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Winchester 1885 LW problem (Read 6234 times)

marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Online Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 16700 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Winchester 1885 LW problem Reply #15 - Dec 9^th, 2023 at 1:10pm	Print Post
	Since Winchester only serial numbered the lower tangs, is there a way to "match" lower tangs to receivers? I thought you could swap a lower tang to any other action and never know it was done?

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25-20 SS Participating Member Offline Posts: 12 Joined: Nov 29^th, 2023	Re: Winchester 1885 LW problem Reply #16 - Dec 9^th, 2023 at 1:10pm	Print Post
	This is a very early flat spring Winchester 1885. The S/N range shows it was made in 1887. It has the high breech block as shown before they shortened them, same with the side walls of the receiver. It's not a smooth side, low wall action. The firing pin is CF and the hole in the breech block is dead center to the chamber. I have all the equipment (Lathe, Milling Machine) and the KSA (Knowledge, Skills and Ability) to put this all together. Still just trying to figure out what it was chambered in or why the rim size and extractor is larger than the 25-20 SS head size but the chamber cast looks just like a 25-20 SS... I will not fire a live 25-20 SS round in this chamber for fear it will burst the case head. Seems the best thing to do for now is sit on it and think about setting the barrel shank back, re-threading and chambering it for 25-20 SS with a new extractor then fitting the main spring and forearm.
	« Last Edit: Dec 9^th, 2023 at 1:42pm by 25-20 SS »

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bpjack Frequent Elocutionist Online Posts: 3043 Location: East Olympia, WA Joined: May 18^th, 2008	Re: Winchester 1885 LW problem Reply #17 - Dec 9^th, 2023 at 1:33pm	Print Post
	Vall, You are pretty much correct about swapping lower tangs. High walls and low wall tangs are different, however. That said I have only experience with a dozen or so.

	ASSRA # 11318 I haven’t lost all my marbles yet but there is definitely a hole in the bag somewhere.
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25-20 SS Participating Member Offline Posts: 12 Joined: Nov 29^th, 2023	Re: Winchester 1885 LW problem Reply #18 - Dec 9^th, 2023 at 1:56pm	Print Post
	frnkeore wrote on Dec 9^th, 2023 at 12:46pm: Is there some reason that you don't want to use the chamber that it has? 357 Max brass can be formed to your chamber. I can walk you through how to do it. That's an interesting idea. Yes, please do. I have lots of reloading equipment. I'm at kgowe@comcast.net A 25-20 SS Max. I like the sound of that!
	« Last Edit: Dec 9^th, 2023 at 4:00pm by 25-20 SS »

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Old-Win Frequent Elocutionist Online Posts: 1721 Location: Minnesota Joined: Nov 24^th, 2005	Re: Winchester 1885 LW problem Reply #19 - Dec 9^th, 2023 at 1:58pm	Print Post
	marlinguy wrote on Dec 9^th, 2023 at 1:10pm: Since Winchester only serial numbered the lower tangs, is there a way to "match" lower tangs to receivers? I thought you could swap a lower tang to any other action and never know it was done? Vall, It's pretty easy to tell as the polish marks should match the same from the tang to the receiver as they were done together. You can easily switch out tangs but they usually don't match heighth wise either. The tang and the receiver should be smooth when you run a fingernail across them. If they've been switched out, it's easy to feel that the two parts don't match.


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Old-Win Frequent Elocutionist Online Posts: 1721 Location: Minnesota Joined: Nov 24^th, 2005	Re: Winchester 1885 LW problem Reply #20 - Dec 9^th, 2023 at 2:13pm	Print Post
	25-20 SS. If you can get your hands on a copy of Campbell's Single Shot volume one, you can look on page 54 and 59 to see the difference in the early breechblock compared to the one in this rifle. If the breechblock is center fire and the barrel is marked .22 Long, obviously something is out of place. I still think it's a high wall breechblock and not one from an early low wall.
	« Last Edit: Dec 9^th, 2023 at 2:33pm by Old-Win »

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25-20 SS Participating Member Offline Posts: 12 Joined: Nov 29^th, 2023	Re: Winchester 1885 LW problem Reply #21 - Dec 9^th, 2023 at 2:40pm	Print Post
	Old-Win wrote on Dec 9^th, 2023 at 2:13pm: 25-20 SS. If you can get your hands on a copy of Campbell's Single Shot volume one, you can look on page 54 and 59 to see the difference in the early breechblock compared to the one in this rifle. If the breechblock is center fire and the barrel is marked .22 Long, obviously something is out of place. I still think it's a high wall breechblock and not one from an early low wall. You may be right or not... I've seen a few early Low Wall's on line that show the high breech block and with the milled out frame as on the one I have. This is a very early model. It may be a hermaphrodite or the real deal. Whatever the case, it's going to be made into a safe shooter.
	« Last Edit: Dec 9^th, 2023 at 3:08pm by 25-20 SS »

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frnkeore Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 7388 Location: Central Point, OR 97502 Joined: Jun 16^th, 2010	Re: Winchester 1885 LW problem Reply #22 - Dec 9^th, 2023 at 4:53pm	Print Post
	25-20 SS wrote on Dec 9^th, 2023 at 1:56pm: frnkeore wrote on Dec 9^th, 2023 at 12:46pm: Is there some reason that you don't want to use the chamber that it has? 357 Max brass can be formed to your chamber. I can walk you through how to do it. That's an interesting idea. Yes, please do. I have lots of reloading equipment. I'm at kgowe@comcast.net A 25-20 SS Max. I like the sound of that! Do you have a arbor press or just a loading press? Do you have a 25/20SS loading die? I use a 2 ton arbor press for my case forming but, a loading press is fine. Could I get your first name to address my Email to?

