1885 Highwall Question

[Tuolumne Lawman]

Howdy to the Camp

I just got an 1885 Uberti Highwall in 45-90 to do a Cowboy Chronicle aricle on.  I know Sharps and Rolling blocks somewhat, but the Highwall I have little experience with. 

The question is this: I could have sworn that when you work the action on a Highwall, the hammer cocks itself on the upstroke.  This one doesn't.  You must cock the hammer with youre thumb after cycling the action.  Maybe I am just dreaming, but I thought it was supposed to cock!

BTW, beautiful gun with an Awesome trigger from the factory.  About 1 to 1 1/2 puunds and sweet!

[Four-Eyed Buck]

TL, I believe the Uberti's aren't supposed to. Might be a consequence of being able to copy the action, or a safety measure.........Buck

[Bounty Bill]

I have a Browning 1885 BPCR High Wall 45/70 and it does cock the hammer itself when you raise the lever and block.  I also have a original 1885 Winchester Low Wall 22 cal that has the fly in it and it does not go to full cock when the lever and block are raised.  Also a Winchseter High Wall 38/55 that the hammer does cock when the lever and block are raised.

Bounty Bill

[Ed Clintwood]

According to Mike Venturino's book on "Shooting Buffalo Rifles of the Old West", in the chapter on the Hi-Wall, the original Winchesters did cock the hammer on closing the breach, but about 1909, due to customer concern the changed that to half-cock.  I would venture a guess that Uberti (and their lawyers) refined that further OR as in the case of my Uberti Lightning there is no half-cock but a rebounding hammer.  As much as I dislike lawyers getting involved in gun design, if it's a rebounding hammer, that might make sense.

[gw]

I currently have 3 original Hiwalls and have owned 2 more in the past, they all cock on closing the action, even the one in 22lr. Maybe the lawyers "redesigned" the Uberti or it could be a defective action. A call to Uberi might solve the issue. Let us know what you find out.

                                                                                                    GW

[Delmonico]

The flat main spring High-Walls and Low-Walls cock on opening, the coil main spring ones don't.

[Bounty Bill]

The early models of the 1885  would all put the hammer to full cock when you worked the action.
The later action with the coil spring would also put the hammer to full cock when the action was worked.  Some of the coil spring actions had a slot milled in the hammer for the fly that allowed the hammer to  remain at half-cock when the action was worked.  After 1908 the slot inthe hammer for the fly was a standard feature .  The fly allowed the hammer to remain at half-cock instead of full-cock.  On the early models you could order the slot in the hammer for the fly so the rifle would go to half-cock for $2.00 per the Winchester catalogs.

Bounty Bill

[Scattered Thumbs]

The  sad news is...The lawyers redesigned Uberti's high wall. They don't cock the hammer when  you close the action.

[Ed Clintwood]

How about a long range shoot with lawyers (paper targets of course ) at various ranges.  Or is that inciting terrorism?

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Don't look at me!  I have nothing to do with Uberti, and MY highwall cocks properly.

[h c ramrod]

Well all the uberti's high walls that i have sold at the store , cimarron and taylors imports do not cock on closing....... I though that was more to the origanal
my browning does  every once in a whill the browning wont cock , not sure wy but all i do to corect the problem is when the lever is open push the trigger foward it will clik and then be ok .
thinking its little dirt ?

[Delmonico]

Dirt or a weak trigger return spring.

[txjr]

All the new Winchester/Miroku 1885's cock on closing, none of the Uberti's do. The Brownings should also.

[Uncle Jaque]

Well, this one...

Does.   

I guess it was built before Lawyers ruled the World... ahh; the good old days....

It's not a bad shooter, either...

It's probably not much as a "collector", as my Pappy, God rest his soul, whittled the stock himself

Note the "Neidner" butt-plate (which is a b!#c# to fit!)

But it looks about as good as it shoots (.45-70).  It seems to like the cast 500 grainers over a full load of black powder.

I was going to use it on single-shot sillouette competition, but that sport seems to have died out, and the longest range I have in the area I now live in is about 85 yards.

You hardly need that old Lyman tang sight at that range.  Those are getting a little scarce all by themselves, ain't they?

Oh; it's got one of those "double-set" triggers; push it forward until it clicks, then just tech 'er, and off she goes!

Since I havn't popped a cap in it for about 20 years, I'm thinking about selling it, as much as I hate to... but I've gotta get at least $1600 for it.   I've been told that the best bet is to consign it to one of the high end auction houses, and that's probably what I'll do.

[Be-A-triss Bandit]

Uncle Jaque, that is one of the most beautiful sets of timber I have ever seen!
BB

[Uncle Jaque]

Thanks; Ol' Pappy had a way with walnut, that's for sure.
I have never been able to come close to his level of artistry. 

You'd probably like to see some of his other work, too - like the Mannlicher style stock on the old Model 70 Winchester, or the full curley maple one on the 513-T target .22.

Here's the stock job that he did on a .22 "Winder" rifle, which my Brother now has:

That one stays open when you lock it up, too.

[Be-A-triss Bandit]

My compliments to your Pappy.  He's an artist of fine wood and oil.

[Four-Eyed Buck]

Very nice, UJ! Your Pappy did seem to have a gift with wood. Original '85's in very shootable condition are few and far between. You want to reconsider sellin' that one, it's a treasure....................Buck

[Delmonico]

I have one of the flat-main spring Low-Walls that stays cocked on closing.  Wish it had nicer wood, but the original ain't real bad, some one repaced the barrel with a Springfield Armory 22 target barrel and ran a 22 Hornet reamer up it.



The scope is one of the old Weaver steel K-12's and the rings are pre-WWII Weavers set up for a dove-tail rail, been told those are rare in 1'.

1885 Winnies are just plain neat and finding un-modified ones are as hard as findin 57 Chevy 2 door hard-tops in original condition.