Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Dreaming of a 1885 high wall in 358 win

Or is it a dream ? Can it be found or manufactured ? Who ? Where ?

Modern Deer hunting rifle , 2x7 Leopold Vxr , maybe a 24" round barrel keeping the rifle around 7-8 pounds .

Could I buy a Linsey's 6.5 creed more and ship it to JES for a rebore ......would it work ?

There are thousands of these actions out there but they are very scarce in my area if not 45-70.

Somebody must specialize in these in the USA .

MAYBE THIS IS MY NEW PROJECT FOR 2018??????

Help me out here ?

While I have hunted and taken game with the .358 Win since 1966 the rifles have been the 99 Savage, M70 and Styer.

My single shot deer hunting has been out of a Ruger #1 in a magnum and 06.

What with the bears you have in Maine a 358 for hunting would be in a repeater.

My Low Wall in .22 Hornet with a 3-9 likely weighs 8 pounds with its pretty skinny octagonal 24-inch barrel.

The Ruger (I think you mean) 6.5CM Number 1 probably goes 8 1/2 bare, maybe more; has a 28" barrel. Knock off a few inches and rebore, you're still looking at 8 pounds without a scope and rings. It's a falling block, but not a High Wall. There are some Rugers in 9.3x62 and 9.3x74 to be found, and maybe .338 Federal, VERY close to your .358.

New High Walls marked Winchester can be found online in a number of calibers, but never .358. CDNN has .405s for $899, I think.

Here you go; the best I can do. It's in Maine too!

Sorry about the price.😩

http://www.gunbroker.com/Item/679433574

Savage99 the Bears in Maine are no issue with a single shot , I ve baited for years unarmed , they are not aggressive.

Different than what I read on Grizzlies , think I will stay on this side of Rockies

Pappy , I have seen pictures of high walls with round barrels , but a well balanced 8 pound rifle is fine . It just amazes me with the number of actions that must be out there the rifle is not very common to locate , I have had two number 1 Rugers for years and only went to the hi wall this spring for bear with a 45-70 ......I prefer the handling and pointing of the high wall,.

One in 358 win , maybe a shortened round barrel with a 2x7 scope ?

My question with the 6.5 creed more was whether the chamber would clean up with a reamer for 358 win or even a AI to clean the shoulder.

Is Winchester still manufacturing these rifles ? I had thought that tree was no current manufacture except BPCR replicas overseas.

Thanks in advance

Pappy I actually did see an ad from Lipsey's for a high wall in 6.5 creed more , it appeared current although I not inquired

You did indeed. At 6 pounds 8 ounces, that would be pretty handy- if you can find one. Saw a new Low Wall .243 elsewhere today, and it was a Winchester, not the old Browning version.

All the High and Low Walls marked either Browning or Winchester since the 70s are made by Miroku in Japan, same company that makes the Browning X-Bolts, and new 1894, 1892, 1895, and 1873 Winchesters. They've actually improved the 94's action a bit, but still add the useless tang safety initially added in New Haven. Otherwise, the quality is first-rate, but the prices reflect it. Hard to explain to someone that grew up with $100 .30/30s how a Japanese one is worth $1100, but looking at car prices over the same period might give a clue.

There are other Winchester clones made overseas, some pretty good and others not so much. Most of the Italian single-shots are for old-timey rounds or rimfires.

While this is not the kind of help you are looking for, I would think a more practical dream would be an old time rimmed cartridge such as 38/55 in the 1885. The modern 38/55 rifles can be loaded to approximate the 358win or equal 375win version of the same. I believe there are several makers of single shots who will make this for you or offer it as a std model. If you are thinking moose, the 38/55 seems a good practical choice for the big bore minded hunter.

Or,... a 358win could be made up in a bolt action, which is more appropriate match up to that cartridge design. You can easily make a light woods rifle with a bolt action and a slightly shorter barrel, say 20 to 22 instead of 24. I know, not as classy as a single shot.

That is how my preferences run. Then I know, building your own is all about making it your way, not mine..

Good luck and hopefully you enjoy the process where ever it leads.

Or a modern rimmed cartridge, maybe 356 Win.

Bruce

I agree black bears are not all that aggressive. I prefer a 2nd shot. I go armed when I bait. I had sow with 3 cubs. But then again, I usually go armed most places. I keep homeowners on my house, and health insurance up to date.


I was talking to native in YT. He hated black bears, said you can't trust them. He was fine with grizzly.

So you 45-70 is not uncommon? They will run you out of town for saying this.

Pappy , yes it's all changed pretty drastic , the last diesel truck truck I bought cost more than some houses I have purchased , and I can remember working for a $1.75 per hour .

