Why the 1886?

[Niederlander]

Why is there such a fascination with the 1886 Winchester?  Don't get me wrong, I love the heavy ol' beast myself!  Just wondering why others like them as much as I do.  You don't see them in movies, they're big, and they're heavy, but it's probably my favorite lever action rifle.  (Mine is a round barrel .45-70.)  I love the bank vault action, the accuracy, the power, pretty much everything.  What say you guys?

[King Medallion]

I think they just look cool, especially the old worn surfaced ones, with battle scarred wood. Mine is a Browning SRC, that I cut the stock flat and added a couple inches of pull. Glad to see this new 1886 section

[Isom]

I think the basic draw to the '86 is that it's a lever action ,,,, it's a big bore,,, and it's a "Winchester". It is heavy, but, if you're running it hot it does soak up recoil. I bought one, 45-70 in the mid-late 80's, kind of used pretty good. Fun gun. Bought another one in 38-56. Great prices. Shot it for fun, the 45-70,,  decided to clean it up a bit. It had the prettiest piece of wood for the stock that someone cut about 1 1/2" off to put a butt-ugly, red buttpad on it. The fore arm looked like a piece of whittiled pine. I had it rebarreled, blued, I did the wood, it came out respectable. Late 90's joined SASS found out about letters from Win., Colt & S&W etc. So , got a letter, found out it left the factory as a 40-65. No I didn't change it, it'll die a 45-70. The 38-56 looks well worn, but it's staying as is.
Isom

[Gabriel Law]

Why indeed?  The Winchester 86 is such a great rifle.  I like the weight and the tank action.  Mine is a Browning - new to me this past year.  I have restocked it in nicer wood with a shotgun butt and chequering.



I too am delighted to see this new forum.

[Jubal Starbuck]

     What's not to like about the 1886?  Mine is an octagon barrelled rifle in .40-65 caliber, made in 1889.  It needed some tlc when I got it; the bore was bad, the lever was bent, and the hammer had one of the notches broken off.  I had Craig Rittenhouse in PA reline it  for me and I couldn't be happier with the results.  I found a new hammer in a gunshop in Maine and bent the lever back into spec, replaced a few missing parts and the old girl was ready to bark.  I found a set of Lyman mold blocks and cast up some 245 grain bullets, sized 'em to .406" and lubed them with SPG.  I ran some .45-70 cases through my  .40-65 sizing die and loaded 'em up.  I like Swiss 1.5fg for a propellant.  A tang sight gets me hits on steel out to 250 yds.  Haven't had oppoortunity to shoot further, but I'm happy with that.  Original barrel sights work well to 100 yds.; after that I use the tang sight.  I've also shot some loads with 5744  as a propellant with good results, but I lean toward the dark side for the most part.

     Regards,


     Jubal Starbuck

[Trailrider]

I can't recall if I read the book, "John Moses Browning - American Gun Maker" before or after the first time I ran across a M1886 Winchester in (believe it or not) a San Francisco gun shop in the summer of 1962. The gun was interesting, and the action so smooth that I couldn't help but buy it (with about all the wages earned on a summer job)! It was in .45-90, and there were no 2.4 inch cartridge cases available at the time, so I shot .45-70's in it. Somewhere along the line I traded it off on a M71, which got traded for another '86.  I've since owned several of these guns, some in .45-70, .40-65 and .33 WCF.  I was able to take several wild boar with the .33 WCF in the late 1960's, and had loads for a rebuilt .45-70 that could have taken a tyrannosaurus rex or two, or a griz, but the opportunity for the later never presented itself.

The mechanism for the '86 and M71 is very interesting and a true testament to John Mose's genius.

The only flaw in the design of the original '86 is that the ejector forms the bottom half of the firing pin channel, and should the ejector head break off and not be noticed the following shot will allow the primer to back out and you get a slight sprinkling of gas on your forehead! No harm, no damage, but back in the '60's you could buy sets of M71 breechblock and locking lugs from Numrich.  The M71 breechblock has the entire firing pin channel surrounded by leather and the firing pin is smaller in diameter.  Fitted by a competent gunsmith, you eliminate the problem. (I believe the only time I had an ejector break like that was shooting heavy loads that pounded the ejector.) Just to be on the safe side, I had the .33 WCF rifle fitted with the second M71 breechblock and locking lugs that I had bought from Numrich.  I wouldn't hesitate to shoot originals with loads that were appropriate to the time period of manufacture of the original '86.

[PJ Hardtack]

A while back I asked for an '86 forum page and was told that there was insufficient interest. I'm glad to see that has changed.

Maybe we can include it's baby brother the '92 as well. Both guns represent the epitome of lever action rifles.

[Coal Creek Griff]

Maybe we can include it's baby brother the '92 as well. Both guns represent the epitome of lever action rifles.

Actually they added an 1892 forum too, right under this one!  I think it's a good idea too.

