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Help and opinions requested .22 Low Wall (Read 3802 times)

UK-Shootist Newbie Offline Posts: 5 Joined: Mar 20^th, 2018	Help and opinions requested .22 Low Wall Mar 20^th, 2018 at 12:05pm	Print Post
	I am hoping for some advice and opinions on my recently acquired Winchester 1885 Low Wall in .22lr. Research reveals it was manufactured in 1906 and sent to the UK. It's in average condition for the year (!) shoots and works OK. The only non original part is a tunnel foresight that will turn to aperture or post. It is fitted with a Lyman rang sight. For the first part I am not quite satisfied with it's accuracy. I know I'm asking a lot from a rifle that old, but accuracy matters to me. I may have found someone in the UK willing to re-sleeve the barrel. I would appreciate opinions on doing this to a rifle of such a vintage. I already have an old, battered, Greener small frame Martini from the 1920s which has at some time been 'Parker Rifled' and it shoots exceptionally well. My second question is more out of curiosity. What would such a rifle be worth in the USA? I don't have any intention of sending it there any time soon, but it would be interesting to know.


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broken_arrow Full Member Offline Posts: 202 Location: Lancaster County Joined: Aug 12^th, 2008	Re: Help and opinions requested .22 Low Wall Reply #1 - Mar 20^th, 2018 at 12:37pm	Print Post
	Do you have access to several different brands of .22lr? I wouldn't condemn the barrel until I'd tried everything available. They can be quite finicky.

	ASSRA #10186 (10-25-2021) Every Mighty Oak Was Once A Little Nut That Held Its Ground
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frnkeore Frequent Elocutionist Online Posts: 7247 Location: Central Point, OR 97502 Joined: Jun 16^th, 2010	Re: Help and opinions requested .22 Low Wall Reply #2 - Mar 20^th, 2018 at 12:42pm	Print Post
	Regarding accuracy, In the US, standard sporting rifles weren't made for accuracy. Chambers are overly long and large in diameter, for that purpose and the barrels not made to match standards, usually oversize too. I've had sporter 22LR, original barrels, in excellent condition, that would only do 3+" groups at 100 and using match ammo, was a waste. In rifles that old, they've also had a lot of corrosive ammo put through them, that detract from their accuracy. I think re-lining it, would be the best thing you could do, especially if they still make thoughts excellent Parker liners but, any good liner, with a match chamber, will make it shoot well. Regarding value, we would have to see pictures to give a good idea. Good wood, metal and barrel, would put it in the $~600 range. Frank

	ASSRA Member #696, ISSA Member #339
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calledflyer Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 3540 Joined: Mar 9^th, 2015	Re: Help and opinions requested .22 Low Wall Reply #3 - Mar 20^th, 2018 at 1:19pm	Print Post
	I'd try several choices of ammo if the barrel is good looking inside. Ya never know what they may prefer. For whatever its worth, I have one a little newer and equipped with similar sights. If I do my part it'll shoot beer cans all day long at 100 yards. From a rest. Hard part is the part that deals with the "me" portion. Good luck with a neat little rifle.


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SSShooter Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 2917 Location: Southern NJ Joined: Aug 1^st, 2010	Re: Help and opinions requested .22 Low Wall Reply #4 - Mar 20^th, 2018 at 2:29pm	Print Post
	Have some Winder musket HW parts from one that went to the UK and returned. My understanding is that all Winder muskets that went there for military training as mine did (several UK proof marks), were all lined with Parker liners as a matter of course. The muzzle of my barrel is stamped as such. It has a tight chamber and shoots under 1moa at 100yd when fed ammo it likes and I do my part. Used for .22BPCRA silhouettes and it was accurate to 200m for the rams. I got tired of the funky, original extractor and feeding a HW with RF ammo (PITA to get ones fingers in there to load, etc.) and am rebuilding the action as a CF and will be selling the RF parts. I posted pic's of the Parker muzzle stamps and proof-marks at one point, but have forgotten which thread. As others have said, try different ammo. May find one it likes. Edit: Found the muzzle pic. Likely done pre-1920. The action serial number dates it to 1915 but is a flat-spring action.
	« Last Edit: Mar 20^th, 2018 at 4:27pm by SSShooter »
	Glenn - 2x CPA 44 1/2 w/22LR (Shilen ratchet-rifled & Bartlein 5R rifled), 38-40RH & 38-55WCF (Bartlein 5R rifled) & 40-65WCF (GrnMtn 'X') barrels
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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 16009 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Help and opinions requested .22 Low Wall Reply #5 - Mar 21^st, 2018 at 10:54am	Print Post
	Unless the gun has some special order features, I doubt the value would be very high. I also doubt that poor accuracy would enhance it's value, so relining it will likely make it more desirable for those wanting an old gun to shoot. If various ammo doesn't give acceptable results, I'd have it lined to make it a good shooter.

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Redsetter Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 3468 Location: New York Joined: Aug 6^th, 2013	Re: Help and opinions requested .22 Low Wall Reply #6 - Mar 21^st, 2018 at 11:50am	Print Post
	SSShooter wrote on Mar 20^th, 2018 at 2:29pm: Edit: Found the muzzle pic. Likely done pre-1920. The action serial number dates it to 1915 but is a flat-spring action. The thickness of the liner was one of the reasons its accuracy was exceptional. For many years, the Stoeger's catalogs featured a drawing of the muzzle almost exactly like your photo. A pity they're no longer available.


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Old Soldier Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 267 Location: North Pole, Alaska Joined: Oct 17^th, 2015	Re: Help and opinions requested .22 Low Wall Reply #7 - Mar 21^st, 2018 at 6:38pm	Print Post
	I have a Low wall that started life's a 25 something. It has been lined to .22 and is quite accurate. I don't think it would be immoral or hurt the value at all. What good is a rifle that won't shoot?

	"White man have very strong Medicine. Shoot today maybeso kill you tomorrow." Esa-Tai Commanche warrior
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UK-Shootist Newbie Offline Posts: 5 Joined: Mar 20^th, 2018	Re: Help and opinions requested .22 Low Wall Reply #8 - Mar 22^nd, 2018 at 6:53am	Print Post
	Thanks for the replies. I think I'll be looking at a re-line.


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 16009 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Help and opinions requested .22 Low Wall Reply #9 - Mar 22^nd, 2018 at 11:28am	Print Post
	Old Soldier wrote on Mar 21^st, 2018 at 6:38pm: I have a Low wall that started life's a 25 something. It has been lined to .22 and is quite accurate. I don't think it would be immoral or hurt the value at all. What good is a rifle that won't shoot? No good if the owner is a shooter. But it's not always about shooting a gun, and collectors often never shoot their collection. I own a Ballard #3 that started life as a .22 RF and is in spectacular condition. But shortly after it was purchased new it was sent to Stevens to be rebored to the new Stevens .25RF. That doesn't make it unshootable, but it certainly makes it expensive or hard to shoot. It is marked with Stevens typical marking to identify it as having been rebored by J Stevens Arms, and the Stevens script marking of .25RF. But unlike most I've seen, the markings are under the forearm wood, and I'd guess the customer requested that. It also got a full length Stevens scope fitted to the dovetails, and I'd guess it was added when it got rebored. I could line it back to .22RF and it would be correct for the #3 Ballard, but it would lose it's history and hurt the value. I could shoot it much easier also in .22, but I think I'd be destroying the history, and provenance of this gun. So I choose to leave it in it's present state, and not butcher it by returning it to .22RF with a liner.

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