Free Floating forearm on 1885

[Ironworker]

Octagon bbl with a octagon channel in the forearm . How do I sand it out ? It was suggested to wrap sand paper around the barrel .What grade of sand paper fine or course ? I'm worried I could scratch bbl,I guess I could wrap paper at the end.

[Southern Son]

If your Hiwall is the same as my Spagetti Hiwall, the fore end bolts to the barrel, which will kind of negate the free floating and just make for a loose fit.

[NSB]

If you want to improve the accuracy of your gun, visit http://www.texas-mac.com/Modifying_a_Browning_or_Winchester_1885_to_Improve _Accuracy.html
I've spoken to this gentleman several times over the years and he's a true expert on these firearms. Asking on the internet will get you a few good answers, some completely wrong answers, and some terrible answers. You don't know which are which. Texas-Mac buys, trades, and writes all about these guns and he's a very nice guy to talk to who's always willing to get you on the right path. I know you've talked to Lee Shaver about your gun and he gave you some good advice. Go to the people who really know these products and are also willing to help those who are new to them. Some of the advice you're getting is going to ruin your gun if you follow it. Your forearm is not attached to the barrel, it's attached to a hanger under the barrel. Have you had the forearm off the gun yet? I know you're having accuracy problems, but they just might be the loads you're using and the person shooting the gun. These guns are remarkably accurate right out of the box with good ammunition. Get hold to Texas-mac for a starting place. Good luck.

[KCSO]

You need to make and attach a hanger to the action and then attach the fore end to the hanger. I personally have never seen that much gain over a properly bedded solid forearm. I just bedded one for a friend and he's shooting better at Quigley and such than he ever has.

[oldred]

It would certainly help to know WHICH 1885 you are asking about, the newer Jap built versions are totally different animals than the original Winchesters, the USA built replicas or even the Italian imports. Like everything else on the Jap built guns the forearm is very different in how it attaches so any mods would be totally dependent on which rifle you have.

As has been mentioned already if it's a Mikuro Jap rifle those things are usually amazingly accurate right out of the box, or at least the one's I have seen were, and accuracy problems can usually be traced to the ammo or even shooter error. Of course even the best can have a problem sometimes and maybe there could be a problem with the rifle itself but first determining just what that problem might be would be the most prudent thing to do before modifying any part of it.

[Ironworker]

I have the Miroku version . Trigger is at Lee Shavers shop and today I sanded and sanded and sanded the forearm and placed two metal shims measuring.080( Two pieces of 1/8 welding rod hammered to that thickness). So now I can slide a dollar bill up and down the forearm with minimal resistance. ( Before it was impossible)I Checked the free Float job done on Nosler rifles and their gap is larger.( Now I'm wondering if I sanded enough?) So now waiting for return package of trigger from Lee Shavers shop to test out my free floating job in Forearm.

[NSB]

You should have bought the Miroku instead of the Mikuro. I think you got the Chinese knock-off. :kidding:

[Ironworker]

Spelling corrected

[NSB]

Spelling corrected

Just joking a bit. My spelling isn't all that great myself. Let us know how it shoots after you get the Lee Shaver trigger in.

[Ironworker]

I sure will,looks like its unlikely I'll get it back by the 1st of September ,leaving for Montana prairie dogs that day.

[oldred]

You should have bought the Miroku instead of the Mikuro. I think you got the Chinese knock-off. :kidding:

He probably copied my spellen of it, Lol!

In the reply above his I was unsure of the spelling so I did a quick "Google" and took the spelling from the title of the first link that popped up. It "appeared" to be a link to a site dealing with the Miroku/mikuro Winchesters so that's the way I spelled it, just checked that link and it's actually to Rimfire Central and the link title is actually the title of a post in which someone else had misspelled Miroku!

Probably all part of a diabolical plot to confuse folks! :mrgreen:

[MT Chambers]

I'd leave the wood alone and sand the barrel round.

[Red Cent]

226207

http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1351821540/15

Barrel drilled and tapped and attached.

[Clark]

226222226223

I made a forend for the Browning and I made a forend for the Uberti.

[Ironworker]

So is that another problem I need to tackle with my 1885 . The scope mounting system ?

[NSB]

This shouldn't be all that difficult. I have a Win/Miroku 1885 and putting a scope on it was quite simple and the forearm hanger that came on the gun worked quite well. The gun shoots great. It could be possible that you have some wood touching the barrel, but you'd only need to take a very slight bit off at that spot(s). You don't need to rework/sand the entire forearm. Mounting scope bases is really simple. Leupold makes bases and rings that mount on the gun. This 45-70 shoots sub 1moa with many different loads. These guns are quite accurate right out of the box.
226262

[Ironworker]

I have sanded forearm and I can now easily slide a dollar bill between forearm and bbl. I have mounted a scope on it with factory drilling with no problem. The trigger is terrible ,Lee Shaver is working his magic on it. Awaiting return shipment.

[NSB]

I have sanded forearm and I can now easily slide a dollar bill between forearm and bbl. I have mounted a scope on it with factory drilling with no problem. The trigger is terrible ,Lee Shaver is working his magic on it. Awaiting return shipment.

When I got this gun I thought the trigger was "terrible". It was 3-3.5lbs. I called Lee Shaver (nice guy, he'll help you in any way he can). He asked what the trigger weight was and I told him. His response was, "that's a decent trigger, for a hunting gun I wouldn't change it". Now he sells triggers, so that was a pretty honest response. I did have him do a trigger on another Miroku and it turned out to be 1.5lbs with his parts installed. My High Wall breaks at 3.0lbs now that I've shot it a while and it has no travel in it. I guess he was right because it shoots just fine with the original trigger in place. My point is that getting the trigger made better won't hurt a thing, but it might not be as much of an improvement as you think it will be. Unless it was gritty and heavy, you may not see a great improvement. I'd still be looking at the loads being used as the primary source of your accuracy problems. Your bullet weight should be appropriate for the twist in the barrel, and you need to try a good number of bullets to see which one the gun prefers. I'd focus on bullet weight/twist at this point if you're not satisfied when you get it back.

[Ironworker]

NSB I'll hope for the best. I think the tight forearm also contributed,Lee advised me on free floating it. I did and now just waiting for the trigger.He said I'd get it back maybe with in two weeks. Leaving for MT Saturday ,I doubt I'll get it by then. Like all of us I have several other varmint rifles to bring.226390