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June 1, 2023
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I bought this Low Wall 1885 back during the last decade, when I celebrated a birthday that neither my father, grandfather, nor great-grandfather lived long enough to celebrate. Seemed like as good a reason as any to buy myself a birthday gift!
The plain walnut pistol grip stock is not a configuration one sees very often, and the presence of the Lyman 2A tang sight and the Lyman #5 front sight made this one irresistible to me. The bore is as near perfect as I have ever seen, and a trip to the range found that it was sighted in perfectly, and will put all the bullets into the head of a rabbit with 22 Short target fodder at 25-50 yards, about the maximum distance where my old eyes can see the sights and target clearly.
The rifle has great balance, with the #1 Octagon barrel pointing as naturally as a wizard’s wand.
I have not invested in a letter from Cody, so I don’t know if it would letter with the Lyman sights, but I have my doubts, as the Lyman 2A has a WS code, which would have been correct for an 1890 Winchester. But it doesn’t matter too much to me, as these are the sights I would have bought for this rifle back in the first decade of the 20th Century when this rifle was made.
All in all a nice little Winchester that can still be taken afield to harvest dinner from the local cottontail population.
I include a couple more pics, with this Low Wall’s Winchester kin: an 1890 in 22 SHORT that wears the same sights, and an 1890 Winchester “Semi-Deluxe” in 22 WRF. They seem to be just right together as a trio.
All the best—
BRP
April 15, 2005
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Contact me via PM or email…
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
September 22, 2011
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It’s a nice rifle except the discrepancy I note is the Winchester proofmark on the frame and not the barrel, suggesting a replacement barrel that wasn’t proofed. Am I missing something here?
June 1, 2023
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No you are missing nothing. The lack of the proof mark on the barrel indicates clearly that the barrel is a replacement, and from an earlier rifle, before a proof mark was used.
BRP
November 7, 2015
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I like it! What target ammo does it like?
Mike
June 1, 2023
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I have some older CCI (ca 1970’s) 22 SHORT Target ammo that this old Low Wall shoots extremely well, but it shoots nearly as well with the current production CCI Hollow Point “Varmint” rounds. That is good news or me, and very bad news for the local cottontails!
BRP
September 21, 2016
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I really like it BRP!
And I’m a sucker for 1890s with PG stocks. Very appropriate group of rimfires there!
June 1, 2023
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Thank you!
I have aways had an affinity for the pistol grip stocked Winchesters. I had (and later sold) a pistol grip 1886 in 40-65, I own several pistol grip 1894 rifles, and of course the rimfire Winchesters pictured above. The pistol grip stocks, with or without checkering, just seem to fit me better, and shoulder more naturally to me.
BRP
