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Can’t get excited about an exposed hammer and lousy trigger (and no fixes for this) on a scoped hunting rifle. Fit and finish are beyond reproach.

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I had the later (but very similar) Browning 1885 in .243 for a while. Same deal as many have already mentioned: Very accurate and pretty wood, but the trigger sucked. Took it to the only gunsmith I knew who I'd trust with such a project. Among other things he could reregulate double rifles, and rebarrel double shotguns--with barrels he made himself, partly due to having apprenticed for a couple years with Krieghoff when he started out. He did as much as he dared to the trigger, and improved the pull maybe 10%.


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Lee Shaver did my .300 H&H and got the trigger down to 2 lbs, but it took him several months and many phone calls to get my trigger back. Most guys report two week turn a round.

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Last year there was a nice looking B78 in 25-06 at a local sporting goods store consigned there by an employee. Expressing interest in it, I asked the seller about it. He stated forthrightly that both he and his grandfather had a frustrating time finding any load the gun would shoot accurately, and they had tried several factory and handloads. Not needing a project, I lost interest in the gun. It sold a few weeks later. From this string it is obvious that others have had better experiences with the B78.

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I have a 22-250 LNIB, bought it about 20 years ago to shoot woodchucks in New Jersey, the coyotes just about wiped them out. I have a Leupold 6.5-20 scope on it, I can put 5 Winchester 40 grainers from Wally World on a bottle cap. Trigger is "spongy", still shoots great, a little heavy, would make a great box blind gun if it were 6mm or 25-06. It sits in the safe. Someday I will stumble on woodchuck central.

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Originally Posted by BC30cal
comerade;
Thanks for the reply sir, I appreciate it.

Indeed tattoos seem to be the place to spend money for many of the younger set.

While I can appreciate the art involved, when my kids asked me if I'd ever considered one and I replied, "No because if you ever have to disappear it's one more thing to worry about" is something they still bring up! As you can well imagine, having me as a father was "interesting" for our girls on many days I'm certain! wink

If you end up with a B78, I have a box full of parts for one, including an action actually, but the falling block part is damaged as I recall. Long story from another time and place with more parts that I inherited. Anyways should you need parts, give me a shout as I might have it?

My buddy and hunting partner who owned the .25-06 still talks about regretting selling it back then and it was really not a bad arm at all.

The only thing I didn't like about it as opposed to a No. 1 is that the falling block is narrower, so when one is reloading it, one can "thumb" the round in with a No. 1, but with the B78 one has to push the round home with a thinner digit, say your index finger as the thumb sorta doesn't fit well.

We both liked the fact it could be safely carried loaded with the hammer down, which made it a better horse hunting rifle in many ways than the No. 1 that I used for years.

Again I hope that made some sense and was useful sir.

Dwayne

I located another in a .270 WCF, bad trigger and all. Bad triggers are on all of my leverguns ,so I am used to it.
Now if the stars align - and I get delivery of it .
Do these rifles have long throat like the Ruger #1?

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I don't think so. The one I have is a 30-06 and it has a standard throat, at least as far as I can tell. Decently accurate too.
Paul B.


Our forefathers did not politely protest the British.They did not vote them out of office, nor did they impeach the king,march on the capitol or ask permission for their rights. ----------------They just shot them.
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Well , the rifle has been shipped to me. I am looking forward to trying it, and the inevitable alterations.
The first problem is , the thing is immaculate, this will have to change. A new truck needs a few scratches and dents to feel like a real truck....ditto for a using rifle.
I have owned and used a Ruger #1, and feel out of favor with it, p.o.i. walked around to much, I found it needed an external hammer for safety sakes ( did not like the tang safety even for a few moments)and the final insult- the tiny coil spring on the lever fell out when the tiny set screw backed out - this held the action closed.
This happened just before a northern sheep hunt, and why you take a backup rifle. I would of applied Teflon or lock tight had I known.
Perhaps the Browning will disappoint, but either way I should learn something.
Open to all suggestions and thanks.
Question- has anyone tried a long eye relief scope on a rifle like this? Cheers

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Originally Posted by comerade
Question- has anyone tried a long eye relief scope on a rifle like this? Cheers


I don't know whether the scope mount location would accommodate a LER scope.

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I have the rifle now, the trigger is crisp, fairly light and no travel. I took it to a roping practice, and after ,over a beer or five I showed it to my neighbor...he really liked the trigger.A Weatherby man..
Others can chime in any time but this trigger is very good and not what I was expecting

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I'm guessing that must be an 1885 because I don't think they ever chambered the B78 in 270. You have a better chance of getting a decent trigger with one of those.


