I've considered that option. I love the the Remingtons - although I suspect that 8 inch barrel is not gonna help me draw faster. That's what got me interested in doing this in the first place. I'm thinking that I'll see where I stand after I shoot a bit; if the handling of the gun isn't a problem maybe I can find good deal on a non-brass Remington and pick it up. Then I'd wait a bit more and pick up a conversion cylinder. I could shoot Working Cowboy all along the way. If I find I don't like the way the Remington handles in a match, I'll adapt.
By the way I looked into the Puma rifles last night and got a pleasant surprise - they look like they might be a reasonably priced entry-level rifle.
I suspect it'll be easier to talk the wife into an occasional $300-500 purchase than a sudden $1000-1500 purchase so I'm trying to figure out all the angles. <grin>