Why '51, or '60, or '61??

S

Springer45

New member
I've been into cap & ball shooting for less than a year and REALLY enjoy it. I've got an 1858 Remington, 1862 Colt Police, and Cabela's tells me they just put my 1851 Colt Navy on the UPS truck.

I picked the '51, but it was a roll of the dice. I just as easily could have chosen the 1860 or 1861. Can anyone summarize the functional and/or mechanical differences for me, or any other rationale to choose one over the other?

I don't know who I'm kidding - I'll most likely end up with them all eventually. But I guess I want to get them in the right order :D
 
Well, of course the '60 is a .44 with a grip shape not used on any other Colt. It and the '61 (and '62) share the "creeping" loading lever designed as an improvement over the hinged linkage of the '51 and earlier Colts.
 
Thanks Jim. I'm not particular about caliber, but I see what you mean about the grip shape and loading lever. How much of an improvement was the "creeping" lever design? And do you know whether the later models were any more durable and/or accurate than the ones that came before?
 
I like the looks of the '51 Navy. Not crazy about the caliber. The grip size and feel are about perfect tho. The '60 Army doesn't feel good in the hand to me. Too bad nobody makes one with a Navy sized grip frame.

Had one of the little "Pocket Police"(?) guns, a 5 shot 36 cal with the creeping loading lever. Was surprised that with full charge laods it would not knock down steel plates reliably that the 22 lr would knock down reliably. Was very accurate tho.

I think you are on the right track, just eventually get them all, (don't forget a Dragoon size gun too) and see what you like best.

The Colt designs seem to keep shooting longer than the Remingtons in my experience. Powder fouling tied up my Remington copy pretty fast. Heard others say the same.
 
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