1885 in .356 win? Feasable?

[.45Cole]

So I'd REALLY like to have a .356/.358/.35 whelen caliber someday. I thought about a m1/m1a in .35 or a 788. A 1885 in .356 might be neat, as I'd only need one slug when they're that big. Is this possible, I assume that I would have to use a rimmed case for a winny/miroku 1885 or I could go rimless for the B-78. The .356 has the same rim diameter as the 30-30 family, and it's a hare smaller than the 40-65 family. I would just have to find a barrel manufacture who would make a barrel (maybe half round?) for it.
Something to ponder, your thoughts?

[Chill Wills]

Have you considered a 30-40 Krag case as the base case?
It could be necked up to 358" to meet your needs.
It also could become a 38-50 Rem Hepburn with a .375 barrel or a .379" barrel
It could also become a 40-60 Maynard using a 40 cal barrel (.400"-.408") - I have two of these and are a fav

all these are common reamers and gunsmiths - some gunsmiths make their living barreling singleshots to these calibers.

[bigted]

so i have three of the miroku offerings ... two brownings and a winny. i do not see any reason that the action could not be turned into just about whatever you desire.

i would get the hunter model or the trapper model tho and have the ejector that they have ... the BPCR just has an extractor which to my mind ... when hunting or looking for a fast reload is a poor setup ... give me a good strong ejector every time.

the miroku action and steel used in them lend a vault like lockup. very strong and i have heard it resembles the Ruger #1 in strength.

[.45Cole]

I have a Browing low wall hunter in .45 Colt and I love it. The fit and finish are absolutely beautiful. The cation looks like a tank. I was thinking that the trapper would be a good rifle b/c nobody wants them and they're relatively inexpensive.

I am really after a .358 winchester, or if I had to, a .35 whelen. The .356 win is nice because it's a factory rimmed case (like a .358R) , and I can buy brass from Winchester. I thought about a .375, but I'd rather stick to .35 cal (pistol bullets for light loads).

[kootne]

Just a thought, look at what winchester did back in the day, 35 winchester was based on the 30/40 case head. Dies are available but not cheap, brass can be made from Hornaday .405, Jamison and bertram make it also.
kootne

[Chill Wills]

I have a Browing low wall hunter in .45 Colt and I love it. The fit and finish are absolutely beautiful. The cation looks like a tank. I was thinking that the trapper would be a good rifle b/c nobody wants them and they're relatively inexpensive.

I am really after a .358 winchester, or if I had to, a .35 whelen. The .356 win is nice because it's a factory rimmed case (like a .358R) , and I can buy brass from Winchester. I thought about a .375, but I'd rather stick to .35 cal (pistol bullets for light loads).

The problem encountered for most people is getting the 356 Win. brass. It is not widely available nor much called for.
Rare = expensive - unless you already have some or have some lined up. That is why the next cast head up in size, the 30-40 Krag, which is very common and available in non-Obummer years is a best case plan for most of us. sorry about the pun.....

Maybe a B-78 rimless type extractor for the easy to come by 308/3006 case head is the way to go. Then you can have the 358 Winchester. ....which is a great cast bullet round and then so is the Whelen too for that mater.

The 35 Krag is a standard wildcat and would be about the same as the 358 Win for cast... an option for rimed actions if you can find a good price on a trapper model to re-barrel.

[pietro]

.


I'd just K.I.S.S. and send a Browning .30-06 to Jes ( www.35caliber.com ) and have him rebore the bbl to .358" (.35 Whelan) - about $225-$250.



.

[Tatume]

... An 1885 in .356 might be neat, as I'd only need one slug when they're that big. Is this possible, I assume that I would have to use a rimmed case for a winny/miroku 1885 or I could go rimless for the B-78.

The Winchester High Wall/Browning 1885 will handle rimless cases just fine. I have a Browning 1885 in 30-06 that I have thought about sending to JES to be rebored to 35 Whelen.

[williamwaco]

I vote for the .358 Winchester.

[.45Cole]

I really like just using the .3258 winchester for all the reasons that above, but I also want to have a rimmed case just because it's a bit of a nod to the 1885 in my mind. Plus, nobody has done it that I can think of. The .35 Krag is a good idea and I might pursue that if .356 doesn't pan out and I stay with a rimmed case. I figure that I'll prob buy 500 or so cases, enough to last a lifetime, before committing t the rifle. Ouch, I just looked at .356 brass , maybe the Krag case is the way to go

[Tatume]

I vote for the .358 Winchester.

Hi William,

I like the 358 Winchester too, and the OP could actually cut the chamber for 356 Winchester and shoot either. However, did Browning or Winchester ever offer the 1885/High Wall in 308 Winchester? If not, then a new barrel would be required.

Take care, Tom

[olafhardt]

Every time I have been in Cabelas in the past year they have had several 35 Whelen Handi's for chump change compared to what you are talking about spending.

[pietro]

.

All well & good - But IMHO, there's NO comparison of a Handi breal-open singe-shot, & it's birch stockwood, with a walnut-stocked Browning/Miroku falling-block single-shot, in looks, workmanship, strength & accuracy.



