Browning B78?

dixda

dixda

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Kamloops B.C.
Hi,
I am contemplating picking up this Browning B78 in 45-70. It's in pretty good condition woodwise, everything else looks great. Pretty neat single shot.
I would like to get some feedback from anyone who owns or has owned one of these rifles, the good, the bad. Prices maybe? TIA, KD
 
They are a well-built and solid rifle based on the Winchester 1885. Work the action on a B78 or 1885 and then do the same with a Ruger #1. While I love the number 1's they are no where near as nice as the Winchester clones.

Depending on condition it should sell for between $750.00 and $1000.00
 
I had one many years ago. From what I remember, some of them can be fussy about the bedding on the forestock & may need a bit of work to get the best accuracy.

They are really nice rifles though.
 
B78

I have a B78 in 30-06 with an octagonal barrel. It is one of my favorite rifles and is very accurate. They only problem I ever had with it was getting the Pachmyr sling swivels. They are the only ones that fit in the stock plugs or so I was told. I find them to be very unique rifles. I doubt you would be disappointed assuming it has been well maintained.
 
I had one in 22/250 years ago. It was a little finicky with loads but would put the old Red box Federal into 1/2" so consistantly that it was boring, and I found one handload that really wanted to go in one hole. The rifle had an annoying habit of changing zero slightly from day to day, that I never did figger out. It's long gone, but I wish I had it back. I've never owned anything with a slicker action.
 
Rugerman said:
They only problem I ever had with it was getting the Pachmyr sling swivels.
Click to expand...


Order them directly from Lyman if you can't find some locally.

Dependant on the age of the rifle you may have to modify them slightly as the old-style were a bit smaller in the "T" portion. About a half hour with needle files or a dremel will clean them up. Touch up the filed spots with cold blueing and you will be good to go.
 
I had a B78 in 45-70. It shot full tilt loads very accurately, sneaking pretty close to 458 win. velocities. The fellow that own's it now is enjoying good accuracy with BP loads w/ cast bullets.

The factory crescent butt plate is nasty with heavy loads.

The only thing I didn't care for was the trigger. Just kind of goes off during the pull. Hard to describe.
 
If that's the one at the Powderkeg, I looked at it in September.
Really nice rifle, but the crescent butt-stock will kick the pi$$ out of you!
I would have bought it in September except for the crescent butt.

I ended up with a Ruger #1 for the same price, brand new.
 
sniper58 said:
If that's the one at the Powderkeg, I looked at it in September.
Really nice rifle, but the crescent butt-stock will kick the pi$$ out of you!
I would have bought it in September except for the crescent butt.

I ended up with a Ruger #1 for the same price, brand new.
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An old timer showed me where to place those crescent butt plates when shooting. They are not actually held against the shoulder, but at the place where the shoulder and arm come together, or at the crook of the elbow. This allows for quick placement and reduced slippage, while taking up the heavy recoil. I tried this technique with my turn of the 20th century 1894's,(30-30, 38-55) and it works quite well.
Still, you're probably right about the 45-70. KD
 
'Boo said:
Order them directly from Lyman if you can't find some locally.

Dependant on the age of the rifle you may have to modify them slightly as the old-style were a bit smaller in the "T" portion. About a half hour with needle files or a dremel will clean them up. Touch up the filed spots with cold blueing and you will be good to go.
Click to expand...

After a long wait I was able to get them from Pachmayr. I can't believe how many years I packed that rifle around without a sling! Years ago I was hunting in the mountains with a friend who was also a guide. He and his brother wanted to get to another valley in a hurry so we took this shortcut that involved some really narrow ledges and a very long drop. When some rock ptarmigan flew up in my face I almost fell backwards off the mountain. I was scared out of my mind and all I remember was him saying, "If you fall, throw me that rifle. It's a beauty . . .)
 
I had one of the B78s in 45/70 in the late 70's. I believe it was about 350 dollars new. A nice rifle in many respects, they had what was possibly the worst trigger ever designed. How a company could take something as simple and elegant as the Winchester Hi-wall and do something like that to it is beyond my understanding.
Apart from the trigger, the rifle shot quite well but was not as accurate as my Marlin 1895 and was about equal to my H&R Shikari. I replaced the buttstock with a classic from Fajen which made it a lot better to shoot. I finally sold it around 1980. I don't wish I had it back! Regards, Bill.
 
B 78

I have a B 78 in 45/70 with the octagon barrel and curved steel butt plate. As stated by "Dixda" , if you set the butt properly, recoil is a no worse experience than any other 45/70 loaded stoutly.
The rifle has a lighter trigger pull than my Ruger # 3 s' and is fairly crisp with no creep.


This rifle is mostly fed cast bullets that I make myself and useing Lee 500 gr GC and Lyman 500 gr GC will consistantly group 3 shots at one inch and sometimes less than that with A2400 powder at 1285 fps at 100 yds. Useing Imr3031 at 1500 fps it will shoot almost as well.
Have taken 350 gr PB cast to 2100 fps and get about 2.0 inch groups useing Re #7 powder.

With 400 gr remingtons at 2000 fps useing Re 7 ,the rifle will shoot 1.75 inch.
The rifle is probably more accurate than I can shoot ...and if you don't have the curved butt plate just right with the heavy loads you will be reminded with a bit of pain to place it properly for the next shot.

The rifle was $500 in 1997 when my brother bought it....the round count was under 50 and was sold because of the recoil/curved butt issues from the original owner, and I bought it from my brother last year.

The original Browning bases and rings I replaced with Leopold s' as many people with 45/70 oct. brls had issues with these not being workable with out generous shimming of the rings and mine was no exception. The Luppys are first rate and would reccomend them to all B 78 owners.

.......if you can get one at a fair price I doubt you 'll have any regrets.
 
I have a B 78 in 30-06 that was a mess when I bought it. It had a birch "stock", pitting on the outside of the barrel and action but the action and bore were good on the inside. My original plan was to rebarrel it in 45-70 or 40-65 Sharps. I had to find small steel balls to replace the little balls that hold the action closed. After restocking it with a slab of nice walnut it shot well in its original 30 -06 for a few years. Later what had first been noticed as a very small imperfection on one of the barrel flats grew into a considerable bulge so it now sits unused until Ihave an inch or so chopped off.

Also be carefull of the small adjustment screws on the trigger. Someone in the past had played around with them on my rifle and the small screw on the back of the trigger which controls setting the half #### safety has gone missing. They were originally coated over with a lacger type of seal to prevent this. I have talked to a number of gunsmiths and none are able to locate the part or tell me what size and thread i would need to replace it.


If anyone can let me know about the particulars of this part I woulod be very gratefull.
 
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