Wesley & Harrington 45-70

[Buddy]

I spotted one of these at the local dealer yesterday in 45-70. It looks like a carbon copy of the H&R Buffalo Classic. It has a 32" barrel and no sights. The rear sight holes are plugged and the front dovetail has a blank installed. It is new but I found a place where the checkerer made a small flub w/his tool. I've never seen one but it is made by H&R I believe because the address on the barrel is the same. I can get this gun for $300. Maybe a tad less. Would it be a good buy to pick this one up and purchase sights for it? Correction.. after thinking about it the gun is a Wesson & Harrington not Wesley.

[NickSS]

Around here they go for around $370 new with sights but the rear sight is not worth beans in my opinion so would have to be replaced anyway. It sounds like a fair deal to me but not outstanding.

[Buddy]

I just got back from the gs and I bought the Wesson & Harrington for a flat $300, no tax. Now I need to do some research and see what types of sights people are having sucess with. Then time to check out available molds and load data, etc, etc. Gotta get to crackin' this might be more fun than I hoped.

[PanaDP]

If it's the same as an H&R buffalo classic, I would advise against it. I had a buffalo classic and I thought it was a piece of trash. I guess you get what you pay for.

[leftiye]

My H&Rs ain't trash, not perfect sometimes. Forge ahead, if you don't load it too hot it won't kick your donkey!

[Buddy]

Something I've figured out years ago you get of out it what you put into it. If it's a piece of trash I'll find out, but think not. It has it's purpose and I will figure it out.

[Shooter]

Get the Williams Fool-Proof with target knobs for arear sight. The stock sight doesn't have enough elevation. Lyman 17 for a front.

[725]

I've got a W&H .45-70. Bought it years and years ago. One of my very best & favorite .45-70's. Accurate as all get out. Had to put a very tall front sight on it to work with the Lyman (I believe) rear peep. Have had a scope mounted on it at one time and that worked just fine, too. Took the scope off because it was too accurate and easy to hit and left no challenge to shooting anymore. My friend has two of them, one mounted with a TRS-25 Red Dot scope and the other with a peep. Both extremely accurate. The Red Dot set up looks very different and most certainly not "period", but with a cheek piece added to the stock, it is a meat maker, par excellance. There is a guy here on the site, Cajun shooter, that has done lots of work with this rifle, and could give you good advice. Many use the soule sights for the really long distance stuff. Just FYI 40 grains of 3031 and a cast 420 boolit has put lots of meat in my freezer. First bear I ever shot went down without a single step because he made the mistake of stepping in front of my W&H. Some like 'em, some don't. It's what you like that counts.

[pietro]

[ It has a 32" barrel and no sights. The rear sight holes are plugged and the front dovetail has a blank installed. It is new but I found a place where the checkerer made a small flub w/his tool. I've never seen one but it is made by H&R I believe because the address on the barrel is the same.]

That's how the 1st/early Buffalo Classic's were issued. It was only later, when the factory started to install sights, that the "Wesson & Harrington" marking went away.

I bought one when they were 1st introduced for $300, & installed a Williams WGRS peep with a Lyman #17 (?) globe front sight - but soon tired of the super-long bbl & installed a rifles/sighted 12ga Pardner II bbl on the beautifully-case colored receiver to go deer hunting, until I eventually sold the combo.

It had pretty good wood for a Handi.

.

[big bore 99]

I love my Buffalo Classic. Bought it used at a gun show many years ago. It had a scope on it, but like another said it was too easy. 5 shot clover leaf shaped holes at 100 yds. off the bench. Didn't look right either. Got a Redfield peep on the back and had to get a high Lyman hooded sight for the front.

[troyboy]

Nice piece of kit that. Can't go wrong at that price

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

You'll love it, as I do mine.

[pietro]

Dupe post/brain farct......

[mdevlin53]

I put the foolproof sights on my 45-70 classic and i love it. I bought the 38-55 at the same time and put a Leatherwoods 18" sope on that one and it shoots like a dream.


the eye relief has been adjusted since the photo.

[nekshot]

thats a nice rig!

[mdevlin53]

Thanks
Ihad to get a set of mounting blocks from Steve Earl as this is not a typical installation and i also had to have a smith install the blocks as i don't have the right tools for drilling and tapping the holes but it ended up working well and looks right on the gun. i have the foolproofs on the 45-70 and it shoots well but looks odd.