Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots current 'Winchester' 1885 rifles....

Looked at the Japan made Winchester 1885 high walls at the LGS a day ago. $1,450 ea. Had a .270 Win, 30/06, and 300 Win Mag.
I LIKE the exposed hammer and the full metal tang on these rifles. Long barrels make them heavy [octagon]but they sure look nice.
Anyone have one? Reviews?
Thanks, Alan in GA

Alan,

I like everything about my Winchester 1885 LW in 6.5x55. Certainly not a great group, but it shows promise...not so much for the shooter nor the photo editor

Scott

]1885[/url]

Have been hunting some with a high wall in 375 H&H for the last four years or so, really love it. It is heavy, muzzle-heavy at that. But I only use it sitting on stand where 200-300 yard shots are common. The balance works well for that, and the weight (and nice pad) helps keep it pleasant to shoot.

"I like everything about my Winchester 1885 LW in 6.5x55."

ME TOO!!

I think the main contribution of the current Browning/Miroku "Winchester" 1885s is that they put the strength of the old original High Wall into a Low Wall receiver.

That means you don't need a horse to carry your 1885 for a day's hunting. The old High Wall was too much weight for most of us for a full day's walking; the old Low Wall was too weak an action for the ctgs. most of us consider necessary for big game. The new Low Wall is just about right for many modern hunters.

That said, the new High Wall makes a great varmint and target rifle when you can shoot from a fairly fixed position.

And I have killed two "big game" animals (nice whitetail and decent piggy) with my 1889-vintage Low Wall .38-40, an original Winchester.

Love my Winny. LW in Hornet but the wood and wood to metal fit is not as nice as on the Browning model.-Muddy

What calipers were the low walls offered in? I know of the 22 Hnt, 223, 45 Colt, and the 6.5x55 seeing the post above.

probably too much info, but...

http://www.winchesterguns.com/products/catalog/historic-category.asp?family=002C

My 30-06 was a shooter. Shot 2 rounds loaded with 125gr Sierra Prohunters that were touching each other. Then 2 rounds with 150gr Prohunters that touched. Then 2 rounds with 180gr Prohunters that touched. All 6 rounds shot to the same point of aim into a 3/4" group.

The Miroku-made Low & High walls have been sold under both Browning and Winchester brands, going back to the 70's.

I have a B78 .25-06 from the 1970's that is jaw-droppingly accurate. And I had a Low Wall .22 Hornet that was also a fine shooter; wish I still had it, if for no other reason than to get rebored to .30-30.

The Mirokus have excellent barrels, and a action that will leave you scratching your head if you try to take it apart and put back together Not sure why they felt a need to complicate the heck out the action, unless it was to deter user trigger adjustments

Off hand I recall the Low wall was made in both the model above - .22 Hornet, .223, .243, 6.5x55, and .260 Rem ( the last two are rare, and highly desirable). There was a "Low Wall traditional hunter" in .357 (rare), .44 mag (rare) and .45 Colt, which came with a tang sight and a crescent butt plate. And some rimfire calibers as well.

Fun rifles. I may yet take one of the .22 Hornets or .223's, and make a .30-30 out of it.

I shot an early hornet when Browning was still the name on the gun. It was astounding!...excellent lithe rifle. Gophers inside 200 yards were toast....

yeah, I've owned three Hornets and the Browning was easily the most accurate of the bunch. Of course Lil'Gun powder helped a lot, too.

Bought one in .325 WSM a few months ago and am ashamed to say I haven't even scoped it yet.

It is, I've read, next to impossible to have a whoopsie while manipulating the hammer on the low wall models, anyway. Not sure if that applies to the 1885 High Walls as well. Great rifles, a bit nicer than the Rugers. Too bad about the current wood, but I still like them.

I have one of the .357 :Low walls. Not only does it have beautiful wood, it shoots great. Our "primitive season" opens next Monday and I'll be toting it some...

I also have a Browning Low Wall in 260 Rem, plan to deer hunt with it this season. It has much nicer wood than the Winchester.

Had:
Browning 1885 7 Rem Mag
Winchester 1885 7 WSM
Browning 1885 223 Rem
Browning 1885 260 Rem


Have:
Winchester 1885 300 WSM

Love them

Wow thank you. You've fired up the 1885 bug in me again. Sorry to be so long responding to my own post. 24HR acts a bit oddly on my cell phone and wants to reload often for some reason.
Going back to handle the 1885's again at the LGS.

I got one in 45/70 and love to shoot it. I do wish the trigger were a little simpler. I had trouble with my trigger sticking so the hammer would not fall all the way when I was trying to fire it. I don't mind that you can't lower the hammer with your thumb all the way down to the fire position but would like a little more assurance that it would always fall all the way when I wanted to shoot the rifle.

405 Winchester