New Version of Winchester/Browning/Miroku 1886

hfcable · Post by **hfcable** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:25 pm

This is the best version to date; replicates early special order model 1886's as seen in the Madis book:
has the high grade wood, tang sight

also has the half octagon/half round barrel, button magazine

checkered steel buttplate

reversible front sight [has ivory and brass bead] and folding rear

well, not exactly available yet from Davidsons; my best buddy and i had this one and one more made up by Ray in colorado springs, about 20 years ago, copying guns in the Madis book.
has great balance, and is my favorite lever gun, goes hunting when i go. the wood is not so red as these photos, but really a nice pleasant brown, with a little red like an old winchester.

win92 · Post by **win92** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:31 pm

Nice rifle I'm drooling on the keyboard here

Lastmohecken · Post by **Lastmohecken** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:42 pm

Now that is a nice 86! So I take it that you started with a Browning pre-tang safety gun, and re stocked it, rebarreled it etc. to get there? Or did you use an original 86 Winchester?

Lastmohecken · Post by **Lastmohecken** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:45 pm

How did you come up with the reversible front sight? Was it custom made, or does someone actually offer that sight?

hfcable · Post by **hfcable** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:53 pm

Last,
it is a browning 1886 repro; i traded a pre-war colt woodsman for it back in 1986 and after shooting the gun and seeing how phenomenally accurate and strong it was, i decided to make it like an original special order 1886;
The front sight, and for that matter the rear and the tang sight are all original Marbles sights. you can still find that reversible sight occasionally on ebay; i have been told it was reproduced sometime in the past, but i have never seen the repros; the reversible came in various heights and bead sizes; gives you a choice for sunny or dark twilight conditions. love those old sights!

crs · Post by **crs** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:09 pm

Very nice rifle. You just made all the 1886 shooters a bit jealous!

What is your most accurate load in that beauty?

hfcable · Post by **hfcable** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:58 pm

350 gr. speer flat nose, which is a tough bullet, with enough Varget to send it down range just over 1900 fps [this is a modification of a Ken Waters load, i cant claim credit] and it shoots 5 shots into a group just over an inch; i have this load sighted almost 3" high at 100 yds, and is about dead on at 200 yds;
i was able to put 4 shots into a group covered by the palm of my hand at 200 yds; i cannot see well enough to do any better; i believe i shoot this load well enough to kill a moose out to 250 yds with that load.....course every shot i have made in recent years on caribou or moose has ben 100 yds or less and that is fine with me!

ArcticGoose · Post by **ArcticGoose** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:24 am

That is one beautiful rifle! What barrel length did you go with? Did you have it cut behind the mag. band dovetail? Was the original barrel used by just turning it half round? I may be selling off my 86TD (tang safety) to fund another old Winchester but, if I keep it I would love to do that to it and have the half mag. takedown.

hfcable · Post by **hfcable** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:59 am

we didn't shorten the barrel, just turned it down in to the half oct/half round style. cut the magazine tube down, and i had found a button magazine plug from an original somewhere, as well as the buttplate. the barrels on the first run of repros were all 24"; it seems to balance just perfectly in the hand and points really fast! it is my favorite of all my guns and my favorite hunting gun.

ArcticGoose · Post by **ArcticGoose** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 1:20 am

When you had it turned down, was it enough to remove the mag. tube dovetail or was it filled? Mine has the 26" barrel and I had thought of cutting it to 22" or just behind the mag. tube dovetail. Does the man who did your work still do these types of modifications? If so I would love to contact him should I proceed with something like this on my gun. Sorry about all the questions but that is a really beautiful gun that I think would be cool to do with my takedown.

HEAD0001 · Post by **HEAD0001** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 1:53 am

YOU SHOULD BE BANNED FOR LIFE!!!!!!!!!!

Man I saw that rifle and said I got to have one of those. Then I read your post. SHAME ON YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Man I really like that rifle. Tom.

win40-82 · Post by **win40-82** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:37 am

That rifle is just screaming "give me a checkered hammer and I'd be PERFECT". Goooooooooood looking rifle.

Noah Zark · Post by **Noah Zark** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:06 am

Such a tease.

Seriously, you can mark that one "mission accomplished." Very attractive 1886 copy.

Noah

Dastook · Post by **Dastook** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:19 am

WOW!!

hfcable · Post by **hfcable** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:49 pm

ArcticGoose wrote:When you had it turned down, was it enough to remove the mag. tube dovetail or was it filled? Mine has the 26" barrel and I had thought of cutting it to 22" or just behind the mag. tube dovetail. Does the man who did your work still do these types of modifications? If so I would love to contact him should I proceed with something like this on my gun. Sorry about all the questions but that is a really beautiful gun that I think would be cool to do with my takedown.

Arctic,
i beleive that turning down the barrel was all that was needed to get rid of the dove tail on the front end of the barrel;
Rays gunsmithing in colorado springs, did the work; he used to advertise in Rifle magazine and may still do so; he was a bit of a lever gun specialist, fitting new barrels,etc when needed.
i will look for Rays info and see if i still have it.

Post by **Hobie** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:14 pm

I think you made a bunch of us wish that Browning had made such a gun... Absolutely beautiful!

Leverluver · Post by **Leverluver** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:49 pm

Think I'll do that to my 76. Lord knows that thing needs to be lightened up and the CG moved to the rear.

hfcable · Post by **hfcable** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:19 pm

Leverluver wrote:Think I'll do that to my 76. Lord knows that thing needs to be lightened up and the CG moved to the rear.

i have a '76 in 50/95 that is an original and is in this same configuration; it makes for a balanced, great handling rifle. back then the rifles with button magazine had a reputation for better accuracy, and it likely was true....no magazine hanging on the rest of the barrel,, no extra dovetail,etc. i have a number of repros and originals in this configuration and am happy with them all.
now that i am ;learning a little about taking and posting pictures, will try to post pics of the 76 and a 94 set up the same way.

hfcable · Post by **hfcable** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:21 pm

Hobie wrote:I think you made a bunch of us wish that Browning had made such a gun... Absolutely beautiful!

thanks Hobie,
you know they wouldn't have to do too much to the extra light weight to reproduce this configuration, and i am sure they could sell a bunch!

71fan · Post by **71fan** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:54 pm

I love it!! It gives me new hope for my Browning, which is just too darn heavy to be a practical hunting rifle. I've thought of a similar project, but your pictures just sealed the deal. Have you weighed the rifle?

I didn't know there were 24" Rifles. I though they were all 26." I'll probably chop mine to 22 or 24"

Like I've mentioned before when discussing such modifications - as soon as I finish the project, I'm afraid Davidson's will release the same thing for significanlty less $$$.

Thanks for your post!

Post by **Hobie** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:59 pm

Yep, makes me want to get a big old honkin' huge Browning 1886 rifle and do some mods...

TedH · Post by **TedH** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 8:06 pm

crs wrote:Very nice rifle. You just made all the 1886 shooters a bit jealous!

Heck, I bet he made all of us jealous! That is a beauty.

kimwcook · Post by **kimwcook** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:26 pm

Beautiful rifle. I really like the half octagon half round.

randy merta · Post by **randy merta** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:33 pm

Love that rifle!!!!! I want one of those front sights. Keep us posted when Davidson comes out with one. I might just find some moolah hidden up for just that rifle.

Randy

New Version of Winchester/Browning/Miroku 1886

New Version of Winchester/Browning/Miroku 1886

1886

Banned