WELL DONE, Sir !

Going by the caliber stamp, I doubt that's an original factory barrel. I think you've got a nice OLD "Custom" there.

Curious about the screw in the receiver bridge, too. can't really say I've seen that before.

Best of luck with a neat new thumper, regardless!

GTC

It has been a matter of great curiousity for me as to why Winchester didn't use a different twist in the 1885 High Wall vs. the 1886 levergun OTHER THAN the expense of two sets of tooling. The 45/90 had a rather good rep as both a fine LR comp. cartridge AND a big critter killer using heavy slugs.

Simply because the fashion of the day - like now - was speed. Speed was (and is) more important than any other variable selling a rifle or a cartridge.

Because the 45-90 winchester and the 45-90 sharps are two different creatures. The Winchester version was as Brent said,shows signs that magumitis isn't a new invention. It was an attempt to get more velocity and flatter shooting from the 86 wincester. Hence the OAL of 2.6, so they used he 2.4 case but seated a 300 gr bullet deep enough to keep the oal short enough to cycle thru the 86.
By the time of the 85 and 86 introduction , long range shooting was disappearing fast, and the attention of the hunting community was geared more to deer and other light game,the need for long range heavy hitters wasn't there.
The bigger question is why Sharps did not agree to sell the manufacturing rights to Winchester, when they folded for the last time.

Thanks, I suspected it was a custom, as I'd never seen a saddle ring carbine before in an 1885, and the price was too low to be a rare variation. Maybe I lucked out and he also put a fast twist barrel in it, too.

I think you would be luckier if it has a slower twist. No need for those heavy bullets in a gun like that. The recoil would be substantial and that's a nice hunting rifle, good for 200, maybe 300 yds and a lighter bullet like a 405 would be great for that.

Interesting rifle for sure. Someone wanted that for a good reason that somehow, a lever gun couldn't do. I'd be interested to know more about the rationale behind it, but that is lost to time I suppose.

well, it's here now, and indeed the action locks up tight, the wood's solid, and the bore is bright & shiny.







The bore is eight lands & grooves, and appears to be a 1 in 20 twist, as best I can measure. The barrel is slightly tapered - 1.050 across the flats at the breech, .977 at the end of the forend, .910 diameter at the start of the round, and .830 at the muzzle. The front sight dovetail is 3/4" from the muzzle. S/N is 872XX. I was told it dates to 1900.

The sights...ummm...can't hardly see them, that might be an issue

Perfect, I'm jealous, Congrats Tex, hope she makes ya a good shooter.

Gunner

Thanks, it is pretty light & handy. I don't have precision scales here, but I get about 7 to 7.5 lbs.

A 7LB Sledge is right handy. , I'm gonna get one of those some day.

Gunner