1861 Navy vs. 1860 Army

[@GunsOfTheWest]

Check out the Guns of the West store here: gunsoftheweststore.com

[@matthewdenz1045]

Would you be open to a video comparing every civil war sidearm, explaining which side each was used on, and ranking them worst to best from a combat perspective. I'd love to see all of them in one place

[@woodsmanforlife1677]

I also noticed that museums mislabel fire arms. Telling the people in charge results most often in red faces.

[@rex8958]

I’ve never had a good experience telling any museum or writer that their information is straight up wrong. I try to show obvious evidence but it doesn’t really help.

[@RobertBlevins]

Some folks say there isn't much power in an 1851 Navy in 36 caliber. I can put a hole straight through an empty green propane canister and out the other side, using 20 grains behind a roundball. (The ones you use for lanterns when camping.) They're plenty powerful.

[@YakubibnEsau]

It would be cool to resurrect Wild Bill Hickock and Dave Tutt to talk about the Navy’s lack of power!

Neat, thanks! I love my two 1851 Navies!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Love this comparison. Both are beautiful firearms.

[@jeffhill1708]

Just received my 1860 army and is my first bp revolver, been watching your channel and learning about them and will finally get a chance this week to take out and have some fun, thank you for all the information you put up.

[@jeffhill1708]

@Wild Tex appreciate that, I can’t wait

[@SmallCaliberArmsReview]

Not so sure I can rely on your comparison Dustin, I think I'm going to have to get a couple and see for myself! Lol, Great video Dustin!

[@GunsOfTheWest]

That’s the only way to be sure. LOL!

[@williamgregory6684]

When in doubt,buy both. Or 3 or 4. Good investments if taken care of. The more you have, the less wear and tear on each one. Those are my excuses!

[@SmallCaliberArmsReview]

@@williamgregory6684 and great excuses they are!

[@bobsradio6025]

Most of the internal parts of the 1851, 1860 & 1861 are interchangable. Many parts are the same in the 1873 SAA. People with big hands that want something to hold on to will be pleased to know that the 1860 grips will fit on the 1851, 1861 & 1873 Colts. Three parts have to be replaced: The trigger guard, back strap and the wooden grips.

[@GunsOfTheWest]

You’re absolutely right. I actually have a previous video about that.

[@BogeyTheBear]

The only parts that are same on the 1873 SAA are the grips. Internal parts, including the trigger, are different from the older percussion Colts. Learned that the hard way when trying to swap the grips between an 1860 Army and a Cattleman. The oval triggerguard on an 1860 Army is actually smaller than the oval in the Navy grips, and the trigger on a Cattleman/SAA is slightly longer than the percussion guns' triggers. Bottom line-- the trigger on the 1873 ended up bumping against the triggerguard of an Army grip.

[@bobsradio6025]

@@BogeyTheBear - In case I missed it, I thought screws and springs were internal parts and I have had no problem exchanging them. The Cattleman is an aftermarket clone, and not an exact clone.

[@HircineDaWolf]

@@BogeyTheBear The trigger return spring is also identical between manufacturers, may need to be shortened for another type.

[@H-Man1]

Thanks, I have massive hands, and was wondering about larger grips.

[@blackpowderfirearmenthusia3194]

I have the Pietta 1860 Army and the Pietta 1861 Navy 36 caliber, I love shooting them both. Thanks for sharing, I look forward to your videos.

[@iamgeobomb5969]

Wow, I had no idea Colt made an 1861! Thanks for the info! Great video!

[@gary3123]

Enjoyed the comparison and learned something new. Thanks

[@snappers_antique_firearms]

The 61 navy is a gun on my wish list. You and a few other youtubers inspired me to make some videos myself.

[@duckman2667]

Thank you for another comprehensive video on one of my favorite subjects. By the way I still have those pistols I'm willing to ship to you for review if you so desire.

[@GunsOfTheWest]

Thank you for reminding me. If you’ll send me an email at [e-mail] We can arrange that. Thanks!

[@Clipazine]

This video reinforces my preference for a .44 1860 army over an 1861 Navy in .36, I have not yet purchased my first cap and ball revolver, for a few reasons, but I'm really leaning to the 1860 army overall.

[@plymouthsportsatellite3349]

Very informative and done perfectly ....Thank you

[@Squib1911]

Good comparison.

[@ronrobertson59]

I pull off the back straps and trigger guard and send them to be chrome plated to look like silver plating like many original.

