The 1860 will have the rear sight on the hammer, the 1872 will have it on the rear of the barrel. A significant decrease in sight radius but I don't find it to be a problem. Both sight setups are rather crude, although I do like the 1872 a little better. The 1860 will have a conversion ring while the 1872's frame is one-piece. I also find the loading gate to be easier to manipulate on the 1872. Overall, the two are very similar. Between the two, I'd prefer the Open Top for a using sixgun. Which is what I do with mine. I load it up with a 240gr SWC or HPSWC over 4.0gr Titegroup and pack it in an El Paso 1849 Californian. Eventually I'll end up with at least one of each, including the 1851.
