Thanks

sweet looks like it was someones prize target rifle at one time ,boy if it could tell storys ,you have a gem ,I am sure some guys here can fill you in with more details ,I think she is going to be worth a bit ,very nice find ,Dutch
 
Nice, from what I see someone has modified the butt stock to fit the brass buttplate which is designed for off hand shooting, the level is to keep the gun level when shooting also. Not sure if the tang sight is a Winchester sight or if the front is made by winchester but are period for the gun. Also the gun has a single set trigger. If the bore cleans up would be a nice lead bullet gun in my opinion
 
The sights and level I don;t think are original, nor is the butt plate, but who cares? it's FREE!!
Hopefully it will clean up nicely .
A quick email to Cody Wyoming will tell you all you need to know about the rifle.Not a high
dollar rifle for resale, but I'd shoot the son of a gun and be happy!
Cat
 
That's a sweet looking piece you have acquired for sure. I have no knowledge of anything about this firearm but can say that I really like sending lead down the barrel of my 1901 model 94 38-55. Clean that gun up and hopefully you can send a few down range.
 
You still have some of the case colours on the receiver and some of the bluing on the barrel. Externally it looks better than most 85s that I see. Lets hope that the bore cleans up, although it looks fairly dark at the muzzle. I get the impression that it belonged to someone who was a serious schutzen shooter, presumably in the late 1800s or early 1900s. I think you should count yourself very lucky

cheers mooncoon
 
The model is known as a Hi-Wall. One of the strongest single shot actions made, designed by J M Browning, sold the patent to Chinwester.
The barrel weight is marked under the forend, probably a #3 or 3 1/2 by the look of it.
The set trigger is "set" by pushing forward on the trigger till you feel/hear a click - weight is adjusted by the small screw on the trigger - it should work, may need cleaning.
Lots of info on the Hi-wall all over, get DeHaas book "Single shot rifles and actions" - very good book
Google will give you lots to read. LOL
Lovely piece!!!
 
Thanks everyone for your input.

@wr1894. I checked the trigger. I first thought it was a regular trigger. Then after your comment i decided to #### the hammer and push the trigger forward. I sets like you said then..........WOW the lightest trigger i have felt to date!!!!!!!!


Now a general question. I don't reload. Is there anywhere that sells 38-55?
 
38/55 ammo is out there for sure, but to really learn to enjoy that rifle you should learn how to hand load , and learn how to really make that rifle shoot !
Paul Mathews' books are a tremendous start .
Cat
 
Looks to me like the original owner bought the rifle, then decided at a later date to upgrade a bit. I have done the same myself, many times. Rather than buying a new rifle, when he already had a perfectly good one, he bought some accessories, and dressed it up. Upgraded sights, a barrel level, and a shceutzen butt plate, and he turned an already excellent rifle, that he liked, into a real target shooter. As oldstarfire mentioned above, the Winchester Hiwall was an excellent rifle, one of J M Browning's finest, and a true classic. Several manufacturers are building reproductions today, including Browning, Winchester, Pedersoli, to name a few. The 38/55 is probably one of the most popular of the many calibers it was chambered for. I would absolutely clean her up, and give her a try. I had surprising success with an old rusty 1886, in 47/90, using jacketed bullets. If nothing else, there is a very good market for 1885 actions, to rebarrel for the Black Powder Cartridge Rifle (BPCR) market. The action alone is worth at least $900, more with the SST (single set trigger). If you put it on the EE, your phone will ring off the hook (and it will be me on the line). :-D
 
I think it would be a crying sin to change anything on it, especially the caliber. Leave the rebarreling to a modern made action spewed out very recently by the thousands.

If it shoots fine, I myself would leave her be, as is.

my 2 bits
 
I would also say to leave 'er if everything is as well executed as it looks, then I think the "upgrades" look great on the old girl. Even though she probably ain't all original, it appears from here those upgrades were pretty close to contemporary. If they were done at the time then it's probably a fair representation of what folks wanted at that time. In no way could that build, be compared to some "Tapcod sub MOA SKS of the 1890s".

x2 on the Codey letter. x15 on the "lucky guy" comments!

If the bore is actually pooched (learn to shoot cast before giving up on a pitted barrel) then consider importing a liner...that way you can keep it original outside. I have nothing against rebarrelling really, but relining (although more costly up here) is still a viable option IF you end up committing to it. If not - well as has been said it would be a quick sale.
 
One of the better sources of information on the Winchester single shot is a book by a fellow named John Campbell called "The Winchester Single Shot". It's actually a two volume set, and contains a lot of information for those interested in these rifles.

The original Winchester Single Shots are my favorite rifles.

Chris.
 
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