[@lhurst9550]

I've got the 1851 and several 1860's. I really dislike the tiny grip of the 1851, and do not have overly large hands for a guy. Much prefer the 1860 grips. I think the popularity of the smaller grips was due to the size of humans in the mid-1800's.

[@laurentius1986]

In the Colt manual it states that the pinkie should rest under the stock for best aiming performance. Nothing to do with the size of human hands.

[@corneliussulla9963]

Dustin, may I post a link here? To an auction where a 1861 Navy with blued grip frame was sold. Just to show people they existed.

[@GunsOfTheWest]

Sure!

[@imyourhuckleberry6492]

Can you do a video on the Remington vs the colt please thank love you videos

[@GunsOfTheWest]

Here’s one that I did before: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXzNmnljbbmIeMk Thanks for watching!

[@austincooks4u]

very informative

[@charlescomly1]

Personly, I would put brass grip frame and trigger guard on the 61.

[@williamgregory6684]

Pietta makes one. 1861 Civilian.EMF carries it.

[@kfl611]

I like the 1861 navy grips.

[@freakindawgen]

Being the grips are different length, that would mean there are two different stocks to fit?(full stock)

[@thelonerider9693]

Did you file a bevel on the loading spot in front of the cylinder of that 1860? Mine doesn't look like that, but photos I've seen of old ones do.

[@GunsOfTheWest]

I did.

[@SquirrelDarling1]

Learning stuff

[@yearight1205]

In The Pale Rider, the bad guys used 1860 Army's that look noticeably larger AND they looked like older more interesting guns. Do you think they just bought new guns and aged them some how to remove the bluing, or was it easier to find lots of variations of all these black powder revolvers back in the 80's?

[@lukerobbins4686]

Do you have any videos on a 1862 dance&bros?

[@GunsOfTheWest]

Not yet. That’s a revolver that I don’t have.

[@lukerobbins4686]

@@GunsOfTheWest That just might be the only revolver you dont have.

[@GunsOfTheWest]

@@lukerobbins4686 LOL! There are still a few out there I need to get ahold of. Thanks for watching!

[@greenbroccolistudios1275]

Gloomwood vibes

[@jeffreysnethen9586]

I took my 61 navy, put a conversion cylinder in it, had the barrel lined, then put a nickle plated 1860 army grip frame on it ( like the bigger grips ) synthetic bone grips, nickle plated loading lever as well.

[@markw4907]

Could you please attempt this modification as I would like to see the final result. Please remove the grip frame from the 1861 and see if you can replace it with the grip frame from the 1860(it should work). My hands would prefer the 1860 but I’d like to buy an 1861. I heard about this being done in Hollywood when actors with large hands complained about the 1851 size grip on a Peacemaker. They simply used a genuine Colt 1860 grip frame(the 1872 actually used both grip frames but, for some reason, the 1873 only used an 1851 size grip). Thanks so much.

[@BogeyTheBear]

I have swapped the grip from an 1860 onto an 1851 without a problem. There was a problem when trying to do the same thing to an Uberti 1873 Cattleman-- the trigger of the 1873 is slightly longer. The real problem is the oval triggerguard of an 1860 Army is noticeably smaller than the oval on a Navy grip. Putting the Army grip on the 1851 was fine-- the triggers between the two models are the same. The longer trigger of the 1873 SAA clone got in the way of the Army grip, however.

[@WhatIfBrigade]

Edit: Nevermind, I found your video conparing the two! On your video about getting your first blackpowder revolver, you recommend the 1851 Navy, which makes a lot of sense. What do you think about the 1861 Navy a first blackpowder revolver?

[@GunsOfTheWest]

The 1861 would be equally good as a starter.

[@miketranfaglia3986]

the real question is, where do you find #10 caps?

[@jfarmall77]

I always have to use ones that are to big and just make do

[@Andrzej-uf2zm]

Hello Regards If they made the handle longer, the Colt Navy 1861 .36 revolver could be called almost perfect. And you don't know what to choose: Navy or Army. Andrzej 🤔

[@Blackpowderdad]

Hey Dustin, sorry unrelated question to the video. Q: Is a flintlock hawken woodsmen at all historically accurate for a certain time period or is it a purely modern day fantasy gun? Thanks

[@GunsOfTheWest]

There actually were some flintlock versions, especially in the beginning.

[@Blackpowderdad]

Ok, perfect. thank you for your time!

[@evanlothrop1454]

Hey Dustin can I recommend looking at the replica air guns website and looking at some of the guns there. They have a bunch of colt saa variants a couple different versions of the schofield and a 1894 Winchester. Along with numerous other air gun replicas.

