Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Browning 1885 .45LC

Just acquired in a trade, a Browning 1885 Low Wall traditional hunter in .34 LC. Has anyone use one and if so, how is the accuracy? I was having illicit thoughts of lengthening the chamber to .454 Casull. But common sense tells me it may recoil excessively with the cresent butt. Any comments?

Grasshopper

I could get really snooty and say there is no such thing as a LONG COLT, except for the 38 Long Colt... Only newby dudes refer to the 45 Colt, as a 45 Long Colt.

I do not think I would rechamber a Low Wall from 45 Colt, to 454 Casull. I would think the Low Wall action may not be strong enough for the 454 Casull cartridge. However, some of the new 1885 rifles have been chambered for some pretty healthy rifle cartridges such as the 260 Remington. Others may comment on this further...

The 1885 HIGH WALL has been chanbered in 454 Casull, although they are hard to find.

I have a 1885 Browning Low Wall chambered in 45 Colt. Does your 1885 rifle have the half octagon, half round barrel?

Bill

Stillwater
I could get really snooty and say there is no such thing as a LONG COLT, except for the 38 Long Colt... Only newby dudes refer to the 45 Colt, as a 45 Long Colt.
Bill [/quote]

Paco Kelly a "newby dude"??? not likely..
http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/45coltlevergun.htm

Grasshopper..there is load data in the above article...I have one of these rifles and shoot cast bullets only...Haven't shot it much in the last few years but my records show that best load tried was with 22grs of H110 and a Mt. Molds 328gr gas checked long flatnose..I have a LBT 300gr WFN that I think would shoot very well in this rifle as it shot great in a Winchester/Miroku Model 92 lever action...If you don't cast try Beartooth Bullets
http://www.beartoothbullets.com/

My groups aren't that great running around 3.25"-4" at 100 meters...I think this rifle would do better if I spent more time with it but I got side tracked on other cals.
Oh yes...I found the front site was to high so I had to cut it with a hack saw down from the top (several times) so I could push the site out with a brass punch...Miroku had it in there really tite...I replaced the front site with a very low fire site...

I don't think there is an issue with the 454casull if the rifle is a modern low wall, they made them in 243 which is a very high pressure cartridge.

According to Wikipedia, the "45 Long Colt" designation was started by the Military to preven t confusion with the 45 Scholfield, which is a shorter case - makes sense to me, I've always reffered to my 45 new service as a "long Colt" .
Cat

I have one in .357 and took out the open middle sight and just use the tang peep sight. I got tired of seeing half of the open sight looking through the peep. With my old eyes I can get about 2.5 to 3 inch groups. With a very accurate set trigger Mauser I was also able to get 2.5 to 3 inch groups with peep sight. So I conclude, the rifle is capable of minute of angle groups, but I ain't. I would expect your .45 Long Colt to do the same. By the way, you don't need to soup it up to have it kill well. It ain't the velocity, it is the big and heavy bullet that does the work. A big flat point helps a lot. Good shooting with it.

G'hopper;

Don't you dare touch that chamber.....

[quote=Stillwater
I could get really snooty and say there is no such thing as a LONG COLT, except for the 38 Long Colt... Only newby dudes refer to the 45 Colt, as a 45 Long Colt.

I do not think I would rechamber a Low Wall from 45 Colt, to 454 Casull. I would think the Low Wall action may not be strong enough for the 454 Casull cartridge. However, some of the new 1885 rifles have been chambered for some pretty healthy rifle cartridges such as the 260 Remington. Others may comment on this further...

The 1885 HIGH WALL has been chanbered in 454 Casull, although they are hard to find.

I have a 1885 Browning Low Wall chambered in 45 Colt. Does your 1885 rifle have the half octagon, half round barrel?

Bill[/quote]

Bill,

I really don't consider myself a Newbie, However, you may... And if you wish to, I guess that's your perrogative...

