slampoud wrote:
This is more of an encyclopedic rigging question, but perhaps someone
here could enlighten me:
is there a reason to choose a cotter pin over a cotter ring in any
application, or vice versa?

The kinds of applications I'm thinking are for locking turnbuckles and
clevis pins.

snip

I'm convinced the most misunderstood device on the planet it the lowly
cotter pin.

Cotter pins should only be about 1/4" longer than the dia of the rod,
bolt, etc, the go thru and should then only be spread at the tips about
10 degrees.

Sailing in the Great lakes region meant a 6 month season which meant a
common garden variety duct tape could survive that long.

Year around sailing areas probably need sailing tape.

Would make a little pad from duct tape, place it against the cotter pin
points, then wrap more duct tape around say a turnbuckle body to hold it
secure.

At layup time, simply cut the tape away.

I found rings to be a total waste of time.

YMMV

Lew