Fourbore your right its about the want not the need , there is a carbine Remington pump and a lightweight model 700 both in 358 win in the rack , neither stock but both ideas / projects that were very enjoyable and will never leave.

I do not believe the rimmed cartridge is a limitation with the high wall I hear of 243 and 375 hh .

I very seldom need a second shot and actually some one practiced can be quite proficient .

Is there more opportunity for these actions out west ? , Any custom like Turnbull that would handle high walls ?

Are any of the gun writers aware of a source ?

Zerk , I do agree there is plenty of reasons to be armed in the woods and backcountry ,but typically the four legged critters are not the first type of coyote to come to mind

Turbull has done real Winchester 1885s. My guess is if you send him a Miruko he could handle a custom build. here is an 85 from his website.

http://www.turnbullmfg.com/gun/winchester-1885-high-wall-log-5159-turnbull-mfg/

If you want a rimless round, i believe you will be limited to a Miruko 85. The Italinan and American made guns (such as c sharps 1885) are origional design guns that require a rim.

I had a sow with 3 cubs. Most likely ran off when I drove up. Not saying I had one 100% of the time, nor 100% of the time I leave the house. But I do believe in insurance.

There are some people with the tree hugger belief that there are never bear attacks. I have yet to shoot a person or bear with my handgun, atleast that I can admit too.

Bruce, I've had a Ruger #3 in .356 for over 20 years... Ironically, I've discovered that it will shoot and eject .358 Win's as well with no problems... However my one BIG mistake when I built it, was I designated 1~16" twist... It does not like heavy bullets...

GH

I saw some 1885 carbines on CDNN under 1000 bucks, and 6 pounds.

https://www.cdnnsports.com/1885-trapper-38-55-16-5.html?___SID=U

https://www.cdnnsports.com/1885-trapper-30-40-16-5.html?___SID=U

https://www.cdnnsports.com/1885-trapper-45-70-16-5.html?___SID=U

Maine.
I would not tear up and rebuild an origional (expensive)or buy a Jap gun which will not really be exactly what you want.
Contact C Sharps arms in Big Timber MT and have them make you an 1885 High Wall sporter in .348
It will run about 2k and will be an American made rifle made to your specs.

Was ready to drop the hammer on a pretty browning on the net , but you know you snooze ...it went away with someone else Wednesday . Have done the donor action method many times and will keep on looking , the Brownings are prettier than the winchesters. I will have one done before November rifle season for dear .

That .338 Federal Number 1 is still for sale (new listing). Don't see how you'll get a build done by deer season, or for less money than this one.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Item/682526637

It's not a High Wall, or a .358, but it's close on both counts and ready now. The .338 Fed is a little more flexible than it's older sibling, I think, with lighter faster bullets for deer and plenty of weight available for bigger stuff too. If nothing but exactly what you want will do, by all means do it, but you likely won't get it when you want it, so be patient and get it done just right.

Whatever you do, good luck.

Thanks pappy , never messed with the 338 fed , no dies , brass , data...........actually lousy reasons for a gun looney .

Bottom line really like the 358 and prefer the 1885 over the number one , don't get me wrong , I was shooting bug eye groups with no. 1 in 223 this afternoon but as far a a walkabout rifle the short version 45/70 I have is better and I hope to duplicate that with the 24" low wall .

Also all I need is the donor , it will then go post haste to JES Reboring , Jesse will turn that around in a couple weeks . His work is excellent and quick.

If it runs true to form I already have tried and true loads 200g & 225 g nosler and Speer bullets over TAC .

I have roughly 60 days .

I would like to see a Winchester 1885 Trapper 45-70 with a 28 inch barrel.

That should be pretty simple, starting with one of the bargain Trappers from CDNN. I thought that the short, round barrel is what makes it a Trapper.

I'd like a 22 inch, or so .38/55 myself. 16" is just too short. They do have some .405s with 22" octagonal barrels that could be loaded down to .40/72 levels or so. Having owned one before (.45/70), that crescent buttplate scares me. My little .44 has one, but that's a whole 'nother world power-wise.

I could like a modern Low Wall in .30-30. That would be a slick rifle. I could also like a #1A in .35 Rem, which would also be a slick rifle

Yup.

Don't know why they went with the High Walls for the Traditional Hunters in .30/30 and .38/55 when the LW action handles the hot .308-based rounds, and a Low Wall could be so much handier.

You may remember the high-class Low Wall .257 built by our top local gunsmith John Meyers, of Boyce, VA. Octagonal to round barrel with a wedding ring, and glorious wood. Someone here posted pictures a few years ago. If I were younger, I might go for something like that, but I'd likely be dead or at least out of the game by the time it was done.

