Well done, mate! A very nice looking collection, indeed.

I'll delve in here even though there are no clear answers:

#1 Do not buy a single shot below the standard of a Ruger #1. The Ruger is a fine rifle, I have owned several, and believe it is the best copy of a Farquarhson or Henry that can be had for the money. My favorite Ruger is the #1A in 7x57; great shooter, classic design & caliber, and highly effective. I would also consider a Browning B78 (great gun, just sand off the poly finish).

#2 Buy a real Farquarhson, it's the real deal, but will cost the real deal. Try to find one in 450/400, it's best cartridge. Have a big pocket however.

#3 For the best shooting single shot on the market, strive for the Merkel K1. Unparralled accuraracy and good looking, yet expensive.

#4 Avoid the Thompson like the plague. The Thompson is the most successful marketing campaign for a bad concept ever in the history of firearms. Can I make one shoot? Sure. Is it still a cheap heap? Absolutely. What's the resell? Terrible. Can I wear a black cowboy hat and sell it? You bet!!! ------ Buy one Ruger #1 and know you are getting a close to real deal.

hard to argue with md here.

You can have a fine collection, a dozen or so, Number Ones and Number Threes for around eight to ten grand. The only one I really regret selling was one of the first run of #1B's in 22 Hornet.

Rich

I have absolutely no interest in the Ruger #1 don't like them never have and never will just to fugly of a rifle for me.

I'm in Canada so my perception is a bit different I am into the extremely hard to find up here T/C Contender carbines I now have 3 stainless steel actions and 10 carbine barrels.

They are light weight and fun to carry/shoot started my older son with one in 30-30 16 years ago now have a 4 year old that is starting to shoot one in 22LR and I just purchased a 21" vent rib s/s 410 barrel for him to hunt rabbits/grouse.

Here is my list of barrels...

23" blued bull 204 Ruger
16.5" s/s tapered 22LR match chamber
21" s/s tapered 22LR
21" s/s tapered 223
21" s/s tapered was a 30-30 now a 308Bellm
21" s/s tapered was a 375 Win now a 375JDJ
21" s/s tapered vent rib 410
14" s/s bull 45 Colt
22" s/s bull 45-70
24" s/s bull Gonic GA-90 50cal magnum muzzle loader

and I am looking for one more barrel a 21" s/s tapered in 6.8 SPC

I shot this litttle mule deer buck @ 210 yards with the 308Bellm barrel installed loaded with 150gr Core-Lok's @ 2620fps.

quote:

Originally posted by moki:
I have absolutely no interest in the Ruger #1 don't like them never have and never will just to fugly of a rifle for me.

Considering all of the criticism leveled at Canada regarding their gun laws, it is nice to see that they allow hunting opportunities for the vision impaired.

Getting reports of the current crop of Ruger No 1's, especially the 450/400's and the 303 are nowhere near as good as in the past.

Rattly levers, won't stay open, quality not as good.

.

You want a real rare one? I have an Axtell Model of 1877 Sharps.

Rich

quote:

Originally posted by Huvius:
Considering all of the criticism leveled at Canada regarding their gun laws, it is nice to see that they allow hunting opportunities for the vision impaired.

Thats just mean... I have an eye condition called Keratoconus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keratoconus even though I am loosing my vision I do know what an fugly rifle looks like and can most likely out shoot you...

Moki,
Sorry to hear about your condition, of course there is no way I would have known.
I just thought it was funny that someone who thinks the No.1 is so fugly is so enamored with the Contender which is by most accounts the absolute fugliest firearm ever made.
You may be able to outshoot me, who knows...never seen you shoot.

Don't worry about your comment I saw it as a way of using the Keratoconus in a fun/positive to me for a change way...

You haven't seen me shoot well then here you go here is a Youtube clip of me having fun at the range with my 375JDJ Contender carbine yeah I talk a lot in it and I start shooting @ appr 1 min...

Some guys had been discussing how fast a person could shoot/reload/shoot a single shot on another chat forum so I had to give it a try I had never done this before...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn--xHLUsho

Here is another of me shooting my Marlin 1895GS with XS Sights back up Weaver ghost ring sights loaded with 350gr Hornday JRN @ appr 200fps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...mfu_in_order&list=UL

You'll note that I am not wearing glasses I have special contacts that lift support my cornea's just the right one costs over $600.00 and they are only made in Isreal they correct my vision fairly well but it is a pain in the azz dealing with it all of the time focus comes and goes as the contact shifts on my eye.

