1858 or 1860 remingtons? which do you prefer?

[justashooter]

too late for the 1851. already gave that one to a buddy who fell in love with it.

me, i think the 1860 is purtier...

what loads with .451 round ball or .450 conical LEE?

[ofitg]

Personally, I prefer the 1858 Rem over the 1860 Colt..... but that's just me.

I don't have any experience with the LEE conical slug. The .451 round balls could work, but a .454 round ball shaves off a healthier "lead ring" when you load it.

[KCSO]

The Remington NMA is a stronger gun but the Colt Army is a better feeling gun in my hand. The 1860 if fed moderate loads will run over 3000 rounds before it needs tightening. My current favourite for TARGET shooting is a Rogers and Spencer as they have the best barrels. Any of these will win a match for you if you can hold them right. My grandsons both took a first place one with the 1860 and one with a 61 Navy. And I placed with a Remington 1858.

[Wayne Smith]

Grip angle on the Colt fits my hand much better than the tight Remington.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

The 1858 Remington has a hammer set farther forward than the 1860 Colt. I find it more difficult to cock with my shooting hand due to that extra distance from back of grip to hammer spur. Handling is not too different, though I prefer the 1860 Colt to the 1858 Remington due to the hammer spur position. I do like the solid frame and sights of the 1858 Remington, but handle the 1860 Colt better.

[Harter66]

Love the Colt lines . They fit and point well ....... But an Escalade/Navagator just ain't truck . After dozens of cap jams and wedges that either worked loose or had to be hammered out despite proper fitting in unmodified box stock pistols , I bought 1858s and have been much happier .
Except for that Dragoon .......yep had to have that one , because you can load a magnum down but when a standard peaks you're done .
Actually I'd have taken either a Walker or Dragoon just to fill out the stable .

[rodwha]

I actually like the lines of the Dragoon or Walker over the 1860 Army. I prefer my guns to be more historically accurate but think I’d likely take a .44 cal 1851 over the Army. But I do read that the rammer design is much better for seating conicals which is my projectile of choice.

I haven’t handled a Colt but do appreciate my Remington. But nothing beats the ROA.

[rodwha]

Oh, and I didn’t initially like the looks of the Remington either. I had a .44 Mag I wanted to see about trading for a 2nd model Dragoon but my father asked me to hold off as he had a deceased friend’s family looking to offload some of his guns. He brought an ASM 1860 Army and the ROA. Apparently owning that Ruger for a while softened me to the lines of a Remington as it became my second pistol.

[Harter66]

Got a couple .
RBH , 2nd Model Dragoon , brass 58 Army and a steel 58 Navy(ish).
220833
I've had about 3 60s . I just can't find the love when it's time to shoot them . I have an old ASM that needs a couple of screws and a trigger .

[charlie b]

My first black gun was a Remington. It shot very well but the handle was too small in dia for me at the top (I have large hands). The Colts fit me much better.

The Remington was great for high power loads. Like shooting a .357 Mag.

The Colts I keep to std loads and have not found one that was as accurate as the Remington I had.

Last, I think the Colt 1860 is the prettiest of all the C&B revolvers.

Sent from my SM-P580 using Tapatalk

[RonRC]

I love the lines of the Remington, but the 1851 and 1860 Colts feel and point so much better in my hands. I actually find the Remington grip and overall feel to be awkward.
Ron

[Mac118]

For looks and well-fitting grip I like the 1860. But that top strap on the 58 makes me feel a little more reassured for long shooting sessions.
Steve

[Good Cheer]

It's apples and oranges. I like 'em both and the two just don't fit in my mind as comparison.
But one of my most favorite percussion revolvers in the whole wide world was made from a reproduction 1858.

[rodwha]

It's apples and oranges. I like 'em both and the two just don't fit in my mind as comparison.
But one of my most favorite percussion revolvers in the whole wide world was made from a reproduction 1858.

Why do you feel it’s apples and oranges?

