The Stampede was mighty attractive. There are several versions (see website), including a deluxe one, for $710. Other options include nickel plate and something costly called “Inox.” Barrel lengths are 4.8 inches, 5.5 inches, or 7.5 inches, and calibers are .45 LC or .357 Magnum. All are made by Uberti, but we presume final details are specified by Beretta, and we also suspect Beretta is responsible for the final finish and assembly.
Our Stampede had blued grip straps, cylinder, barrel, and ejector housing. The hammer was white-sided with blued edges. The frame was color-case hardened, and this was the real thing, so far as we could tell. Our tests indicated the metal surface is hard. The hammer had a tiny bit of checkering on its tip. The sights were a cut in the frame and a fairly wide front blade. We had a hard time telling the Beretta from the Ruger, they were so similar in appearance. However, the details of the Beretta in profile were slightly closer to original Colts, notably in the curve of the top of the grip strap, the trigger-guard shape, and the hammer.
The Stampede operated like most Colt clones, requiring the hammer to be put on partial cock to load or unload. There was no “safety notch,” nor any need for one. The hammer operated against a transfer bar. We did not like this setup. It produced a slight jump in the feel of the hammer, perhaps from the bar dragging on the firing pin. The trigger pull was excellent, breaking cleanly at 2.4 pounds. Loading was easy, but unloading was not. The edge of the fired case would catch on the edge of the ejection port. One quick fix is to bevel the forward edge of the ejection port, a few seconds’ work for a good gunsmith. You ought not to have to jiggle the cylinder to get the empties to eject, we think, on an otherwise fine revolver.
The first things we noticed were the unsightly cracked black-polymer grip panels. Both checkered panels were cracked through the center. The panels had raised studs that met in the middle to prevent cracking from over-tightening, but if one grip panel hung up on the edge of the grip frame while the panels were being installed, it would be easy to crack them. Inside, we found more evidence in the form of a bit of plastic cracked off where the grip panel contacted the frame at the bottom to prevent wobbling. We are in the process of trying to get replacement grips from Beretta.
