Disassembly/Reassembly of the Browning Model 1885 High Wall

Johnathon Browning (born 1805) ran an ad about his gunshop service on Mosquito Creek near Kanesville, Iowa. It went something like this: "I am prepared to manufacture to order improved revolving rifles, pistols, and slide guns unequaled this far East. You are invited to call and experience Browning improved firearms before buying elsewhere. Johnathon was the father of John Moses Browning (born 1855) who hunted with guns of his own design and manufacture during his teenage years.

For example, on May 12, 1879, he filed for a patent on a single-shot rifle which was granted on October 7 of the same year (US #220271). The first Winchesters resulting from the sale of the patent were designated the Model 1885 and often referred to simply as "The Single Shot." The mechanical differences between the early Browning-made single-shots and those produced by Oliver Winchester’s factory were almost insignificant. Such is not the case with the current Browning Model 1885.

A study of the schematics for the "new" 1885 and that of a Winchester will reveal many changes. However, the instructions for taking down a Browning of today can be generally applied to one of its ancestors. There will be fewer components to deal with in an original, making the task of reassembly proportionally easier.

In following up this commentary on the 1885 High Wall, I’d be remiss in not mentioning that the instructions are equally appropriate for the Low Wall model, the blackpowder Browning BPCR Creedmore, and the B78 (which is, after all, a High Wall knock-off). Most notable among the differences that do exist is the fact that the High Wall has an ejector; the Low Wall doesn’t, but both have an extractor.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t explain the numbering system, or simplification thereof, that you’ll see in the Browning 1885 High Wall schematic. Closer examination will reveal the last three digits actually identify the part, so the last three digits are all I’ve used in the accompanying parts list. This is a different approach than I’ve used in the past, true, but I think it will make finding the part concerned in the disassembly/reassembly directions somewhat easier.

Field Stripping The 1885 High Wall worked with here is a traditional model, meaning the receiver wears a tang, and the tang wears a tang sight. Remove the tangsight screws (#698) and the sight. Under the sight base is a stock screw. Remove it, the butt-plate screws, and the butt plate. You’ve just run into your first challenge in taking down this rifle. The stock is curved to extremes at the

butt’s o much so that the handle of a 7-inch-shank screwdriver keeps bumping into it, preventing the blade from contacting the stock bolt (#895). I found a solution in the form of an often-employed stock-removal tool for Remington shotguns sold by Brownells. It has an 11-inch shaft, a Thandle, comes with several bits that snap onto the 3/16-inch shaft, and will accept any 3/16-inch socket. Among the supplied bits is a blade that happens to fit the slot of the Browning stock screw perfectly.

Once that screw is out, the stock can be pulled to the rear and separated from the receiver. The forend is taken off by backing out the two screws (#816). From this point on, further disassembly takes place with the lever open (#834) and the rifle upside down. Detailed Disassembly In the upside-down position, all pins are drifted right to left as you look down on the gun. Before continuing, however, make a little tool you’ll be using right away and down the pike.

The basis of the tool is a small, inexpensive screwdriver. Grind or file a notch in the blade just wide enough to fit over the small end of the ejectorhammer plunger (#767), then harden the blade with Kase Nit (from Brownells). Using the tool, compress the plunger toward the receiver. Insert a small punch into the hole in the ejector hammer (#753) to hold the ejectorhammer sear (#761) in the downward position. Drift out the ejector-hammer sear pin (#763) and separate the sear from the ejector assembly.

Make sure the ejector-hammer extension (#756) is clear of the bolt by pulling the extension toward the muzzle. You may have to wiggle the lever some to clear the extension, but the lever remains open for the next steps. The lower pin on the lever is the hammer pin (#826). Drift it out to detach the hammer (#825). Working the lever slightly, pull out the mainspring guides (#855) and their springs (#852), and drift out the guide pin (#857). Note the two holes in the pin where the guides seat.

A With few exceptions, upside down is how the rifle is taken down and reassembled. The Browning’s trigger-housing pin (#938) is knurled at one end. Be sure to drift it out right to left before removing the trigger housing (#933). The lever pin (#836) is next to come out. Prior to its removal, note how the extractor spring (#774) and extractorspring plunger (#776) index on the groove in the pin. With the pin out, the lever (#834) and breech block (#730) will be released.

Remove the forearm hanger bolt (#812) and hanger (#810). But more disassembly remains. At the upper rear of the receiver is an item called a shell deflector (#742). It’s a pretty neat idea. It can be adjusted to cast the spent case out to the right, to the left, or stop it cold and let it rest atop the receiver. The deflector can be tapped out with a punch inserted where the trigger housing used to live.

Along with it will come the The homemade "U-bit" screwdriver described in the text is intended to fit over the hammer’s tip and aid in compressing the spring.

