Original U.S. Winchester Model 1885 "High Wall" .32-20 WCF Single Shot Rifle with 28" Octagon Barrel Made in 1886 - Serial 1705

Original Item: Only One Available. While the idea of Winchester "Repeating" Arms Co. making a single shot rifle is somewhat ironic, the rapidly growing "match shooting" market was too lucrative to for the company ignore. Rather than design a new gun from scratch, Thomas G. Bennett, Vice-President and General Manager, looked for a patented single shot design that the company could produce. What he found when he traveled to Ogden, Utah however was far more than just a good single shot rifle design: He found John Moses Browning, arguably the most influential gun designer in United States history. He had designed his the single shot rifle at the age of 23 in 1878, and was granted his first patent for this design October 7th, 1879. His 1883 meeting with Bennett would begin a 20 year collaboration that revolutionized the design of the Winchester Repeating Rifle, as well as their shotguns. It was the design for one of the latter that eventually led to his falling out with Winchester management, after which he worked with other companies, both in the United States and in Europe.

Browning would go on to design numerous civilian and military firearms, eventually receiving 128 patents over the course of his career, of which the single shot rifle was only the first. Many of the designs and improvements that Browning made continue to be in use today, and there are few firearms designers who have had such a wide ranging influence worldwide.

Browning's patented design was slightly modified by Winchester, mainly to make the breech seal better, and was released as the Model 1885. This was available in various different calibers, and featured a "Low Wall" receiver with a fully exposed hammer for lower power cartridges, while the guns chambered for higher power cartridge had a "High Wall" receiver with much more reinforcement behind the breech block, which mostly hid the hammer.

This wonderful Winchester Model 1885 single shot match shooting rifle is a "High Wall" type, chambered in the powerful .40-82 Winchester caliber, correctly marked with 32 CAL. W.C.F. over the chamber. It features a 28" octagonal barrel, fitted with the classic blade front sight and iconic "buckhorn" rear adjustable sight. The serial number is 1705, indicating it was made during 1886, one of about 8,000 produced that year. It was most likely produced early in the year, as 1886 production ended at serial 8193 per polishing room records.

The stamped markings on top are crisp and clear, reading:-

— MANUFACTURED BY THE —
— WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO. NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A. —

The bottom of the action just rear of the trigger bears the PAT. OCT. 7TH 79. marking for John Browning's patent on the action design, the FIRST of many that he would receive over his career. Condition of the rifle is very good, with the barrel still showing most of the original blued finish, now faded towards plum in most areas. There is some wear through on the edges of the octagonal barrel, and under the fore stock the original finish is well retained. The receiver and breech block were originally case hardened, and the exterior now shows mottled gray patina, however near the chamber and inside the action, some of the original case hardening is still visible! There is no peppering or other more serious oxidation, and no sign of serious restoration or refinishing, just how we like to see these old match shooting rifles.

The wood stocks are in excellent condition, showing the lovely red brown color of aged oiled aged walnut. There is a bit of light wear such as scratches and small dents, but no major damage, and the fore stock actually has some fantastic figuring that is almost "burl" level on the bottom. The buttstock is more plain, but still very attractive, and is fitted with a crescent butt plate, which does not have a storage compartment, typical for this model. The falling block action works well, with no deficiencies noted, and a crisp dry fire. The ejector presents correctly, and the action is smooth without any sticking. The bore is in good condition, showing a mostly bright finish with clear lands and grooves. There is wear visible, as well as some past oxidation and fouling, now cleaned away. Definitely a very nice bore, probably rating7 out of 10.

A very nice example of what some consider one of John Browning's greatest firearm designs! This is an iconic gun with a great gently used look, ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1886
Caliber: .32-20 Winchester
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 28 Inches
Overall Length: 44 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Falling Block
Feed System: Single Shot

The Winchester Model 1885 is a single-shot rifle with a falling-block action. It was principally designed by John Browning. Two models were produced, the Low Wall and the High Wall.

History
In 1878, the 23-year-old Browning designed a falling-block single-shot rifle, for which he was granted a patent the following year. Browning and his brother commenced making the rifles by hand in their second-floor workshop in Ogden, Utah, with limited success.

In 1883, Thomas G. Bennett, Vice-President and General Manager of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, traveled to Ogden and negotiated the purchase of the single-shot design, as well as the prototype of what would become the Model 1886 lever-action – the beginning of the fruitful 20-year Winchester–Browning collaboration. Winchester's engineers made some improvements to Browning's design, including angling the block at six degrees to create a positive breech seal, and released the rifle as the Model 1885. Two popular models were made, the so-called Low Wall which showed an exposed hammer, firing less powerful cartridges, and the so-called High Wall for stronger cartridges whose steel frame covered most of the firing hammer when viewed from the side; but both were officially marketed by Winchester as the Single Shot Rifle.

It was produced principally to satisfy the demands of the growing sport of long-range "Match Shooting", which opened at Creedmoor, New York, on June 21, 1872. Target/Match shooting was extremely popular in the US from about 1871 until about 1917, enjoying a status similar to golf today, and the Winchester company, which had built its reputation on repeating firearms, had in 1885 challenged the single-shot giants of Sharps, Remington, Stevens, Maynard, Ballard et al., not only entering the competition, but excelling at it, with Major Ned H. Roberts (inventor of the .257 Roberts cartridge) describing the Model 1885 Single Shot as "the most reliable, strongest, and altogether best single shot rifle ever produced."

Winchester produced nearly 140,000 Single Shot rifles from 1885 to 1920, and it was found that the falling-block Model 1885 had been built with one of the strongest actions known at that time. The falling block action was so strong that the Winchester Company used it to test fire newly created rifle cartridges. To satisfy the needs of the shooting and hunting public, the Model 1885 Single Shot was eventually produced in more calibers than any other Winchester rifle. Winchester also produced a large number of Single Shots in .22 caliber for the US Army as a marksmanship training rifle, the "Winder musket."

Note: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are not able to ship to the United Kingdom. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.