Revolvers: Strapped or Strapless?

[4Bear]

I was over at Cabela's looking at their revolvers and thinking the brassed case Colt might be just enough to squeek me into gun ownership. But when I went out to a local range everybody had Remingtons and swore off the strapless Colts rather passionately.

Technically, I have to agree, the strapped Remington must be a more reliable source of alignment for the cylinder to the barrel, but aesthetically, I have to go with the Colt and its sleek bare cylinder lining up with the cylinder. I am also thinking I want to try some cowboy shooting and the front sight on the Remington is a little high to be quickly removed from a holster, I think.

Some other food for thought... Does the Colt's barrel sit a little lower in the hand then the Remington? Is the rear sight on the hammer really so unreliable? Is the simple fixture of of the Colt's barrel really a better source of alignment? Does it even matter?

Questions, questions, questions ...

Comments anyone?

 

[Zonie]

4Bear: Thanks for posting.


When comparing .36 to .36 or .44 to .44, the barrel height is about the same above the trigger finger. The Remington looks higher, but I think that is just an optical illusion because of the frames top strap.

Sights? Well, the Remingtons grooved frame isn't much (if any) better than the Colts hammer.
By modern standards, they are both weak in that department.
Speaking of sights, both the Remington and the Colt shoot high.
About 10-12 inches high at 25 yards. There's a interesting post about this currently being discussed in the Precussion Forum.

As you are considering buying one of these, I would suggest that you don't buy either one if it has a brass frame.
They both have brass trigger guards, but the ones with a brass frame are inherently weak. The Remingtons brass frame will stretch and the Colts cylinder pin will tend to pull out of it's brass frame some if full power loads are used.
This will not happen to either gun if it has a steel frame.
Yes, the steel framed guns cost more, but it is worth it.

As for shooting, this is an individual thing.
Some like the Remington, some like the Colt.

IMO, the Colt has a natural pointability which the Remington does not come close to matching.
For fast "instinct" shooting, for me, the Colt wins hands down.

The only good way for you to determine what is best for you is to pick up the unloaded Colt and rapidly point it at something about 10 yards away. Then repeat this with the unloaded Remington. The winner is the one which is actually pointing at the target 4 out of 5 times.

 

[robert garner]

4bear
1st what i hear bout remington is they foul up quicker
BUT! they tend to offer more consistant accuracy Dixie has
least the last i looked a Remington with a gain twist that was reported to be a real bear in the accuracy dept.Dont know but what i heard.
Do know some on the colt,looks good points good,dont worry bout the sight as yall aint gonna see the target fer the smoke!take er out and burn lots o powder,shoot close an far pay some mind to what your about,xperiment with different charges(take some grits with ya)NEVER reduce a charge an leave an air gap twixt charge an ball this results in whats called detonation bas juju Start with a chamber full o powder leavin just enuff room for the ball as you reduce
the charge fill the empty spot with a layer of grits will probly find half a chamber of powder to be real accurate!
PLUS you just reduced your shootin expense by half,,,right?
Now comes the fun part if your a coupla hours from gettin home to clean it give her a soakin with PB wd40 or pam or a good liberal dose of sweet oil(olive) this with keep the rust demons at bay fer a while
Now some folks claim they don' like the cleanin part but is ok ifn you keep your humor about ya so to be succinct
1) clear your wepon,I know yall did this at the range Before you oiled it but clear it ennyway ok we dont get second chances,and dont take NONE
2)break er down,ifn ya know this skip it ok? the Key is in front of the cylinder crosswise under the barrel push it out wid your thumb,not all the way out and set it aside, just only as far as the retainer screw will allow its there to keep the key from gettin lost whilst your a horse back er sumthin. Thumb sore yet? well its new an will loosen up some o'er time use a plastic handle on your screwdriver tap it out,wont go? theres a spring retainer oposite the screw,
like gunny said Depress now hit her
go to half cock line the chamber wall up with the rammer easy now bring it down to seperate barrel from frame which i pray AINT BRASS! slip cylinder from its pin,look under grip frame(brass here IS good) see the screw get it an the two behind the hammer remove back of frame and wood handle.
3)clean everthing metal with your favorite cleaner,I use dawn(Im in the kitchen,your bride Might not apreciate the odors you are about to unleash tho ,think about it an go your own course here ,but U was warned!)Q-tips tooth picks,bore brushes toothbrushes (yours not hers) all help.
when finnished drop everything ceptin the wood into a pot o boiling water,leave it a while!Hot is GOOD! remove an blo dry the heat will dry all real good oil an put it back together
wasnt that fun?
Yep it was designed to shoot far some say 75 yds some a 100,want it regulated to shoot closer first find your optimum load for accuracy or power a taller front sight is easy when your ready let us know enjoy
and dont get ne brass frame ok? :no:

