1874 sharps sold by Taylor's and Co?

[762sultan]

marlinman93...I think you are correct in your thinking! I would love to have a Shiloh but funds are not available for that. I just hope I can afford the Pedersoil and at this time I'm not even sure what make it is. Just have to wait and see.

[rfd]

no question about it, if yer pockets are deep and very jingly, and you can wait 19-23 months for an ordered custom build shiloh, go for it. or, compromise and chose a prebuilt shiloh (in whatever it's spex are) from the likes of bill goodman. or search around for a used one (and pay near list price anyway). what you will get is a ground-up American built rifle, with close tolerance fit and finish of everything. i've looked at, operated, and shot more than a few local owned shiloh, c-sharps and cpu rifles, and they are all the cream of the crop status symbol bpcr/tr rifles, NO doubt about it.

on the other hand, pedersoli rollers and sharps have at the very least good builds, with 'match grade' barrels, excellent DSTs, european walnut stocks, and a very good fit and finish that i've yet to have an issue about. i've owned and shot 4 pedi rollers and 4 pedi sharps, currently own and shoot both a pedi roller and sharps in both .45-70 and .40-65, and they will hold their own at a match if not win. the deciding factor is not the gun, it's all up to me and the ammo i build. my adobe walls .45-70 pedi roller, along with ppb bp cartridges, beat them all last year, with the highest score ever shot at my club's six year old 200 yard fall match. i'm not the only one singing the praises of these pedi 'working man' rifles, and you will find a number of reviews by kenny durham in 'black powder news' mag, who uses pedi bp rifles to compete (and even sometimes win).

so ... do not feel slighted if yer bank account dictates either getting and using a pedersoli now, rather than put down a deposit on a shiloh and saving up over the next year and a half. do not think that spending $1100 rather than $2300 has just rendered you a rifle that is in some way 'inferior' and not competitive - that is just not true and a myth that needs busting. a pedi is simply not a bad choice at all and will get you shooting now, and for lots less.

[762sultan]

It sure is nice to hear from someone like you and the others who have "been there and done that". Always glad to know that I'm on the right track. I have never even handled a Sharps before. I have learned many things about them in the last few days because of your responses to my inquiry. Thank you all for sharing this valuable knowledge.

[rfd]

remember, too, that getting a bpcr rifle is typically just the beginning of expenses, and what accoutrements required will depend on the prime use of the gun. for example, if silhouette or target work is the goal, a good vernier soule tang sight and a spirit globe front sight will be required accessories and that's a big expense at about 1/3rd the cost of the least expensive pedi rifle. then there's cartridge building and all the tools and components required. this stuff is all mandatory for long range shooting and won't matter what brand rifle ya got.

[Gunlaker]

I'm a Shiloh person myself, but have owned a Pedersoli and know a few people who shoot them. They are the only Italian rifles I'd consider. I also would try to get one of the heavier models. My first Sharps was a Pedersoli Hunters rifle which was a round barreled, crescent butt plate, plain style 1874 in .45-70. It was an accurate gun but I doubt that it weighed more than 9 or so lbs. It would have been a great hunting rifle but not nearly as good for targets.

I ended up putting a set of Pedersoli midrange sights with a Hadley eye cup on it. I think those sights were too blocky and tricky to get the cleaning rod past.

It depends on what you are looking to use it for, but I'd start looking for a used Pedersoli with decent sights in .45-70 with the heavy barrel. If you don't like it, you can always sell it for the same price you paid for it. That's what I did when I sold my Pedersoli and bought my first Shiloh, which I also found used on the rack . It's probably even worth a little more than I paid for it now.

Chris.

[marlinman93]

so ... do not feel slighted if yer bank account dictates either getting and using a pedersoli now, rather than put down a deposit on a shiloh and saving up over the next year and a half. do not think that spending $1100 rather than $2300

Good luck finding even a used Shiloh at $2300! I've seen them that low on rare occasion, but not often. New ones will run around $2800 or more.

[rfd]

@marlinman93 - i had ordered a basic shiloh #1 sporter last year ($1975), and with steel butt plate, pewter forearm cap, custom bedding, custom ppb chamber ream, and the ticket zoomed to $2352, plus shipping (i think it's $70), plus FFL receiver/NICS fee ($65 to me). the base ticket on that rifle is now $2059.

@Gunlaker - that's why i got the pedi sharps silhouette, it has a bull barrel and with lee shaver super grade sights it digitally weighs 12lbs 5ozs in .40-65 chambering. she'll lose some ounces for sure when bobby hoyt reams the tube to .450 and uses a ppb chamber reamer. total cost with sights and barrel work will be under $2k. interesting that it's stocked with American walnut.