Be that as it may, In most of the reloading manuals I own, that is the generally accepted nomenclature. If that offends you, then you have my utmost apologies... I did check the rifle and yes; it is indeed stamped: .45 Colt

And yes; it has the half/octagon bbl. (devoius soul that I am; I was tempted to call it a "hex" barrel. But according to custom gunsmith Robert Snapp... there is no such thing...)

Thanks to all for their comments. At the moment, I am unsure what I am going to do with it. I do have numerous .45 cal. (.452) bullet moulds and likely that is all I would use it for: a cast bullet plincker.

I have not discounted the possibility of rebarreling to either .32-20 or .25-20. There again, my only use would be a plinker.

As a hunting rifle, (deer only) I think I would be better served by acquiring a .357 and rechambering to .357 Maximum. (Especially since I already own dies, brass, and other paraphenalia.)

Just idle thoughts from a mostly idle mind....

Grasshopper

When you're past 71 years old, and have been shooting since you were five years old, most people today are Newby-Dudes to you...!

When I grew up, we learned it was either the 45 Colt, which was used in the SA's we owned. Or it was the 45 auto, or ACP which was used in our 1911's. It seems such a small thing to learn, except for city slickers...!



The authors of the reloading manuals, trying to sell their products, are trying to make sure city slickers don't make mistakes...



OCTAGONAL as in eight sided, HEX as in six sided.

My 45 Colt Low Wall has engraving and case hardening on the receiver, does your have that also?



I hunt with 45 Colt caliber firearms, using cast bullets, just because I grew up with people from the Old West. And, it seems like a good thing to do.



I would like to have a 1885 Low Wall in 32-20 myself. My grandfather who lived from 1850-1950, really liked the 32-20 cartridge.



I have an 1885 Low Wall in 357 myself. The 357 Maximum would seem to be a great cartridge for a Low Wall.



GrassWhopper I don't think your mind is very idle at all...!

Bill

Bill,

I can see where you'd consider me a "Newbie". Since you got about 14 years on me.

I have been a "Gun Nut" ever since I can remember. However a reloader, only since 1973. I was an avid Handgunner until the early 90's when my interests segwayed into rifles. However over the years I have bought, sold, traded, and owned well over a hundred handguns of various chamberings. Amoung them 4 .45 Colts, IIRC. Two New Model Rugers, a 7.5" and a .4 5/8" (Which I still own), a Great Western, SAA; and three contender barrels (which I still have...) I've also owned several .45 Autos , Amoung them, a Colt Gold Cup, 2 Combat Commanders, a Detonics, and a Kimber Ultra Carry, all of which I still own.

From here on, I shall make it a point to refer to the .45 revolver cartridge as the .45 Colt so as not to offend anyone... (The above was mentioned only to state my credentials...)

The idea of metamorphising the Jap Browning into a .32-20 is considered only because I don't believe the Oriental production Brownings will ever have significant collector value. The idea of using the .32 WCF as a hunting cartridge deesn't seem all that feasible in today's world. The only game I think it would be useful for would be either rabbits or Turkey.

I don't hunt rabbits at all, and even if I did, I'd likely use the .22 LR.

Unfortunately, here in Michigan, the use of a rifle on Turkeys is prohibited. And for some reason, the use of a scattergun just doesn't excite me. (No offense to those who love them...)

Thus, the .32-20 has little practical usage. Other than a very satisfying plinker. I have a .32-20 barrel for my contender, and it is one of my favorites. I also have 5 or 6 bullet moulds in the 100 gr. to 125 gr. weights.

Thanks again for your comments, They put a on my face...

Grasshopper

For those that don't know yet, Grasshopper is one of the best fellas you'll find out there, anywhere.

FWIW, if'n you were going to look at rebarreling that little gem to something else, what about the new .327 Federal cartridge, that would then allow the use of the .327, the .32 H&R Magnum, the .32 S&W Long, .32 S&W, and likely .32ACP......

Just a few more idle thoughts, from a certainly idle mind.

I wish you had the 14 years on me...



Speaking of gun nuts, I was raised in a family of certified gun nuts. I learned to cast bullets, and load cartridges, under supervision, when I was nine years old. No one in Montana thought it was odd for a nine year old to be reloading cartridges. We used those old Lyman nut cracker style tools.

