Fantastic Allen Firearms Reproduction of the Colt Model 1860 Army Revolver

The best of the best. This reproduction of the Colt 1860 Model Army Percussion was built by Uberti in 1985, but it's not just a run of the mill Uberti. In the 1980's, there were lots of importers buying from Uberti at different price points which were sold based on what I'm told by someone who had a conversation with Aldo Uberti in the late 1980's as "five levels of quality" depending on the customer's wishes. I've seen Ubertis that were sold through low-price importers that had rough finish with file marks under the blue, grips that were off center and block at the bottom and of low quality wood. Many are better than that and are somewhere in the middle but have you ever seen a high level Uberti? Well, here you go then! What makes this one special is that it was imported by Leonard Allen's Company, "Allen Firearms Mfg of Santa Fe, New Mexico and if Uberti had five levels of quality, this almost certainly has got to be a 5. It has what was at the time, the newly introduced "Charcoal Blue" option making this one really stand out...not unlike the Uberti Paterson which was produced years later and are sometimes found with this finish. The wood fit on the grips is the best you'll ever find on a replica...better than even many of the high-priced Colt 2nd Generations. The quarter sawn walnut and grain patterns are exactly like what you'd find on an original Colt from the 19th century and the wood was so good they didn't even cover them up like they do nowadays with heavy red stain and spray varnish. They are gorgeous. The case colors are also better than anything you'll find on the market today as well. Although I wouldn't put them the case colors in the same league as the Colt 2nd and 3rd Generations, they're still on par with something like a Harrington and Richardson or Stevens Shotgun. The gun has lots of details in keeping with the original like the safety pins and even the markings on the barrel and left side of the frame are in the spirit of the 19th century. Of course, the legal stuff like "For Black Powder" only is there but tastefully tucked under the loading lever and not down the sides of the barrel like so many replicas. Everything fits together nicely but the really incredible aspect of this revolver are the mechanics. The action is smooth as glass and when you cock the hammer back, everything feels effortless and smooth. You will hear all four clicks when you pull the hammer back just like an original Colt and the stop bolt doesn't even drag along the cylinder wall like almost all reproductions...including Colts. It's a piece of art. You can even pop the wedge out of the barrel by hand without a mallet. Being almost 40 years old, it has a little wear on the edges of the finish and a few marks on the grips, but it's still about 99% finish and the grips are in almost Excellent condition. This will be your new favorite Colt even though it's not one. Leonard Allen and Aldo Uberti created a masterpiece in this gun and if you have a Paterson Uberti in Charcoal Blue, this would go perfectly right next to it.

History: Leonard Allen had been in the replica business for decades starting with his company Replica Arms in Marietta, Ohio. He sold the company in the early 1970's at which time it was moved to Texas. However, he got back into the game in the late 1970's with a new startup called Western Arms in Santa Fe, NM in which he and Aldo Uberti went in on a joint venture to build a high quality but price friendly Hawken Rifle. If you ever see one of these, you'll find that they're very well made and 45 years later, many are still being used out in the field during deer season. Western also sold Uberti's line of reproduction Colt Percussion revolvers mainly in the 1862 Pocket Police, 1851 Navy, Colt 1860 Army, 1851, 1861 Navy, Colt 3rd Model Dragoon, and a Tucker and Sherrard Confederate Dragoon Commemorative. One of the interesting things about Westerns was that you would often find them with silver plated trigger guards and backstraps like the original Colts of the 1840s-1860's. Most importers weren't willing to offer this option but Allen had an eye for detail and Uberti must have put their best craftsmen building his orders. When you put a Western in your hands, the fit and finish, great mechanics right out of the box, were just amazing. My personal belief is that they were built to compete with the Colt 2nd Generation Reproductions at a more economical price point. Western's were the best but there was one problem. Winchester Repeating Arms was not happy about Allen using the name "Western" as they had a trademarked line of ammunition called "Western". This resulted in a lawsuit around 1980 and Winchester won. Allen had to give up the name "Western" but he reformed under the name Allen Firearms in the early 1980's where he continued selling high quality Uberti reproductions for a few more years. Around 1983, Allen was one of the first importers to sell the Uberti replica of the Henry Rifle which was so accurate to the original that it even had the trapdoor in the buttplate for the cleaning rods. Around this time, author Rick Hacker wrote an article for Guns and Ammo Magazine testing out the new Allen/Uberti Henry and in it he mentions a new type of bluing offered by Uberti called "Charcoal Blue" which was meant to mimic the original blued finishes of the 19th century. The finish was much bright and well..."BLUE" than the modern blue/black finishes. It was bit more fragile but as Hacker explained, your replica would wear and develop a character of its own much like originals would have. Personally, I would say the Uberti Charcoal looks to me more like a nitre or "fire blue" than a charcoal blue but the "wow" factor is off the charts and many of the Patersons Uberti made from the 1990's into the early 2000's before being discontinued have this finish. By the mid-1980's, Allen merged with Cimarron Firearms which is still going strong today. Allen died in 1987 but his guns live on and have developed quite a reputation by those "in the know" for quality. As an old WW2 vet who ran a gun shop back in the 1980's I used to visit as a youngster once told me, "Western Arms" were the best reproductions ever made but they went out of business." He didn't know at the time they had changed their name to Allen but he was the one who put me onto these 40 years ago and he wasn't kidding. They really are high quality.

Fair Warning: If you're satisfied with the newer Uberti and Pietta replicas, don't buy this one because it will ruin your life. Why? Because after you get this one in your hands and gain an appreciation for how well it's made, your standards for what a reproduction should be will go WAY UP!

Item# i528

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