Curious which you would choose? If neither, then let me know what else would be a great choice and why. Thanks!
My choice would be neither. And the why is simple, I don't care much about original "period" appearance.
My first .45-70 was a Ruger No.3
With a good recoil pad added!!
Takes any load you want to shoot, from black powder up to real kickers that come close to the .458 Win Mag.
Light, short, and very handy. Accurate too. (though it is unusual to find a .45-70 that isn't)
After the Ruger, I got a Marlin 1895 (before they came out with the Guide Gun) and a Siamese Mauser conversion. Also a 14" Contender barrel.
have since gotten rid of the Mauser and the Marlin, as excess to need, though lately, I am missing the Marlin a little...
A friend of mine has 1886 Win and some Sharps repros. Fun guns to shoot, NOT fun to carry for miles afield. And neither comes with a sling!
My Ruger goes a fraction under 7lbs with an old Weaver 2.5x Post scope. Has a recoil pad and sling swivels (added), and if you don't shoot the heavy loads, recoil is not bad. Not as mild as shooting a gun weighing 2 or 3 pounds more, but not bad.
There's no free lunch, and I chose easier to carry over least recoil. Not "traditional" really, but I didn't buy it for its looks...