Winchester High wall replica in .45-70Govt...

T

tacfoley

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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Location
UK, Ontario and Oregon
I was in my local gun dealers yesterday collecting some powder and a couple of things for other shooters when I just 'happened' to walk by the BP rack [yeah, right]. I instantly clapped eyes on this totally beautiful falling-block rifle in 45-70Govt calibre, complete with a vernier tang sight, and in virtually unmarked condition. After shoving a woollen mop down the dusty barrel, it was revealed as like new. 'So it should be' quoth Steve, the shop help, 'it's only four months old'.

The former owner is the local FEO's worst nightmare - he changes a couple of guns every month or so, as he has the attention span of a butterfly, if that. His loss is my gain - these rifles are as rare as a very rare, rare thing here in UK.

If you want to see one, identical to this one, in action, log on to Youtube and watch Hickock45 [THE MAN!], shooting with his on a 35 minute movie abut the High Wall. Apart from the spiffy tang sight on the one I'm getting, it could be the same rifle.

Here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g_BAQoVLtI

It should be mine in a couple of weeks, alevai, as soon as my FAC variation gets processed. Sadly, one of my others has to go so that this one can come to me, but that's life.

Best to all

tac

PS - I'm ready to learn about the .45-70 Govt from anybody else here. There are a few in my gun club, that's for sure, but mostly they 'buy' their ammunition.....never figured that out, me.
 
They are all so elegant - the epitome of pure mechanical engineering, simple and functional and just drop-dead gorgeous. They make the Remington Rolling block look like the 'Hunchback of Ilion'.

tac
 
tacfoley said:
They are all so elegant - the epitome of pure mechanical engineering, simple and functional and just drop-dead gorgeous. They make the Remington Rolling block look like the 'Hunchback of Ilion'.

tac
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I simply must object. I own - or rather. I am entrusted with the care of - two antique Remington arbies. While I agree that the high-wall is a thing of beauty, the rolling block has a simple beauty of its own. If I were to use the analogy of women, the hw would be the sleek , some might say angular, fashion-model of the big city, while the rb is the rounded, sturdy peasant girl. I find each has its own attracting features!
 
I've owned a few over the years, this one was is a Uberti replica in 40/65 with the tradional Tascoe 4X and custom made mounts for it.

Here's my original in 38/55 that I got from another CGN member

Cat
 
The winchester Hi Wall is a beautiful rifle and 45-70 is icing on a cake. Congrats.

I passed on an original pre-1898 45-70 high wall at an estate auction about 17 years ago. It went for $1200, which I naively thought was just a bit too high - i didn't know enough to realize it was actually a very good price for an excellent condition rifle. I have kicked myself ever since.

What kind of shooting are you planning to do? BP or smokeless?
 
I have owned several highwalls and currently have 2 high and 1 lowwall. Also have a couple of rolling blocks. I like both actions although for black powder I would lean towards the rolling block because there is less inside for fouling to create problems with. For smokeless powder, I lean towards the high wall just because I do. I have no doubt that Tac will thoroughly enjoy his new gun

cheers mooncoon
 
jethunter said:
The winchester Hi Wall is a beautiful rifle and 45-70 is icing on a cake. Congrats.

I passed on an original pre-1898 45-70 high wall at an estate auction about 17 years ago. It went for $1200, which I naively thought was just a bit too high - i didn't know enough to realize it was actually a very good price for an excellent condition rifle. I have kicked myself ever since.

What kind of shooting are you planning to do? BP or smokeless?
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Well, Sir, I intend to use it when I join the BCRSA - Black Powder Cartridge Rifle Shooting Assoc here in UK. We have a few members in our club, one of whom was last year's top shot. They shoot down at Bisley a few times a year on the longer ranges, and at Diggle Ranges up north as well. The idea of lobbing a 500gr lead bullet 1200 yards has always had appeal for me, especially since I also shoot a Whitworth at that range, with great lack of results.

The real things crop up from time to time here - I saw three for sale at the Trafalgar Meet at Bisley a couple of years back, but since the cheapest had a tag that was substanitally north of the value of the car it was driven there in, I gave them an interested glance, and moved on to the hotdog stand.

Some beautiful rifles here, for those who posted pics - many thanks for that. Here in UK a few of the BCRSA shoot guns made by Meacham [?] or by our local BP target rifle builder, Martin Tebbs. Rolling blocks of all kinds are there, including some custom guns, and the usual mass of Shiloh Sharps and the cheap replicas like this Uberti I've got my name on.

@Mr cat - I have a x18 Unertl Supervarmint with the older type of mounts on my LH BSA MkII Intl. It came with a complete set of Al Freeland's micrometer diopter tube sights and foresight tunnel sight, mounted on the more modern alloy POSA mounts. All for $75.00.

tac
 
Dogleg said:
That was John Browning's first design, which he sold to Winchester for $8000. By his reckoning that was "more money than there was in Odgen, Utah."
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Not quite correct.

William Mason, the same guy that Patented several of the defining features of the 1873 Colt's revolver, reworked the Browning design into the 1885 Winchester.

Once Winchester determined that they could not come up with a design that would not infringe on Browning's patented features, they made the deal with Browning. It was the start of a long relationship, until Browning insisted on being paid on a 'per gun made' basis for one of his new designs and the Winchester management wasn't willing to play, and they went separate ways.

When you look at the two designs side by each, the gulf between them is apparent. Browning's original design was a very simple and uncomplicated rifle, while the Win 1885 has a few design features that are quite elegant solutions to problems of the day, as well as being designed to allow a high degree of customization and adaptation to different product lines in a production environment, such as the removable lower tang with the trigger mechanism on board, allowing the swapping out between standard trigger, single set, or two different styles of double set triggers, all pretty much at will during the production cycle.

The two books on the Winchester Single Shot, by Campbell, are worth tracking down, if you are interested!

Cheers
Trev
 
tacfoley said:
@Mr cat - I have a x18 Unertl Supervarmint with the older type of mounts on my LH BSA MkII Intl. It came with a complete set of Al Freeland's micrometer diopter tube sights and foresight tunnel sight, mounted on the more modern alloy POSA mounts. All for $75.00.

tac
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WOW!! Heckuva deal for sure!!
Cat
 
gunlaker said:
That is an excellent deal. Nice schuetzen rifle catinthehat. You don't see too many of those around these days.

Chris.
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Made in 1906 delivered in 1907 according to the Winchester museum.
IOriginally stocked with a straight grip, and restocked in Ontario in 1954 by a fella named parkinson.
This gun has the original mold and loading tool, and another mold with a very famous single shot shooter's ( Jim Secord) name on it!
Shoots very well.
it has the original barrel and original single set trigger as well.
Cat
 
Here are a picture of my Hi Walls

Top gun was made by Parkinson in London in 219 imp zipper then rechamber in 1958 to 22/303 by the person I bought it from father, it has hand notes and letters from different gunsmiths in Ontario from that time with loads for the 22/303, topped with a 10X Targeteer scope by R.A Litscherchert. Has single set trigger

Second gun is a Hi Wall in 38/55 made in 1886 with a tang sight and I installed the Winchester front windgage sight, has good bore and shoots well, it also came the loading tool and bullet mold (the gentlemen I bought it from had the loading tools in a box to throw away)

Thrid gun is a 218 imp bee with a weaver K 8 scope dont have much history on it other then a local Doctor had it built for his daughter in the early 60's

[URL=http://s71.photobucket.com/user/WR1894/media/Gun%20Room/IMG-20140928-00936_zps827456e5.jpg.html][/URL]

John
 
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