Colt & USFA

I have never fired one, but they are very nicely finished.  Does Turnbull still do the CCH?

BH,
I believe that Turnbull restorations still does the case hardening for USFA. In fact, Turnbull may well be responsible for the "armory blue" as well. If I recall correctly, the breathtaking finish on the USFA "pre-war" is done by Turnbull.
USFA SAA reproductions are known for tight lockup, and good accuracy. Their triggers do vary, from crisp to a little gritty, but like most guns, smooth up with use. Here is a side note, on all USFA single actions besides their custom shop "original", the cylinder is larger than Colt's. You would not notice it unless you compared a real Colt with the USFA.

I thought so, when I was still in the loop that was one of the huge plusses for USFA.  I would think Doug is far and wide considered the top of the game for repeatable 6gun finishes.
All sixguns are things of beauty, but IMO its hard to beat a CCH frame and a deep blue barrel that you can get lost in.  A well finished sixgun is breathtaking to me.  

I guess the Colt/USFA  debate will go on for as long as either/both are still in business.  Maybe longer!
I've shot & handled both, both are good guns in my opinion. The newer 3rd gen guns that I've seen & shot are very good guns in fit & finish as well as accuracy. 
   I am looking at the USFA guns as good guns in their own right, that they are a replica is, I think indesputable, probably the best replica out there.
Let's look at the USFA on it's own though, it's a very good gun on it's own. 
The only thing that might prevent me from buying one now is the price. With their new price increase SMFR is within only a couple hundred dollars of the Colt. Someon on a very tight budget might need that price difference, but saving another couple months might just make the difference too.
It boils down to what you want? A real Colt, or probably the best replica to ever come along? 
That said, I still look at the USFA as an exellent gun in it's own right.
Both are fantastic guns.
Frank

Saw your discussion and thought I'd throw in a thought or two. I've handled many brands at a local gun shop and have to say the best fit and finish (internal parts) is the Cimmeron. The timing is neigh on perfect, trigger crisp and cylinder gap near none existant. Most all new sis guns are not timed worth a hoot and the Cimmeron caught my attention.
Just my opinion and worth only what you paid for it.
 
JW

JW 
I don't think any of us are ignoring or knocking  the Cimarron (made by Uberti to Cimarron's specs.) they are good guns. I've shot a couple & they shoot well. The timing is good too. I am cretainly not knocking the Cimarron, I think they are a good gun. 
The USFA Rodeo would be another good choice as  would the Ruger New Vaquero. Actually the Ruger might be stronger than any of them. Not knocking any just offering a thought.
Frank

Frank, I am with you, I would probebly go with the Ruger, I always have in the past, for the strength. Now if I can just find someone close by to work on the timing I would be a happy man.

JW 
I heard Bob Munden has had medical issues, but he's here in Montana & does a great job tuning a SA. He's told me he will work on a Ruger, Uberti, USFA, & of course Colts, possibly others I haven't mentioned.  He's done a couple for me & they are exellent.
Frank

I don't follow MAK's comment about "the real thing". Nobody ever stated that the Model 70 Winchester or Remington 700 were in the sshadow of the Mauser 98.
 
And a great deal of what I read about the Colts concerns quality control problems. And, which of the peole currently at Colt were in on the original design? They haven't done a heck of a lot of innovation in the past 100 years.
 
Dont get me wrong. I love my Colts, but they are nostalgia, not precision.

Frank, I met Bob here in Casper three decades ago and watch him on impossable shots. If he is feeling up to it I could drive (or ride) up and have him work on mine. I'll have to see how much he would charge me.

In regards to the Mauser bolt action, it is the most significant in that wide, wide field of many good bolt guns. We do know that the Springfield, which preceded the model 70 was indeed so similar to the Mauser design that this country had to pay damages to Germany. Winchester was not about to repeat that mistake, and made enough changes to escape patent infringement issues.
The 700 action is an entirely different monkey-it is a push feed, and bears little resemblance to the Mauser beyond having a bolt handle stick out the side.
Colt is not perfect. Neither is any other manufacturer, and they have all had their issues. USFA has made every attempt to resurrect original Colt designs, with an emphasis made on making them look as much like a Colt as possible. USFA continues this trend-if you go to their website, you will find replicas of many many Colt guns. They are, in my opinion, rather obviously cashing in on offering what Colt no longer does, and competing with what Colt does produce. Neither Winchester, nor Remington made any attempt to make Mauser replicas.