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Originally Posted by Jerryv
I'm guessing that must be an 1885 because I don't think they ever chambered the B78 in 270. You have a better chance of getting a decent trigger with one of those.


Jerry


According to Wikipedia :

Browning B-78. First built in 1973 and discontinued in 1983, this single shot rifle was initially offered in .22-250, 6 mm Remington, .25-06, and .30-06. .243 and 7mm Rem Mag was added to the standard rifle line and a .45-70 version was added on a heavier frame.

According to this it never came in .270. Funny thing is i thought it did. Silly me.
Paul B.

Last edited by PJGunner; 08/08/20.

Our forefathers did not politely protest the British.They did not vote them out of office, nor did they impeach the king,march on the capitol or ask permission for their rights. ----------------They just shot them.
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I tried to put Talley mounts and rings on a B 78 octagon barrel in .25-06. There is a difference in ring heights of .13 inch in order to have a level scope. I sent the Tally's back and got Leupold rings but had to buy a set of low and a set of medium to get the proper alignment. I was quite disappointed about this (as I like Tally products) but the customer support person at Tally did not have a clue as to the ring height difference.

Set up now with a scope with a 1" tube the rifle will shoot an inch group at a 100 yards easily. I have no trigger issues with this one but have read all the horror stories so I just stay away from it. It shoots 117 gr. SST's very well.

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I am doing a little research on this new rifle of mine...it is a Miroku B78,
It has talley mounts , I will remove these for a P rail, ( our little machine shop/ gunsmith will come up with this. I will then put on a long eye relief rifle scope
The Zeiss Conquest scope will be sold
It needs no trigger work at all, it is quite nice.
I have wanted one of these rifles for a long period of time and just might use it for Bighorns this fall.

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I have two 78 Brownings, both have the Browning bases and rings.
Yesterday, I tried changing the scope from the mid-70's Redfield to a late model scope and noticed Leupold rings wont fit the bases.
With the new scope, there is no room for my thumb to lower the hammer to half cock.
Going to order Weaver bases and use different rings.

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Quote "We also installed a trigger shoe on it to mitigate the pull feel somewhat and the owner and I felt it was an improvement."
More info about the trigger shoe, please
thanks

Last edited by bg7m; 10/04/20.
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I have shot my B78 25-06.
As I have my Browning 1885, Uberti 1885, and Ruger #1. They are all good to me.

I have not shot my Win 1885 45/60, as it has issues.


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Can anyone help me find bases and rings for a B78

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Originally Posted by bg7m
Quote "We also installed a trigger shoe on it to mitigate the pull feel somewhat and the owner and I felt it was an improvement."
More info about the trigger shoe, please
thanks


bg7m;
Good morning to you sir, I hope that the day's looking to be a nice one in your part of the world and all else is as it should be for you and yours.

While I can't recall much regarding the specifics of the exact trigger shoe we used, I'll do my best to outline the standard procedure of rifles we equipped with them.

For the longest time in the late '80's and '90's, I would buy each and every trigger shoe I was able to lay hands on, the thought being that the supply would eventually dry up.

As far as brands, foggy semi-old guy memory recalls seeing Tyler, Ace and Flaigs on some of them, but surely there may have been others as well.

Since I had a parts drawer well stocked with them, I'd find one that was close to fitting or would actually fit, then would hot glue it in place as well as using the factory twin installation screws.

We'd discovered - the hard way of course as most things of lasting value are - that if the arms were subjected to horses, quads or mountain hikes there was a better than good chance of the shoe falling off somewhere, sometime.

The hot glue solved that little issue then and there and I do not believe any of our arms or those of folks I've worked on lost a shoe with that adhesive used. Of course a wee bit of heat with a heat gun will have it fall off and in an emergency up the mountain, after the screws are loosened, it can be knocked off with a bit of a hit with a punch, but I would say that some triggers and housings are less robust than others and on an old Parker Hale trigger for instance I would not recommend hitting it with anything ever. As in never, ever, never.... frown

The supply of triggers shoes has, as expected, completely dried up or at least become inflated to a point where I'm not finding them for under $50 CDN when the shipping and exchange gets factored in.

Anyways sir, sorry I can't be more help than that, but hopefully it was at least somewhat useful for you or someone out there in the ether space.

All the best to you this fall.

Dwayne


The most important stuff in life isn't "stuff"

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Originally Posted by Kudu1
Can anyone help me find bases and rings for a B78

I plan to exchange my Browning bases and rings to Weaver bases and Burris rings.
If they work, I will have mine available

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