CC Griff

[1961MJS]

Hi

I picked up a new Winchester 1886 in a local gun store, and loved the feel, and balance.  I DIDN'T love the tang safety so I ordered a Chiappa.  Unfortunately, mine had the really fancy wood, but it's a shooter.  So far I've added a Marble folding sight, and a Lyman peep sight.  I think I'll replace the Lyman with a Marble Improved.  At this point, I'm shooting 300 gain Hornaday's in it, but may swap to 405 Grain Lead.

Later Y'all

[PJ Hardtack]

Actually they added an 1892 forum too, right under this one!  I think it's a good idea too.

CC Griff

.... so I see. That's a positive step.

[Buckaroo Lou]

I remember seeing an old movie where a bad guy was using a 1886 but I can't remember the name of the movie. I remember it was in black & white.

I remember a movie starring Gary Cooper where he played a Texas Ranger that had gone up north to Canada. I believe the Canadian Mounted Police in the movie were carrying 1886 carbines. If I remember correctly that movie was "Distant Drums".

The most current movie where a 1886 is used is the new version of "Monte Walsh" starring Tom Selleck. I believe he uses an M1886 .50 Express carbine in the movie.

[Forty Rod]

I have a Browning repro with a 26" octagonal barrel in .45-70.

With proper ammo there's not much on this continent or the two to the south that I couldn't handle if I had the right ammo.  Not ever going to Asia or Africa, so they are moot to this discussion.

Besides, that big rifle is just as smooth as any I own and is really easy on the eyes.

[Trooper Hook]

Just a correction to Buckaroo Lou post. The Gary Cooper movie you mention was 1940,s Northwest Mounted Police in which he played a Texas Ranger in Canada. This was his and directors Cecil B Demille,s first all Technicolor movie. Just for your info.

[Buckaroo Lou]

Trooper Hook, You are correct. I stand corrected. 

[Jimeast]

Where did you get your 1886 re-stocked?  The new wood looks great!!!

Why indeed?  The Winchester 86 is such a great rifle.  I like the weight and the tank action.  Mine is a Browning - new to me this past year.  I have restocked it in nicer wood with a shotgun butt and chequering.



I too am delighted to see this new forum.

[Gabriel Law]

Jimeast:  I bought a stock blank from our local gunsmith at the Rod and Gun Club's annual Gun Show last May.  I paid $300 for the board.  He said it was American walnut, but I'm sure it is either Claro or Bastone - very hard and lovely figure.  And I stocked, chequered and finished it myself.  I raised the comb about 3/8" and with the shotgun but, removed the crescent and thus added 1 1/2" to the LOP.  Now the rifle shoulders and cheeks solidly...much more pleasant to shoot, and more easily shot accurately.  I'm still working on loads that htis rifle likes, but an having some success with AA5744 and Varget, and cast bullets at 418 grains.

[cpt dan blodgett]

I just picked up a 24 inch round barreled 45/70 miruko winchester 1886.  Bought off Gun Broker from a guy in Grant NE of all places.  May have to visit his shop next time I am able to make a Muster in Sargent.  One trip to the range with it.  It will shoot when I do my part several loads 2 about 3/4 to 1 in apart and the 3 out about 2 inches.  Next trip will take Highpower 100 yard bull targets and use the more precise 6 o'clock hold vs the center of bull or cover bull technique

[Grizzly Adams]

I believe Sam Eliot's character in Rough Riders is carrying an 1886 in the first part of that movie.

[Coffinmaker]

  None Of The Above   

Yep.  None of the above.  You all miss the actual reason for the 1886.

It's because 1885 didn't sound right and 1887 was already taken.    Likewise, 1889 just didn't have a "ring" to it.  Therefore, the 1886.  Ripley's

Stay Safe Out There

[greyhawk]

  None Of The Above   

Yep.  None of the above.  You all miss the actual reason for the 1886.

It's because 1885 didn't sound right and 1887 was already taken.    Likewise, 1889 just didn't have a "ring" to it.  Therefore, the 1886.  Ripley's

Stay Safe Out There

Coffin - yre asleep at the wheel mate - 1885 wuz already took too 

hey I saw the coolest 1885 - was on the last few days visiting friends in the Nebraska sandhills and one of the locals invited me around to see his collection (just a knockabout bloke that liked guns not a money man at all) had two tables of stuff laid out for me to look at maybe 15 old guns and other table of new stuff AR's n such

Had a rattly old colt SA with 7 notches filed (long time ago) in the ejector housing/tube - he'd dug it up out there someplace in the hills - my attention went straight to the 1885 SS - Granmaws rifle she bought it to bring out when they settled here from the east - whats calibre ? he says 32/20 - I looked again - hole in the end is right size - I sez no mate thats a 32/40 can we look? - this rifle was a full schutzen option - tang sight, hooked brass buttplate, palm rest, the works -we looked - sure nuff - 32/40 ------------Granmaw had shot dinner more than a few times with it and maybe she got it cheap of some dude back home - ole mate had left it alone but looked after it - bore was good for an old gun - never saw another like it (original 85's were pretty rare downunder)