Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots anyone ever heard of a Wickliffe?

Hello,

I saw a nice single shot rifle in a local shop today. It was called a Wickliffe and looked similar to an 1885. It was chambered in .243 and looked really nice. I've never heard of this maker before, has anyone here?

Thanks

John

They were made in the 70s by a company in Ohio if I rremember correctly. They were highly rated by a lot of gunwriters, especially Elmer Keith. They were a modern copy of the Stevens falling block. I wanted one in the lightweight Stinger model in .22 Hornet, but couldn; find one. Scope mounts might be hard to find the gun has been out of production for over 20 years. Check Gun Traders guide for prices.
Leon

I recently sold one in .270 Win. There was an extensive write up in the Gun Digest. I forget which issue. I believe they were a copy of the Stevens 44 1/2. I thought they were fairly ugly, and waaaaaaay too heavy. Mine had Bishop wood. I wasn't impressed. I never fired it.

Grasshopper

Hey . . . .

I remember those from the 70's . . . .

Dang, I am getting old!

I recall that they shot very well.

Never handled one myself, though.

BMT

Competes with the BLR for title of ugliest rifle.

From what I remember about them back when, the writers who shot them thought pretty highly of them, stong action. I lusted after one but my daughters shoes came first.

I never bought one, but saw several. The chief bad thing about them was the characteristic they shared with the Armory C-H Highwall--the manufacturer thought that the investment casting was good enough to just polish and blue and offer to the public. The castings in both were rather crude, and polishing and bluing made them look worse.

The Wickliffe also tried to be "modern" by the means of white-line spacers and other modern furniture in the stock. The end result wasn't traditional enough for the traditional single-shot rifle fanatic, not modern enough for the up-to-date rifle purchaser, and too unfinished looking to justify the rather high price that had to be asked for such a small-production rifle.

I see them at gun shows from time to time. That cruddy-looking lever and the purplish bluing job--Yuch! They would have to go for real cheap to interest me.