From a shooter point of view there are no advantages in forged versus cast....in BP guns. In smokeless it does matter however, as investment cast frames, tend to be designed thicker, while forged ones tend to be designed more gracefully. Original Remingtons and Adams Beaumont revolvers were a casting, including cylinders in the last one.
Second generation Uberti Remingtons are oversized, and look “artificial”, not very much like the original. They are made using high tech electro eroding machining as the internal cuts are hard to mach8ne using traditional machinery. They are not known for being specially accurate among top MLAIC shooters....though probably Pedersoli is selling and Uberti revolver with a better barrel ( maybe a Lothar Walther?).
Piettas are closer to the originals...though Pietta employs very soft easy machining steel to ease production. They all shoot well, and have excellent finish. If only used with BP, it’s a good revolver.
Brass framed Pietta revolvers are crap. The brass is not gun brass or bronze or bronze alloy but a cheap alloy that will tend to bend or stretch with use. I cracked a frame trying to unscrew a barrel...it cracked in the weakest part..the front lowest part with the bullet shaped cut.
Old Uberti brass frame revolvers are good....very well made. Uberti Colt revolvers are very good revolvers.
Santa Barbara revolvers are among the better built and most accurate revolvers ever made...I had 2. They were made with excellent steel and even more excellent barrels. The internal parts were a bit delicate if abused.. The hammer spring was vey stiff, on purpose, as demanded by World champions. It was a popular revolver among shooting circles in Germany, France and Spain, quite valued today but virtually unknown in USA.
The Centaure 1860 was the first and one of the best 1860 clones. Excellent finish, wonderful case hardening rivallling Colt’s, good steel, resistant internal parts. I have one.
The Euroarms Remington was a great neat revolver...accurate, very close in size to the originals...nicely finished, well made...the ones with “Lothar Walther” german barrels, marked so, are much sought after. I am looking for one.
Feinkwerbau in Germany made top revolvers...rarely seen outside Germany and very expensive. The Rolls Royce of Remingtons and Roger Spencers clones.
Pedersoli is marketing a Remington Pattern revolver, very accurate, as I said, suspiciously close to the old Ubertis, with and oversized wooden butt that has caused problems in some MLAIC championships..forcing owners to reduce it, for wood excess. I tried this revolver...it is accurate!
Pietta is making a “Shooters” Remington model with a special “gain twist”barrel, very very accurate but expensive.
Pietta’s standard Remington is a good gun, thougth made with butter steel, at a very good price that shoots great and it is probably the best choice in Remington. For Colts, I would buy Uberti.
Second generation Colts were not entirely made with Uberti supplied parts...at least initial batches had frames made in USA if my memory is not failing, They are not a good investment.
I would avoid the Starr revolver by Pietta. Problems,,,..the originals worked ok because the faulty design was compensated with good steel. The Pietta clone is a lottery,,,it can go ok or be a nigth are. I had to repair one long ago..so long that I don’t remember the problem..it was the SA model.
In short:
For top accuracy:
Dont buy Uberti Remington, but go for Pedersoli, Pietta shooters, if you want to buy new. Expensive.
Second hand: Santa Barbara, Feinkwerbau...Euro arms Lothat Walther, Pietta Newmann ( rarely seen in USA).
For very good accuracy and even top if you are lucky:
Buy standard Pietta for Remington, with a dovetailed front sigth, avoid brass, or buy Uberti for Colt...old brass Ubertis are good. I had a second model Dragoon by Uberti...accurate.
Other revolvers:
Roger Spencer., by Euroarms...a good revolver, sligthly heavier, with trigger stop. The Feinkwerbau german revolver is a mechanical wonder, hard to find in USA.
Revolver to avoid:
The Starr clones in SA And DA...faulty design, originals better than copies.