1.3    Aldo Uberti's Team of Movers & Shakers 

Parts for the miniatures were fabricated outside the Uberti factory in the Gardone vicinity. 

The village of Gardone in the Val Trompia, province of Brescia in Lombardy/Italy is the home of the Uberti factory

At his factory Mr. Uberti commissioned a team of high-class craftsmen like gunsmiths, grinders, polishers and engravers with the task of finishing, assembling and embellishing these pieces of gun-art1). Apart from their professional competence these artists had to possess two important key qualities: Obviously, they had to be masters in their trade, but the task also required the patience for manual volume production. Among others this implied labor under a magnifier lamp or by confocal microscope. Which is not the preferred work of masters of their trade. 

NB Miniature gun artists: I propose to call these craftsmen or specialists who build miniature guns from scratch "miniature gun artists". Because artists they are. Like modern time master gunsmiths transforming reissues and/or replicas of percussion revolvers into period correct cartridge firing guns are called "conversion artists". Regarding the latter and to respectfully mention the few on both sides of the big pond are Gary Barnes aka Hoof Hearted, Kenny Howell, Robert L. Millington, Karl Nedbal aka Luger Master, or Jay Strite aka Raven.

Two Colt 1851 Navy miniatures: Left #PM809 with PM mark stamped underneath the serial number on the frame; right #530 from USHS Classic Line – serial numbers w/o PM mark

Between 1982 and assumingly until the mid of the 1990s the Uberti team of miniature gun artists realized remarkable gun-jewelry of the highest standards. However, thereafter team members reaching retirement or the like were not replaced. The resulting decline in miniatures' output at that time coincides with a downward sales trend in the key market U.S.A. 

 Colt 1851 Navy #PM809: PM mark on breech side of barrel lug

When the miniature program was faded out in 2008 just the retired miniature gun artist Mario Passeri was involved in their making. His mark PM and/or his name M. PASSERI or PASSERI M is stamped on miniatures made by him. The mark is stamped 

  • usually before or behind visible serial numbers, on the breech side of the barrel lug, as part of the company address under the barrel, 
  • infrequently on the breech side of Colt SAA cylinders, on the bottom of ivory grip panels or the butt strap of the grip.

                   

 

 

A Colt 1851 London Navy of the Hunzinger collection is stamped #MP15, another Colt 1861 Navy is stamped #MP13. Unless proven otherwise I consider this MP instead of PM "transposed letters" of master Passeri when he did the marking of his miniatures, or he used his initials in the traditional way.

No names of further team members of these miniature gun artists could be determined. In one Colt 1851 of the Hunzinger Collection the company address under the barrel is complemented by another mark, namely UA. In April 2017 a Colt 1873 SAA has been reported with the mark GM from the U.S.A. His owner obtained the miniature ca. 1996 at Uberti's in Gardone. 

Cased miniature Colt 1851 Navy #PM3: Squareback triggerguard, one-piece ivory grips, Italian display case with magnetic latch, the interior English fit lined in a russet suede, original accessories. Note cardboard box for paper cartridges

Reference

1. Landers, D.: UBERTI FIREARMS, Dec. 14, 2016, https://www.gunmart.net/militaria/reproduction-firearms/uberti-firearms

 

January 16, 2020/WDN