Browning 1886

[Ironworker]

Can Black powder loads be fired out of a Browning 1886 in 45-70 safely ? or is there a better substitute not as dirty ?

[pietro]

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Either BP or a BP substitute (there are at least a dozen different ones) can be shot safely in either one.

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[koger]

You might want to try Unique, shoots great, kicks little.

[Nobade]

Of course. That's what it's made for. But obviously nitro powder will be cleaner.

[John Taylor]

Biggest problem with black powder and some of the substitutes is cleaning afterwords. Smokeless was not around when the 1886 rifle was designed.

[M-Tecs]

Blackhorn 209 is by far the cleanest of the Subs. Real BP the cleanup isn't bad. Recommend not using Pyrodex since it is actually corrosive verse hydroscopic like real BP.

[single shot jimmy]

Pictures? Also post it in the lever action forum for more information.

[warren5421]

I load with a case full of either 777 and/or FFg or FFFg black powder with a .060 wad, felt lube wad, and a RNFP 405 gr Pb bullet lubed with a black powder lube. I use a marking viberater to get about 57 gr in the case. You can use a drop tube also. Cleanup is faster with water than shooting smokeless. I remove every piece of wood and steel from the barrel and action. I run water through the barrel from the chamber, pull two patches from chamber through the barrel and is generally clean. That is shooting 100-150 rounds of black powder. Your rifle will handle all the black you want to shoot through it. You may find it shoots better with black.

[boommer]

86 is a lever gun this single shot thread and shooting 45-70 black 100-150 rds your barrel would look like a sewer pipe and you would be lucky to hit a buffalo in the butt at 50 ft with out cleaning the bore at 25 rnds without cleaning the bore or duplex loads or thick grease cookies.

[warren5421]

Boomer you are right, I looked and read 85 not 86. I wipe after every round, with my Marlin 95 I wipe after every magazine full. If the Marlin is shot single shot so I can load heavy 535gr layman's it shoots with my Browning High Wall. Max OAL for Marlin limits me to 405 gr RNFP.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
We shoot BP in most our lever rifle calibers.
Many shooters have issues due to not annealing hard brass necks so they will expand and seal the chamber. We use Goex 3F in many which burns clean and is a bit more affordable. None of our 86's or 76's blowback into the chamber.
After firing the brass is dropped into a gallon jug 3/4 full of water and Dawn to soak. When home the brass gets a uik srub with a bore brush Prier gets popped and the brass gets hung on a case tree to dry. That is all the brass cleaning we do. Shinny brass does not shoot any better.
Barrel gets several damp patches, couple dry ones and an path with ATF on it. Done