What rifle should I buy and which calibre is best?
Most of the rifles used in the Club are modern reproductions of either the Sharps, or Remington Rolling Block. Occasionally, you will see Browning Hi-Walls or maybe even a custom built rifle such as a Meacham. The choice is really down to personal preference but any one of these rifle will do the job nicely, they don’t have to be of “American” origin just so long as they have an external hammer and meet the age requirements. What ever rifle you choose, make sure the style is within the spirit of the Club rules; that means a rifle of the period up to 1896. It should have an external hammer fall between .38 and .58 calibre. It is not usual to see an original rifle on the firing line. The Italian company, Pedersoli, are one of the best known for making good quality copies of Sharps, Remington and Springfield Trapdoor and their rifles are readily available with no waiting times. Their main dealer in the UK is Viking Arms Ltd. of Harrogate. Custom-made rifles like Shiloh (Sharps) and Meacha
