doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com A Borchardt Action for sale,

This is not mine and I don't know the seller, thought you guys might be interested.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=188660709

Does anyone here have any experience with the Sharps factory DST? Can they be made to work decently? Just based on what I have read, I would consider them a negative.

Would love to have a fancy Borchardt with a paneled action in a period sporting configuration or mid-range target.My copy of Sellers is smudged and drooled on.

I don't like the Sharps 1878 DST. From my limited use it snaps back and hits my trigger finger. Can be quite distracting in a short time. I've only used one but that's my experience with them.

It looks like the trigger adjustment screw is missing from the one listed.

Don't give up, this one stated life as a military action.

IMO a very realistic price for a rare-configuration action. Wish I had the spare shekels. I don't particularly like the octagon top but it's desirable to some.

And to answer your set trigger question, yes a reliable and crisp result is very doable IF the smith is patient and good at benchwork. The key here is to remove all, and I DO mean ALL, of the lost motion & play in the trigger mechanism. This requires fabrication of 2 slighlty-oversize parts and their subsequent gradual reduction in size to achieve as snug a fit as possible.

I can only describe the Borchardt trigger mechanism as Rube Goldberg on steroids. Even the standard single trigger version has no less than 4 moving parts and 5 right-angle bends in its linkage. But a knowledgeable workman can easily achieve a very crisp 2-3 lb unset pull, I have done it myself on 2 original Borchardts.
Regards, Joe

The seller is Dave Maurer that I bought a highly figured blank from about 15 years ago. The wood checked when it was profiled. I contacted him to purchase another and he sent a better piece than I had paid for at no charge.
Thanks again Dave.

Hello RHD45,

If you want to drool look here :- http://www.lozito-wolf.com/index.html

A couple of years ago just a basic Borchardt action from this gunsmith cost US$ 3,500.00 Colour Case Heat treating and engraving was extra. But boy oh boy does Lozito-Wolf produce a nice looking rifle. He does make it in a slightly modified form where the lever spring mounting is altered to a new spring loaded ball, and his version of Zischang DST's are a great improvement on the original Sharps Factory item, which were designed as an afterthought, when shooters being used to DST's in earlier Sharps models demanded DST's on the Borchardt. Michaels observation of trigger finger pinching was valid in the 1870's, as people complained about them back then as well.

Look through each of the sections listed on the left-hand side of the home page, drool over the Zischang DST's. But, like buying a Rolls Royce, if you have to ask 'How Much' you can't afford it. Email them for a current price list (if you have a healthy heart). lol.

A more inexpensive version can be obtained from the Borchardt Rifle Co. in Silver City NM for about US$ 2,000.00+ for a complete rifle. Shiloh Sharps in Montana have been promising a Borchardt for some years and have a few part prototype actions gathering dust until the owner can catch up with his workload to continue working on them. I won't hold my breath waiting for this one.

Harry

Borchardt Rifle Co is making A VERY FEW new actions as we speak, but the owner's age & health continue to be limiting factors. I spoke with the owner's (volunteer unpaid) helper and he told me the actions would sell for ~$2000 or possibly a bit less. BTW the owner's unpaid volunteer helper is a past Coors Schuetzenfest national champion, these guys are the real deal here.
Regards, Joe

Joe Lozito regularly shows at the big Vegas winter show. Superb stuff.