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Function of Winchester low walls (Read 334 times)

rifleman Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 357 Joined: Aug 4^th, 2015	Function of Winchester low walls Jan 4^th, 2026 at 8:28pm	Print Post
	I am not a Winchester guy. However, in the last six months I have acquired three original low walls. My question pertains to the function as you close the lever to raise breechblock. The first rifle I purchased is a takedown 25/20 SS with a non functioning single set trigger, the hammer does not cock on close, it goes to half cock. Second is a 22LR, hammer stays at full cock upon close. Third is 22WCF, hammer stays at full cock upon close. Should the 25/20 act like the other two? Never thought much of it until I got the second. Now the third acts like the second so my first is the odd duck. Thank you.


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bpjack Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 3569 Location: East Olympia, WA Joined: May 18^th, 2008	Re: Function of Winchester low walls Reply #1 - Jan 4^th, 2026 at 8:47pm	Print Post
	Typically most 1885s will be at full cock after raising the lever. If a fly is installed in the hammer OR something is out of adjustment, it can end up at 1/2 cock. I can’t remember which ones were designed to do the 2/2 cock thing. I have one with two flys that returns uncocked. A malfunctioning set trigger can cause cocking issues. Back the set screw almost all the way out and see what happens.

	ASSRA # 11318 Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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bpcrnut Junior Member Offline Posts: 51 Location: SE Mn Joined: Nov 2^nd, 2018	Re: Function of Winchester low walls Reply #2 - Jan 4^th, 2026 at 9:35pm	Print Post
	BP Jack has a good suggestion. You might also want to look at the hammer fly. There were two types of flys. In my experience most leave the rifle in the full cock position upon closing the lever. However, in later years Winchester made a hammer fly that left the hammer in the half cock position. These are frequently seen on late model Winder muskets aka Model 87s. Many of these were sold to the government as training rifles. It was a safety thing for raw, inexperienced recruits.


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17516 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Function of Winchester low walls Reply #3 - Jan 4^th, 2026 at 10:16pm	Print Post
	I'm not a Winchester guy either, but I've owned some that wouldn't stay at full cock and had set triggers. As Jack mentioned backing the adjustment screw off a full turn usually fixed the issue and they stayed cocked when closing the lever.

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rifleman Senior Forum Member Offline Posts: 357 Joined: Aug 4^th, 2015	Re: Function of Winchester low walls Reply #4 - Jan 5^th, 2026 at 6:24am	Print Post
	Ok. I have not had the time to investigate the non functioning SST but I have run the adjusting screw in and out to no effect. So I will assume at this point that it is related to that issue and will investigate when I disassemble. Thank you everyone for the help.


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17516 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Function of Winchester low walls Reply #5 - Jan 5^th, 2026 at 2:50pm	Print Post
	When it's apart check to see if the fly moves freely in the hammer, and of course the hammer notches. Check the mainspring also as sometimes guys lighten that wont catch at to help with hammer pressure and then it wont hold while working the lever, but will when you just cock the hammer.

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bpjack Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 3569 Location: East Olympia, WA Joined: May 18^th, 2008	Re: Function of Winchester low walls Reply #6 - Jan 5^th, 2026 at 3:05pm	Print Post
	Another symptom you can encounter is having the hammer stay at full cock when raising the lever, but not when cocking manually. When you drop the lever, the hammer drops very low giving it plenty of room for the full cock notch to get below the sear. If it doesn't engage at that point and the is no fly involved, then something is holding the sear off the hammer. A too strong knockoff spring or a weak sear spring can cause that. I have one rifle where I had to back off slightly on the knockoff spring screw to fix the issue. Not the preferred fix, but it works. If the hammer will not manually cock there can be several reasons and the above fix can possibly help or I have seen mainspring angles and sometimes improper mainspring retaining screw locations. The mainspring screw hole should be very close to 3-1/6" from the breech face.

	ASSRA # 11318 Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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northwoodneil Full Member Offline Posts: 123 Location: Wisconsin Joined: Jul 25^th, 2021	Re: Function of Winchester low walls Reply #7 - Jan 5^th, 2026 at 5:37pm	Print Post
	Isn't there a "lump" on the toggle link to put it at full cock? I seem to recall reading that if the link is put in reversed it goes to half cock? I could be way off base on this and I'm to lazy to go pull a couple actions apart


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bpjack Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 3569 Location: East Olympia, WA Joined: May 18^th, 2008	Re: Function of Winchester low walls Reply #8 - Jan 5^th, 2026 at 6:40pm	Print Post
	the 'lump' on the link retracts the extractor before the firing pit tip catches on the bottom of the rim recess and shears off.

	ASSRA # 11318 Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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northwoodneil Full Member Offline Posts: 123 Location: Wisconsin Joined: Jul 25^th, 2021	Re: Function of Winchester low walls Reply #9 - Jan 5^th, 2026 at 8:26pm	Print Post
	Yup, you're correct, I had one of those senior moments again


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