In searching for info on this particular rifle, I found very little info out there but ending up buying one anyway (from Wanstalls). I thought it would be worth giving some first impressions and pics.
As it arrived this is a beautiful piece of gear. The case coloring, fit and finish is exceptional. The set trigger works beautifully and the balance and weight is perfect for carrying. Initial accuracy was great with 150 gr. factory loads (fed blue box, and win power point) and very good with initial handloads (barnes 150 gr. FN FB over H4198 - actually shot better with vernier sights than my 1894 trapper with a 2-7x33 scope).
Balance point is approximately 6" in front of the breech.
Taking down the action is accomplished in the exact same way as a full-size sharps: rotate the link pin lever, pull the pin and the block falls out the bottom of the action with the lever and extractor.
Now for the bad news........
The factory rear sight is acceptable - the aperture size is too small for low light / hunting situations. While it is good for target work as it arrived, the inclusion of a second disc with a larger aperature would have been a very welcome addition.
The factory front sight was absolutely horrible. As soon as I pulled it out of the box I realized that it was an issue. The sight appeared to have been rammed into the dovetail rather than fit into it, resulting in badly deformed edges on the sight dovetail and about 3/32"-1/16" of gap between the bottom of the sight and bottom of the dovetail. The set screw was not even touching the bottom of the dovetail. Luckily, I had a spare combination front sight from Montana Vintage Arms that had just arrived and fit the factory dovetail perfectly. Even if the factory front sight was fit properly, the MVA sight is a very worthy upgrade - the fine pin is perfect for target work and the thicker nickel silver blade is great for low light.
All in all, this is a very well made rifle that will be a welcome addition to a traditional woods hunt or a beginner cowboy action target rifle. However I was very disappointed with the front sight - especially since the fit and finish of the rest of the rifle was so good.
As it arrived this is a beautiful piece of gear. The case coloring, fit and finish is exceptional. The set trigger works beautifully and the balance and weight is perfect for carrying. Initial accuracy was great with 150 gr. factory loads (fed blue box, and win power point) and very good with initial handloads (barnes 150 gr. FN FB over H4198 - actually shot better with vernier sights than my 1894 trapper with a 2-7x33 scope).
Balance point is approximately 6" in front of the breech.
Taking down the action is accomplished in the exact same way as a full-size sharps: rotate the link pin lever, pull the pin and the block falls out the bottom of the action with the lever and extractor.
Now for the bad news........
The factory rear sight is acceptable - the aperture size is too small for low light / hunting situations. While it is good for target work as it arrived, the inclusion of a second disc with a larger aperature would have been a very welcome addition.
The factory front sight was absolutely horrible. As soon as I pulled it out of the box I realized that it was an issue. The sight appeared to have been rammed into the dovetail rather than fit into it, resulting in badly deformed edges on the sight dovetail and about 3/32"-1/16" of gap between the bottom of the sight and bottom of the dovetail. The set screw was not even touching the bottom of the dovetail. Luckily, I had a spare combination front sight from Montana Vintage Arms that had just arrived and fit the factory dovetail perfectly. Even if the factory front sight was fit properly, the MVA sight is a very worthy upgrade - the fine pin is perfect for target work and the thicker nickel silver blade is great for low light.
All in all, this is a very well made rifle that will be a welcome addition to a traditional woods hunt or a beginner cowboy action target rifle. However I was very disappointed with the front sight - especially since the fit and finish of the rest of the rifle was so good.