Curious if this favorite of yours is the custom .41? If so why is it your most favorite?

[Ballistics in Scotland]

I agree that the 1860 grip feels far better to me, and it beats me why they used what is substantially the smaller Navy grip on the SAA. I think the superior strength of the Remington is pretty illusory too. For the axis pin isn't load-bearing as it is in the Colt, and that can be made of much stronger steel than the frame. The only reason we don't usually know whether it is or not, is that it doesn't need to be.

Nobody needs to have a dramatic failure with the cap and ball Colts when a suitable powder is used. (I pick my words carefully here, as my factory rimfire conversion Pocket Navy as frighteningly thin metal where Col. Colt meant nipple threads to be.) But if a failure did occur, it would surely take the form of a cylinder rupture, and in that event I would much prefer a topstrap not to be there.

It has always puzzled me why the Colt front end wasn't threaded onto the axis pin, like the deceptively strong Mariette and Lefaucheux designs. Maybe it was because the person who drives home a wedge will do a slight tightening-up job whether he knows it or not.

[Good Cheer]

Why do you feel it’s apples and oranges?

Curious if this favorite of yours is the custom .41? If so why is it your most favorite?

To me the two don't feel the same, don't point the same, just two different animals all together.
And yeah, the one John Taylor put together is my favorite (almost in a tie with the 1851 .40 cal). It lets me shoot a variety of loads with off the shelf molds.
I'd like to have one that was set up that way for some other caliber off the shelf molds too, eh but not likely gonna happen.

[bob208]

I have 3 .44 remingtons. one is a stainless uberti with a .45 colt cylinder. I keep it loaded in the shop for a just incase. I have 3 .36 remingtons. I have 3 1860 colts and 1 1861. they all shoot well but I like the remingtons better less problems with cap jams. I also have a second model dragoon. also a colt and Remington in .31.

if I ever have to thin out the remingtons will stay.

[stubshaft]

The 1858 is supposed to be stronger and more accurate. The 1860 points much better and feels better in the hand. The 1860 is usually easier to clear a cap jam too.

I don't shoot 1858's anymore.

[45 Dragoon]

The '58 is a nice revolver but it isn't stronger than the open top Colt design. The problem is, they are apples and oranges. The Remie is easy to manufacture correctly, the open top isn't. Therefore, you're comparing a decent copy (Remie) to a flawed (in its best configuration) copy. The problems with open tops can be fixed. When they are, they can deliver excellent/target gun accuracy. My Dragoons, in 45Colt, are the most accurate revolvers I've ever owned.

By the same token, the Remington's weak point is the flat springs that are prone to breakage. There are wire spring replacements for the trigger/bolt spring but they lack any "feel" and do break. They have limited range just like the flats they replace. This carries over to the cartridge Remies as well.
Fortunately, they can be changed over to coil torsion springs and given the life span of a Ruger. Further upgrades can actually make them "tougher" than the ROA!! That ultimately gives you a lighter, tougher revolver than the Ruger!!

Ok, ultimately, the ROA can also be upgraded as well and the action made "heavier duty", not to mention lightened up considerably!! A truly awesome cap gun. Still heavy though . . . .

Mike

[robert12345]

The Remington is a fine revolver, with a bad grip.
The Colt is a bad revolver with an excellent grip.

Choose your poison.
.
The nice thing about the Remington is, you can sight it in, by twisting the barrel in a vice to get wind-age, and building up the front sight to get elevation.

My old Remington shoots dead on at 20 yards, with a round ball, after I sighted it...
And, I can shoot right along side any Glock, or Smith Wesson.
.
.
Me, if I could, I would force Uberti to make me a Remington 1858, with a 5 inch round heavy barrel, and a Colt grip, in caliber .44 , with a high visibility square notch rear sight.

[Geezer in NH]

.

