Finally shot the 1886

gman

Well-Known Member
Loaded some Bullets cast from my BRP 462-420 GC mold over the old 24gr of 2400. Shot two 5 shot groups at 30 yards to see what she would do. My next plans will be to try the Accurate 405V PB and my on the way NOE 350 PB RD bullets. These two groups were the first shots fired through my 1886 since having it throated. I know I’ve been neglecting my babies! Much fun shooting what to me has always been my absolute favorite lever gun ever. Plus it was a masterpiece of JMB.BF97EE73-1F13-436A-8EB7-B5F5D2312D68.jpeg
 

gman

Well-Known Member
Target showing was the second five shot group. First target won’t load. First wasn’t as tight as the second. Bullets were .459 and lubed with SL-71B.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
you have the browning or the Winchester?
I have the Browning no throat version, it's like a great big copy of my model B-92 in 44 mag only a little smoother and heavier, and kicks more.. LOL
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
I think they were all Miroku made, the wood/finish is really the only difference.
I'm pretty okay with Japanese made guns, they always work and they are all the same.
 

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
Not true that they are all the same. The later ones have the damnable rebounding hammer
and multipiece latch-locked firing pin. Total disaster on my gun. Took it back to the dealer,
said I could send it in if I wanted, would go to Belgium, his experience was that it would be gone
about 6 months. And they probably weren't going to change anything.

The Brownings were identical to the originals, solid firing pin, full weight, non-rebounding hammer, plenty of
energy to punch the primer. Mine will JUST BARELY work, and early on, before I started 'unrebounding'
the hammer I had a number of groups at 100 that were 2" wide and 10-18" tall......really bad ignition.

Beautiful rifle, ruined by lawyers. One day I will pull the FP and weld a solid back half on it and fix it even
more. Current one is hollow at the rear, a spring loaded plunger is hit by the hammer, pushes a latch internal
to the FP, which retracts, letting the FP move fwd, AND absorbing a lot of the hammer energy, too. And the
hammer has had about half the metal milled away to give a shelf for the thumb slide safety, further lowering
the system energy, which is further reduced by the rebound effect slowing the hammer before it gets all the way
forward. GRRRRRR.

Bill
 
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fiver

Well-Known Member
I didn't know they even still made the 86 when they went to that stupid rebounding hammer.
I have got rid of a couple of real nice model 94's because of that rebounding P.O.C.
two of them were factory engraved with gold inlay and high dollar walnut stocks.
them not firing some primers consistently made them worth about 2$ to me.
 

smokeywolf

Well-Known Member
Hard to improve on the original model '86. Even the model 71, while slight improvements were made, is still pretty much a model '86. Hope I never have to deal with any lawyer modded guns.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Nothing wrong with half cock, just don’t run off at it.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
everybody forgot to put the web of their thumb in the way when dropping the hammer to carry it that way.
 

waco

Springfield, Oregon
Loaded some Bullets cast from my BRP 462-420 GC mold over the old 24gr of 2400. Shot two 5 shot groups at 30 yards to see what she would do. My next plans will be to try the Accurate 405V PB and my on the way NOE 350 PB RD bullets. These two groups were the first shots fired through my 1886 since having it throated. I know I’ve been neglecting my babies! Much fun shooting what to me has always been my absolute favorite lever gun ever. Plus it was a masterpiece of JMB.View attachment 7602
Nice! Have any 3031 to try out?
 

gman

Well-Known Member
Indeed I do. It's all I used to shoot in the 45-70. The old Elmer Keith load. All the 3031 you could stuff under a 420 grain bullet. Rattle your fillings! But I know that you know that lol!
 

Ian

Notorious member
everybody forgot to put the web of their thumb in the way when dropping the hammer to carry it that way.

Yep. Actually, the cross-bar safety thing on the Marlins is a good idea if you have a scope mounted on the rifle because the bell makes it difficult to shield the firing pin when lowering the hammer to half-cock. Usually I can jam the end of my thumb in there far enough to block the hammer nose from falling all the way, but it's awkward compared to the usual way. I had what would have been an AD once (had it been loaded) when the hammer extension popped off while lowering the hammer.
 

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
I recommend a heavy load of W748 under a 405 cast or Jbullet. This was tested by
Brian Pearce a number of years ago. 1750 fps and according to Pearce, meets Trapdoor
pressure levels due to the slow powder. Hard to find data on W748 for .45-70, though.
IIRC, notes not in front of me, it was 57 grains and I know the recipe called for a magnum
primer. Very accurate in my SS GG, about 1-2" at 100 yds off of the bench. Good medicine
for blue wildebeeste and zebra, one shot each, short travel after hit.

The closest I see now on Hodgdon's site is H335, a bit faster that W748 and they
say 60 gr is max for 50Kpsi. That one is NOT a Trapdoor load, clearly. OK, looking at another
powder burn rate chart shows H335 as just a touch slower than W748. I'm confused by that.
But, their starting load of 52.0 gr H335 gives 1800 fps at 25,000 CUP.

Paco uses 60 gr W748 with mag primer under 405 Jbullet , but puts it in his 28,000 psi load group.

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/paco/4570_leverguns.htm

Bill
 
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