I will say unequivocally that all manufacturers have strong points, and weak points. I happen to like Rugers, but their lockup is best described as wiggly. I believe that this keeps them from ever being truly accurate sixguns. If you happen to find that rare Ruger that will really shoot, then chances are, the lockup is far more positive than normal. What I like about the Colt guns I've been blessed to be associated with, is that for me at least, they really shoot. Other aspects may-or may not be lacking, but they put the pill onto what I need to tag. 
Speaking personally, I can't justify spending big bucks on lots of custom work. My family has needs, and they come first. I require a gun that will be durable, and deadly, right now. I need a sidearm capable of meeting most challenges that a guy like me runs into. If I know I have the accuracy, it covers lots of sins.  Make mine a Colt.

I remember the first Colt SAA I picked up in the mid-1960's. It was eerily soft feeling. The lockup was sloppy. So, I bought an Italian second model dragoon. It is still wondrously tight after 50 years.
About that same time, Colt pulled one of its frequent policies of abandoning the civilian market. I'm sure some of you are old enough to remember that.
And, MAK; you must know that there was never such a term as "push feed", nor "controlled round feed" until some time in the 1990's. How come the only time this comes up is when somebody is talking about Model 70's? As a matter of fact, I have recently noticed a couple of writers suggestin that these are irrelavent terms. But, I think we all pay too much attention to gun writers. We are never going to see again the likes of Keith, the elder Col. Askins, or Sharpe again.
 

JWnWyoming
You can call Bob, his # is 1-406-494-2833  I think his web is    www.mundenenterprise.com    I think he charges just over $200 for the basic tune up, when he's done it is timed perfectly with a lightened mainspring, piano wire bolt spring, & a very sweet trigger pull.
He does good work.
Hope that helps some. I'd call first. He's only about an hour & 15 minutes from us so when I needed work on my gun I didn't have to trust it to the mail. Took it up, waited for his call, & went & got it. Slick.
Good shooting
Frank

I have to disagree on the description of actions. Herr Mauser knew exactly what he was doing when he fashioned that big, claw extractor. Riflemen have been keenly aware of the virtues of the Mauser action for over 100 years now, and manufacturers have been eager to employ the Mauser genius in their own actions. I've heard a number of people claim a number of different things, but I've never heard of anyone with a basic understanding of rifle actions confuse a Remington action with a Mauser, however they might have chosen to name them. Today, push feed and control feed are convenient terms to differentiate between two different bolt action designs, and I find them accurate and valid terms.
Regardless, I do not find your comparison with bolt guns accurate, or directly applicable to the debate on hand. MW, you are free to spend your money wherever you please, its one of the very few freedoms left us anymore. So, if don't want to buy a Colt, then don't. However, if you are going to hold a grudge against them because of something that happened 50 years ago, well, that's your choice!

Too bad for you, you are cutting yourself off from some good experiences.

And still buy them if I see one I like. The last one I bought was a new series 70 1911. Nobody can do a standard finish like them. I just get tired of the dewy eyed reverence. My two USFA's were done and renumbered by Turnbull a couple of years ago for about $1200 apiece. To compare them with a Colt, you would have to use custom shop pricing.
Anyway, I like 'em all.
I argue with vegans, too.

MW, you are a character!

MAK;
Thanks, I resemble that. I like all good guns. I started studying them in college well before I had the cash to get a good one. I worked in the "stacks" putting away the technology books. I was fascinated by the gunsmithing books. From that, I got into Askins and Sharpe. A new librarian showed up with the "new" plan which consisted of discarding any book not checked out in the past six months. Might as well have burned the whole tech section. Most people use them for research and don't check them out. When I saw all the classic gun books going toward the incinerator, I asked the librarian if I could have them instead. He said I could while looking at me as if I were Looney. Old books indeed. The ones I saved are now worth thousands since there appears that he was only one of hundreds of Phillistine librarians turned loose with that philosophy. It's still going on, too. Twenty years later, my wife was working in the school system in an elementary school library. They did the same cleaning technique and tore up tons of great books. My wife rescued all the first edition Will James books they had, but she had to sneak them out since the Philistines had figured out that someone might want the books and that was verboten.
Anyway, I'm sure your collection of guns are art works just like mine. Where else in the world could we even own them?
Good luck,
 
Mike