Originally Posted by DWalt

Overlooked was the fact (not Hollywood's version of the fact) that a U. S. cavalryman on the frontier very seldom, if ever, needed to reload his revolver rapidly in the saddle, so the ability to do so with the Schofield was not much of a selling point. Six shots in the cylinder was almost always enough for cavalry use against hostile Indians. The frontier cavalryman usually carried only a dozen cartridges in his belt pouch plus six in the cylinder. There was always more ammunition in his saddlebag or the supply wagon if ever needed. Second, the Schofield was considered by the cavalry to be more delicate and trouble-prone than the SAA and it was also more expensive. So it is no mystery why the Army preferred the Colt. It was only after the Indian wars that the Army gave much thought to improvements in handguns.