I saw a little talk of these some time back and I see that Browning has them listed on the website.

Has anyone seen any floating around yet? Any comments on the quality?

they were at the Browning display at the NRA convention. i just hate that shiny browning wood, other than that looked real nice

I've heard they are relabeled Model 1885's, and not really Model 78, ala 1971 - and also are not available with either ther B78's 26" barrel length (24" offered), nor the B78's beautifully-contoured, tapered octagon barrels (RB only offered).

I'd rather spend the coin on a 1971 Model B78.

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nothing a scotchbrite pad won't solve shine wise.

ML

What did you like better on the B78? I had one in .45-70 years ago. Sold it to pay off the wedding ring when I got married. I never cared for the trigger, or the fact that it did not have a tang to mount a rear sight. I loved the octagon barrel, though, and the way it carried in the hand. Hot loads kicked like a son of a gun with that curved steel buttplate!!

Stryker60

I liked the fact that I could (and DID) adjust the trigger on my B78's (I had 3 - a RB 6mm, a tapered octagon -06, and a straight octagon .45-70) - I had little problem, mounting a receiver peep sight on the .45-70 and the -06, but I DID have to rasp down the -06's cheekpiece to see the sights, though (I installed a narrow Williams Streamline ramp front sight on that rifle).

I had NP working on my B78's because I was lucky enough to get my mitts on a factory issue/copy of the B78 Field Service Manual.

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Well guys from a pure mechanical stand point, ALL the Miroku made 1970s B-78s, later browning 1885s Winchester marked 1885s , even the low wall 1885s are th SAME RIFLE.

When Browing changed from the b-78 to 1885 the changes were ONLY the barrel and the stocks.

When Browning began marketing the Miroku Winchester styled guns inder that name, the only thing they added was the upper rear tang ala the Browing BPCR 1885 rifles.

On the low walls they aslos style the action at the rear to look more like the "knuckle" style stock heads on the orgional Winchesters. The breech block, trigger mmechanism ejectors are ALL the same.

FWIW - the lock/triggers of the B78's I've taken apart (3) were different from the various later M1885's (2), I also took apart.

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What exactly about the trigger emchanism on the later Miroku 1885s is "Different" besides the lack of adjustment for engagement?

The Browning Model 78 was a rendition of the Hi-Wall in which the designer appears to have been paid by the piece. The double mainsprings, the 12 piece trigger mechanism, the stock attachment via a through bolt into the trigger housing which was mortised into the receiver; none of these features were particularily good design IMO. The triggers, while obstensibly adjustable, could be heavy and spongy or lighter and spongy, depending on the settings. Canjar made a pretty good replacement which eliminated half the pieces and could be set up to be a very nice trigger but it was spendy and required considerable hand-fitting. In addition, the tendency of the trigger housing to distort when the stock bolt was tightened up was a problem.
I confess to never having even looked closely at a 1885. The 78 soured me on Browning's single shots to the point I wasn't really interested.
By the way, I restocked my 78 (a 45/70)with a Fajen classic butt and it was a lot more pleasant to shoot. GD

I have a B-78 in .30-06 that is a beautiful rifle and I intended on putting a scope on it and shooting it. I got it in a trade. It lounged around in my safe for 15 years or so and I got a wild hair and decided I would sell it on the classifieds here. First of all I didn't have any scope bases and fellow here told me you couldn't buy them for the octagon barrel...wrong. Wrote Leopold and they have bases to fit it. I found out the stock had been replaced and it has georgous looking wood on it. Everyone wanted to buy it and I was going to use the money to buy something else. I started getting sellers remorse after the first guy that looked at the pictures told me he thought the stock was probably worth more than the gun! Anyway, a guy sent me a PM and he was hot to trot so I listed it as sold and he told me he would FedEx me the money. He told me he was left handed so I got to thinking about it and I called him back and told them that this definitely a right hand stock and had a large cheekpice just in the right place for my big fat righthanded cheek. He told me he saw that and it did not matter to him. He called me the day the money was supposed to be here and that he didn't want it anymore. He said he didn't have internet service and had not seen the pictures but a friend had told him about it so he didn't know it had a replacement stock. I could have sold it to some of the other guys, but FATE had intervened! So now I have my nice Browning 78 that I am going to scope and leave to my children thanks to a DA and fate! I would have probably bought something cheap with the money anyway. Just call me a proud B78 owner. Dee

I like it. Although it is a little heavy!

I won't get rid of my 1885 (bought around 1990 or so) just because of the way they look. The "cool factor" is there for me. I sure wish the trigger was better; I'd shoot it more.






With the octagon barrel, straight stock, deep luster bluing....yup, I like it.

I bought a Winchester 1885 with the octogon barrel, could I see a picture of those scope mounts? What are they? I bet they would fit mine.

This is the only one I have handy that shows them. They are marked "Browning", at least I can see that on the front one and I bought them, had to order them at the time, at the same time I bought the gun. I can take another pic in a day or so when my wife gets home with the camera if needed.

If you compare the Browning stamped scope mounts and those available from BURRIS , You will find they are identical. Sorry, I can't say whether the octagon barrels and the Round barrels take the same mounts or not. (My round barrel B-78 is currently residing at the Gunsmiths getting rebarreled to .405 Win. )

blairvt,

Read this. It's from the Leupold service department.

Dee,

The Browning 78 is similar to the 1885 High Wall rifle. In fact, it will use the same bases. Our two-piece STD base is number 50012. To make this base system work on the 78, you will have to use two different heights of rings. For example, a low ring in the rear and a medium in the front.

Garth


---- Original Message ----


Good Afternoon, I have a Browning B-78 octagon barrel single shot rifle which uses a two piece scope base set. Do you sell these bases? Thanks for your help! Dee

P.S. Here's his info:

Kendig, Garth [[email protected]]

The mounts I had were also marked "Browning" and were ordered through a local Browning dealer (this was 20 years ago). Since mine was chambered in .45-70, I never even installed them and sold them with the rifle. If I remember correctly, the front base used a dovetail ring just like the old Redfield mounts.

I didn't have the benefit of a manual, and I didn't like the fact that by the time the trigger was adjusted to a reasonable level, it "flopped" when the action was uncocked. (Anyone who has used a Marlin lever action knows what I mean.) That and the inability to properly mount a tang sight (I know it can be inlet into the stock, but to me that is simply a lever to damage the stock) make me miss it less.

I have a Browning B-78 with a round barrel in .30-06 . Refinished the stock in a hand rubbed tung oil finish. Beautiful Walnut with lots of figuring. Limbsaver recoil pad, ConeTrol mounts and rings. It shoots like a dream and has a crisp 2.5lb trigger. I could be talked out of it, if any of you would be interested.

All of these a neat rifles, however the early B78's are definitely not the same as the 1885s. I've had one on each and the triggers are different. If I remember correctly they even have different numbers of pins through the receiver, 3 vs. 2.

Here's mine. Look at the wood. I'm sure this stock cost more than the rifle did originally.







Glad I kept it.

Here's Mine