doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Single shot actions

Bo clearke sold his hiwall moulds to I think, c sharps several years ago this is a Winchester copy not the Clarke action I don't have any idea who is making the castings. Bo mentioned this when I was in his shop in Raton new mexico.

Buying "raw" actions up to almost complete rifles( shotguns) in not a new idea. European makers have been doing this for hundreds of years( I guess before guns they did the same with swords/spears/daggers/pikes, etc.). This is where the guns incorrectly called "Guild guns" came from.
Mike

Craig,
Neither C.Sharps nor MVA are buying castings from anybody for their highwall receivers. C.Sharps does have a well known casting firm produce their 1875 receiver. Their 74's,77's,85's,and Heburns are all machined from billet. http://csharpsarms.com/pages/14/Manufacturing-Process.html I've been through the Shiloh factory and their subsidiary, Boulder River Foundry where all their castings are made. Boulder River does make kit form castings of highwall receivers available as mail order. I've examined MVA and C. Sharps actions at the Quigley every year they've been there and talked to them about how every thing is made. C. Sharps does use some castings like levers. The link I attached is a little dated as John is no longer active with C. Sharps because of a recent health issue.

Thanks much Bob, I should have just looked as you did. In recent years, I�ve gravitated towards the CSharps folks of the two Big Timber makers. They don�t seem to be sitting still, and offer some great services. I did a Shiloh tour just before the �77 came out and things were looking really fun over there. Maybe, that plane wreck put a damper on things.

Ok, I'm really late in this discussion, but here goes. I think the most beautiful single shot rifle made in America is the Hopkins and Allen 922. I own 3 of them and although mine were all .22's, I have hopped mine up to 25-20 and it shoots like a dream. Most of the barrels standard on the gun were extremely thick walled and the 25-20 conversion was pretty simple. I also had some engraving done on the sides of the receiver and it's very pleasing to the eye.
Brent, no pics, but if interested, can I send to you?

You can always send my pictures of guns to post. Happy to do it.

The H&A 922 was partnered with the H&A 925, as I recall and it had exactly that 25-20 chamber (I am not sure which flavor of .25-20 however).

My H&A 722 was a fine gun in its own right and the 922 was a good cut above that, but many that I have seen have action problems. Worn parts I think. I have wondered how well they were made, metalurgically.

Not in the same class as others posted earlier.

This is a Belgian made gun, I believe based on proof marks, in a misc. .318 bore caliber

I do not know the actual design patent, though I suspect it is a copy of a cadet Martini. If you know better I am open to suggestion?

Please send it to me for close-up evaluation.......
Sorta copy, but not quite. Cadets were made on the Francotte frame. where everything came out the bottom in one unit.
This uses the pivot pin, more like some German rifles, and only sorta Greenerish, with the side safety.
Lovely.

Nice engraving. Why do Martini variants have more than their fair share of imaginative artwork? Perhaps it is that 1/2 acre of open fields that make up their starboard and port.

As much as I love my Ballard rifles, and would choose them over most others; I think the finest single shot 1800's American designed action is the Remington Hepburn. Not only is it extremely strong, but the side lever has huge advantages over any of the underlever designs from other makers.
Being able to open or close the action by means of the side lever will allow a hunter to load and unload without rolling the rifle to it's side if he's got any interference below. It also allows the shooter to open/close the action without changing his hold.
And then there's the sheer strength of the Hepburn design that's as strong as any other American made single, and stronger than many also.
I love my Ballards, but I'd still choose one of my Hepburn rifles for a strictly hunting rifle.