Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers Winchester 1886 Extra Light, 45-70

I'm looking at buying a new/unfired (made in Japan) Winchester 1886 Extra Light in 45-70. Anyone have first hand experience with these rifles? How they shoot, quality...? Thanks

A fine rifle by any means.
1. it is a delight to carry all day in the field
2. a receiver/peep sight and a Redfield Sourdough Partridge front sight.
3. mostly using 405 gr cast lead bullets, loaded to 1550 fps recoil is not all that bad, quite tolerable actually, this load will make plenty of meat: mice-to-moose
4. quality is way up there (Miroku's been making firearms for many, mannnnny years, and they know what they're doing - just look at a Browning superposed shotgun, etc). If you look in the interior of the action on a Browning 1886 SRC, or the Winchester Lightweight (I use both), then look at the interior machine work on an original Winchester 1886, you will see the differences.
5. accuracy capability is there within the rifle, I can't shoot it as good as it is capable of from a machine rest
6. for a purely hunting rifle in the timber n' woods, it'd be one of the last of my .45-70's I'd be willing to part with.
7. Would I buy another one? Without any hessitation at all.
Hope this lends some insight with your inquiry.
outsidebear

Outsidebear, thanks for the detailed feedback. I should be mailing a check on the gun in the next day or so.

I have one and it is plain fun to shoot. I load only lead bullets and they range from 300 to 350 for the light weights to 440 for my heavy bullet and I am well pleased with how it handles. I am looking for my second and maybe third one.

I used to own one of the Extra Lightweights. It was accurate, and I liked it pretty good at first, but then I started having misfiring problems with it. I suspected it was due to an issue with the rebounding hammer crap they put in them. I eventually sold it, and later purchased a Browning 1886 High Grade SRC and I couldn't be happier at this time.

If you will do some research you find out that the rebounding hammers did give problems with misfiring on some guns, and the Extra Lightweight was one of them. Some people end up changing out or modifying some of the parts on those guns.

Maybe you won't have any problems with yours, I hope, but I though you should know, and I am not the only person to have problems with this.

Other then the misfiring issues, I liked this gun very much, however, I do believe that I like my Browning SRC even better. Except for the stock sights on either, which I changed out to receiver sights.

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The misfiring issue is with the rifles with the tang safety, not the rebounding hammer. The problem can be corrected very easily with a few parts modifications. You can do it yourself or have it done by a knowledgeable 'smith. Thare was an article on that in Handloader or Rifle magazine a few years ago by Dave Scovill. I did this to my rifle and it cured the problem.

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I wish they would make another run of those rifles. I was foolish enough not to get one when they were available.

I traded a fine Marlin Guide Gun for mine. I really like that rifle. I've not had any problems with mine. I did add a reciever sight.