Meet the Montana Craftsmen Who Made the Quigley Rifle
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- Опубліковано 26 сер 2024
- Meet the Montana family business that made the rifle Tom Selleck used in Quigley Down Under - and many of the rifles used in The Quigley Shoot… in this excerpt from Today’s Wild West! Please subscribe - tell your friends - and watch full episodes at todayswildwest.com!
• Meet the Montana Craft...
#Quigley, #Montana, #QuigleyShoot, #TomSelleck, #OldWest, #Shooting, #Buffalo, #Guns
I'd rather be in that shop looking at all those works of precision and craftsmanship than any art museum in the world!
Yep. This, this right here.
I have a Shiloh Sharps "Long Range Express" in .45-110 (2-7/8"). 34" barrel, half octagon, Schnabel forend, shotgun butt, raised cheekpiece and accent line. I ordered it in April, 1993 and paid the full price in advance...$940.00 with the options I chose. I was quoted an estimated 4 year lead time on delivery, but the price was guaranteed.
It took a little over 4 years to get my rifle, October 1997...and it was worth EVERY penny and every minute of waiting. It's been nearly 30 years now and there are -0- regrets!
In the meantime, I acquired the dies I needed for loading ammo and all the necessary things...bullet molds, black powder powder measure, drop tube, brass cases. I also acquired an MVA "Soule" rear sight, multi aperture "eye cup", and globe front sight. I sent those to Shiloh and they installed them on my rifle for no extra charge. The package, when delivered, included the original sights for the rifle. It was shipped in a cardboard box inside a wooden crate. I still have the box and crate.
The build quality is over the top! Fit and finish are incredible. Accuracy is shockingly good. (yes, it takes some playing around with loads, bullet alloys, etc. but that's half the fun)
Put one on your bucket list! You will not be disappointed.
Art is where you find it. This is fine art.
Back in 1989 a customer of mine bought one of their rifles, but the company told him delivery would be delayed because they were busy finishing a special project for Tom Selleck. When it finally showed up I did get to shoot it and I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. They are expensive rifles, but beautiful and worth the price.
Just proving the old adage... You get what you pay for.
In my honest opinion, these are some of the finest made and most beautiful rifles available. I own two and my wife ownes one. They are extremely accurate and the most cherished rifles of mine.
Great recommendation! I was looking at the Pedersoli which is very nice but being 100% authentic these are very appealing
@@smudgepost
The Pedersoli reproductions in general are some of finest commercially produced rifles available. I personally own a couple, one a Pedersoli Brown Bess and a Civil War Southern 1862 Richmond rifled musket.
Its up there with the British Holland & Holland
Everything about this presentation is impressive, the people, and of course, the Rifles.
Just beautiful and made like they should be! God bless all you folks!
If you are ever driving down I90 eastbound and see the exit to Big Timber, don't pass it by. Their showroom is well worth a visit!
I live in montana , and shoot at the quigley black powder shoot every year since 2002 on father's day weekend.. THANK you Frank from montana....
Any online information about it? thanks
@@D33Lux yes there is information on line about it probably under the quigley buffalo rifle match . in Forsyth montana. Takes place every year on father's day weekend . want friends and I go there a week in advance we have a ball. Look it up and go ,it's free to camp out there...
I love my Sharp's rifle!!! Super accurate and fun to shoot. Quality is second to none.
At 4:23 is a picture of my friend Jane Payne. She loved her rifle.
My father-in-law was gifted one of the 4 rifles made for Quigley Down Under when he retired. 2 of those 4 were turned into props and used in the move while the other 2 were not used, and my FIL's employer was able track down and purchase one of the latter. It's a beautiful thing and fully functional.
Wow that’s an interesting story, who had the gun originally?
