Mr. Thompson: I have taken down 25 or so original Sharps rifles in various conditon for what is called 'conservation' purposes and done a certain amount of 'restoration' on them. I do not claim to be a 'gunsmith' per se but am extremely familiar with them. Shilohs, as I mentioned, are very good rifles and as close to original as anyone can afford to build and buy today. (I have one--and have been to Big Timber two or three times now.) Nonetheless, they have investment castings and show those marks when stripped down. Labor costs in the 19th century were fairly low and skilled labor readily available. If you ever get a chance, look at a breechblock from a Spencer rifle and examine the quality of the work and the case colors which will probably still be there as the sunlight did not get a chance to affect it. To repeat, the quality of factory made firearms made between 1860 and WWII was usually much, much better than you will see today. Over the years we have been conditioned to accept products that our predecessors would not have put up with. Don't take my word for it--get someone to pull the lock on an original Sharps and compare it with any reproduction gun.
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