I Climbed Off... To Study It

So I’m working on downsizing my base ring. Right now I have a contender ring that is 1 7/8 inches round. When I am flaccid and after showering, I can fit two fingers inside. This makes the entire setup shift about two inches away from my body when I get erect. The next size down is 1 3/4. I have a rubber o-ring for that dimension and wore it today. Without stretching the rubber much or pushing into the skin, I cannot even squeeze one finger in there. There is no pain at all, even while erect, and things return to normal quickly so I know blood flow isn’t blocked. But I decided to masterbate with the ring on just to be sure everything works properly, and it did work as a cock ring: it took longer to cum, but when I finally did, it wasn’t very satisfying because it felt like a ruined orgasm. My question is, do you guys who leave the base ring on during PIV (and are allowed to climax) just deal with this? Is it safe for long term use? And if those of you take off the base ring, how in the world do you get it off in the heat of the moment? The CB was easy since it opens up, but what about a steel ring?