Working the Winchester 1885 Single-Shot Rifle

Prior to 1885, Winchester had been known all over the world for their lever-action, repeating rifles. When the Model 1885 was introduced, it became Winchester’s first single-shot rifle. The introduction of this rifle also marked Winchester’s first use of the designs of firearms genius John M. Browning, which was the beginning of along and profitable relationship for both parties.

Out in Ogden, Utah, the Browning brothers had been manufacturing John Browning’s 1878-patented single-shot rifles for several years on a relatively small scale. These rifles came to the attention of a Winchester sales rep, and eventually the manufacturing rights were purchased by Winchester in 1883. The Browning single-shot falling-block action was far simpler and more efficient than that of the Sharps, which was the standard of the day. John M.

Browning’s action was not only strong and simple, it was lightweight, compact, and utterly dependable. The Model 1885 Single Shot was introduced in that year, and Winchester continued its production up through 1920, producing an incredible number of options and variants along the way. The action was made in different configurations, including the so-called "High Wall," intended for large, powerful calibers, and the "Low Wall," designed for smaller calibers of medium to low pressure.

Rifles were also offered in many of the calibers available at the time, ranging from .22 Short rimfire up to the huge .50-caliber centerfire. One was even made as a 20-gauge shotgun. In all, something over 100,000 single-shot rifles, carbines, muskets, and shotguns were made by Winchester on this wonderful action design. Since that time, the excellent Winchester 1885 action’especially the High Wall variant’has been a favorite of singleshot rifle builders.

In more recent years, the modern Browning Arms Company sold a Japanese-manufactured replica of the 1885 single-shot from 1973 though 1983. This rifle was produced in several calibers, including modern cartridges like the 22-250 up to the 45-70. Starting in 1985, the company introduced their new Model 1885, which is still being manufactured in several variations, including a blackpowdercartridge rifle called the BPCR.

Model 1885s are available in Low Wall or High Wall configurations, and come in a variety of modern cartridges as well as some of the classic cartridges of the Old West such as .45 Colt, 38- 55, 40-60, and the workhorse 45-70. The modern Browning-made replicas are very well made, look good, shoot well, and have proven to be very dependable. Browning and Winchester are now part of the same organization, so you may see rifles with either manufacturer’s name.

Not to be left out, the Italian arms maker Uberti also manufactures a Author photos.

version of both the Model 1885 High Wall and the Low Wall rifle, and I have been fortunate enough to have had several examples to test over the last few years. These are available in several popular calibers from the .22 rimfire up through the 45/120. Uberti rifles are furnished with a color-casehardened receiver, breech-block hammer, trigger, and finger lever, which are all forged from super-tough 8620 steel alloy. On the good-looking Uberti rifles, the barrel, sights, and buttplate are blued.

With the Uberti action disassembled, you’ll note the firing pin has been changed to a more modern, smalldiameter, spring-loaded free-floating type. Winchester’s firing-pin retractor on the link is still there, although the only remaining function it has is to lift the hammer slightly up off the firing pin as the action is opened. The breech-block’s face has been fitted with a removable firing-pin bushing that contains the new firing pin and its spring.

The only objection I have to the Uberti is that it places the hammer at the half cock position, rather than fully cocking the arm. This won’t bother most hunters’in fact, it’s a nice safety feature’but it does slow down target shooters who would appreciate having the self-cocking feature. Other than the modifications noted, the internal parts of the Uberti replica look as if Winchester could have made them, and I don’t know of a better compliment.

In another variation from Winchester, Uberti uses the later High Wall coil-type mainspring to power the hammer; however, curiously they have retained the early Model 1885 under-barrel leaf spring as a lever-tension spring. Disassembly Instructions These basic steps will work for disassembling all Model 1885 Single Shots including the Winchester Model 1885

High-Wall and Low- Wall, the Browning Model 78, as well as the Uberti. Unless otherwise noted, I’ve used Uberti’s parts nomenclature here, and the schematic drawing is courtesy of A. Uberti. 1. Start by making sure the rifle is unloaded. Grasp the rifle around the barrel and forearm wood with your left hand, being careful to point the muzzle in a safe direction. Open the action by pulling the finger lever (#89) all the way down with your right hand.

