More Than You Thought You Needed to Know about the Model 1885

The Model 1885, Winchester’s first single shot lever action, was originally designed by John Browning. No big surprise there. The most obvious differences between the Browning production of an estimated 600 guns and the larger, much longer Winchester run were an integral lower tang on the Browning builds and a detachable one on the Winchesters. In addition, Browning receivers met the stock straight on while the Winchester stock followed a curve.

Choosing to differentiate further, Winchester chose to play These included Scheutzens, muskets, shotguns and carbines, in addition to special order rifles. down to near invisibility the Model 1885 designation and offered the rifle simply as "The Single Shot," a marked departure for a company having grown famous for its lever action repeating rifles.

Confirmed buyers of the gun could order it in pretty much anyway they wanted: With or without set triggers, shotgun-style butt plates, Schuetzen or Swiss butts and their choice of receiver and stock finishes. Accommodations went so far as to offer matching the contour and finish of an existing stock on another rifle the customer was accustomed to and loved. In these cases, Winchester would marry a duplicate of the pet piece of wood to a Single Shot.

All these special services were performed for a mere pittance in additional charges when compared to the bucks required for similar factory customizing these days, if they’re available at all. The initial 5000 or so Single Shots were made with high wall receivers. After that, low wall receivers showed up. This High Wall/Low Wall distinction deserves a few more words of clarification. As I said previously, there is no mechanical difference between the two.

As I am about to say, the High Wall receiver isn’t higher than the Low Wall receiver either but

The marks must meet up again in reassembly to avoid headspacing problems. " there can be a difference in receiver thickness and how it joins up with the fore end wood. Collectors refer to 1885 receivers as "thick sides" and "thin sides." The thin ones have a flare where they meet the fore end.

The thick ones have no flare and are also known as "flat sides." No other Winchester has outdone the Single Shot for choice of chamberings, ranging from .22BB Cap up to .50-110 Express, with all of them propelled through six-groove rifling. Land widths and twists varied of course. Smaller caliber grooves were twice the land width with one turn every eighteen inches. Large caliber grooves were three times land width with a 1-in-60 twist. Reserved for high velocity rounds was a 1-in-9 twist.

No other Winchester has outdone the Single Shot in the sheer number of ways it was offered, either. Not including the hundreds (thousands?) of special order variations, Schuetzen double-set triggers became available as early as 1886. A "Special Sporting Rifle" featuring a thirty-inch barrel, target sights and Schuetzen butt plate was the immediate predecessor of a Single Shot Schuetzen showing up in catalogs.

Add to all mentioned so far that the Model 1885 was also produced as a musket, a shotgun and still undetermined numbers of Single Shot actions were shipped off to rifle builders including the legendary Harry Pope. This leaves little doubt and zero questions in my mind regarding why Uberti chose to continue the Model 1885 legacy.

Who can say how many members of today’s Custom Gunmakers Guild will select a Single Shot action as the platform for their craftsmanship or how many graduates from one of our resident gunsmithing schools will do the same to prove their acquired abilities? All new grads amongst our readers can consider that a post-graduate assignment from me to them. Go for it. Now down to the screws, pins, springs and one "no-no." Field Stripping Folks, this is so simple you’ll probably think I’m kidding.

Having properly checked and cleared the action, remove the tang screw (63), the fore end screw (183), the large, slotted head wood screw attaching the lower tang to the stock (62), pull the stock to the rear and pull off the fore end. This is all that’s really necessary to basically strip a Single Shot. Cocking the hammer readies the barrel for a breech to muzzle cleaning, which, in .22LR, will be likely needed sooner than later. The .22 is known to be inherently dirty.

Only top-of-the-line rimfires lessen the tendency. Since this "cleaner" ammunition isn’t generally considered for other than serious target competition due to its cost, the casual shooter leans, make that lunges, toward the cheapest brick of .22LR to be found on or off the shelf. Unless there is an enlarged chamber or headspace problem present, however, the Single Shot isn’t subject to excessive fouling of its firing mechanism.

Any residue present can normally be blown or flushed away down through the hammer slot in the receiver. When basic cleanups have been long neglected though, as was the case with an 1885 brought in to me a few months ago, there is a need to go beyond basic. Detailed Disassembly. There are two trigger guard screws (167). One is on the right side of the receiver and the other on the left. Back out both. Slide the trigger assembly straight back. It comes out as a unit.

Next, relieve tension on the right lever spring (92) by removing the lever spring screw (124). On the bottom of the trigger group is a small lever screw (101) that needs taking out. Do so. Open the action and punch out the lever pin (107) in either direction. Hold on to the lever and reach under the upper tang of the action and press the tail of the sear (174) down a little to clear a path for the hammer. Pull the lever assembly downward allowing the breech block (97) and extractor (79) to come with it.

The extractor will likely drop free. A warning here. The extractor may give you a minor problem down the

The author’s solution is included in the text. pike. If you’ve been observant you’ll notice its upper end fits in the barrel cut out while the extractor "rides" outside the breech block. Get the extractor trapped between the block and the barrel and you will never be able to install the lever assembly back into the receiver.

