Greenriver, rest assured I'd didn't think you were slamming my chioce. My question was a serious one. Thanx for your feedback. I guess it does boil down to personal preference. Thanx, again, jd45.

[West Creek Charlie]

I'll second JD45's post

Like him I opted for the AWA instead of the US but was disapointed terribly. Finally got a US and it is hands down better than any other handgun I have handled. Smooth and timed right right out of the box even with full load springs. Very accurate also. I can easily pound clay birds out to 40 yards offhand with my 4-3/4" bl.

As for any of the Italain made guns I have handled - they too were substandard even the ones that had lightened springs and action jobs. Some I have handled were mighty slick but they were still full of soft and misaligned parts. I don't doubt that many are out there working hard and still functioning but when asked my opinion on a new purchase I will tell folks to buy USFA to shoot. A Colt if you are foolish enough to want a safe queen. Buy a Ruger if your pockets are not deep enough for the US.

[jd45]

I'd like to clear something up in one of my previous posts.........I was very happy with my AWA Peacekeeper, I just wish I'd realized I could've gotten a USFA gun for a couple hundred bucks more. jd45

[stoney pete]

I have two of the Cimarron Model P's (although it's in .44WCF).

Love em.

[Flint]

jd45, the Cimarrons are made by Uberti, the AWA was not, AWA was previously Armi San Marcos.  Not to dispute that the USFA aren't better made and finished than Ubertis, they are.  The best "Ubertis" you can find are the early USPFA guns made from Uberti parts.  Now the USFA are all American parts, and many contend they are better fit and finished than the Colt itself, and comparing them, it would seem to be so.

Hard to beat a USFA for the price.

[oso45-70]

Dusty Miller

I think Lloyd said it best when he said GTM wouldent even make good toilet paper, I took the gun test rag for quite a while and was conviced
That they were biased in their findings and unrealistic in their attempt to sway the shooting public or society in a manner that i disapproved of........Joe............

[jd45]

Flint, I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment. I now own one of those USPFA revolvers, an Omnipotent Target mfg'd in 1998, & it is superb, altho it had a 1920's style firing pin, and I prefer the 1st Gen. pin, so I had USFA retrofit one. By the way, I love my Uberti 1860 Army with fluted cylinder, & my 1873 Uberti Sporting rifle.........works of art, both! jd45

[jd45]

By the way, Flint, I have a new-manufacture USFA Single Action Revolver on order, thru my FFL dealer in .45 Colt, with bone case-hardened cross-pin cylinder frame & hammer assembly; square-notch rear & flattop front sights; 7-1/2" bbl; rubber grips, altho I'll probably change the grips to smooth walnut or simulated ivory when I get my hot little hands on it in September, jd45

[Old Griz]

:cb2: Once again, I have to agree with Joe and Lloyd Smale on the side issue of Gun Tests Magazine. When they first started they were pretty good. After a few years, however, they got the "know it all" attitude and are not as objective as they used to be. I once asked them why they didn't test the guns with some of the "regular" types of ammo that us simple folk use that we might have to pick up at Wally World, or our nearest sporting goods store--you know, like Remington, Winchester, Federal, or something exotic like Hornady. They like the Buffalo Bore, Black Hills, and other high dollar stuff that you're not gonna find in any small rural town here in Tennessee. Their response was so send me the address for Black Hills. When I told them they were missing the point, they responded that they got the point--so I guess that meant that they just didn't care. Didn't renew my subscription after that.