Took over 10 years of dreaming and saving, but a high grade Shiloh is finally mine, and it was worth the wait and the cost.
well im very glad youre happy, but 10 years ? damn, I bought one made in 2007 but never used from cabelas for $1700 about a month or two ago.. made by cimarron though, but when you compare it next to the shiloh my friend has there is virtually no difference other than the color of the wood stock, the action is the same, the fitting of the wood to the stock is perfect.. its deff no pedersoli.. pedersoli always has poor fitting to the wood and metal on their guns.. This one is a Gem.. Mine was made by an italian company not in business anymore ati or something i forgot off hand. but i got it by mistake... went in one day because i was bored and it arrived that day 2 hours prior.. i bought it immediatly.. funny thing is i watched quigley down under that night.. was deff not expecting that id own one a few hours later
@@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305 that is a great story. Thanks! I agree with you about Pedersoli's generally poor quality, altho I do have one of their caplock Howdahs in 20g / .61 smoothbore. I shoot the *shyte* out of it and don't worry about damaging the finish. Full Ghost and the Darkness mode. Such a fun gun Anyway, that Shiloh 1874 gun will hold its value way better than an Italian clone of course, not that I'm against the Italian clones. I'm a huge fan of Uberti's guns, especially the reasonably priced centerfire revolvers. I live in Montana and I have been to Shiloh. You could absolutely bottle the scent of their workshops and sell it. I'd love to own one of their 1874 military models, although I'm not going to pay close to four grand for it. I think their guns are worth the price, just not one I'm going to pay for that specific rifle, iconic as it is.
@@milkapeismilky5464 the prices are for ammo and guns.. i dont think my italian 1874 will ever decrease in value.. just sayin. You cab see it on my page if you want.. I took the scope off it. Someone removed the venear for the scope but i put it back on.. but still.
I shoot it as often as i buy anmo. I have a 20ga howdsg as well cwp lock.. i shoot it every now and theb.. deff fub to shoot and people at the range think its really cool. I want a nornal double side by side black powder . I love black power guns
Wow it took 10 yrs buy 1900. Dallor gun .u sound bad off might not want waist money on gun
Jaa reely
An art that's not lost just changes by the sun and the moon. Thanks for sharing your great experiences of custom rifle making. Very interesting
lts so good to see the craftmenship that has not dissappeared
In 1997 Drove from mid western Alberta in a roundabout way to Shiloh Sharps.
Seen the sign from the highway.
When I walked into the store I knew that I wanted a Big 50.
I asked Lucinda if I could buy one .She opened a big book and said fill out the form and we'll let you know when its ready.😳
It was then that Kurt walked in and gave me and the missus a tour of the shop as a machinist myself I was blown away .
He asked me then are you sure you want a .50- 2 1/2 because they can be tricky to load for.I
said no it has to it has to be The buffalo gun.
About 3 years later the gun made it my cabin.
Kurt was right she has a mind of her own. Lol
She now has a older sister in 45 - 3 1/4 she is easier to carry but with a 520 gr bullet she dwarfs the 50 in recoil.
Keep up the good work you guys
Martin@Hin
I just stumbled upon this video and got the biggest kick out of it. I was a tattoo artist at the time about six or seven years ago, and was set up in Quartzite, Arizona. One day a man and his wife came in, and he asked if I could re-do a tattoo he had on is left forearm. While doing it, he told me his business was making the old time rifles the original way, and that he made the guns used in the movie "Quigley Down Under" and asked if I had seen it. I said," Seen it, it's one of my favorite movies!". We had a good laugh and a great time through the tattoo. Kirk is a really down to earth nice man, and I really enjoyed being able to say that I did work on him. I took one of his brochures, and had him sign it for me. So to run across this video brought back many good memories and I am so glad I saw it. Mr. G of Mr. G Tattoos--Retired 5 years ago
Johny Weyert engraved Tom's guns in Alpine, Texas. Tom visited Johny while my wife was there at Johny's school learning to engrave.
That's a great place to work for and LEARN, LEARN, LEARN..!!!
Sometime in the early 80s, I attended a gun show in Reno sponsored by Shotgun News. Shilo Sharps was there and I fell in love with his rifles. The guy at the booth was really pushing for a sale. He offered a rifle that would have most of the bells and whistles for around $1100. Of course, I was flat-busted. Never have forgotten those rifles.
I wish these folks continued success. They did me a solid many moons ago. My 74 came from Farmingdale NY in 1985 a little before Quigley got his. Company was run by a man named Wolfgang Droege at the time and he was a treat to talk to. He called me at home one evening to discuss an improved extractor to be replaced free of charge. How many company big wigs do that today?
