strongest/ most durable long gun?

infidel29

infidel29

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Question for all you black powder long gun lovers.....pretend you were a late 19th century outdoorsman/ mountain man. If you could only afford one long gun for both hunting and protection, based on the following criteria:

1) must utilize metallic cartridges
2) can be either rifled or smoothbore
3) very durable
4) very reliable

what would be your choices and why? Prefer to see opinions backed with fact or other web sources if possible (for my own learning) Discuss.
 
infidel29 said:
Question for all you black powder long gun lovers.....pretend you were a late 19th century outdoorsman/ mountain man. If you could only afford one long gun for both hunting and protection, based on the following criteria:

1) must utilize metallic cartridges
2) can be either rifled or smoothbore
3) very durable
4) very reliable

what would be your choices and why? Prefer to see opinions backed with fact or other web sources if possible (for my own learning) Discuss.
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Remington rolling block.
 
Martini Henry, strong and simple action with very little to go wrong and saw action over most of the world as Britains number one military rifle
 
barbarossa said:
Martini Henry, strong and simple action with very little to go wrong and saw action over most of the world as Britains number one military rifle
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Martini is too light, the sights sucks, and the foil cartridges were not the best answer by 1871 when they were adopted. 577-450 drawn brass cartridges were reserved for machine gun use until the mid 1880's.

Rolling block was adopted by militaries (or militias) on every inhabited continent in a dozen cartridges, was later converted to smokeless 7x57 and 8x58 swedish...
 
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Lee Enfield said:
Martini is too light, the sights sucks, and the foil cartridges were not the best answer by 1871 when they were adopted. 577-450 drawn brass cartridges were reserved for machine gun use until the mid 1880's.

Rolling block was adopted by militaries (or militias) on every inhabited continent in a dozen cartridges, was later converted to smokeless 7x57 and 8x58 swedish...
Click to expand...

no one said it had to be a military martini they did make sporting guns
 
As the current owner of five Shiloh rifles with one on order, there is but one choice - a Sharps '74 in either 45-70 or 50-70.

My favourite rifle at the moment is my Shiloh carbine in 50-70. Light, easy to carry and accurate. I won against all comers last summer in a "Mini-Quigley" event where the targets were 28 oz. tomato cans at 100M shot off hand. You called your shot and fired for best out of three. I shot 3/3 against longer BPCR's with tang sights.

I've got the military rifle version in 50-70 as well and it has taken me two large black bears and a 6x Mule Deer. The same amount of lead and powder that will rock you in a 45-70 is a pussy cat in the 50-70. The bigger bore = less pressure = less recoil.

I spoke the late Dave Higginbottam(?) who founded Lone Star Rifle Works about re-barrelling an Argo .43 Spanish RB. He recommended the 50-70 for that reason. The barrel on the Argo was so good, I kept it as is and ordered the Shiloh.

Next after that would be 70's vintage Browning '86 45-70. Holds like a muzzle loader, shoots very well and has FIREPOWER with 10 rds in the tube. If you need more, that is the day the bear wins!
 
Sharps '63 said:
As the current owner of five Shiloh rifles with one on order, there is but one choice - a Sharps '74 in either 45-70 or 50-70.

My favourite rifle at the moment is my Shiloh carbine in 50-70. Light, easy to carry and accurate. I won against all comers last summer in a "Mini-Quigley" event where the targets were 28 oz. tomato cans at 100M shot off hand. You called your shot and fired for best out of three. I shot 3/3 against longer BPCR's with tang sights.

I've got the military rifle version in 50-70 as well and it has taken me two large black bears and a 6x Mule Deer. The same amount of lead and powder that will rock you in a 45-70 is a pussy cat in the 50-70. The bigger bore = less pressure = less recoil.

I spoke the late Dave Higginbottam(?) who founded Lone Star Rifle Works about re-barrelling an Argo .43 Spanish RB. He recommended the 50-70 for that reason. The barrel on the Argo was so good, I kept it as is and ordered the Shiloh.

Next after that would be 70's vintage Browning '86 45-70. Holds like a muzzle loader, shoots very well and has FIREPOWER with 10 rds in the tube. If you need more, that is the day the bear wins!
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The primary argument against the Sharps is that the large side mounted hammer's inertia rotates the gun as it falls.

Which is why the later models of Sharps got hammers which decreased in size and weight in several variations in a few short years after the m.74...
 
If the new model Evans Repeaters had been a little more reliable I'd be partial to one of those, the .44 new model Evans cartridge wasn't a bad short range number (280 grain bullet at about 1200 fps), not to mention the magazine held up to 34 rounds. But because of the issues with reliability and cartridge availability it's out. I'd have to go with a Sharps or an 86 in .45-90. Reason being that in a pinch you could shoot .45-70 which was a common military loading, the .45-90 would do a bit better with a heavier bullet and it has a bit of extra punch in case you find yourself in a tight spot with a griz. Just my thinking.
 
My choice would be a rolling block or a Sharps. I would be a little cautious about the Sharps because of its firing pin but otherwise the lock mechanism isolated from fouling and the ease or removing the breach for cleaning would put it high on the list. The Winchester hi-wall I would reject because of the difficulty of reassembly after cleaning. The rolling block is probably one of the simplest guns with almost nothing to break. The Martini I would reject because it cannot be cleaned from the breach.

cheers mooncoon
 
71 or 71/84 Mauser.
Proof is many modern hunting rifles are desendant from these guns.
Accurate, powerful repeater and very reliable. The bolt action is very strong.

Next choice would be a M77 Werndl rifle or Remington rolling block in .43 Spanish or better yet 45-70. Both guns are equal in strenght and simplicity.
 
infidel29 said:
Question for all you black powder long gun lovers.....pretend you were a late 19th century outdoorsman/ mountain man. If you could only afford one long gun for both hunting and protection, based on the following criteria:

1) must utilize metallic cartridges
2) can be either rifled or smoothbore
3) very durable
4) very reliable

what would be your choices and why? Prefer to see opinions backed with fact or other web sources if possible (for my own learning) Discuss.
Click to expand...

For hunting a Sharps would be the way to go with. For protection I would go with a '73 or a '94 in a 45-70.
 
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