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Gatofeo · November 1, 2009, 01:48 AM

The Colts are better balanced than the Remingtons. This balance makes the Colts point much better, for instinctive shooting.
The Remingtons are stronger, but the point is pretty much moot because both Colt and Remington are designed for black powder pressures.
The Remington's sights are better. The Colt's sights are just a notch in the hammer and a brass bead on the muzzle -- and that brass bead glows indistinctly in sunshine.
I have both Remington and Colt deisgns. For point shooting and pure fun, I like my Colt 1851 Navy 2nd generation.
For accuracy, I take my Uberti-made Remington Army in .44 caliber.
I like my Uberti-made 1860 Colt and its .44 caliber for point shooting with a big caliber.
For beginners, I suggest the .44 caliber, so you can buy .454 or .457 inch balls instead of the oft-recommended .451 inch balls. The larger balls create a better seal in the chamber, and offer a wider driving band for the rifling to grip, enhancing accuracy.
If .380 inch balls were as available as .454 and .457 inch balls, I'd probably recommend an 1851 Navy (for the history) or an 1861 Navy (for the sleekness and pointability).
But neither Speer nor Hornady, the two biggest manufacturers of lead balls, offer .36-caliber balls other than .375 inch. I find this .375 inch too small for a good seal or accuracy.
Speer and Hornady make balls of .451, 454 and .457 inch.
So, I'm inclined to suggest theh .44 caliber.
The Colts shoot high at 25 yards, and about dead-on at 80 to 100 yards.
So, if you plan to knock off tin cans in the local gravel pit at 15 to 25 yards, you'll need to aim well below them. This can be aggravating.
Most Remington replicas today are made with sights that are slightly higher than they need to be. This causes the ball to strike below the point of aim.
You can "adjust" the Colt sights a bit by filing a slightly deeper notch in the hammer nose.
If the Remington shoots low, merely file down the front sight a bit until the sight picture matches what you want to see at 25 yards or so.
But the sights should NOT be touched until you find the most accurate load!
Find an accurate load first, then modify the sights to fit that load if need be.
Or use the revolvers as-is, which is what most of the old-timers did.
Very few original Colts and Remingtons have come down to us with sights that were altered. The old-timers just learned where they shot at each range, and compensated. At close range, they aimed low with the Colts.
I believe that the original Remingtons pretty much shot dead-on at 50 yards. Comparing my Uberti-made Remington with an original a friend owned, we noticed that the Uberti had a much taller front sight.

If I were pressed to suggest the best cap and ball revolver for a beginner, it would be:

Uberti made
Remington Army
.44 caliber
stainless steel
Standard sights, not target adjustable

The proper balls for .44-caliber are more readily available. Uberti makes some of the best cap and ball revolvers found today. Ubertis also have slightly deeper rifling than Pietta, which helps them shrug off powder fouling longer and aids accuracy.
Stainless steel is more forgiving. Most newcomers to the sport put off cleaning their revolver and it rusts. Stainless steel will eventually rust, but it takes a while.
Standard sights? You're probably getting into this hobby because of the romantic history. So why do you need modern, adjustable sights? Enjoy the revolver as it was designed. Others may disagree, believing that adjustable sights are best, but I find them clunky-looking on a cap and ball.
The Ruger Old Army is probably the finest cap and ball revolver made. If you're not into history, it's a great revolver.
I shoot mine for history's sake, which is why none of my cap and balls have adjustable sights. Nor do I own a Ruger. It's a personal choice, not an indictment.

Whatever you get, don't ever forget that millions of lives have been snuffed out by cap and ball revolvers. They are not toys! They will kill as quickly as any modern gun, and are just as dangerous in irresponsible hands.
A lead ball at 1,000 feet per second is not to be taken lightly.

November 1, 2009, 01:48 AM	#15
Gatofeo Senior Member Join Date: October 1, 2004 Location: Remote Utah desert Posts: 224	The Colts are better balanced than the Remingtons. This balance makes the Colts point much better, for instinctive shooting. The Remingtons are stronger, but the point is pretty much moot because both Colt and Remington are designed for black powder pressures. The Remington's sights are better. The Colt's sights are just a notch in the hammer and a brass bead on the muzzle -- and that brass bead glows indistinctly in sunshine. I have both Remington and Colt deisgns. For point shooting and pure fun, I like my Colt 1851 Navy 2nd generation. For accuracy, I take my Uberti-made Remington Army in .44 caliber. I like my Uberti-made 1860 Colt and its .44 caliber for point shooting with a big caliber. For beginners, I suggest the .44 caliber, so you can buy .454 or .457 inch balls instead of the oft-recommended .451 inch balls. The larger balls create a better seal in the chamber, and offer a wider driving band for the rifling to grip, enhancing accuracy. If .380 inch balls were as available as .454 and .457 inch balls, I'd probably recommend an 1851 Navy (for the history) or an 1861 Navy (for the sleekness and pointability). But neither Speer nor Hornady, the two biggest manufacturers of lead balls, offer .36-caliber balls other than .375 inch. I find this .375 inch too small for a good seal or accuracy. Speer and Hornady make balls of .451, 454 and .457 inch. So, I'm inclined to suggest theh .44 caliber. The Colts shoot high at 25 yards, and about dead-on at 80 to 100 yards. So, if you plan to knock off tin cans in the local gravel pit at 15 to 25 yards, you'll need to aim well below them. This can be aggravating. Most Remington replicas today are made with sights that are slightly higher than they need to be. This causes the ball to strike below the point of aim. You can "adjust" the Colt sights a bit by filing a slightly deeper notch in the hammer nose. If the Remington shoots low, merely file down the front sight a bit until the sight picture matches what you want to see at 25 yards or so. But the sights should NOT be touched until you find the most accurate load! Find an accurate load first, then modify the sights to fit that load if need be. Or use the revolvers as-is, which is what most of the old-timers did. Very few original Colts and Remingtons have come down to us with sights that were altered. The old-timers just learned where they shot at each range, and compensated. At close range, they aimed low with the Colts. I believe that the original Remingtons pretty much shot dead-on at 50 yards. Comparing my Uberti-made Remington with an original a friend owned, we noticed that the Uberti had a much taller front sight. If I were pressed to suggest the best cap and ball revolver for a beginner, it would be: Uberti made Remington Army .44 caliber stainless steel Standard sights, not target adjustable The proper balls for .44-caliber are more readily available. Uberti makes some of the best cap and ball revolvers found today. Ubertis also have slightly deeper rifling than Pietta, which helps them shrug off powder fouling longer and aids accuracy. Stainless steel is more forgiving. Most newcomers to the sport put off cleaning their revolver and it rusts. Stainless steel will eventually rust, but it takes a while. Standard sights? You're probably getting into this hobby because of the romantic history. So why do you need modern, adjustable sights? Enjoy the revolver as it was designed. Others may disagree, believing that adjustable sights are best, but I find them clunky-looking on a cap and ball. The Ruger Old Army is probably the finest cap and ball revolver made. If you're not into history, it's a great revolver. I shoot mine for history's sake, which is why none of my cap and balls have adjustable sights. Nor do I own a Ruger. It's a personal choice, not an indictment. Whatever you get, don't ever forget that millions of lives have been snuffed out by cap and ball revolvers. They are not toys! They will kill as quickly as any modern gun, and are just as dangerous in irresponsible hands. A lead ball at 1,000 feet per second is not to be taken lightly. __________________ "And lo, did I see an ugly cat. Smoke. Brimstone. Holes in parchment. And this ugly cat was much amused." --- The Prophesies of Gatodamus (1503 - 1566)