This trapping isn’t easily accomplished for the extractor and block are retained by the same pin (107) as the lever, but it usually requires a fair amount of applying the old "wiggle-wobble" technique to get all the parts into their respective receiver slots and the extractor head into its barrel breech cut.

A slow insertion is recommended with a dental tool or small punch guiding the extractor to assure it seats in the breech cut after its trip upward into the receiver and doesn’t get entangled with the block along the way. Look at the schematic. Locate part #294 near the front end of the lower tang lust forward of the trigger spring (19). What’s a "knock off" you ask? It’s apart akin to the "fly" you can come across in double set trigger guns, among others, that prevents the hammer from falling off half cock.

Very curious. While double set triggers can be had, and were, with Single Shots there’s none on the one being studied here. You’re invited to join me in puzzlement as to why, or what #294 does in the absence of a double set trigger. At present, the answer appears to be nada. Perhaps it’s there in case a modern day Uberti is ordered in with double sets and having the part already in the frame would make filling the request easier in terms of production line time required.

That’s only a guess but, for now, I reckon it will have to do as an explanation. Meanwhile, more about the block. It houses the firing pin (98) and spring (95) which are held in by the firing pin bearing (129) in turn secured by bearing screws (661). The rifle headspaces off this bearing. Before removing it, draw a line across the bearing to and including where it intersects with the block. The marks you make must intersect again during reassembly.

But the only reason you’d have to separate the firing pin from the block would be in the presence of fouling so severe the pin and spring have failed to work. Another point: The block pin (177) is pressed in to the lever, not the block, and will slide from the latter. Now for the "no-no." Pin #178 in the lever/hammer assembly has to be squeezed on one end.

It isn’t your ordinary drift pin and getting the mainspring back into the hammer approaches brain surgery while manipulating two punches and a few associated components. The parts aren’t tough to get apart but in getting them back together even Tom Loy couldn’t exactly explain. Tom’s the top tech at Taylor’s & Company who handles all servicing of the guns they import.

One of the things he has to do more often than others is reassemble the hammer (2), hammer pin (178), bushing (245) and mainspring (20) to the lever assembly for Single Shot owners — and gunsmiths — who thought they could put them back together. Usually, he does this at no charge beyond those involved with shipping. Nice guy, Tom. I only mention his services in case you’re handed a really dirty Single Shot and you’re so backed up you haven’t the time to waste tearing it all down for a detailed cleaning.

Well, once the wood is removed you can do an efficient clean-up without removing another part from the gun. You need a bucket, a funnel, a paper towel, a rubber or plastic squeeze bulb, about a gallon of mineral spirits and a quart of alcohol from the hardware store. Pour enough spirits into the bucket so you can immerse the C

action in it after the barrel has been taken care of. Let soak overnight. Fill the bulb with the fluid and flush out the mechanism a few times allowing the liquid to return to the bucket. Do not place the action back in the liquid, which has now been fouled with suspended residue.

Using the paper towel fitted in the funnel as a filter, return 1 Frame 2 Hammer 3 Barrel* 10 Trigger 15 Sight 19 Trigger Spring 20 Main Spring 26 Trigger Guard 35 Trigger Spring Screw 55 Rear Sight 57 Butt Stock 58 Butt Plate the contents of the bucket to its original container for possible future use. Fill the bulb with alcohol. Holding it over the same bucket, flush the action a few times to degrease it. Allow the alcohol to evaporate off the action or encourage it with a hand-held hair blower.

Lightly spray lubricate the assembly and when replacing the trigger 61 Rear Sight Windage 62 Butt Plate Screw 63 Tang Screw 68 Fore End 79 Extractor 89 Lever 92 Lever Spring 95 Firing Pin Spring 97 Breech Block 98 Firing Pin 99 Trigger Pin 101 Lever Pin Screw 107 Lever Pin 119 Rear Sight Screw 124 Lever Spring Screw 129 Firing Pin Bearing 167 Trigger Guard Screw 172 Fore End Cap 174 Sear 175 Sear Spring 177 Breech Block Pin 178 Hammer Pin 179 Sear Pin 182 Fore End Tenon housing to the frame don’t forget to depress the knock off (294) so it can fit under the sear.

I believe I’ve mentioned this timesaver in the past. A further advantage of it is that it works with any rifle, shotgun or handgun action in need of detailed clean-up including an action you’ve never seen before.

AG Uberti Model 1885 Single Shot (Speci ications subject to change without notice) (30-inch ri le barrels: .30-30, .45 LC, .44-40, .22 LR, .32-20, .22 HMR, .22 WMR) (28-inch carbine barrels: .30-30, .45 LC, .44-40, .40- 65, .45-70.) 183 Fore End Screw 217 Butt Plate Gate 230 Butt Plate Gate Pin 231 Butt Plate Gate Spring 232 Butt Plate Gate Screw 245 Bushing 294 Knock Off 363 Sear Spring Screw 449 Link Pin 617 Like 661 Firing Pin Bearing Screw 662 Lever Spring Tenon