Fast forward to the new ownership in Big Timber MT. The rifle shot ok but I thought it could do better. Called and talked to these folks, might have been the gentleman in the video, I don't recall his name. He said send it in. When I got it back I loaded up a few rounds using 405 gr. Magnus bullets, #904 I believe, and a fairly light charge of H4895 and was able to group three rounds that I could nearly cover with a nickle using a replica Ideal tang sight. I'll never give Quigley any competition but I was pretty proud of that group.
Of course I could be lying👀................but I'm not.
.45/70?
@@dukecraig2402 Yes Sir. Loaded using Lyman dies with a wax carton "gas check".
@@williamemerson1799
About 20 years ago a friend of mine and myself stumbled across what's not only the most accurate .45/70 load but without a doubt the most accurate load I've ever shot in ANYTHING.
Single holes from 5 shot group's at 100 yards off the bench, not colverleafs but absolute single holes, both from a Cape Outfitter's Sharpes which was about as junky as they come with a bore that was absolutely black from pitting from the breech to the muzzle and an 1866 Winchester reissue both with iron sights, the stock buckhorn on the Winchester and a flip up ladder on the Sharpes repo that had loose parts that rattled, we couldn't believe our eyes when we tried this load.
We'd been loading and shooting different bullets and powders all day, my friend kept wanting to try Hercules Unique which is a powder I absolutely hate because it's always left so much lead and powder fouling in everything I've ever tried it in I'd just want to scream trying to scrub it out from .45 ACP to .45 Long Colt and even .38/40, but man did it work beautifully in .45/70, accurate light years beyond everything else and I couldn't believe how clean it was, of course it can only be used with cast bullets but it doesn't require a gas check.
At the end of the day as one last attempt I relented and we loaded with the Unique;
Penn Bullets 365 gr Spire Point bullet,
16 grs Unique with a ⅝ths inch dacron filler,
CCI magnum large rifle primer,
the flat nosed center punch that's typically used with a .45/70 cartridge must be taken out of the seating die and one used for a pointed bullet like one from a .30/06 seating die installed in it's place.
We loaded 5 cartridges and after firing the first shot I ask him "Is it on the paper?" (He was spotting from over my shoulder with a spotting scope on a tripod), he said "yea" so I fired the other 4 shots, after the 5th shot I turned around and ask him how the group looked, he was walking away shaking his head and said "Look for yourself", after the kind of luck we'd been having all day I expected to see what had been par for the course which was about a 3" group average for all the different powder/bullet combinations we'd been trying, when I looked through the scope and saw a single hole on the paper I looked at him and said "Please tell me the last 4 went through the same hole." to which he replied "I watched them fly through it".
Then we loaded 5 more and tried it with my Winchester with fixed buckhorn sights, to my absolute amazement it did the same thing, 5 rounds through the same hole.
It's every shooter and loaders dream to do that and after all the different cartridges I'd loaded for in my life it turned out to be the oldest one that did it, not something modern or even an 06 but an 1873 cartridge.
Since then I've had people at shooting ranges accuse me of firing the last shots of a group wide of the entire target to make it look like a single hole group, then I tell them to watch through a scope and they can't believe what they see when the last 4 fly through the hole from the first round, I've won more $20 bets from strangers on the range than you'd believe.
@@dukecraig2402 Well just DAMN! I'm gonna go sit in the corner.👍
@@williamemerson1799
The people I've turned onto that combo can't believe it, even after showing them at the range they thought there was some kind of slight of hand thing going on and I was just trying to hustle people, but then when they tried it themselves they got the same kind of results.
I tried using the same basic formula with flat nose bullets for the sake of not having to shoot them one at a time through my lever gun, the day we ran across this combo we took 5 bullets and put them in the lathe in my buddy's garage to knock the tips flat and they shot the same way, so I bought a box of .458 dia flat nose bullets and much to my chagrin the group opened back up to almost 3", I was scratching my head trying to figure out why when I put down one of the bullets onto a piece of glass I had on my reloading bench and noticed that it wasn't sitting straight up and down but instead leaned over to one side, then when I touched it it'd wobble around, after examining it closely I noticed that there was a raised line around the long axis of it and across the nose from the mold halves, so I took 10 of them over to his garage and trued up the noses in the lathe and presto, right back to single holes again.
