TriStar Arms Sharps Sporting .45-70 Govt. Rifle

The Tri-Star Sharps is...

The Tri-Star Sharps is a quality looking item and is a bargain for the price. The general fit & finish is excellent, with a decent fit of metal to wood. Only one small spot isn't a perfect wood-metal fit on my rifle but I had to really look to find it. The metalwork is excellent with the octagon barrel nicely blued with sharp (forgive the pun) edges and no stray tool marks. The dreaded safety message is stamped on the bottom of the barrel and as such, is about invisible as it could be. The color case hardening is a pretty shade of various colors and appears on the steel buttplate, trigger guard, receiver and hammer. Stout cross hatching on the hammer will allow a gloved hand to cock the hammer to either half or full cock position without slipping. The drop breech mechanism works easily by pulling down on the trigger guard. The double set triggers are fun, and out-of-the-box the first trigger takes a lot of pressure to set the second trigger. The final trigger pull is nice and light. I'd bet a bit of polishing inside will lighten up the action in this area. I'm a fan of pretty wood and the stock is nicely finished in a matte finished, dark brown stain. The checkering is good and crisp and is much better than other imported arms I've seen (and own.) I could wish for wood that had better figuring, but again for the price I surely won't complain. I've yet to fire this heavy beast but I imagine it will do the job. Adding a vernier rear sight will no doubt help the period looks and my accuracy. It comes well protected in a big ol' box that is printed with 'Sharps Rifle' in huge letters. This rifle is all about big! I can't wait to try this at my local outdoor range!