Having Keratoconus freaking sucks but on the positive side it was a great excuse to have to purchase new higher magnification scopes ie if in the past I had a 1-4X on a rifle I switched up to 2-7X, 2-7X are all 3-9X now, 3-9X's are now all 4.5-14X...

and you have to admit that is if you have any taste at all my little Contender carbine is pretty cool looking...

I'd say that what you should buy likly depends on a bunch of stuff...such as:

How old are you (This a major determinate of how long you have to look for and get what you really, really want as your bottom line collection foundation.)

How well heeled are you?

Why are you collecting single-shots?

How well connected to (and liked by) various sources of used guns are you?

How much have you looked at, read about, and talked with others about single shots? The more you learn about them, the easier it will be to decide what you want next as you move through your "gun" life.

It is going to be YOUR collection, so don't worry about what others want/value, except as input to be considered and thought about in identifying what YOU want. Your collection may end up worth less money that way, but it may also be a lot more "fun" for you, and much more valuable personally as your life reaches the Fall or Winter of your years.

What I have found works best for me has been to buy whatever I see, wherever I see it, that I can afford and which appeals to my interest at that instant. I am particularly turned on by kinds I haven't heard much or any about before, in calibers that aren't daily met in every gun shop.

Though surface condition is important if you are looking just at future sales, functioning condition may be a lot more important if you like to play with your rifles as I do.

Sometimes a gun which is a bit (or a bunch) less "pretty" can be had for a lot less money and still function perfectly for you. May make it possible to collect more toys than you otherwise could....

And, as years go buy, you my still find their value rising beyond all expectations. That's especially true if they were pretty unpopular when they were being made, because good functioning examples will be hard to find in the years after they ceased being manufactured. Not many will have been sold to begin with, and those which were sold will be less likely to have been given the care you will afford them as part of your collection.



The list goes on, but you'll find yourself adding your own questions. Whatever your answers (and you don't have to justify them to anyone else), you may find it a life-time of fun, just as I and Mr. Steele and many others have.

Best wishes,

AC

Single shots are a lot of fun, and there are some concepts that tickle me to death. Here for examples is a bit of HAGN kit that is a good example of that.

I started collecting Ruger #1 rifles about 20 years ago. Had a bunch of them but because I could never get any version but the "V" to shoot worth a darn, I sold all and concentrated on the Ruger #1V. I have just about all of them except for 7mm Mag, 300 WM and 243. I never spent more than $700 on them and mopst were new in the box. My little collection has appreciated nicely.

This picture is dated, a few more have found their way into the closet..........



I also collect Sako A1 actioned "single shot" bolt action rifles. Since the entire collection is only five, I'm almost there.....



And lastly I have a bunch of Cooper "SSBA" rifles



Collecting firearms is a great way to spend time and money. If you do it right, you won't lose a dime and will actually make a few $$...........not too many hobbies offer this opportunity. Try to sell a set of ten year old golf clubs or a twentl year old set of skies and see what you get......

One approach you might consider is to collect single shot rifles with varied action types. For example, you could get a Trapdoor Springfield, a Remington Rolling-Block, Winchester/Browning Falling Block, Stevens 44, Second Model Maynard, Sharps rifle, Sharps-Borchardt, etc. The rifles could be original or reproductions. Many examples of the old ones are around in very good, shootable condition, at reasonable prices. You could then add more modern designs like the Ruger No. 1, Wickliff, Falling Block Works, etc. Ever example I uses a completely different action and having them all in hand at the same time, to compare and contrast, would be something indeed.

This might give you some ideas: http://www.pbase.com/halp/root&page=all

Thanks to all for the replies. Some very good information was gained by each of you and I appreciate the photos.
I'm still not certain if there will be an area of specialization or if I will just collect what looks good to me. I can see some #1's, High Walls and Low Walls, I already have a K-95 and have on order a Luxus Arms single so I'm on my way, albeit slowly.
Thanks again.

Cliff - What is a great collectible can really vary...and need not necessarily represent high quality either.

Though I have owned Farkies, a fair number of Dan'l Frasers, and other high buck UK single shots, one of the single shots I most wish I had back was not at all expensive...it was dirt cheap even when it was being made regularly.

It was a Savage Model 219, in its original canvas bag, with 3 barrels...one each of .22 Hornet, .30-30 Winchester, and .410 shotgun. It went many, many a mile with me in the northern Alberta bush, and never failed to deliver table grub when I was plenty hungry.

I was a damn fool to sell it. It was a faithful companion and I sent it away without a second thought (at the time). The lesser man I.

So, don't pass by a good solid rifle just because its cheap....that's one of the lessons I learned too late, the hard way.