[Jeff Higgins]

They use Rice barrels, either 34" (what I ordered) or 36". Both are tapered octagon, 1 1/8" to 1", and feature the correct 48" twist. Track of the Wolf sells them for $300.

I took delivery of another '74 Sharps last year, from Shilo Sharps. It's their Hartford model, with a 28" half octagon barrel, Hartford collar, and pewter nose cap. I ordered it in .45-2.4". The completed rifle was only about $200 more than this kit, and as we know, those new fangled breach loaders are much more complicated guns. Yet it was a finished rifle - beautifully finished, with stunning case colors.

This kit is supplied with the very "best of the best" furniture and action parts available on the market today. They didn't cut any corners when sourcing these parts. If one were to order them individually from Track of the Wolf, they would total several hundred dollars more. So, there is that - there is substantial savings to be had by purchasing this kit over assembling your own "kit" from these parts.

I'll keep you guys up to date as I progress. In addition to the butt and toe plates fitted, I managed to mate the tang to the breach plug. Lots of filing and spotting to get 100% contact between the two, which I find kind of disappointing what with the quality of parts chosen. How much more would it have been to have these parts faced off flat? They try to sell these steps as "opportunity to make it yours", and to "personalize" it. I'm not buying it. There is plenty of that kind of opportunity when building a kit such as this, it doesn't have to present itself at this detailed of a level.