 

[mec]

"and dont get ne brass frame ok"
Amen.

the Remingtons are fitted more closely and, along with the top strap, there are more opportunities for cap hang-ups. I actually shoot better with my open top uberti army than with my Uberti Remington. Interestingly though, the Remington from Uberti comes with an extra tall front sight and you can carefully file it down to the correct elevation. The front sight drifts right and left and you can regulate that too. Most people consider the colt to have better balance and feel but I kind of think it's a matter of personal perception. I have not shot any of them enough to loosen them up or compromise accuracy.

 

[4Bear]

Yes, the one thing that everyone also said was that brass was a bad idea. But, on the other hand, it's there and the reason it's there is that it's cheap. As long as it is safe, I may still do it and save the difference for a single shooter.

But I am leaning towards the color hardened case 1860 Army at Cabela's which has a lot nicer lines then the brass CF model. Here's what I'm looking at,

1860 Army Revolver .44 Caliber Pistol

Any quick drawers out there have anything to add? The barrel seems a little long in both cases.

 

[IronMan]

I have two of these and have a ball shooting them. Havent done any fast draw shooting or real target shooting. Just can plinking. They are a lot of fun and I have never had any problem with them

IronMan

 

[Hawkeye]

I shoot CAS with a pard who shoots a pair of these and he shoots them well, I on the other hand really love my '51 Navies.

 

[Zonie]

If you do get one of the Cap and Ball pistols, try to get some #10 precussion caps. They will fit the nipples better than the #11 caps.

For general plinking and casual target shooting the #11s will work although they really need to be pinched closed a little for the snug fit the gun requires.
For serious shooting like CAS, the #10s are the best way to go.

 

[Musketeer]

I have two Ubertis: a Second Model Dragoon and an 1860 Army.
Both are steel framed .44 (.454) cal. I've shot both quite a bit and have no complaints. Most people who don't like the Colt open top style are afraid that the gun's lack of a top strap make it somehow weak or dangerous. Total :bull:!
Even with full power loads blackpowder pressures are DRAMATICALLY lower than modern smokeless! I agree that the open top design is aesthetically much more pleasing :imo:. The only problem I've had with these guns is of the infamous "cap falling into the action" variety. On Colt single actions when you thumb back the hammer after firing a round, the spent cap can fall off the nipple and down into the action through the space between the cocked hammer and the frame. Easy fix: after firing a shot, simply rotate the gun to the right (if you're right-handed) before thumbing back the hammer for the next shot. If the spent cap falls when you cock the hammer, it will simply drop to the ground rather than into the action. Then, rotate the gun back the shooting position and fire. This whole procedure take 2 seconds and quickly becomes second nature.
I would also suggest staying away from a brass frame unless you're only gonna shoot light target loads. A good steel frame is worth the extra cash. :thumbsup:

 

[tcsmokepole]

I have a '60 army colt, and a '58 remington. I like them both, but the '58 rem. fouls up faster. The cylinder pin is small and that's what fouls up quickly. Comparing the two my '60 is like a swiss watch compared to the '58 rem.