[1Hawkeye]

Yep I have owned both and I can say they shoot the same. They both also hold there value very well but I will say that the Pedersoli's are heavier than the exact same built Shiloh. I guess its the wood density plus some of the metal parts seem larger when compared to a Shiloh.
My recommendation regardless of which of the two brands you choose is get one with a shotgun style butt, its better on your shoulder and a pistol grip gives you better control when shooting offhand.

[rfd]

here's my pedi .40-65 GG silhouette (but running with PPBs), ready for the range this week. next month she gets her "gender" operation and becomes a "manly" .45-70 PPB ...

[marlinman93]

My recommendation regardless of which of the two brands you choose is get one with a shotgun style butt, its better on your shoulder and a pistol grip gives you better control when shooting offhand.

I'd add that a steel shotgun buttplate is a much better choice than plastic. I've seen enough broken and chipped stocks at the heel from a slight drop that broke a plastic buttplate and the stock. The metal are much better at protecting the stock.

[marlinman93]

@marlinman93 - i had ordered a basic shiloh #1 sporter last year ($1975), and with steel butt plate, pewter forearm cap, custom bedding, custom ppb chamber ream, and the ticket zoomed to $2352, plus shipping (i think it's $70), plus FFL receiver/NICS fee ($65 to me). the base ticket on that rifle is now $2059.
.

Entry level wood is the key to keeping the Shiloh down in that price range. As soon as you go a bit higher it jumps pretty quickly. And of course you don't get any special sights at that price either. Higher grade wood is a great investment if you ever have to sell a Shiloh. They don't hold their value as well with entry level wood.

[sharpsguy]

RFD--You will regret changing that 40-65 to a 45-70. I have both a Pedersoli Silhouette Model 40-65 and a Pedersoli Silhouette Model 45-70. I bought one for my wife, and one for myself when we were competing in BPCR several years ago. We have quit competition shooting, and she has quit shooting altogether. The funny thing is, when I want to grab a rifle for a walk around the place, or do a little plinking, I pick up the Pedersoli 40-65 as my rifle of choice. I also have eight Shilohs to choose from, two of which are 40-65s.

You really should re consider reboring that match grade barrel.

[rfd]

RFD--You will regret changing that 40-65 to a 45-70. I have both a Pedersoli Silhouette Model 40-65 and a Pedersoli Silhouette Model 45-70. I bought one for my wife, and one for myself when we were competing in BPCR several years ago. We have quit competition shooting, and she has quit shooting altogether. The funny thing is, when I want to grab a rifle for a walk around the place, or do a little plinking, I pick up the Pedersoli 40-65 as my rifle of choice. I also have eight Shilohs to choose from, two of which are 40-65s.

You really should re consider reboring that match grade barrel.

the only issue with the pedi guns is that they're grease chambered and i only load ppb cartridges. there is some free bore to negotiate with a grease chamber and i'd rather have the tighter ppb chamber so the case abuts the 15* rifling, the entire outboard length of the under bore ppb is inside the rifling, and the brass won't expand and get worked as much. bobby hoyt has done two barrel reams for me already and his work is stellar. BUT i do hear ya on this .40-65 ... a fine cartridge and gun.

[rfd]

Entry level wood is the key to keeping the Shiloh down in that price range. As soon as you go a bit higher it jumps pretty quickly. And of course you don't get any special sights at that price either. Higher grade wood is a great investment if you ever have to sell a Shiloh. They don't hold their value as well with entry level wood.

i do hear ya and agree. but for me, as long as the hardwood has integrity i could care less about its beauty. i'm 72, and i ain't selling off any more of my guns, i'm shooting 'em.

[762sultan]

Well sad to report but it's back to square one. I went to the auction site and looked at a real treasure...aka a fence post in the shape of a gun. The first thing a saw, after rubbing off a coating of rust and grime, was IAB and my heart sank. This must have been a really old rifle as it was in such bad condition, It looked as if someone had hammered on the barrel quite hard and may have tried to change the barrel as there were marks from a vise and/or a large wrench. It had a Vernier mid-range sight that had no makers mark that I could see. It had almost no blueing and was a brown that is seen on very old guns. That means that I can keep saving in the hopes of of finding something a" little less used".

[rfd]

perhaps a blessing in disguise ....

[1Hawkeye]

Don't despair there are plenty of good ones out there. You dogged a nightmare on that IAB junker.

[marlinman93]

i do hear ya and agree. but for me, as long as the hardwood has integrity i could care less about its beauty. i'm 72, and i ain't selling off any more of my guns, i'm shooting 'em.

I'm right there with you, but still buying and selling whenever the urge or something pretty gets my interest! I love shooting still, but I love nice lumber too!