For some reason, I have wound up with thirteen 1911 style 45 automatics. That is, until two weeks ago. Now my total of 1911's has moved up to fifteen...! Enough already...!

I had, two Series 70 Government Models and three Gold Cups. Then because I kept running into deals I couldn't pass up, I have kept buying more as they appeared.

I bought a Series 80 Enhanced Government Model, just because I wanted one. I bought the Series 80 around 1986.

Then two more 70 Series Gold Cups came in about 1991. One of these Gold Cups had been given the full treatment by Jim Hoag, who used to be a gunsmith at Kings Gun works.

Jim went on his own in 1975, and has been doing great since. If you go to 1911.com and do a search on his name, you will find he is regarded as one of the top ten 1911 gunsmiths in the United States.

Then a 1911 Commercial, the predecessor to the 70 Series Government model, another Hoag complete rework, became available and I bought it.

Another two 70 Series Government Models came wandering my way at give away prices, and I collected them.

One fine day, a Springfield Armory TRP Operator 1911, beckoned at me, and that came home to grace my gun safe. Soon another 70 Series Government Model fell in love with me, and it came home to roost.

Then a friend of mine fell upon hard times, (A bad woman) and his P13, and P14 Para-ordnance 1911 pistols found refuge in my gun safe. Both of these two pistols had had the Hoag full treatment, before they came to roost with me.

Except for the one modified Gold Cup, the other four are unmodified and I use them in match shooting. Along with three S&W Model 41's, and three High Standard target pistols, a Victor and two High Standard Supermatic Citation pistols.

All of the other 1911 style pistols, except for the four Gold Cups, have had complete treatments by Jim Hoag. All of the modified 1911's have Bomar adjustable sights installed on them.



It's not an major offense to call the 45 Colt a Long Colt. I have worked as an engineer most of my adult work life. During this work experience I had to deal in explicit facts, day in and day out. Therefore a term that is not used in it's best form, jumps out at me.



I think it is well accepted that most of the 1885 Browning and Winchester models, made by Miroku, will never had the collector value, or interest, the original Winchesters have. Well, at least not in the next fifty years anyway.

The BPCR rifles made by Miroku, for Winchester and Browning, have had their value increase very sharply. Used rifles of this model are selling for over $2600.00 now. These rifles have Badger barrels, factory installed, on them.

I think the Browning/Winchester/Miroku 1885's will retain their value, with particular models, like your 45 Colt Low Wall, and the engraved, gold enlayed models, raising in value.



For me, having an 1885 Low Wall in 32-20 would be desirable because of the nostalgia attached to the cartridge. I saw my Grandfather, using a 32-20, stalk and kill Deer and Antelope, using head shots to bring the game down.

But them my Grandfather, in Montana from Iowa since 1866, could hunt, stalk, and shoot, better than most people.

Personally, I would limit my use of the 32-20 cartridge to animals no larger than a Coyote of a Wolf. I just picked up an unused, Marlin Model 1894, in 32-20.



Well, if you want to eat the meat, you should only use a rifle chambered in 22 LR for shooting rabbits to eat. The only rabbits that can be safely used for food, around here, are Cottontail rabbits.

I use one of my AR15's to shoot Jack Rabbits with, because, at least in California, the Jack Rabbits have Tuleremia (rabbit fever) and you can get it from them.



Shotgun's don't excite me very much either. I don't know why that is...! I only have two shotguns, one is a Remington 870 riot gun. I like the Remington 870, which I use for home protection. Nothing can get attention of a bad guy, like the sound of a slide action shotgun, with the slide being actuated.

My other shotgun is Russian TOZ replica, of what is called a Coach gun. This shotgun is a 20 inch barreled Side by Side, with side lock, exposed hammers. I got this shotgun, for $75.00, from the friend in trouble, or I would never have bought it. It's a better shotgun that I would have given it credit for, before I bought it.



That was a good post GrassWhopper.

Bill