Whenever the word “engraving” is mentioned in reference to Single Action revolvers the price generally rises in proportion to the amount of engraving and the name of the engraver. Going back to the days of the original Peacemaker Colt there was only one way to engrave, by hand. Etching was also used, but only to insert within a decorative pattern the names of the models, and this rarely replaced hand engraving, at least as far as the Colts were concerned.
Today, mordanting is often used to engrave production weapons, but laser engraving has made weapon decoration a much simpler and more accessible matter, providing a look much more similar to that achieved by hand engraving.
Deep laser engraving, a relatively new process used by a small number of gun manufacturers, including Pietta, has come even closer to making cartouches decorated with historic vine leaves, and to working on the edges around castles, recoil shields, and gun muzzles providing the look and depth of real hand engraving. In any case, even their traditional laser engraving allows Pietta to achieve a quality weapon with an appearance that eclipses its price.
Their latest model supplied by Cimarron F.A. Co. in Fredericksburg, Texas, is a 7-1/2-inch Single Action Army. Aside from the eye-catching cartouches decorated with vine leaves and the use of typical 19th-century styles used on the castle, barrel, extractor housing, drum, and clamps, the nickel-plated revolvers have a truly impressive factory-made standard action for a unique weapon.
Getting a revolver with a light hammer that clicks with certainty at every step and a trigger that averages 2 pounds, 14 ounces requires a trip to the gunsmith. While the trigger might be considered by some to be far too light, the 7-1/2-inch Pietta shows itself to be fantastically solid, with the trigger cracking cleanly shot after shot with only 3/16 inch of shooting.
Another factor often overlooked is the hammer draw, which on most Single Action models sees an average of 6 pounds. The Pietta model averages 3 pounds and 5.4 ounces which is basically much better than most guns, even those with a prepared action.
While Pietta’s standard laser engraving (if you can call it that) lacks the depth of deep laser engraving designs (cf. Guns of he Old West Winter 2015), the Cimarron model certainly has many advantages in terms of appearance, thanks to the level of detail around the drum, along the top of the frame, underguard, shovel, and ties, as well as the beautiful polished nickel finish and synthetic white ivory grips.
Pulling the trigger
For weapon testing, I took 20 paces (approximately 45 feet) and worked with Ten-X 165 grain flat-tip hollow base ammunition (HBFP). The average number of shots was 712 fps (feet per second) measured on the screens of a ProChrono chronograph, and the Ten-Xs, which allow a very accurate featherweight shot, gave a better group of six, although I counted only five 1.70-inch shots. The five-shot group, including two almost in the same hole, covered only 1.20 inches.
A second test was made with Goex Black Dawg Pinnacle 235 round-nose, flat-tip grain ammunition, which made its way along a smoky route through the chronograph traps at an average of 762 fps. Although not as accurate, I really enjoy shooting Black Dawg for the smoke, fire, and kick that take you back to the Old West when a Colt .45 resonated every time you pulled the trigger. The best five with Goex covered 2.20 inches in a small, sharp triangle.
All shots were fired on target, and at night at 50 feet putting a group at 1.20 inches with a 7-1/2-inch Single Action is not bad at all. With a SASS distance of 10 yards (30 feet), and 5 shots fired, the best group with the Ten-X measured 5/8 of an inch and with the Black Dawg 7/8 of an inch. Making steel sing!
For accuracy, you can’t ask for more than the 7-1/2-inch Pietta model, with a sturdy body, a lightweight trigger and hammer, and some fine laser engraving to make the nickel-plated Cimarron look as good as it shoots.
