Above: The Winchester 95 Theodore Roosevelt High Grade Model 95 features gold-enhanced French grayed receiver and fancy walnut stocks. Below: Taylor's Little Sharps is a three-quarter scale version of the full-size buffalo rifle for smaller shooters or those who want to carry a lighter gun.

Taylor's also has a John Wayne-inspired loop lever Model 92 made by Uberti, only this one is called the Rio Bravo. In addition to .357 Magnum and .44-40, it is available in .45 Colt. I also discovered a rack full of Chiappa-made Sharps and Uberti Model 92 replicas that were embellished with excellent Victorian-styled engraving and gold inlays.

Last year, after many delays, reproductions of the Colt Lightning slide action rifle from Pedersoli, Uberti and Taurus finally made their debuts. Finishes were blued or blued with case hardened frames.

Also, this year Taurus has brought out a new version of its Lightning--which it calls the Thunderbolt--in stainless steel. Chambered in either .45 Colt or new this year in .357 Magnum, it should be noted that Taurus is the only manufacturer that does not put a trigger detent on these guns. That means you can hold the trigger back and keep pumping out shot after shot, just like I used to do decades ago in Arizona with an original, before I realized that it was a collectible.

Oh yes, there is also a hammer-mounted button that permits decocking the hammer without having to hold the hammer back with your thumb while depressing the trigger--a safer system and a decided improvement over the original.

Davide Pedersoli, a company that makes some of the most accurate replica rifles on the market today, has come out with a long-range target version of the High Wall, featuring single set trigger, case-hardened frame with "DP" oval logo, checkered walnut stock with pistol grip and cheek piece and Schnabel fore-end. An extremely handsome rifle for target shooting or hunting, it is chambered in .45-70 and .38-55 calibers.

Pedersoli has also introduced a new Mississippi Rolling Block strictly designed for the hunter, featuring a fiber-optic front sight, detachable sling swivels and a takedown barrel for ease of transportation.

As another variation on a theme, Pedersoli has teamed up with Kevin Cherry--one of the foremost commemorative authorities in this country--to produce the Engraved Lightning series. These limited-edition Pedersoli Lightning replicas have been handsomely upgraded with fancy, hand-checkered walnut stocks and case-hardened engraved receivers.

The engraving pattern is a modified grape vine design from the Victorian era, and owners can opt to have a deer, bear, wolf or cougar head engraved on the left side of the receiver. The engraving itself is laser-etched, then finished by hand to give it a hand-chiseled look. Calibers are .44-40 and .45 Colt.

Another offshoot of an already existing model is Chaparral's 1876 Saddle Ring Northwest Mounted Police Carbine, featuring a 22-inch barrel, full length stock and serial numbers in the same range as the original NWMP carbines.

In case the Chaparral name is not familiar to you, it is a relative newcomer to the replica world, having started in Europe. It is now assembling guns in the Charter Arms plant in Connecticut.

Although only a prototype of the Mountie carbine was on display at the show, it was indicative of the continuing allure and lore of the replica long rifle market. Indeed, judging from the variety of new guns coming out this year, it seems that there is no better time to discover our country's shooting history.