The reason that combo works so well all has to do with the axis of the bullet remaining in alignment with the axis of the barrels bore, when trying the same thing but with slower stick powders the group would break back up to around 3", what I figured out was happening with the slower powders is once the bullet hits the rifling ahead of the chamber it stops, since the .45/70 isn't a necked cartridge it relies entirely on the rim to hold the cartridges' axis in alignment with the axis of the barrels chamber and bore, when the bullet hits the rifling and stalls the back end is still in the cartridge and it kicks in any given direction and then the bullets axis loses its alignment with the bores axis and is swagged into the rifling that way, this introduces a wobble into the bullet which degrades it's accuracy.
The pointed (semi pointed actually) spire tipped bullet being seated with the type of center punch from an 06 type die makes the axis of the bullet perfectly in alignment with the axis of the chamber and the barrel, then a fast powder like Unique blows the bullet out of the cartridge and straight into the rifling without it stalling and the back end kicking off in any direction causing the bullets axis to be lost in alignment with the axis of the bore, that's why it's such an accurate load.
Give it a try sometime, I'll bet you'll be happy with the results.
I’m proud to say I own 4 Shilohs, my daughter has 2. I was fortunate to have a Father’s Day tour of the factory and the pleasure of shooting with the owners in Canada, great people, miss seeing them.
An uncle of mine had told me that one of the rifles Tom Selleck used was specially made in Montana, but he couldn't remember if it was the Sharps or the centennial Winchester used in Crossfire Trail. So, when I found the website for Shiloh and saw that they're in Montana, I told him that it was for Quigley
What a joy! I also got a tour of the factory! Great memories!
I knew nothing about them and was not interested until I stumbled upon a rendezvous taking place at the Big Hole (near Wisdom, Montana). Competitions were going on and that's when I caught the 'bug'. I enjoy anything that is well made and built to last. Thanks for the information.
Great, love to see these fine rifles! Keep up the great work! 👍
After decades of reading the articles of Mr. Mike Venturino about these rifles, it is a pleasure to watch how they are made
WOW! the craftmanship.
Proud to see this movie about you all. God Bless America and God Bless You!
I know someone who finally gets to pick his up in just a few more weeks. He's like a small child on christmas eve.
Absolutely beautiful well done !
Thanks for sharing your beautiful rifles.
I had the privilege to shoot a Sharp's rifle one time. It was a great experience. I would love to own one.
I'd love to have a Quigley rifle beings how my last name is Quigley. My son's name is Matthew, but I call him Roy. We even have a sharpshooter in our past history. My great, great, great Uncle Paul Cunningham was a stand in for Buffalo Bill Cody.
Way cool.
Awesome story !!! Keeping history alive…super cool…
Excellent workmanship - a true shooter's dream...
Simply beautiful
Absolutely stunning pieces of art so lovely
Just a beautiful rifle. I just acquired 40 - 90.
I got one and love it.
Did you get it here? How long did it take you to get one?
I have one I bought from them 15 years ago At that time there was a two year wait to get mine.. Love it wouldn't take anything form it craftsmanship is un matched
Thanks. ✌🏻👊🏼
I like just looking at mine knowing it's all there. Thanks Shiloh and santee
I am impressed
Wow. This is fantastic. History, quality, master craftsmen, it doesn't get any better than this.
Excellent, well done.
I have a Hartford Model, which I ordered while on the way to Sturgis in 1996. Got it in .45-70. What a beautiful rifle! I enjoy shoooting it, and just taking it out of the safe and checking it out. Great rifle.
Really wonderful folks, I congratulate you on fine and hard work.
Very cool. QDU was one of my favorite westerns when I was a kid. I'd love to have one of those rifles. I'd hunt with it.
Sure wish Tom Selleck would come out and give us 1 more quigley.... I know he is retired, but damn, just 2 hours of acting and shooting that big rifle.
High on my list of desired guns. Always lived the Sharps Rifle!
it's more then a year of back log, pushing about 3 years total right now from order to delivery
I ordered my second Shiloh this past June. Shiloh is at 18 months backlog
Beautiful craftmanship!
