Gregorelli & Uberti Made, Navy Arms Imported Replica Revolvers
The First Imported Italian Made Replicas
In the history of Navy Arms, there was a small company in Brescia, Italy Louie Amadi found that was willing to tool up to produce those first replica revolvers. That small company was known as Gregorelli and Uberti. The revolvers they made are stamped with “GU” that stands for the Gregorelli and Uberti partnership. Gregorelli mmanufactured the steel parts for the revolvers and Uberti assembled the revolvers. When Aldo Uberti first started into the replica manufacturing business, he did not have a manufacturer’s license at the time, so he had to partner with Gregorelli who was licensed to manufacture the parts for the revolvers.
The “GU” marked Gregorelli & Uberti replicas have become very collectable due to their being among the very first replicas to be made, starting in 1959, and to their scarcity, as the production was still handmade in those days.
On the 1851 Navy, the first revolver to be marketed, the “GU” will be found extending into the 5000 serial number range. The highest number in the Jim Davis Collection was 5080. The “GU” can also be found on the first Griswold & Gunnison, Leech & Rigdon, Remington New Model Army and New Model Navy.
On the Griswold & Gunnison and Leech & Rigdon the “GU” appears on the right side of the barrel flat the same as on the 1851 Navy. NAVY ARMS is on top of the barrel and on left side of frame. On a particular Leech & Rigdon #6546 the NAVY ARMS is not on the left side of the frame but only on the top of the barrel, making it very unique in its own right.
On the Remington New Model revolvers, the “GU” is located on the bottom of the barrel under the loading lever. These revolvers will also have the Navy Arms Bogota, NJ address. The Bogata, NJ address can be found on the revolvers made through 1959 with the transition to the Navy Arms Ridgefield, NJ address coming sometime after January of 1960.
Dennis Russell, author of “Percussion Colt Revolvers, The Second Generation Collector’s Handbook” obtained first hand information when he was able to go through some of Navy Arms original records that indicated Navy Arms had available extra barrels in the early 1960's.
Actually, Gregorelli & Uberti was somewhat of a separate company in the beginning because Gregorelli had the manufacturer's license and Uberti did not. Gregorelli & Uberti were only in business for around four years, 1959-1962. They split in about 1962-63 and Uberti formed his own company when he received a manufacturer’s license. The Leech & Rigdon in the set Dr, Jim Davis got from Joe Salter has a date code for 1965 and a 6000 range serial number, way past the split up of Gregorelli & Uberti. According to records whatever parts that were left over from the original replicas were used on Uberti’s guns. From all the revolvers seen only one continuous string of serial numbers was used for all their model guns rather than a separate serial number range for each model. This can also be observed in the sixteen prototypes of the 1851 Navy and Griswold & Gunnison that were produced.
I posted an article
by Dennis Russell to the blog that might be of interest. It is entitled, “The Gun That Started It All”. It relates the history of the Colt 1851 Navy revolver with Serial #82, from William Edwards assembling the gun at the Colt factory to it being smuggled into Italy for Gregorelli & Uberti to make the prototypes. Dennis Russell now owns this #82 revolver and Dr. Jim Davis had the Prototype number 1 in his collection. That prototype #1 is now in the Chad Fisher Collection.
In his research Dr. Jim Davis added Gregorelli & Uberti as a separate company that evolved into Uberti. This means the “GU” initialed and “Gregorelli & Uberti” marked revolvers are truly the first mass produced replica revolvers outside the United States with Centennial Arms made in Belgium coming in a very close second (matter of months). Both of these manufactirers are the results of William B. Edwards efforts to get the replica revolver industry going. Leonard Allen with the Replica Arms Co. El Paso, TX being the third out of the gate in 1962-63 with the 1847 Walker and other big frame revolvers as well as the Baby Dragoons and Pocket Model .31 cal. revolvers. Interestingly, EIG is the first accurate replica of a Schneider & Glassick brass frame 1851 Navy type, if only by accident. This appeared in 1963-64. (See "Schneider & Glassick - The Accidental Replica Revolver"). Some of these had the GB logo on the butt which is still a mystery to me.
ENDNOTES:
~ from the notes of Dr. James H Davis and Bill Edwards.