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25-20 SS Participating Member Offline Posts: 12 Joined: Nov 29^th, 2023	Re: Winchester 1885 LW problem Reply #23 - Dec 9^th, 2023 at 5:40pm	Print Post
	frnkeore wrote on Dec 9^th, 2023 at 4:53pm: 25-20 SS wrote on Dec 9^th, 2023 at 1:56pm: frnkeore wrote on Dec 9^th, 2023 at 12:46pm: Is there some reason that you don't want to use the chamber that it has? 357 Max brass can be formed to your chamber. I can walk you through how to do it. That's an interesting idea. Yes, please do. I have lots of reloading equipment. I'm at kgowe@comcast.net A 25-20 SS Max. I like the sound of that! Do you have a arbor press or just a loading press? Do you have a 25/20SS loading die? I use a 2 ton arbor press for my case forming but, a loading press is fine. Could I get your first name to address my Email to? I have a 6 ton press and RCBS 25-20 SS die set. I have the Lyman Orange Crusher + others reloading press too. I have a full home shop machine shop. Seems .357 Maximum brass is as hard to get as 25-20 SS. I'm DAN in Santa Fe, NM e-mail kgowe@comcast.net
	« Last Edit: Dec 9^th, 2023 at 5:46pm by 25-20 SS »

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bpjack Frequent Elocutionist Online Posts: 3043 Location: East Olympia, WA Joined: May 18^th, 2008	Re: Winchester 1885 LW problem Reply #24 - Dec 9^th, 2023 at 7:42pm	Print Post
	The earliest non-cut down breech blocks had a horizontal drift pin holding in the firing pin. I have two of those. They take a firing pin with the cutout on top. Jack

	ASSRA # 11318 I haven’t lost all my marbles yet but there is definitely a hole in the bag somewhere.
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uscra112 Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 4079 Location: Switzerland of Ohio Joined: May 7^th, 2007	Re: Winchester 1885 LW problem Reply #25 - Dec 9^th, 2023 at 9:56pm	Print Post
	.25-20 Stevens can be made from common .223, although it's a lot of work and requires you to make some job-specific tooling. There's got to be a thread here about it, or I can send you the instructions. Is it possible that somebody ran a .25-20 WCF reamer into it? Used to be a common bodge when WCF brass was plentiful but Stevens brass was not. To do that right the barrel has to be set back 2 turns. Not practical with a flat spring Winchester, so they left the gun with an almost useless hybrid chamber. Making WCF brass with an extraordinarily long neck would make the gun usable.

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boats Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 7613 Location: Virginia Joined: Apr 23^rd, 2004	Re: Winchester 1885 LW problem Reply #26 - Dec 10^th, 2023 at 7:22am	Print Post
	Availability and thin walls 25/20 WCF brass would rule it out for me. If going 25/20 WCF better set it up for 32/20 necked to 25/20. Brass is just a bit different around the web & rim. Enough to cause problems extracting. This from experience! Boats


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Dellet Frequent Elocutionist Online Posts: 1128 Joined: May 19^th, 2017	Re: Winchester 1885 LW problem Reply #27 - Dec 10^th, 2023 at 12:08pm	Print Post
	Almost looks like either a 32 ideal or 28-30 ran into a 25-20SS to neck it down.


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25-20 SS Participating Member Offline Posts: 12 Joined: Nov 29^th, 2023	Re: Winchester 1885 LW problem Reply #28 - Dec 11^th, 2023 at 1:58pm	Print Post
	A little update. I've searched the world over for an extractor. They are made out of unobtanium as in not available! I need one like in the photo. I will have to cut down this extractor and silver solder a piece on, then fit and set in place when I ream out the chamber. I have chosen to just set the barrel back, re thread and chamber to 25-20 SS, refit the main spring and forearm attachments. This way the only thing to get/rent is the reamer. This action and barrel while stripped down, will all be cleaned up and refinished. This type of extractor will be made to fit the 25-20 SS rim. (You need to *Login* or *Register* to view media files and links) Finished product to be announced....


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ssdave Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 1912 Location: Eastern Oregon Joined: Apr 16^th, 2004	Re: Winchester 1885 LW problem Reply #29 - Dec 11^th, 2023 at 3:06pm	Print Post
	I think C Sharps or MVA have those extractors. If you can't find one, I can sell you one, I have several originals.


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