Save your money and buy a shiloh or a c sharps, if you actually intend to do some real shooting with it. For the same money as a pedersoli you can buy a C sharps 1875, its not as pretty, but it has a hammer on the side and you'l always be able to get parts for it. All the sharps 1874's are expensive, your better off buying the base model from shiloh or C sharps, then you are buying a new fancy pedersoli. Theres no point in going to a gunshow to try to find a good cheap used pedersoli, everyone if come across is trying to sell them for shiloh prices.
You can also buy off the rack guns from shiloh and C sharps, in lots of popular configurations, most of em are in 40-65 or 45-70. If you buy off the rack there is no wait time.
All makes of sharps break springs, every one of them is a leaf spring. You really need to consider this because if you have a sharps, you will break the odd part, there are other guns that are more trouble free. Consider the winchester 1885 BPCR or the pedersoli rolling block, they're much less maitenance.
The difference between all italian makes and the two montana makers is when I break a part, I phone Shiloh and they send me a new one no charge, a fella wore out his shiloh barrel and they replaced that free of charge as well, there is no question when something gives up the ghost on a shiloh sharps it will be fixed on their dime. When your pedersoli breaks a spring or a pin, you have to buy the parts and good luck finding those in Canada, Shiloh parts also are drop in, with no fitting needed whatsoever. I wouldn't waste money on a Chiappa, IAB, Armi San Marco or chaparrel, the only way they manage to make a sharps for 3-7 hundred bucks less then a pedersolli is by cutting some serious corners.
The man who owns and operates shiloh also states the shilohs will take ruger #1 loads in their sharps, try pulling that off in an italian sharps.
If you havent shot the old style single shot ever, I would recommend your first gun be a rolling block, they're much more simpler, break fewer parts and the pedersoli rollers shoot very well. You wont be dealing with complex firing pins, lever springs breaking, higher cost of the 1874. The bad pedersolli barrel info I find suspect in agreement with mooncoon. Lots of fellas are shooting pedersolli barrels very well, with the odd exception most of your accuracy issues will be the shooters fault, you dont jam a factory shell in these guns and expect minute of angle. Nore can you dribble some lead scrap in a mould, jam the result it into a shell over some powder and call it good. These guns take time, practice and constant experimenting to shoot well, this holds true for the casting, reloading and shooting.
What works for a bolt gun with jacketed bullets at 2700 FPS and a 15X scope will not work with a single shot, 500 plus grain lead slug at 1200 FPS and arpeture sights. Most guys who try playing with these guns develop such a ridiculous flinch its no wonder the gun wont shoot.
Case in point, a near sighted buddy of mine outshoots me with a pedersolli roller more then I care to think about, but hes always experimenting and practicing more then I am.
Good call on the 45-70, shot prone over cross sticks with a 535 grain bullet, with no sissy pad and a steel but plate will be all most men can handle for an afternoons shooting. Even out of a 13 pound plus gun.
If you wish to do some of the longer distance shooting you need to also factor in the cost of a good tang sight (3-500 bucks), casting equipment (around a hundred bucks) and reloading gear if you dont reload already. Shooting these guns, especially the sharps 1874, is quite a labour in reloading, casting and not to mention the costs.
I shoot a shiloh long range express in 45-70 with MVA sights, shes expensive, takes too much of my time and effort to get it in the mood for shooting, sucks lead and powder out of the casting pot and canister like theres no tomorrow and will bite my collar bone and bruise me every time if I dont hold it just so.
But you'l find its worth it.