893 Stock Bolt 816 Forearm Screws 810 Forearm Hanger 812 Forearm Hanger Bolt 825 Upper Hammer Pin 826 Lower Hammer Pin 855 Mainspring Guide 852 Mainspring 857 Mainspring Pin 938 Trigger Housing Pin 933 Trigger Housing 907 Upper Sear/Trigger Pin 907 Lower Sear/Trigger Pin 871 Sear 875 Sear Spring 861 Rear Mainspring Pin 912 Trigger Spring deflector ball (#744) and deflectorball spring (#746). In the Low Wall model, the firing pin and spring are retained by a single screw. Not so with the High Wall.

Unfortunately, I might add. Here, the firing pin bushing (#783) has three Browning Model 1885 High Wall Single-Shot Rifle (Specifications subject to change without notice) 923 Trigger Pull Adjusting Screw 908 Trigger Sear 909 Trigger Sear Pin 836 Lever Pin 774 Extractor Spring 776 Extractor Spring Plunger 756 Ejector Hammer Extension 765 Ejector Hammer Spring small holes. You’re probably familiar with a golf shoe spike wrench. Something like it will be required to unscrew the bushing and you’ll have to make it.

Ideally, it would be a length of round stock with three blind holes drilled in one end into which short 761 Ejector Hammer Sear 750 Ejector Connecting Pin 730 Breech Block 768 Extractor 834 Lever 846 Link Breech Block Pin 844 Link 838 Lever Latch Ball 840 Lever Latch Ball Spring 742 Shell Deflector 744 Shell Deflector Ball 746 Shell Deflector Ball Spring 783 Firing Pin Bushing 780 Firing Pin 789 Firing Pin Spring lengths of drill rod were soldered or epoxied.

The drill rod would match the diameter of the holes in the firingpin bushing. We believe a less than ideal two-hole rig would work just as well and leave the final choice up to you. Yes, the factory has a tool they use to perform this little task. No, it’s not for sale. The good news is the firing pin is very unlikely to break and you can depress from the rear of the

breech block to flush out any accumulated fouling that might interfere with free movement. While you ponder exactly how you’re going to make a handy-dandy Browning-High Wall firing-pin-bushing-disassembly tool, we’ll move onto the trigger group. The trigger in this rifle is adjustable. The screw for adjusting it is located immediately aft of the trigger. Clockwise rotation reduces pull to a 3-1/2-pound minimum. Counterclockwise rotation increases pull to a maximum of about 5 pounds.

If the pull is made too heavy, the trigger won’t work at all. To remove the sear (#871), drift out the upper trigger/sear pin (#907). The sear spring (#875) will be released with it, as will the rear main- Bspring pin (#861). The spring’s long end indexes on the sear, with the short end on the mainspring pin. The spring itself is quick to take a set and weaken. During reinstallation, be aware of this characteristic and don’t bear down on the sear/mainspring connection for any length of time.

Best way to avoid the problem? Don’t bear down at all. Removal of the lower pin (#907) frees the trigger itself. After that, the trigger-pull adjusting screw (#923) and trigger spring (#912) can be removed from the housing. The trigger sear (#908) is separated from the trigger by drifting out the trigger-sear pin (#909). The lever and breech bolt are taken Aapart by drifting out the breech-block pin (#846) to free the lever, link (#844), and lever-latch ball (#838).

Reassembly Tips The ejector system is reassembled from the front of the forearm hanger to the rear. The lever/breech-block assembly must be entirely preassembled before going back into the receiver. During the reinstallation, the ejector connecting pin (#750) indexes in the groove in the ejector-hammer extension to keep everything tied together. In order to reinstall the lever pin, you have you compress the extractor spring and plunger by way of the bottom of the extractor. Otherwise, the pin will not pass through.

As it is with the lever/breech-block assembly, so it is with the hammer/ trigger assembly. It has to go into the receiver as a unit. And that’s the meanest part of getting the M1885 back together. The rifle is upside down, the trigger housing/trigger are together and standing by. Slide the mainspring pin through the hammer so there’s a hole on each side. Install the mainspring guides on both sides of the hammer and slip on their springs. The springs have to index on the tabs of the rear mainspring pin (#861).

Start in the combined hammer/ trigger assembly. The rifle is still upside down. The trigger housing will slide into its grooves in the receiver, but about halfway in, the hammer will catch on the sear. Pull the trigger. Lower the lever and it will push the assembly into the receiver. Now raise the lever as you hold onto the top of the hammer while aligning breechblock and hammer holes for the lower hammer pin. Insert a punch to keep the holes aligned and push out the punch with the pin.

Function test the gun using dummy rounds. There should be no problems, but there’s no guarantee made or implied here there won’t be. Experience has shown on many occasions that anyone can make a mistake putting a gun back together, and I made my share with this one the first time around. Embarrassing, but true. I