.

[olafhardt]

Well Pietro we all have our opinions. I think the Browning 22 Auto is the very slickest gun made. The humpback Auto is plain ugly. The BPS is one of if not the most beautiful shotguns ever made even out shining the European side by sides. The 12 gauge OU's are too ugly to own a trait they share with the SKS and AK 47. The 1911 corn sheller I give no more than a grunt but the Hipower is truly beautiful. How do you know a Browning 1885 is stronger than a Handi and more accurate? I don't know that. I do know that either will do what I want done. You guys pay the big money and I will take tthe cheapies.

[Chill Wills]

Life's too short to go out with ugly guns!

[oldred]

Olafhardt, I suppose if all you want is something that shoots then you may have a point but even if you fail to understand the fact is some folks want a bit more than that. The cheapest is not always the best choice depending on wants and needs, especially the wants part, and if someone wants a nice looking fine handling rifle instead of a plain utility grade gun then that may be their choice for the same reason they might choose a nice sedan for a car instead of a cheap compact. Both cars would get you where you want to go just the same as both guns will shoot just fine but the fact is getting there is sometimes half of the equation, if a person wants a Highwall and can afford it then they shouldn't settle for a Handi!

[Hickory]

The 358 Winchester is a great round.
The 444 Marlin cartridge will slide in and out of a 358 Winchester sizing die, that is basically a rimmed 358 Winchester. Mike Bellm used to rechamber small 35 caliber barrels up to that round.
I had a 15" Contender reworked to this cartridge, it's a great shooter and hits hard even from a short barrel.

[EDG]

We all have our opinions. If cash cost is your only criteria then no guns are cheaper than the cheapies.
If you think the BPS is so great looking I bet you have never fired one. Function is also a requirement and they are clumsy to reload compared to any other pump. I am a skeet shooter and I have shot a friends. Very unimpressive when compared to any other repeater on the skeet range.
For use in competitive shooting or even informal skeet no one uses a side by side on a regular basis unless it is someone out for grins with a .410.
Yeah the Highpower is nice looking - but it is only a 9mm. Did you ever shoot a Kimber 45 ACP? The 9mm HP that will out shoot a Kimber has never been built.
Everyone but you knows that a 1885 is about 4X stronger than the Handi. The Brownings are also very accurate but you will not get to know that if you only buy cheapies. The heavy barrel Browning 78s are very accurate as are the 1885 BPCR rifles.
Perhaps you should have read the 1963 or 64 American Rifleman review of the Topper in .22 Jet. Horrible accuracy.
Perhaps you should have bought the Topper that a friend of mine bought. It had rifling for the first 6 inches ahead of the chamber . Then the bore slowly opened to about 32 cal and the last 6 inches of the bore had no rifling at all.

Well Pietro we all have our opinions. I think the Browning 22 Auto is the very slickest gun made. The humpback Auto is plain ugly. The BPS is one of if not the most beautiful shotguns ever made even out shining the European side by sides. The 12 gauge OU's are too ugly to own a trait they share with the SKS and AK 47. The 1911 corn sheller I give no more than a grunt but the Hipower is truly beautiful. How do you know a Browning 1885 is stronger than a Handi and more accurate? I don't know that. I do know that either will do what I want done. You guys pay the big money and I will take tthe cheapies.

[olafhardt]

Well EDG (BTW does that stand Expensive Distinguished Guns) 63-64 was a long time ago. That's about Winchester made so many improvements. The push feed post 64 model 70's feed a lot better than the pre 64. The post 64 model 94 once a few bugs were worked out is superior to the pre 64. My model 1300 winchester was an all round better gun than my model 12. My son has a BPS which he loves and is death on squirrels. I think the bottom ejector pumps are great if you like pumps. I think competitive shooting has had some deleterious effects on just plain shooting. Some things I really don't like are:
Heavy barrels
Large capacity magazines
Scopes
Light triggers
Star Wars stocks
ETC
If I want to shoot a 45 I will use my son's Glock. How do you know that a 78 is 4X strong as a Handirifle? Lots of people have published good reviews of the Handirifle. As far as strength goes the only true way that I know to test that is to shoot a gun to destruction with increasing loads. P.O. Ackley did this with some suurprising results

[Don McDowell]

So I'd REALLY like to have a .356/.358/.35 whelen caliber someday. I thought about a m1/m1a in .35 or a 788. A 1885 in .356 might be neat, as I'd only need one slug when they're that big. Is this possible, I assume that I would have to use a rimmed case for a winny/miroku 1885 or I could go rimless for the B-78. The .356 has the same rim diameter as the 30-30 family, and it's a hare smaller than the 40-65 family. I would just have to find a barrel manufacture who would make a barrel (maybe half round?) for it.
Something to ponder, your thoughts?

Yes it is feasible. But all the 356 was intended to be was a throttled down 358 that would reliably cycle and fire in a model 94. So unless you just have to have that rimmed case why not just do the 358?