Need help re: Sile Sharps 1874

[Daisywinchester]

Am new to the Sharps fever.  Local gunstore has a mint Sile "US Sharps" in 45/70.  Has a single trigger and an odd type of pivoting safety.  Is NOT a carbine.  It has a small plate safety(?) that pivots to the right and creates a gap between the hammer and the stricker when in the "safe" position.  Has a lighter weight round barrel, checkering at forend and wrist, shotgun style butt, globe front and tang sight. Was made in Italy in a city that starts with an "M." 

It weighs nine pounds, which I like as might use in Elk camping.... er I mean hunting.

He wants $699 for it. Are these rifles any good for a beginner?

Thanks

[doubs43]

You would be well advised to save another $300 (or more) and buy a Sharps with double set triggers and without that awful safety. Cabela has a 45-70 Pedersoli Sharps for $1,000 that is far superior to the Sile. You'll still have to buy better sights if you intend to target shoot with it but you may find the barrel sights to be OK for your purposes.

I bought the Pedersoli several months back and I'm more than pleased with it. Accuracy is excellent and the operation is smooth. An excellent rifle for the money.

Link: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0065973216599a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntk=Products&QueryText=Pedersoli&sort=all&Go.y=8&N=0&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form23&Go.x=17