I shot a Sharpe's express rifle in UK at my local club many moon's ago , but i would love to visit this place and shoot one there 😍😍😁😁👍👍👍
True skill and art,TOTALLY OUTSTANDING!
Fantactic Family good luck and thank you for your hard work and preservation of the old west.
This is very special. thanks
I have a friend who has one. It gets used as a target and hunting rifle.
Great rifle.
Art!!
I live next door to Baser ,Germany, I have seen some stuffs around here..This is really cool ,historical ,beautiful masterpieces!
Beautiful piece of art and craftsmanship. Is on the wishlist. 😊
Thats a beautiful way to keep that history roll'in on.
Truly beautiful. Functioning works art.
My father and I was there in 2013 we also took a tour of the C Sharpss plant , wished I had bought one
What a great story. Congratulations on your success and proud you have a family business.
Beautiful work!👍
I just love the crafmaship
3:04 all honesty I thought the base price was going to be a lot higher!
Absolutely a masterpiece.
Wonderful, have been wanting one all of my life. If you ever need more to do, you could always build a Greener Coach Gun
I’ve held a friend’s Shiloh Sharpes, truly a work of art
I have one here in Norway, love it. From my dead cold hands!
I'd love a Quigley with double set trigger
Beautiful!
I have previous known of your replica rifles and company from specific research tracing this info from the movie, and it´s nice to see the fabrication.
No wonder they had such a reputation in the 19th century, since they were made of ASTM 4140 stainless steel!
Dang, all this 4140 I've been machining over the years. Always thought it was chrome moly.
Would truly like to own a copy of the one used in the Movie!
They are available. The movie original is now owned by Brownells.
If I take up shooting again in UK this type of rifle shooting I would do.
This is outstanding, an American family business making hand-crafted firearms in the USA
Nice video and insight of this family company. Really like the Sharps. I used to own an original 1873 Springfield trapdoor 45/70. But it was a messy cleanup after a few rounds on the range. Black powder really has some drawbacks.
I definitely want one or two
very impressive!
They are truly works of art and a fine shooting rifle. Although, you need to be open to learn the art of hand loading ( depending on the model you choose) to get the the actual accuracy these rifles are capable of. These rifles are not for everyone, however once you get the bug, you are hooked.
I am lucky enough to own one of these marvelous rifles. It is stupid accurate
Don't feel bad if there is only a 1 year backlog. When I ordered my Quigley rifle, I waited over 2 years and was told there was a 4 year wait at one time. When mine was done, I had planned on driving there to pick it up, but covid put the kibosh on that.
interesting. Have a Kar 98 converted to .308 win here in Germany. Seems a Sharps is something like a must have in America..
thats a beautiful thing
Where is the link to the company who makes the rifles? Would love to order me a replica.
Awesome firearm🤠👍😁
Wonderful weapons... Simply beautiful.. Ahe'hye'e Apache Dan StandingKnife
VERY Cool! Subbed!
I want one, and it will most probably sit on my wall ;-)
Thank you.
Now that’s a beautiful thing.
I own two of these beautiful rifles. They are QUALITY. No foreign manufacturers can cut the mustard.🇺🇸
A marksman friend of mine owns one of these rifles. He has never fired it. He let me hold it once. The fit, finish and overall quality are most impressive... probably better than the original model.
The only improvement they put into their products over the original is in materials and precision machinery otherwise same fantastic gun
I use to enjoy shooting my sharps rifle in 50/70 caliber but the rounds are now nearly 10$ a piece , so I just put it in safe for years now .
thank you for sharing does the one young lady have a h&r buffalo rifle
Awesome
I must get one and join the crusade to finally finish off those verminous Bison
Make mine platinum inlay
husband speaking age 80, when I was on the Air Force rifle team, 1963 - 1967, my longest match was 800 yards
iron sights with the M -1 Grand. What a feeling to shoot, see the puff of dirt behind the target and then see the
white spotter in the center of the bullseye.
amazing *LIKED* and *SUBSCRIBED* --LT
Thank You!
That's unreal the parts for their rifles would fit the original. The English builders produce rifles that literally " are " a work of art but it's great and a bit of pride US builders can do as well.