I'm a history nut and back then especially American history from the F&I war until the beginning of the 20th century. I was more than a little familiar with the history of Sharps rifles in the west and always admired them. 3-4 years before Quigly came out I ordered one from Shiloh, a Long Range Express in 45-70. An idea of how things were back then; I waited 8 months and gave $830 for the rifle. At that time the most expensive rifle I had ever owned.
Fast forward 13 years and Shiloh's were as hot as a two dollar pistol.....and I had a total of 3 in the toy box. I have no idea how many pounds of lead and black powder I put through the barrel of the LRE but it was a lot. One of the guys who worked for me wanted the LRE a lot more than I did so I sold it to him at the then bargain price of $2,000. The other two were a Montana Rough Rider in 45-90 which I used exclusively for hunting the next 12 years and killed a pile of game with it. The other is a #1 Sporter in 40-2.5. It is one of the 3 most accurate rifles I have ever owned and became my match rifle. Fast forward another almost 20 years and I no longer shoot matches and as we sold the farm and moved I no longer have two 500 yard ranges out my back door so the 40 doesn't see much use. I do get both of them out a couple/few times a year and kill some steel with them at my little 100 yard range in the back yard. For hunting the 45-90 has been supplanted by a bevy of German firearms in various configurations, drillings, combination guns, double rifles, Mausers and Mannlicher/Schoenauer's and single shot rifles. Though I don't use my Sharps like I used to there's two in the safe and I have two sons they'll each get one when my time comes.
