I picked up a Low Wall in .22 WCF where the seller described the action as frozen. I thought it might be a broken firing pin and disassembled the rifle. The breechblock still would not move after the lower tang and then the lever pin were removed, so I tapped it with a plastic hammer. After a couple of light taps the guts fell out, and then I was able to remove the barrel. 

I cleaned, lubed, and reassembled the action, and it's tight and smooth as silk. I then tried to re-install the barrel. It goes in and I can get the lever switch closed, but the block does contact the breech face at the very top of the lever movement, and binds. The action can close with some force but it 'snaps' as it goes over-center. I mounted the barrel one thread out from having the takedown plate flush with the action, and the action closes as expected.

This is the factory-supplied barrel that came with the action, I believe... I have a factory letter and the barrel is in the same caliber and marked appropriately. 

On a Browning .22 Semiauto, you can adjust the takedown mechanism to adjust for headspace. Can you do the same on the 1885? I have searched the Internet and cannot find any instructions on how to do this... I figure if the folks on this board don't know the answer then I'm stuck.

Also, anyone know of a source for the lever spring and plunger... the lever is drooping and there is no spring and plunger with the rifle.

Picture of the Takedown if you please.  David

Kurt 😊.  Thanks for the pictures.  Not surprising I didn't even know such existed.  David

Thinking that there might be a "Bump or Burr" on the Breach Face of the Barrel.  Pretty easy to drop a Barrel and giving that it locks up too tight that would be the first place I'd check.  Good luck!

The barrel threads into the receiver, and the large screw just adds tension. I cannot see how it can change headspace... the barrel isn't going to move outward from tension and also withstand the pressure of firing a cartridge. I can see how it could put a bending force on the barrel if it protruded excessively. 

I'm going to disassemble the action again and reassemble it without the extractor... this will let me check to see if the extractor is bent or otherwise protruding too far. Otherwise I have to assume that either the barrel or breech block is not what was originally shipped from the factory, and needs to be properly headspaced.

I think the only way to adjust headspace is to either trim the back of the barrel and deepen the chamber (both in a lathe), or to relieve some of the block's face (I don't think this is a good idea unless the face is being trued). I'm hoping the extractor is bent slightly but this wasn't apparent upon visual inspection when I had the action disassembled earlier. I also cleaned out the extractor cut with a toothpick and used a needle file to break a burr where the extractor cut meets the chamber.

EDIT: Thanks for the source on the lever spring and plunger assembly.

ObiJohn, FWIW I would follow Froggie's advice.
Winchester didn't put all those parts in there to confuse us.
Won't cost you a thing, just a little time.

Aaron