doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Winchester 1886 vs 71

I came up with a M1886 barreled with a M71 barrel in standard 348 Win. Can the action take the pressure? Thanks, Paul

I would think it might be a function of when the 1886 receiver was built, early ones were designed for BP loads, later ones for smokeless.

Here's some info that may help, http://www.leverguns.com/articles/taylor/model71.htm

I have long been a fan of the 1886 and 71 Winchesters, acquiring my first 71 in 1966 and my first 1886 in 1967. My present 1886 is fitted with a model 71 breech bolt, hammer and coil mainspring, making it at the same time slightly stronger as well as slightly more reliable. The 1886 breechbolt has the ejector cut passing directly through the firing pin hole, reducing the primer's support, while the M71 ejector cut is placed away from the firing pin hole and thus provides better primer support & safety with high-pressure loads. My 1886 has a Shilen barrel in 45-70 and my handloads push a 535-gr Lyman 457125 to over 1700 fps from a 22" barrel, hot loads to say the least but the old rifle is still tight.

IMO your 1886 will be OK for the 348 factory loads IF the breechbolt, ejector and firing pin are in good shape with no gaps. Please check your headspace, battering can occur on the locking lugs if they're a little soft and the headspace is a little loose. The M71 locking lugs were redesigned with a taper in order to reduce this battering tendency but the original 1886 ones should be OK if their case-hardening is still hard enough to resist the battering. IMO this is a semi-marginal chambering for the 1886 and so you should make sure that your ammo is dry & free from grease or oil, and you should NOT hotrod any handloads.
Regards, Joe

Hey Joe, ever heard of a Highwall chambered for .348? I know they never did it from the factory but was wondering if anyone had done it or if there's a reason why not...
Rob

Uberti "Highwalls" have been chambered for .348 for some time now; Buffalo Arms in ID used to sell them (I think they were imported by Cimarron). They seem to work OK.

I just did a quick buzz thru both of Cambell's "Single Shot" books and found no mention of the .348 as an 1885 chambering, even in the cartridge test "mules" that du Pont kept to test loads. But I would NEVER rule out the possibility of a factory "one-off" with an M71 barrel installed by a Winchester employee on a factory spare reciever. Make you a good "hammer" for hard-to-kill things....

I'd say there's NO reason "why not" IF you're a handloader. I imagine that C.Sharps (among others) would make you one (alhough I can't tell without calling them; their web page that lists calibers available is perpetually "Coming Soon"!).

Over the years I have seen the very occasional high-end European double rifle chambered in the .348 WCF. They were always too rich for my blood, but I would have enjoyed owning one.

I have also seen several European doubles in .348, all Belgian, all pricey.

The only issue I have with the .348 is the odd bullet diameter (I think there is/was the same problem with its "ancestor," the .33 WCF).

If I got a .348 Highwall clone, I would be sure to get the "shotgun" buttplate.....

The .33 WCF would actually be a much better choice in a High Wall. The .348 is limited by the flat nose bullets that the limited supply come in. As the .33WCF uses a .338 diameter bullet, you have a very large array of choices. Not for a lever gun, but a single-shot is an entirely different matter. I have great fondness for the .33 WCF. More than any other caliber, it was the one that started my life-long passion for this hobby. My Dad had a Win. '86 in .33 that he hunted big Minnesota whitetail with. I was enthralled with the rifle. I have owned many since that time. Today, I have five Win. 33's and two Marlin M1895 .33's. I load for this caliber of course.

Boltman, my latest high wall sporter is chambered for a 33 WCF Improved variation, made by using 338 Win Mag reamer & dies shortened by 0.400". The capacity is almost exactly identical to the 338-06, differing by only 1/2 grain, so 338-06 loading data works perfectly. A poor man's wildcat that uses readily-available reamer, dies and components. Requires annealing the 45-70 brass plus fabbing a simple forming die; I turn the case necks afterward but it's not strictly necesssary in all instances. The 338 bore IMO makes a very effective meat gun for any game in the Western hemisphere.
Regards, Joe

Joe - that sounds like a very fine hunting rig. The .33 Imp. sounds like it is very well-suited for a High Wall. I've always thought the .338-06 was a great cartridge and of course a rimmed cartridge is what you want in a High Wall. I've no doubt is is a fine meat gun.