Examine the barrel chamber to be certain there is no cartridge in the chamber. If there is a cartridge present, reach in and manually remove it out the rear of the barrel. I make a practice of removing any live ammunition to a location well away from my bench. 2. To remove the buttstock, forearm, and lever spring, start by unscrewing and removing the upper and lower tang screws (#62 and 63). Then you can pull the buttstock (#57) off toward the rear.

Unscrew and remove the forearm screw (#183) and remove the forearm (#68) by pulling it down first from the front and then towards the muzzle. Unscrew and remove the lever-spring screw (#124) from the underside of the rifle’s barrel (#3). The Winchester (Uberti) Model 1885 Single-Shot Rifle (Specifications subject to change without notice) 1 Frame 2 Hammer 3 Barrel 10 Trigger 15 Sight 19 Trigger Spring 20 Mainspring 26 Trigger Guard 35 Trigger Spring Screw lever spring (#92) is now loose.

Note that early Winchester Model 1885s made before about 1910 used a leaf mainspring that was mounted 55 Rear Assembly 57 Buttstock 58 Buttplate 61 Rear Sight Windage 62 Buttplate Screw 63 Tang Screw 68 Forend 79 Extractor 89 Lever 92 Right Lever Spring 95 Firing Pin Spring 97 Breech Block 98 Firing Pin 99 Trigger Pin 101 Lever Screw 107 Lever Pin 119 Rear Screw 124 Lever Spring Screw 129 Firing Pin Bearing 167 Trigger Guard Screw 172 Forend Cap 174 Sear 175 Sear Spring 177 Block Pin 178 Hammer Pin 179 Sear Pin 182 Tenon 183 Forend Screw 217 Buttplate Gate Assembly 231 Buttplate Gate Spring 232 Buttplate Gate Screw 245 Bushing 294 Knock-Off 363 Sear Spring Screw 449 Link Pin 617 Link 661 Firing Pin Bearing Screw 662 Lever Spring Tenon under the barrel in the same fashion as Uberti’s lever spring.

The early Winchester spring powered the lever and the hammer.

This allows access to the firing pin. 3. Disassemble the action by unscrewing and removing the two triggerguard screws (#167) from each action side. (Winchester called these "side tang screws.") Now pull the triggerguard (#26), known as the "lower tang" on Winchesters, off the receiver toward the rear. Unscrew and remove the lever screw (#101). Winchester called this a "finger lever pin stop screw." Now use a pin punch and hammer to drift out the lever pin (#107).

Pull down on the finger lever and, while holding the sear (#174) to the rear, remove the breechblock/hammer/lever assembly out through the bottom of the breechblock opening in the receiver. The extractor (#79) is now loose and will fall out the bottom of the receiver once the breech block is removed. Be sure to pay attention to how these parts fit together for later reassembly.

The breech-block (#97), hammer (#2), and finger-lever (#89) are disassembled by first removing the two large axle pins. (Drive them out with a pin punch and hammer.) Uberti makes use of a coiled mainspring which is similar but simpler in design to the coiled mainspring used on post- 1910 Winchester single-shots. For further breech-bolt disassembly, unscrew and remove the two firing-pin bearing screws (#661) from the front face of the breechblock (#97).

The firing-pin bearing (#129), the firing-pin spring (#95), and the firing pin (#98) can now be withdrawn from the front of the breech block. On Winchesters, remove the firing-pin retainer screw from the top of the breech block, and then the firing pin can be removed out through the rear of the breech block. 4. Disassembly of the trigger mechanism comes next.

The sear portion of the trigger mechanism is mounted in the upper-rear area of the receiver frame (#1) itself, but the trigger portion is mounted within the triggerguard. Unscrew and remove the searspring screw (#363) and the sear spring (#175) from the underside of the receiver’s tang. Using a cup-tipped pin punch and a small hammer, drive out the sear pin (#179) from either side of the receiver. The sear (#174) can now be removed out the bottom.

Pay careful attention to the positioning of the sear for later reassembly. Unscrew and remove the triggerspring screw (#35) and the trigger spring (#19). Winchester called this the "knock-off spring." The trigger (#10) and the knock-off are removed by first driving out their respective pins from either side of the triggerguard using a cup-tipped pin punch and hammer. Be sure to pay attention to the relationship of these parts for later reassembly.

That’s all there is to the disassembly. (I told you this rifle was simple.) Reassembly, as you might expect, is in the reverse order of the steps above. I