I have three Colt Navy clones, a '51 from the old defunct Hawes, a '61 Pietta, and a '62 Uberti. A '60 is on the wish list, but I think I will build a Traditions Kentucky rifle first. I have purchased a '73 Pietta SAA (which can be used with black powder loads) that comes off California's 10 day hold tomorrow. Right out of the box it is almost perfect. A little trigger creep, a very small amount of grit on the hammer, but perfect lock up.
I have never cared for the Remington, stylistically, but have to agree that it is a more robust and powerful firearm. On the other hand, a .36 doesn't need to be robust at all to withstand 20 grains of BP/Pyrodex. And I am not so sure that a .44 with a steel frame really needs the top strap for strength unless one continually loads as much powder as possible (not a good idea for accuracy, so I don't know why people do so). After all, many survived the War and were converted to .45 cal. cartridge guns.
As an aside, I have a (very poorly written) period book about the Vigilantes of Montana during gold rush days, and I was surprised about the reported number of pistols that misfired during use, even by outlaws who presumable reloaded often. I wonder if that was the case elsewhere. As another aside, an article I read about Hardin said that his first gun was a '51 Colt; he upgraded to .44 for the greater firepower.
My Hawes has a (non-original) 5 1/2" barrel, a very heavy and robust frame, exquisite timing and a slick action. The '61 I bought from a gentleman in Michigan who tunes them before sale, and it is wonderful. But my favorite, although least reliable, is the '62 Uberti. The hand broke almost immediately after arrival (this was a "used" but never fired firearm), and the action was gritty, the hammer pull stiff, but it is light, slender, elegant, and fits wonderfully in my (medium) hands. All three shoot high at 15 yards