[faraway]

Interesting how our series of posts has a definite weapons partisan aura, for such old weapons. M. Johnson, good posting on the merits of the Remingtons. The '61 model, did have a slot cut into the rammer... so the cylinder pin could be pulled forward and the cylinder removed without dropping the rammer. It was dropped by '63 because the pin would move forward because of the jolts on horseback-and thereby bind up when needed. That might also account for some of the period criticisms of the Remingtons...by the 1863 model that slot was gone, so was the problem. It seems on the whole, the Remington was better suited to those who maintained a revolver well. The Colt's were a better gun for dropping in the muck as it were. And woe to the Colt owner who lost that wedge...although some did carry spares. And they're pretty rare today, but the Webleys and Adam's had a pretty fair following. Likely, in the 1860's these discourses also occurred. And really, these were an immature technology...so problems were likely for any make. Oh yeah, forgot..as noted, some preferred the Colt rammer as it generated more force.
The nitrated cartridges of the time used a picket ball, which is (was) bloody hard to seat if it started in misaligned. But then again, the round balls used today lesson the range that the old guns had when used in the 19th century.