Uberti 1550 Rolling block

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  • Last Post 10 March 2010
CB posted this 09 April 2008

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 

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gussy posted this 30 April 2008

I have basically the same thing in a rifle.  But, it was barreled to a 38 spl.  Want 2??

:coffeeGus

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CB posted this 01 May 2008

Hey Gus

    Thank you, no. How did you come to own your Uberti? Gee, I wish mine was in 38. While I have run a few full house magnums through it, what it eats is always sub sonic. The 38 chamber would have been perfect for what I use it for. Even in the Hunter pistol, I go up in projectile weight, rather than velocity. Did your rifle give you any of the problems I mentioned? Have you seen another pistol or rifle like these?  Is your rifle fun to shoot? My load for Lawnsteel is 3.1 gr of Red Dot pushing a 160 gr cast truncated cone. The alloy is just a tad softer than a #2 Lyman. At 75 yds it is pinpoint accurate with no fouling. You are the only reply about my pistol, Uberti has no listing of this pistol and does not respond to my questions about it. Thank goodness it has the name stamped into it. At competition certifications, the panel members always examine the pistol carefully and ask a lot of questions. So far, they have just waved me through with a production label. The fellows who presented me with this pistol, obtained it from the Shot Show hosted in Orlando, Florida. It was part of the Uberti display. I had picked up the pistol and remarked how comfortable it felt. Since then I have yet to see another. This weekend is Florida Sunshine State Games, I will use it in all four divisions of Lawnsteel competition. We'll see. Thanks for your reply Gus, I thought me and stinky were all alone.

                                                                                               Roy      

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RicinYakima posted this 01 May 2008

Roy,

Sorry you didn't get a lot of answers on your pistol, but I assumed everyone knew about these.

These were first imported by Turner Kirkland, Dixie Gun Works, in the mid 1960's. After the Civil War Centenial, these and the rifle were the first Uberti cartridge guns imported. Rifles came in 22 Hornet and 357 Magnum, but the pistols were in 22 LR and 357 Magnum. After the 1968 Gun Control Act, Navy Arms started importing them and continued up through the early 1990's at least.

In the '70's I had one in 22 Hornet, shot OK, but nothing great. My shooting pardner has one that has been converted to 218 Bee. Other than some headspace issues, it is a pretty good cast bullet shooter.

HTH, Ric

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giorgio de galleani posted this 01 May 2008

I had an Uberti Rolling  block 357 pistol in1970 .

Presently I own a decent 30-30 Rolling block carbine from Pedersoli.

The factories are at Gardone Val Trompia,I see their people at the big italian cowboy matches.If you need anything,ask and I'll contact them,

Giorgio. 

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gussy posted this 01 May 2008

Roy, read the next section below this one (plinkers hollow).  I posted a long time back about mine.  It is fun to shoot but I haven't had much time with it yet.  My interest is more in the black powder area.  I tried this one at a 200 yd target with regular light wad cutters.  Had to aim about a tree high to get it there.

:coffeeGus

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CB posted this 01 May 2008

Hey Guys;

    Thanks for some interesting information. This Uberti and the rifle pictured in the Plinkers hollow have identical actions. My photo doesn't show the detail of my work on the top of the block. It had to have  material removed in order to use shorter sights. The top of the block extends above the top of the chamber. This may be a helpful tip for you Gus. Also Gus, PM me with your address and I'll send you some of my castings for you to try in your rifle. These slugs have been magic in my Uberti.

     Ric, I guess I should get out more often cause other than a couple Uberti sixguns, I am completely ignorant. My experience in competative shooting has not seen any Uberti handguns until I was at the shot show in 2003. The pistol I have, also has a headspace difference. Thanks for your input, hope your arm is being tolerable.

     So Giorgio, is this particular model more common there? Ric says his buddy had one with a chamber difference, is it a metric thing? You can count on being in my address book, Uberti has been unresponsive to inquiries made by me in solving some of the issues. Thank you for you kind offer of help.

     Just now I have either made modifications to the gun or adapted myself in an effort to master the beast. It is a gift given with the best of intentions and I will show my appreciation every time me and Stinky go to a competition. Thanks again for your interest and my enlightenment.

                                                                                  Roy  

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giorgio de galleani posted this 02 May 2008

I have not noticed anything strange in the chamber of the rolling block pistol I used to have in 1970, they do  follow the CIPE europeans rules at the national proof house.

I am told these rules request  much stronger steel in 357  mag and 44 mag guns than the steels for 38sp and 45lc or 44/40,calibers that work at lower pressures.

I have noticed chambers about 1/10 longer than the 44 mag cases in a marlin carbine and a contender pistol,I think because they are not revolvers and do not have barrel cylinder gap. this strange “freebore"is for easing down the pressure.

They might do the same in your 357 rolling block.( a “weak” black powder action” as ken Waters wrote in his Pet Loads")

My Italian replicas in 45/70 ,a sharps 74  and a high Wall have  a definite cylindrical throat that is absent in my Saami drawings.Always a system for lowering the pressure of my beloved obsolete black powder guns.Though the Highwall is stronger than the sharps.

I had my simple  original trigger  in the 30WCF RB smoothed by my gunsmith,and now it's decent.In such an action trigger work is better left to a very competent smith.

Take care that the striker 's spring is OK,becase when you close the bolt(the rolling block,)THE ACTION IS OPEN ,it closes when the hammer is falling.

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CB posted this 05 May 2008

Hey Guys

    As stated, me and Stinky entered all four divisions in Florida State Lawnsteel Shooting Championships. I made the cut in three of them, Stinky choked in two. With 27 consecutive successful target engagements we won a gold medal in small caliber production. Three of the four friends who had gifted Stinky to me, watched us shoot a perfect no miss champions game, two shots ahead of the silver medal winner.

                         Just now,      I love that gun!! 

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BruceV posted this 06 May 2008

Excellent.  I have often admired the compact simplicity of the Remington RB action.  Sincerely.  Bruce.

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 07 May 2008

Hii, I do have a question, slightly off-thread ....  which is:

Regarding the Uberti copy of the Winchester 85 high wall ....   does their extractor fit in a genuine Winchester 85?  Uberti service here in the states doesn

Trying to build up a high wall from parts (g).

thanks for any  info from anyone.

ken campbell, iowa

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gunarea posted this 10 March 2010

For those who may be interested

   Last year me and stinky managed two silver medals in the Sunshine State Shooting Championships. Both were in Lawnsteel discipline, both were after great sudden death shootouts and against the same great competitor. One shootout I lost and one I won. The one I lost was for gold and the one I won was for silver. Thanks for the interest in my little gun, It still pisses me off that I love the POS so much.

   This year we are entering Hunters pistol and Lawnsteel in the state competitions. Wish stinky good luck, it's needed.

                                                                                               Roy

Shoot often, Shoot well

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