What's your favorite single shot action?

[stubbicatt]

... Oh yeah. I forgot about that Martini Mk III in 22 long rifle. That was a nice rifle.

[alg3205]

1. 1885 high wall
2 Martini Cadet

[dtknowles]

The one plus to the Remington Rolling Blocks and Hepburn over the under lever style single shots is if you shoot a lower prone position since you dont have to break position to work the action and load. Its a little thing but its something to consider.

I have RB and Hepburn along with #3 and handirifles. Like the Hepburn the best. I guess single shot bolt action rifles don't count?

Tim

[blindeye]

I don't know if a favorite would be what I Like the most or Shoot the most.
My CPA 44 1/2 has been shot the most, along with a BSA Int. MKIII.

[Artful]

The single shot's I have hung onto are
Ruger #3's
Thompson/Center Contender

Double barrels
Citori 12 ga
Savage 24 20 ga frame

[GhostHawk]

Currently have 4 Handi Rifles with a total of 6 barrels.

Rolling block if I could afford it and find one that I could shoot smokeless in.

I've had my fling with black powder and prefer to not go back there.

Sharps are tempting just for a wall hanger, except that is a lot of money to hang on a wall.

Still thinking hard about the Italian baby block in .357. I think that would just be a fun gun to sit at the range and shoot.

[NF Hunter]

remington rolling block - original or replica. easy to take the action apart to clean and maintain and replace the firing pin, strong, reliable, ambidextrous, minimum movement to open & close the action. probably more rolling blocks were built than all other 19th century rifles/actions combined.

That is so true RFD, I have a Navy Arms Pedersoli replica rolling block and CSA high wall. The rolling block just seems more nostalgic "historic" than the high wall.

[dromia]

I am a big fan of the rolling block action, the AK of the 19th century, as I find its design having a timeless elegance and simplicity.

However the drop on the butt due to its design means that getting a good cheek weld at anything more than a couple hundred yard distance is a struggle for me, so love the design but its practical limitations for shooting take it off my list even although I have a couple in my collection that I do shoot on occasion.

[semtav]

1885
Wesson #1
Wickliffe 76

[Ramjet-SS]

I love the Number 1 but my current favorite is my Encore 475 Linebaugh.

[Hooker53]

MH Cadet
Rem #2 Roller.

I would love a Stevens 44 1/2 but at the present can't tell the Diff from 44 1/2 and a Regular Fav from a photo.

Roy
Hooker53

[Bent Ramrod]

For pure looks, I like the Stevens 44 and the pistol-grip Ballard with the four finger loop lever. But for use, they all have their points.

[DocSavage]

Shiloh Sharps
Browning Hi Wall
Ruger No.1

[oldred]

A bit of trivia about the HighWall, while we all (me included) like to refer to "Browning's" HighWall action and most just assume that John Browning designed the 1885 it may come as a surprise to some that he did not, the 1885 HighWall and Low Wall actions are Winchester designs based on the floating hammer design that Browning invented. The original Browning falling block single shot design of 1878 that the Winchester 1885 is derived from was not a "HighWall or "lowWall" and in fact was very different indeed than the 1885 model that Winchester offered. Browning's design was even simpler, the story has it that it was too simple in fact and was not really very successful and the rifles that he and his brother built did not sell very well. However JB was a very young man just starting out and by the time Winchester expressed an interest in (and then in fact bought) the floating hammer design that Browning had patented he also had built the prototype that was to become the 1886 Winchester lever action so he was well on his way after that first effort. Still that original single shot falling block action had very few similarities internally to the re-engineered Winchester design that became the legendary 1885 and would barely be recognizable as an 1885, this action was quite different while the outside appearance was somewhat like the Highwall, basically what Winchester really was after was the patent for the ingenious floating hammer that reduced weight and complexity and increased strength plus it made for a much more streamlined design by allowing loading/extraction without a radical drop at the back of the action like other center hammer designs of the era.

[M-Tecs]

One for sale here. Some nice pics of the 1878 http://jamesdjulia.com/item/lot-1337...t-rifle-46631/

[oldred]

They are extremely rare as only a few were built, I would sure like to get my hands on one!

[M-Tecs]

I for one am not going to ask what the price is but one sold on GB a while back for under 2K.

Some more pics http://www.nramuseum.org/the-museum/...hot-rifle.aspx

[oldred]

I for one am not going to ask what the price is but one sold on GB a while back for under 2K.

Some more pics http://www.nramuseum.org/the-museum/...hot-rifle.aspx

That's quite surprising as I would have thought a halfway decent example would go for at least twice that.


I see a contradiction there at the NRA site to the literature I have about the Browning produced rifles, accounting for the low production numbers NRA says the production rate of three per day could not keep up with demand while my source says they simply did not sell very well, something I also have heard a couple of times. I seriously doubt that a production rate of more than three per day would have been practical given the time period, size of the shop and the local so the NRA explanation actually seems more plausible.


I have some pics of one of these rifles and even some of the internal action, I will try to get them posted.

[M-Tecs]

I have some pics of one of these rifles and even some of the internal action, I will try to get them posted.

That would be greatly appreciated Thanks!!!!!!

[Clay M]

If I were buying a new single shot black powder target rifle today it would no doubt be the Hepburn.
There are two manufactures here in the US.

I love the 74 Sharps and the Highwall, but I already have the guns that I want with those two actions.
If I wanted to shoot silhouette I would buy the .40/65
For the Midrange target I would probably get the .45/90