I am making this to let some know about the old school rifles. Compare some of this to your bolt rifle or even a 10-22.
The rifle is a 1886 Winchester made in 1890, unknown caliber. It came into my family from my grand dad in the 1930s. He was a gunsmith. Dad said the barrel was ruined and the guy was shooting .410s single shots thru it. I cannot confirm any of that story. In the 1950s it got a aftermarket barrel 20 inch,magazine tube shorten and chambered to 33 win., rear sight is a redfield peep. Dad and his 6 brothers shot it a lot at the farm and hunting deer, black bear and elk. 1970s Dad was given the rifle. I shot it a few times but, from then on it was rarely used. 2005 it was given to me.
I shot it at the range and found it would not cycle ammo correctly. When levering the action half the time the round coming out of the magazine was tossed out the action with the fired round. Dad then told me I needed to work the action slowly for it to work. Well that does not happen if shooting a 2nd round at a deer or elk.
2006, I take it to a gunsmith. He says he can fix it along with actually reboring the barrel to 45-70 and rebluing it. I get it back at it shoots great little groups 4 inch's low at 50 yards but, still has the same action problem. I take it back and when I pick it up, I am told he fixed it the best he could. Still has the same problem. I spend around 800 on it at that point. It sits in the safe until a time I can fix it.
2 years ago I start again on it. I take it to 2 other gunsmiths who said they would look at it. Both give it back to me without charge saying they do not know the problem.
I check the web for ideas and really found none. Finally last month a gun shop has a 1886 in 45-70 on the shelf. I take mine in and he and I compare the actions and he shows me the part named the carrier on mine is wore much more than the other gun.
He says if I find that part he will install it for 150. Hours of web searches, I finally found one on ebay for 125. Heck the part might be 80 years old. The 1886s was last sold new in the 1930s.
I decide, I should try to repair the gun myself. For the learning experience and saving some money. I printed out instructions and found 1 u tube video showing how they take the rifle apart.
I allow a whole day to do this and photo the parts in place as I start the job. The rifle has around 50 parts total, around 15 moving parts. Some parts go back and forth, some up and down, some pivot, some slide, 2 parts rotate. They all need to be moving as one. Compare that to a bolt rifle. When putting it back together it took hours. The hold up was the lever pin to the bolt, that also holds the firing pin and extractor. The lever could only be installed as the lever was within a 1/4 inch location lining up with the bolt. If not the firing pin was locked back in the bolt. The gun nearly takes 3 hands to put it back together. It took me 5 hours from start to finish. And it works 100% now. That gun shop charges 75 an hour, not sure he would only charge me 150. He did say he was not experienced with the 1886.
I load 405 grain bullets at a low power load equal to the trap door rifles. After I changed out the front sight, I shot it at the range and got a 3 shot group 1 inch high at 100 yards. 2 shots are about 1 inch apart, the 3rd went out another inch. Hope it still shoots that well. The rifle is great looking, carries nice in the field, out to 100 yards will kill any deer or elk I want. The action is real smooth. But, they do not make them like they used to when compared to a modern rifle. I will work on a AR or bolt gun anyday over the 1886.
I am not sure I will ever want to take it apart again. I am 60 and hope it still works until my last elk hunt.
The rifle is a 1886 Winchester made in 1890, unknown caliber. It came into my family from my grand dad in the 1930s. He was a gunsmith. Dad said the barrel was ruined and the guy was shooting .410s single shots thru it. I cannot confirm any of that story. In the 1950s it got a aftermarket barrel 20 inch,magazine tube shorten and chambered to 33 win., rear sight is a redfield peep. Dad and his 6 brothers shot it a lot at the farm and hunting deer, black bear and elk. 1970s Dad was given the rifle. I shot it a few times but, from then on it was rarely used. 2005 it was given to me.
I shot it at the range and found it would not cycle ammo correctly. When levering the action half the time the round coming out of the magazine was tossed out the action with the fired round. Dad then told me I needed to work the action slowly for it to work. Well that does not happen if shooting a 2nd round at a deer or elk.
2006, I take it to a gunsmith. He says he can fix it along with actually reboring the barrel to 45-70 and rebluing it. I get it back at it shoots great little groups 4 inch's low at 50 yards but, still has the same action problem. I take it back and when I pick it up, I am told he fixed it the best he could. Still has the same problem. I spend around 800 on it at that point. It sits in the safe until a time I can fix it.
2 years ago I start again on it. I take it to 2 other gunsmiths who said they would look at it. Both give it back to me without charge saying they do not know the problem.
I check the web for ideas and really found none. Finally last month a gun shop has a 1886 in 45-70 on the shelf. I take mine in and he and I compare the actions and he shows me the part named the carrier on mine is wore much more than the other gun.
He says if I find that part he will install it for 150. Hours of web searches, I finally found one on ebay for 125. Heck the part might be 80 years old. The 1886s was last sold new in the 1930s.
I decide, I should try to repair the gun myself. For the learning experience and saving some money. I printed out instructions and found 1 u tube video showing how they take the rifle apart.
I allow a whole day to do this and photo the parts in place as I start the job. The rifle has around 50 parts total, around 15 moving parts. Some parts go back and forth, some up and down, some pivot, some slide, 2 parts rotate. They all need to be moving as one. Compare that to a bolt rifle. When putting it back together it took hours. The hold up was the lever pin to the bolt, that also holds the firing pin and extractor. The lever could only be installed as the lever was within a 1/4 inch location lining up with the bolt. If not the firing pin was locked back in the bolt. The gun nearly takes 3 hands to put it back together. It took me 5 hours from start to finish. And it works 100% now. That gun shop charges 75 an hour, not sure he would only charge me 150. He did say he was not experienced with the 1886.
I load 405 grain bullets at a low power load equal to the trap door rifles. After I changed out the front sight, I shot it at the range and got a 3 shot group 1 inch high at 100 yards. 2 shots are about 1 inch apart, the 3rd went out another inch. Hope it still shoots that well. The rifle is great looking, carries nice in the field, out to 100 yards will kill any deer or elk I want. The action is real smooth. But, they do not make them like they used to when compared to a modern rifle. I will work on a AR or bolt gun anyday over the 1886.
I am not sure I will ever want to take it apart again. I am 60 and hope it still works until my last elk hunt.
All my other Levers have been apart a bunch.
![Pampers Sensitive Baby Wipes, Clinically Proven, Fragrance Free, Unscented, Water Based, Hypoallergenic, Multi-Use, Hand Wipes 336 Wipes Total (6X Flip-Top Packs) [Packaging May Vary]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41KLBHu9CAL._SL500_.jpg)
