The MVA action is a piece of art...............

gunlaker wrote on Mar 1^st, 2018 at 3:03pm:

No dispute that this may be true. They are good rifles. However, essentially all current adult BPCR records are held by one person (Brian Chilson) who has won a dozen, or so, national championships, as well. The long-run on animals is silly (with something like 78 pigs & 37 turkeys, etc.) and he only shoots long-runs on chickens (think he has the record at 13 - he had it at 10, then 11, then 12). He shoots a couple of C. Sharps 1885s in 45-90, so they must work pretty well. The one (1) time that Brian shot an 800/900/1000yd BPTR match he set (believe they still stand) the 1000yd and 30-shot aggregate records.

That said, like Chuck V, if I were going to get another 1885 it would start life as an MVA action with DSTs and the Helm lever.

SSShooter wrote on Mar 1^st, 2018 at 5:50pm:


He is a machine that's for sure!

I have sort of moved into the Meacham built highwalls, at least as far as 1885's go.  I like my CSA 1885's for sure, the stocks fit me quite well ( although the BPCR fit me very well ).   An MVA would be an excellent way to go too.  They build good stuff.

Chris.

I have a Browning bpcr (actually 2 of them but rebarreled one) and a Winchester bpcr.  The Winchester I don't believe has a badger barrel , it's chamber is tighter tolerance than my Shiloh 45-70. Wherever the barrel was made it's an excellent quality barrel.
The trick with buying either of the Miroku assembled rifles is finding one that someone hasn't buggered up the chamber or filled the barrel with lead and copper fouling. Either in great condition is a good value for the money. There are a couple of gunsmiths that can put a trigger job on those for around 75$ that makes a good trigger a great trigger.
Also have a couple of C Sharps 1885's and they are fine rifles.
My suggestion in the end would be if looking at a used Miroku built rifle, a brand new CSA would likely be your best route, be sure to spend the extra for the set trigger.

Wayne - do you any idea on how many Brwn'g and how many Winchester BPCR rifles were made? Have seen a fair number over the years at various matches, but always assumed, likely incorrectly, that they were Brownings.

SSShooter wrote on Mar 2^nd, 2018 at 5:13pm:

Wayne - do you any idea on how many Brwn'g and how many Winchester BPCR rifles were made?

Glenn,

To find out you’ll have to purchase my book on the rifle.  Just kidding, but the following data is found in my book plus everything else you’d like to know about the rifles.  How's that for a bit of advertising? 

Wayne

Per the factories production records, Browning BPCRs were only manufactured from 1996 through 1998.  Over the three-year span approximately 2,500 rifles were produced in .45-70 Government, 1,300 in .40-65 Winchester and exactly 330 Creedmoor’s (34” barrels) chambered in .45-90 Winchester.  The totals include rifles manufactured for the European market but do not include prototypes made in Browning’s USA facilities and a few prototypes made by Miroku Firearms Mfg. Co., Browning’s contract manufacturer located in Japan.

There were a total of 753 Winchester BPCRs made in 6 different lots from 2005 to 2010.  The total includes rifles chambered in .45-70 (2 lots totaling 250), .45-90 (3 lots totaling 377) & .50-90 (1 lot of 126)

I had one of the Winchester .50-90's as well as the .45-70 BPCR.   The .50-90 was nasty in that light little rifle

Chris.

gunlaker wrote on Mar 2^nd, 2018 at 6:16pm:


Chris,

Based on your "was nasty" comment I may be wrong but I'm betting your .50-90 was one of a small batch of Ltd. Winchester Traditional Hunters with concave buttplate & slender full-length octagon barrel & weighed around 8.25lbs.  If so than it was not a "BPCR" model although it was chambered for a traditional BP cartridge.  The BPCR model weighs a good bit more (11.2 lbs without sights), but even then with a typical 700 to 750gr bullet in front of a lot of BP you better be ready when you pull the trigger.

Wayne