My old Remington shoots dead on at 20 yards, with a round ball, after I sighted it...
And, I can shoot right along side any Glock, or Smith Wesson.. For 6 shots

[Harter66]

This is fun.
"If you swap the grips , build it up with modern parts , convert it to CF , add the quick change pin/wedge and a half a dozen cylinders , modify the design to fix/cover up the flawes , and finally get the sights dialed in their just like shooting a modern gun" ..........
You do know that when you convert the 58' with a CF cylinder and a loading gate it effectively becomes an 1875 , right ?
It's about soaking up the flavor feel of a time gone by . If you modified all of the design flaws out and convert to CF then you might as well shoot SAA 3rd Gen , or RBH . It's kind of like buying a $289 Philippino SA 1911 copied from an early WWII gun and putting all the best part from Wilson Combat , Les Bear and Kimber you've got a slick gun every bit as good as any of the big names but you spent a bunch of money to get it there and it's not a Kimber or a Baer and when someone looks it over it's an SA Philippines and it'll never be a a 1912 built or a Singer built 1911 Colts .

So shoot em' , mod them shoot them some more . The beauty of either design is that scale up or down , develope the correct technique to avoid the malfunctions of design and they are as good as anything else designed and mass produced 1859-1872 .

[rodwha]

For 6 shots

Both my 1858 and ROA keep the same group size throughout my range days. At times it is maybe 60 shots each if I make paper cartridges. Gatofeo’s #1 lube seems to do a fine job for my guns. I’m no pistolero but my 15 yd groups are often better than many of the fellows with autloaders shooting at 7 (offhand shooting). And I don’t clean between shooting but will oil the base pin on my 1858 and wipe the outside of the cylinder once in a while.

[histed]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YDet_RZVPo
If its good enough for Jose, its good enough for me.

[bigted]

My second gen Colt SAA wears a '60' gripframe and trigger guard with the 1 piece wood grips ( made by Uberti) and is THE most comfy revolver i have ever put into my grubby mitts.

Shooting Lee 200 grain tumble lube over 7 grains Unique it is more accurate then I will ever be.

And yep ... a REAL Colt. Better than any Rem ive ever shot ( plenty) or cap Colt. Totally reliable and totally historic. Cant be beat in my humble opinion ... does it all for me.

0
Opps guess i am at the muzzle loading section. Srry for the deviation ... got a bit carried away

[Gtek]

I am sure many understand the deviation due to the Clint Eastwood effect, no one here is innocent I would bet!

[Fly]

Well if I fought in the civil war I would be carrying a Remington as my side arm. Yes I like the colts & the feel in the hand. But cap jams
have always been the problem with Colts. Lost wedge was also a problem. Modern revolvers are almost all top strap fire arms for a reason.
Many confederates stole the Remington's off the Norths dead officers to replace the Colts.

Fly

[gavlan]

The 1860 's grip feels better in hand for me but I kinda like the 1858's sight configuiration so the deciding point for me is the overall looks and the colt gets that department.
BTW my Whitneyville Dragoon is my favorite to shoot , albeit a bit heavy with a loaded cylinder.

[Geezer in NH]

Both my 1858 and ROA keep the same group size throughout my range days. At times it is maybe 60 shots each if I make paper cartridges. Gatofeo’s #1 lube seems to do a fine job for my guns. I’m no pistolero but my 15 yd groups are often better than many of the fellows with autloaders shooting at 7 (offhand shooting). And I don’t clean between shooting but will oil the base pin on my 1858 and wipe the outside of the cylinder once in a while.

How long for 18????????

[rodwha]

How long for 18????????

Can you please clarify your question? I’m not sure what the 18 is concerning.

[Wayne Smith]

He thought you were meaning 7 shots, not 7 yards!

[arcticap]

Remington 1858.

I read a lot about both before I decided to buy.
I knew that I didn't want to get involved with gunsmithing at all if I could help it.
I didn't like dealing with barrel wedges on the Colts that I have handled.
I'm very satisfied that I decided to go with the Remington 1858.

[Maint1517]

I like the grip of my 1860 better than my 1858. But, I'm more confident shooting heavyer loads in my 1858.