Being new here I' not sure if this is in the correct forum, so mods please move if this is incorrectly placed.
Anyways, onto the topic at had. I'm looking for a fun plinking gun that may or may not be used for CAS matches. I'm looking for a single-action revolver that will fire .38 Special rounds because I want cheap ammo and low recoil. This gun will not e used for home defesne, concealed carry, or any purpose other than showing some targets who is boss. They run a handful of CAS events in my area (Annapolis, Maryland) so whether I get into true cowboy action or not I still want a firearm that will be fun to take to the range, one that is easy on both the wrist and the wallet. I see so many Colt SAA replicas it is almost annoying, I want a single-action revolver that is at least something different (as an example I built a turbocharged Ford Ranger just because it was different). I like having the "conversation piece" because I love meeting new people, and that's what cowboy shooting is all about, right?
I really want to make it clear that this will be a target shooting revolver and I want to be able to rund 200 rounds through it in a single day without a problem. I'm planning to run thousands of low-powered target rounds through it. I don't need a Ruger Old Vaquero to stand up to earth-shattering hand loads, but I would like to be able to fire a few thousand .38 Special target rounds without having to do too much work to the gun. I'm mostly looking at Italian clones from either Cimarron (my first choice) or Taylor's (if I prefer to hve the gun finished with nickel plating).
I think the biggest argument I'm having with myself is over the finish. I like the look of a blued/case-hardened gun but I fully expect to put a proper beating on this gun so a nickel finish does appeal to me since it is less maintenance (I have a top-of-the-line Dremel tool and access to a lot of tools since I used to work for Craftsman, should make polishing simple). Whichever finish I choose, I would like to put faux pearl/ivory grips on it because I just absolutely love the look of white grips on a revolver!
1851 Navy conversion:
This is the one I'm considering the most. The octagon barrel and open top frame really set it apart. The part that worries me is lot of people seem to complain about the sights. However, I have a decent amount of skill at simple jobs involving metal (especially stick welding) so a simple file job to the rear sight is not beyond my capabilities. I wouldn't mind modifying one of these guns in either a 4.75" or 5.5" barrel length to fit my mediocre shooting abilities. For some unknown reason, this gun appeals to me the most. Maybe because Bill Hickok liked it, or maybe just because it looks so different from any other revolvers. Either way, a pair of these bad boys nickel plated with 4.75" barrels sounds like an awesome set for some CAS!
1858 Remington conversion:
I have heard the sights are better on these and the frame will stand up to more abuse, but this is all based on information on the blackpowder variants and I can't find much information on the cartridge conversions. I really like the look of this revolver. although not quite as distinctive as an open top it still can be easily recognized from a Colt SAA. I would never get one of these nickel plated, blued is the only way to go for the 1858.
1875 Remington:
Maybe it isn't too distinctive from the Colt to the untrained eye, but it sure does look good. Again, no nickel plating here, as I would opt for a blued frame and slap some pearl or ivory grips on it to make it look nice. As Rober Duvall said in Open Range, "I orefer a gun with a little bit more heft."