Vall,
I don't think I can agree with that assessment of the Hepburn. It is strong. But that's all. So are any of the Sharps models, the 1885 Winchester and even rolling blocks. The side lever may be convenient, but they aren't great for dealing with stuck cases which are a fact of life sooner or later. Nor do they chamber a recalcitrant cartridge.
I don't see any advantage to opening and closing "... without changing his hold". After all, he will have to extract and then thumb in a cartridge with one hand or the other. Typically, the right hand does this for all right handed Hepburn shooters I know, and that's a fair number. I do not see a single ergonomic advantage to them among all the rifles on the BPCR and BPTR firing lines.
They are a fine, if odd looking and fitting, rifle. But I don't think they have anything on a Model 1885 Singleshot - which is also a heck of a lot better looking in my opinion.
When it comes to single shot hammer rifles, I don't think the American guns take a backseat to anyone. I just prefer the Winchester over all the others. Good as they are.
I have no idea what a "recalcitrant cartridge" is? So can't even address that.
Louis L Hepburn was a consummate shooter, and especially a long range shooter, having been a member of the first US Creedmoor team. And after his time shooting longrange he immediately set to building a better single shot action to improve upon the Rolling Blocks that half the US team shot at Creedmoor. The Hepburn is a shooter's gun, designed to be strong, and most efficient for the shooter to use. It's side lever was designed specifically to make shooting easier for the shooter, and it most certainly does.
As for stuck cartridges, I've owned single shot rifles for decades in every configuration and maker and to date never had a cartridge that was stuck in any of them that opening the lever, (even a Hepburn lever) wouldn't pop it free. And the extractor on a Hepburn has a snapping motion more like an ejector, so when you open a Hepburn it's likely the case will eject, so you wont be fumbling to draw a empty out, you'll be grabbing a loaded round to chamber.
A Hepburn is much easier to maintain your position, even when you eject the case and insert a loaded round because you have no under lever requiring clearance. Now if you're shooting offhand that's not as much of an issue, but just swinging your thumb away from the top tang and swiping the side lever down is certainly less movement, and much faster than opening up any under lever. I bet I can unload and reload my Hepburn faster than you do your High Wall, and likely have another shot off before the High Wall shooter has chambered a round. When hunting, that's a real plus if a 2nd shot is needed.
As for strength, I love Rolling Block rifles, but would NEVER put them in the same class as the group of single shits you listed it with! They're far weaker than all the rest in that group.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But the original question wasn't about which made the most beautiful hunting rifle? If it was my answer would have been the Ballard rifles I love. But a Hepburn is beautiful to my eyes, and it's still my favorite action for a hunting rifle.
