Winchester / Browning 1886

[tcrocker]

How about some reviews and pics of some 1886's. I was thinking of getting one soon and would like to get some input from owners. I am thinking of the full rifle version not the light rifle.[smilie=s:

[NickSS]

I had a take down version with a full octagon barrel in 45-90 and it shoot exceptionally well. It would shoot right along with my Shiloh Sharps 45-70. I traded it to a guy for a C Sharps High Wall with extras straight accross and think I got the better of the deal. I now have an original Winchester 86 Light weight rifle. This rifle is in 45-70 and also shoots about as well as the newer Winchester/Browning I had but this one as I said is original and worth more to me as a result.

[2shot]

I have the extra light 1886 Winchester Jap repo. The only thing I don't like is the rifling. This repo makes the Marlin Micro-groove rifling look deep! I have not tried it with cast but I would bet that it wouldn't do very well just based on the coments about the MG Marlin problems.

Otherwise I love this Extra Light with 405 gr Rem bullets.

2shot

[KCSO]

If you can get a Browning NOT a Winchester USRA. The Browning is made like the old ones and the new Winchesters have a rebounding hammer system that so far in my expiernce has been a 50 50 proposition. They are plauged with light strikes and string B/P shots badly or ftf about 1-10 shots. Don't worry about a takedown rifle as long as it is tight it will be just as accurate as a solid frame. If you are looking at an old original stay away from the 40-82 as they were made as an express rifle and shoot a 260 or so grain bullet and they are very load sesnitive.

[StarMetal]

I have the Browning carbine and have zero problems with it, it had deep rifling, and it shoots very well. I'm glad I bought it. I lucked out in that it's a standard model, but it came with Grade A wood...the buttstock is all fiddleback.

[tcrocker]

I use a 464gr cast boolit in my Marlin 1895GS would this round be ok ?

[mack1]

For enough money and a little time the rebounding hammer can be fixed. The hammer trigger and mainspring from a browning will fit in a win the only problem I had was the block the mainspring sits in was to short for my pistol grip frame had to make a new ont longer and also has to retain the trigger spring. The browning is a better option as it is also drilled for a reciever sight.

[square butte]

Mack1, where were you able to locate the browning hammer, trigger and main spring?

[tcrocker]

Here's one being sold by Puma. The MSRP is $1399. Wonder what type of rifling it has? Do you guys think 22 or 26 inch barrel? Did some looking on the Armi's Chippa home sight and they offer flip up sight s on the carbine version it'd be nice if they were on the rifle version. They go out to 900 yard /metters I don't know they just go 200 to 900.
http://http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss8/crockerthomas/Capture.png

[tcrocker]

Here's one of the carbine sight
http://http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss8/crockerthomas/Capture-1.png

[MtGun44]

+1 on what KCSO said.

I have the Win Xtralite, nicely made but the "re-engineering" of the firing system is a mess.

I finally have it doing pretty well, but I had 24" vertical stringing at one point at 100 yds.
Also, they have NO throat. The Rem 405 jacketed works great, but that is because like
the Swiss GP11 bullet, it is a two diameter bullet. Not possible to seat a normal bullet like
the 350 Hornady out to the cannelure and then chamber the round. Six nice nicks on the
bullet ogive.

Bill

[StarMetal]

Here's one being sold by Puma. The MSRP is $1399. Wonder what type of rifling it has? Do you guys think 22 or 26 inch barrel? Did some looking on the Armi's Chippa home sight and they offer flip up sight s on the carbine version it'd be nice if they were on the rifle version. They go out to 900 yard /metters I don't know they just go 200 to 900.
http://http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss8/crockerthomas/Capture.png

I can tell you the 26 inch barreled rifles are HEAVY....that's why I got the carbine. It's all you need in a 45-70 as you're not shooting a magnum cartridge, and this one works excellent as lower speeds.

[tcrocker]

I'm leaning towards the rifle I have a Marlin 1895GS and was wonting some thing for longer shots. And what I've read the rifle version shoots on par with a Sharps kind of hard to believe but I don't know thats why I'm asking here.

[Trapshooter]

I have one of the Winchester repro rifles. Beside the issues with the rebounding firing pin system, that curved metal butt plate is murder on a skinny old guy's shoulder without some sort of padding. I've re-worked the rebound spring per an article in an old Rifle magazine, but I don't trust it for shooting at anything that might bite back.

Trapshooter

[Heavy lead]

I have one of the Winchester repro rifles. Beside the issues with the rebounding firing pin system, that curved metal butt plate is murder on a skinny old guy's shoulder without some sort of padding. I've re-worked the rebound spring per an article in an old Rifle magazine, but I don't trust it for shooting at anything that might bite back.

Trapshooter

I had two, a lightweight, extra lightweight or whatever they were called, had the same problem, got rid of it.
Another beautiful take down full size, with the curved buttplate, got rid of it too.
Any 45-70 I get again (also had two Marlins at one time too) will be a single shot. The bolt throw on these is just too long and ungainly for me to operate and be comfortable with, I'm 5'10" with a big chest (52") and just can't work them. My arms are just too short to operate them as intended. My levers are all 94's right now, loose, sloppy and mechanically unerving, but they work and I really like the fact that I can shoot full length (WFN's with a nose of up to .420) out of both the .45 and the .44 I have (I did have to adjust the follower a little), they also will shoot all the Keith boolits I have too.
I really like the 1886 rifle, it is tight, solid and just screams quality, but they just don't fit. And the new ones need to be reworked to make them reliable in my book.

[mack1]

Mack1, where were you able to locate the browning hammer, trigger and main spring?

Midwest gun parts had everything required even a list already made up. I found this information on this forum but do not remember the thread.