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Picked up another 1885 in .38-55 WCF. Seriel number is 43,672 and has set trigger and 30″ no. 3 barrel. Bert can add this to his survey if he doesn’t already have it. The sights are reproduction, but I may try my hand at some BPCR matches with them. Can’t decide if I will leave the leather wrap on the stock.
The set trigger does not work. When pushed forward, there is no resistance and will not “click”. How difficult are these to repair and are parts even available?
Another mystery is some engraving on the bottom of the barrel. Crudely done, looks to be a name and maybe a city. The name looks like it could be Sam Henderson. The rest I have not been able to make out, even under a magnifying light. Obviously been there a long time.
Back the set screw out of the trigger… it looks like it is over adjusted. The original caliber for serial number 43672 was not 38-55.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert H. said
Back the set screw out for the trigger… it looks like it is over adjusted. The original caliber for serial number 43672 was not 38-55.Bert
Thanks Bert, I’ll give that a try. What is the original caliber that your research shows? I’m glad that whoever changed it did not leave vise marks on it.
Kevin
November 7, 2015
Offline
A rather handsome old rifle in a fine old cartridge. Hope it shoots well for you.
Kevin,
Per my caliber survey, it was a 32 WCF.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert,
Here are the barrel markings. Do they look correct to you or has it been re-stamped? I tried loosening the set screw and the trigger became harder to operate, eventually not working at all. The more I tightened it back down the lighter the trigger got. Not sure what is going on.
Another mystery, when I took the forearm off the small brass plate you see fell out. It is very thin and bendable. Could this be a part of the trigger assembly? Thanks for any info, this is the first high wall I have really worked on. Going to be a shooter, but want it all to work right.
Kevin
Kevin,
It looks like a factory barrel… but not original to the rest of the rifle. There is something not right in your set trigger. You should be able to back the set screw all the way out (and it will operate like a standard non-set trigger). As you turn it in, the trigger pull is supposed to get lighter, but if you turn it in too far, the trigger will no longer set (or function properly).
No, the brass shim is not part of the trigger assembly… nothing under the forend stock is remotely related to the trigger assembly. You will have to pull the lower tang out of the receiver to get access to the set trigger assembly, and that is what I recommend doing. More than likely. the trigger assembly is dirty/gunked up.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
The 55 of the caliber marking definitely looks re-stamped. If this was originally a 32-20 the barrel may have been re-bored. The original ejector would also have been stamped with the caliber on a gun of this vintage but I can’t think how one would modify a 32-20 extractor to work on a 38-55. Wouldn’t hurt to check it out though.
"This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
The 38-55 caliber stamp looks correct to me.
As for the extractor, it was most likely swapped. The early extractors were stamped for the intended cartridge(s). For the 38-55, the extractors were marked “32-40 & 38-55”.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
All the high walls in 32-20 that I’ve observed have had the small barrel shank (.825″) instead of the large shank (.935″). If yours has the small barrel shank, it could have been rebored or the barrel shank could have been turned down to fit that action. I don’t think Winchester ever made a 38-55 with a small barrel shank. If a good cleaning and oiling doesn’t solve your trigger problems, parts are available from Montana Vintage Arms. One problem with the SST is to get the knock-off spring balanced with the sear spring. If parts have been swapped out, it can be a mess.
Bob
Bob,
I have examined dozens of high-walls in 32 WCF… if the barrel is a standard No. 3 size, they were all made with the large shank. Roughly half of the No. 2 high-wall barrels in 32 WCF also have the large shank barrel. The only time a small shank barrel is found 100% of the time is when a No. 1 barrel was installed. Many of the very early production high-walls in 32 WCF have the No. 1 barrel. Mid to late production was almost always a No. 2 or No. 3. I own a late production high-wall 32 WCF with a 28-inch octagon No. 3 Nickel Steel barrel.
You are correct that the 38-55 was never made with a small shank barrel. Small shank high-wall barrels were used for the 32, 38, and 44 WCF cartridges when a No. 1 barrel was used, and for the early rim fire high-wall barrels.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Hi Bert
” I own a late production high-wall 32 WCF with a 28-inch octagon No. 3 Nickel Steel barrel “.
I bet this is a jewel. Something I would love to have as a shooter. A lovely cal
Do you shoot it ?
Phil
Phil,
I shoot it rarely… too many other rifles and calibers to shoot.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert and interested others:
So many rifles, so many calibers, so little time!
Tim
tim tomlinson said
Bert and interested others:So many rifles, so many calibers, so little time!
Tim
Truer words have never been spoken!!
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
I finally got around to working on this rifle again. The main problem was that the trigger spring screw was way too tight. Also, as Bert mentioned, the trigger set screw was also over tightened. Seems to be working just fine now. I never did figure out where the little brass spacer came from.
I found another interesting item. When I took the tang sight off there are no markings on the upper tang. Didn’t they all have the Winchester logo there?
Kevin
Only the fourth model receiver had the Winchester trade mark stamped on the upper tang.
The 1st Model has 3 screw heads on the tang (the knockoff spring screw was inserted from the outside).
The 2nd Model has the knockoff spring screw end exposed.
The 3rd Model has a blind hole for the knockoff spring screw so only the tang scre and tang peep sight plug screw are visible.
"This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
rarebearcat said
I found another interesting item. When I took the tang sight off there are no markings on the upper tang. Didn’t they all have the Winchester logo there?
Kevin
Kevin,
The patent date marking was moved from the lower tang to the upper tang in the late 90,000 serial range (the lowest serial number I have verified is 97357), which was late in the year 1904. Beginning in 1910, Winchester moved the patent date to the barrel, and changed the upper tang marking to the type 2 style marking. However, for the next several years, both the type 1 and type 2 marking were used. Then, in 1918, Winchester changed the upper tang marking for the final time, and used the type 3 style on most of the third variation Winder Muskets.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
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