1885 Winchester...Bring It Back...DONE!

[rbertalotto]

I finally finished my "Bring It Back From The Dead" 1885 Winchester . Converted from RF to CF, relined barrel and a whole bunch of other fixes.

You can read all about it with tons of pictures on my web site

www.rvbprecision.com

Hope you like it!

 

[Iowa Fox]

Yep. I like it. I always enjoy your articles on the old Winnies.

 

[nbkky71]

While it may be child's play to some, I find that work amazing. Bravo zulu

 

[Zebragun]

Nice write up, rifle looks great.

 

[halo68]

I have a Win. Model 1885 Low Wall that is chambered in .22W.C.F. I cannot find ammo for the rifle ( I have looked). Thinking about a rechamber . The rifle is all original, tight action , sharp rifling, made 1886 A .22 Hornet sounds good ?

 

[snert]

I am impressed. it is so cool to see old tech and know how much fun they are to shoot. Nice job

 

[rbertalotto]

"I have a Win. Model 1885 Low Wall that is chambered in .22W.C.F. I cannot find ammo for the rifle ( I have looked). Thinking about a rechamber . The rifle is all original, tight action , sharp rifling, made 1886 A .22 Hornet sounds good ?"

You might want to check with someone more knowledgeable, but my understanding is the low wall can't handle the bolt thrust of the 22 Hornet

Lots written about this on the ASSRA

Check out the forum here: http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl

 

[butchlambert]

"I have a Win. Model 1885 Low Wall that is chambered in .22W.C.F. I cannot find ammo for the rifle ( I have looked). Thinking about a rechamber . The rifle is all original, tight action , sharp rifling, made 1886 A .22 Hornet sounds good ?"

You might want to check with someone more knowledgeable, but my understanding is the low wall can't handle the bolt thrust of the 22 Hornet

Lots written about this on the ASSRA

Check out the forum here: http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl

Nice website Sir.

 

[rbertalotto]

Thanks for all the kind remarks.......A labor of love!

 

[Outrider27]

Great job. I always love to see any 1885 Low or High Wall returned to action.

My Low Wall is evidently a product of modern metallurgy, as it came chambered from the factory in .22 Hornet, but it is a Browning reproduction 1885, not an original Winchester.

I once went to a local gun show and walked into a conservatively but beautifully engraved Winchester 1885 High Wall at a price you could buy a nice used car for. I was ready to write the dealer a check for it anyway, but it turned out that he had already sold it and just brought it to the show to generate traffic because the new owner hadn't dropped by to pick it up.

Some days are like that.....

 

[rbertalotto]

Huge difference in metallurgy between the Japan reproductions and the original versions. The Miroku versions were chambered in such high power chamberings as 270W and 7mmMag. Extremely strong actions.

 

[Iowa Fox]

I have a Win. Model 1885 Low Wall that is chambered in .22W.C.F. I cannot find ammo for the rifle ( I have looked). Thinking about a rechamber . The rifle is all original, tight action , sharp rifling, made 1886 A .22 Hornet sounds good ?

Mine was made in 1886 and I went with a K Hornet many many moons ago.

 

[rbertalotto]

The "K" Hornet might be a better choice as it will have less bolt thrust (See PO Ackley findings about the cartridge gripping the chamber walls and lessening bolt thrust)......But I'd still load it just a bit lighter than I would in a modern firearm.

 

[Aero]

In the age of cerakote and composite stocks with flashy paint jobs, it's great to see a thread about a gun made out of blued steel and walnut!

 

[halo68]

I did go on the ASSRA Site and got some good info, I've given the Win. 1885 some thought and decided to leave at the it is all original, maybe evan sell it to someone who can appreciate more than I can.

 

[5spd]

IMO an excellent job of giving it a new life, great job!.

 

[rbertalotto]

Thanks for all the kind words!

 

[COLT45SA]

My low-wall was built in 1892 chambered in .25RF. Lots of luck finding ammunition or components for that one, so I had the barrel relined for .38 Special. I don't know how accurate it is going to be, but I'll find out soon. I was looking to have it converted to a caliber that would ALWAYS be available in response to the current ammo shortages and the drying up of .32-20 and .38-55 ammo and components.

 

[COLT45SA]

I have three the recently built 1885s built by Miroku, and am more than happy with their accuracy. The best looking of the three was built for US Repeating Arms and wears both a tang peep sight and a Malcolm scope. The crescent butt, 1/2 oct 1/2 rnd barrel and the fact that it remains at full cock when the breech is closed is a feature I like.
My first Miroku 1885 was built for Olin and wears a 2x7 Leupold. It's not as pretty as the USRA versions, but it can sure shoot bug-holes with black box Tac-22.

 

[Jon Leary]

I have a Win. Model 1885 Low Wall that is chambered in .22W.C.F. I cannot find ammo for the rifle ( I have looked). Thinking about a rechamber . The rifle is all original, tight action , sharp rifling, made 1886 A .22 Hornet sounds good ?

I have a 1885 that was chambered in 25 WCF and I relined it and chambered to 25-35. @@ hornet should work good.