[2] While similar in design to the Colt Army Model 1860, the lighter recoil of the 1861 Navy's .36 caliber was preferred by some cavalry soldiers.

During the Civil War its main competitor in England was the Adams self-cocking revolver.

The Adams fired a .49 caliber bullet and did not require the shooter to pull the hammer back.

In the United States, Colt's main rival was the Remington Model 1858 revolver.

The Colt 1861 Navy typically was used with paper cartridges, that is, with a cartridge consisting of nitrated paper, a pre-measured black powder charge, and a bullet that was either a lead round ball or a lead conical bullet.