Why all the dreaming ? Ever see an armored car follow a hearse ?

http://www.gunsinternational.com/gu...85-38-55-win-w7226-.cfm?gun_id=100641048

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/683396593

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/685362328

Dream is getting closer to reality , purchased a donor 1885 in 243 today .

I'm a slow learner. I think I recall owning five, maybe six Ruger No. 1 rifles. Try as I may, I can't get a 4" ER scope to work for me, even with extension rings. Closest I come is with a Leupold 3.5-10 (non AO, a little more room between the bells) as long as the power ring doesn't go past 5X. The A0 does not work.

I have had much better results scoping the Browning 1885. I would like a .38-55. Looks like I'm going to have to look to Italy for that, but I really prefer the shotgun butt.

Jack

I pondered scope choice long and hard after buying my No.1V. The VX-3.5-10 works well down low, and okay at 10x if I crawl a bit. I might try the new Tract on it after I finish dinking around with the rifle it's on, though the last thing the Ruger needs is another 8oz of weight.

This thread almost caused me to make a big mistake. I got out my No.1 and my CZ 527 and laid them back to back to see if swapping the 3.5-10 on the Ruger for the 3-12 Tract would work. Was about ready to do it when I decided to check without the lens covers. Big difference! Would have left me crawling the stock all the time on the single shot. The CZ would have been fine, and a half pound lighter. That one may be getting a fixed 6 at some point.

Lipsey did this in a 26" a couple years ago. I got one and really like that configuration. I would not expect to see that repeated for a while. There was a lyman special quite a few years back. Way back. That included an old style scope. Not likely to be offered again either. There is Gun Broker where anything No1 can be found.

I am waiting for something that starts with a 5 and has a rim.

Edit: I realize now you said 1885. That was also offered in 45/70 with a medium wt 28" barrel. Or check out Buds, that could meet your specs.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/719011654

Here is another one, NEW different butt plate,

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/700953204

No one really has to look very hard for 45/70. Now it got to be 358 and 38/55 won t do and has to be certain barrel and action .... figure the odds.

About seven years or so ago I had a Browning/Winchester 1885 Highwall short hunter in 38/55. I'm thinking it had a 22" octagon barrel that had a true buckhorn rear sight, a brass bead front sight and a folding tang sight that was quite nice. It shot very well with both jacketed and cast bullets. I know it's not a 358Win. But it would handle the same critters quite well. I am a .358 bore fan though I only have five of them presently. Two of those are in 358 Winchester and one runs a close second place to my favorite. I have a 1977 Marlin 336 in 35 Remington that is called my favorite but I've killed more deer with my BLR-81 in 358 (steel receiver). I bought a Remington 7600 carbine several years that were made as a limited run for Grice's Sporting Goods. I toyed with the idea of dropping a chamber reamer in to make a 358 out of it but I sold it for what I had in it. Two years ago I got the itch for a 35 Whelen and since my first centerfire rifle was a Remington 7600 I found one of those out of the late 1980s or early '90's.
All of this to say that I am sold on the .35 caliber and if it is a 358 Winchester,q I know it will handle almost any hunting I could ever find myself in from the muzzle to 250 yds. To quote a gentleman from another forum, " thump something with a 35 and it stays thumped. "

Take my word for it. That 1885 with the traditional butt plate is a #%^*+ . Mine shot well, but the only thing I ever shot in .45-70 that was worse recoil wise, was a Ruger #3. Ouch!

Jack

Had both of those, briefly, so I can sympathize. Possibly the only thing worse I've experienced was an Ithaca Supersingle slug gun, apparently so named because it slugged the bejabbers out of anyone that shot it.

No , it was not a dream .

Rifle in hand and it shows promise on paper , presently breaking in barrel nosler style shooting and cleaning .

Deer season opens this week , mounted a 2x7 VXR Firedot , working a load of TAC behind a 225 nosler partition .

Keep fingers crossed.

Good for you. It's amazing to me that you got all that put together in such short order. Last 'smith job I commissioned took about three months; to get one hole drilled in a receiver.

All of us naysayers would like pictures when you get a chance.

Watch that lever under recoil!

I've got a pretty one in 270 if anyone is interested:

http://www.gunsinternational.com/gu...-1885-270-win-w-box.cfm?gun_id=100890582

Pappy know exactly what your talking about but that does not apply to JES Rebore , excellent work , excellent service , that combined with a local shop smith who installed the pad and rigged the new scope in a three day turnaround !

First week of rifle season starts Saturday , will try to get some more pictures , may need some assistance getting on the campfire though , usually have a sie of file issue .

Recoil is solid but a limb saver pad takes the bite , at game you would never notice .

TAC powder with the 225 partition and my CHRONY is telling me a flat 2400 fops , 50 yard groups are ragged holes.