Stage 2--
If it's a fun gun you're looking for, there's no wrong choice.
For a fun/trail/camp/plinker, I would guess Cimarron would be fine. They're dealing in clones, and like most of the less expensive clones these come from Italian factories. The differences brand to brand have more to do with how much care is taken in fitting and finishing. Cimarron has a good reputation.
If you don't insist on perfect historical authenticity, you might want to look at the Beretta or the Taurus Gaucho. I have a Gaucho and it's one of my favorites. It operates like a Colt-- you halfcock to load and unload. It (and the Beretta) differ from the Colt in that they have a transfer bar safety. This means that you can carry them with all six chambers loaded, in relative safety, ONCE YOU HAVE LOWERED THE HAMMER from halfcock to full down while-- and this is RATHER important-- not letting it slip and set the fool gun off. It's not that hard to do, but you do have to be careful.
If you don't insist on much historical authenticity at all, check out the Ruger. Not only does it have a transfer bar for relatively safe carry with all chambers loaded, it also has you load with the hammer already fully down. In fact, you can't do it otherwise. While on other single actions the loading gate is just a cover that opens and closes, on the New Model Rugers (those made from the mid 1970s onward) the loading gate is part of the mechanism; it won't open with the hammer back, nor can you pull the hammer back while the loading gate is open.
In addition, the Rugers use coil springs throughout, and a modernized, sturdier design. They don't have the beloved four click hammer of Colts, clones, Berettas and the Taurus-- only two positions, down and fully back. But they're as close to idiotproof and indestructable as firearms get.
Ruger single actions come in more flavors than any other brand. From smallest to largest:
Bearcat, .22 LR, very small.
Single Six-- typically in .22, issued with two cylinders, one for the standard short/long/long rifle, the other for .22 Winchester Rimfire Magnum. It's a little smaller than the Colt. Ruger has made them in .17 cal. rimfire and in .32 H&R Magnum too.
New Vaquero, in .357 Magnum and .45 Colt. It's the same size as the Colt, and comes with fixed cowboy-style sights like an old frontier Colt's.
Vaquero, no longer in production. Sometimes called the Old Vaquero. It's similar to the New Vaquero, but bigger than the old Colt. It's heavier and stronger.
New Model Blackhawk, same size as the original Vaquero, but with adjustable target sights. It's available in a Great Multiplicity of calibers. Some Blackhawks have extra cylinders (as the Single Six usually does) so they can shoot multiple kinds of cartridge. This is chiefly useful if you have that particular "extra" cartridge around, or can get it especially cheaply.
Super Blackhawk, the big fella, typically in .44 Magnum, although it's been made in other calibers too.
All this detail might make you think I like the Rugers the best. I'm not sure I do. Thing is, most of the other reasonably priced single actions you see out there come in .45 Colt and .357 Magnum, and maybe you'll find a .44-40. There might be some variation in barrel lengths and grips available. That's about it. The Rugers need more detail because there are so many different kinds of them.
Edit: In case you don't know-- you probably do, but just in case-- The original Colts, and perfect reproductions of the original Colts, shouldn't be carried fully loaded. While they do have a safety notch, theoretically, it isn't reliable. And then, more likely than not, it breaks and doesn't work at all. With the original Colts and close copies the only safe way to carry is with the hammer down on an empty chamber.