[@mr.thickey3959]

Oh, comment #2! See the “COVER PHOTO” for this video? As best as I can see, the long grips on the .44 Colt Army (right side revolver!) were the PROPERLY STYLED GRIPS, not like the poorly styled grips shown on the “meat” of the video!!! Yes, a MAJOR DIFFERENCE! The “real or original styled grips” are maybe the most gorgeous parts of the Colt revolvers! The contoured barrel, the hammer, & the recoil shield area of the frame, were amazingly gorgeous too! ALL THESE AREAS of the .44 Colt Army revolver are why I, Mr. Thickey, believe the .44 Army are without doubt the most “GORGEOUS CURVES” of any revolver ever designed!!! My tongue hangs down to my shoes “in LUST”! ALSO - could the grip frames of the .44 Army & the .36 Navy be interchangeable, as they share the same basic frame??? Wish I had the parts & time to try this! Hopefully no more “blabbermouth from Mr. Thickey for a while! But this video really “stoked my fire” & “flipped my jibbit”!!! Have YOU “stoked your fire & flipped your jibbit” lately??? Watch out for “PEEWEE”!

[@Matzah1982]

I miss my pair of uberti 1860 army revolvers I used to have. It’s my favorite cap and ball revolver. I shoot my Diana model 34 classic .22 air rifle now and I use 16 grain H&N hornet pellets ever since corona began and I sold all my other guns because it’s so hard to get ammo and as it was I had to drive along distance 2 states away to get all my ammo supplies for black powder guns. It’s much easier just being able to order pellets online and shoot my air gun in places I can’t with other kinds of guns but if I ever got another black powder gun it would of course be an uberti 1860 army

[@HircineDaWolf]

yikes...

[@markgoostree6334]

somebody told me the 1851 Navy was .36 cal but the 1861 Navy was .44, like the 1860... now I'm wondering what to look for.

[@GunsOfTheWest]

Both the 1851 and the 1861 were .36 caliber.

[@scottscheuerman6170]

I’m sure that 1873 saa has the same grip as the 1861 navy

[@jefferydavis5990]

Hey Dustin! I have recently bought a used Uberti 1860 army, and I noticed that the hammer pull was very light. So light that I have to shoot each cap twice for it to go off. My other Colt style black powder revolvers have strong trigger pulls, so caps go off about 95 percent of the time. What should I do about the 1860 army? Should I bend the mainspring backwards, or buy a new mainspring etc. Thanks!

[@jefferydavis5990]

@@JRB781 Thank you so much!

[@DontFollowMe666]

So which one should I buy?? Which is more accurate?

[@BogeyTheBear]

Navy has less recoil which makes it easier to shoot. But that lower recoil comes from less power.

[@freakindawgen]

Are the barrels the same diameter?

[@BogeyTheBear]

Yes, they are. The walls of the .44 are just thinner than on the .36 gun. This would suggest the .44 is lighter than the .36-- when empty, of course. Lead is heavier than steel and typically a .44 round is almost 1.75 times the mass of a .36 projectile in the same shape, so a loaded .44 should be heavier.

[@GeneralLee1961.3]

I love 1860 Army!

[@kayledotson4358]

I have watched so many videos and have finally decided I want an 1860 army sheriff's model but I can't find one anywhere! Haha! Anybody got one?

[@Tammy-un3ql]

👌👌👌👌👌

[@michal.abramowicz]

Army. Because bigger grip and .44 hole!

[@mr.thickey3959]

YA, “das are der most bee-utifulest revolvers auf owl time”, bar NONE, along with the 1851.36 Colt Navy of course!!! BUT look carefully at the grips. The .36 Navy has the GORGEOUSLY CURVED INNER & OUTER CURVES to the grips, while the .44 Army grips are poorly shaped! The “original” .44 Army LONG GRIPS were the most beautiful of all the Colts, like a gorgeous “long legged” girl!!! The shorter Navy grips were a very close second, like a “shorter legged” gorgeous girl! I’ve seen some .44 Army revolvers with the proper shaped grips but can’t remember which manufacturer made them. The 1858 .44 Remington revolvers were very beautiful guns too, but the Colt open top guns still had the most “MECHANICAL SEX APPEAL”! The Colts are the guns that really “flipped my jibbbit” way back when I fell in love with guns, especially black powder revolvers (pre-teenager, like the 1940s. I’m 82 now!). So there’s my story! “Gesundheit”!