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I just bought an 1886 in 45-90 from 1887. I wanted to completely break it down to clean it.
I noticed when I lever the gun, when it hits the first bit of resistance (about 1/2 mid throw), it feels very stiff there. so stiff that when i shoulder the gun, it pulls the gun off my shoulder unless I do it with very, very deliberately.
I spent an hour preparing my workspace to attempt to disassemble and clean… and after 2 screws quickly noped out of my comfort zone. The stock was on so tight that I gave up.
I’ve watched enough mark novak videos to realize I’m way out of my league…
several question that are actually not really related to removing the stock (because tbh I’m better off not knowing, or I likely very well will ruin it somehow)
1) is there a good trusted gunsmith for 1886 that I could send this to to get it all checked out, cleaned, etc
2) is there a place i can oil to help with that first bit of resistance? i oiled inside the locking lugs, and the bolt groove. i tried to clean it but it already seems pretty clean. it didnt help much. it doesnt feel dry, just ‘gummed’ if i had to guess
Exuma, very nice looking 1886
Are you familiar with the amount of effort required to ‘lever’ a Winchester when the gun is on one’s shoulder? Gently may not be the best way. That first bit of ‘resistance’ may actually be normal as lever actions have to be cycled very, very deliberately in a strong, vigorous manner when the gun is on the shooters shoulder.
I wouldn’t disassemble the gun to clean it as you’ve said it already seems to be pretty clean, just wipe it down and clean what you can from the outside.
If you still feel it needs work just contact Mark Novak
“If you can’t convince them, confuse them”
President Harry S. Truman
Tedk said
Exuma, very nice looking 1886Are you familiar with the amount of effort required to ‘lever’ a Winchester when the gun is on one’s shoulder? Gently may not be the best way. That first bit of ‘resistance’ may actually be normal as lever actions have to be cycled very, very deliberately in a strong, vigorous manner when the gun is on the shooters shoulder.
I wouldn’t disassemble the gun to clean it as you’ve said it already seems to be pretty clean, just wipe it down and clean what you can from the outside.
If you still feel it needs work just contact Mark Novak
Thanks! I’m not a “collector” so I almost don’t even want to know how much I overpaid, but I didn’t care. I wanted the character because I just loved how it looked, and I want to shoot it!
I do have about a dozen lever guns so I know how much is standard to lever them for a Miroku 1886. I also have 2 authentic 1894s which are smooth as butter, but an entirely different action.
This is my first actual authentic 1886, so in that respect I don’t know how much is normal.
Normally when I’m shooting, I apply a light pressure with my foregrip arm pushing the gun into my shoulder so i can lever. in this one, much more firm pressure is required than any other lever gun I have. its not so much that its unshootable or extremely annoying or anything, but I would say its 30% more, so enough to be noticeable
Online
You really need to work the action of the 1886 off your shoulder, it works better that way.
How much did this cost you? Maybe you got a bargain, you never know.
Exuma said
Thanks! I’m not a “collector”
I do have about a dozen lever guns
I hate to break it to you, but you’re a collector. 🤣
Jeremy P said
Exuma said
Thanks! I’m not a “collector”
I do have about a dozen lever guns
I hate to break it to you, but you’re a collector. 🤣
LMAO 😂
mrcvs said
You really need to work the action of the 1886 off your shoulder, it works better that way.How much did this cost you? Maybe you got a bargain, you never know.
I’m afraid to say, but I think about $10K including the reserve.
The thrill of buying it was quite exhilarating, and in general I care less about the things I’m sure many other people would balk at. I suppose I care most about the character and whether it speaks to me, more than some kind of mar or ding or combination of features (like that sling eye) which decreases the “market value” or makes it more common. I was maximizing the variables of 1) i want to shoot it 2) a caliber i can reload easily
When I was bidding, I got into a bidding war with 2 other people who were on the auction floor, and I was bidding online. The best part is that I hit my bid cap for being an online bidder… the guy on the floor did not know this, and only had to bid $200 additional dollars to win, but because he didnt know i hit my bid limit he backed out!
I definitely would not attempt to take it apart if I paid $10,000 for it
“If you can’t convince them, confuse them”
President Harry S. Truman
Tedk said
I definitely would not attempt to take it apart if I paid $10,000 for it
Yes… that is the conclusion I converged on after not that much time 💀
I have a habit of telling myself 5 times “NOW WHATEVER YOU DO……. DO NOT _________”
And then I will place the gun right on the screwdriver, or it will slip out of my hand etc.
So this time, i watched 2 videos… I prepared whole workspace to move very slowly
The stock was just stuck though, and I have learned my lesson (many) times before when I do it anyway, this time I was smart enough to stop however. I just cleaned up the outside and oiled it as best as I could from the outside
Exuma said
I just bought an 1886 in 45-90 from 1887. I wanted to completely break it down to clean it.I noticed when I lever the gun, when it hits the first bit of resistance (about 1/2 mid throw), it feels very stiff there. so stiff that when i shoulder the gun, it pulls the gun off my shoulder unless I do it with very, very deliberately.
Exuma, first of all, beautiful 86 fancy sporting rifle. Excellent desirable caliber. Now, although not a 86 but very similar, I just disassembled and reassembled a 92 to install a spring cover(loading gate). It’s not a sophisticated ordeal, but it will try your patience, especially reinstalling the breach pin. Issues that you can run into, include fudging the screw heads. Bert has stated many times it’s important to clean the grime out of the screw head and a little Kroil always helps for better removal. My 86’s and 92’s all have a bit of resistance that you mentioned and that is normal. The screw eye is obviously not factory or in the correct location but not sure I would try to fix that unless you know a wood expert who can duplicate that tiger grain oil finish.
I’m in agreement that I would not attempt to disassemble your fancy sporting rifle unless absolutely necessary. A good cleaning without breaking it down can still do wonders.
Rick C
I would be willing to bet, the first resistance you are experiancing is the bolt contacting the hammer. That’s normal. It is a ‘big gun’. 
RDB
As a follow up question… where might i find load data?
I was excited to check my cast bullet book and was dismayed to see it says this:
This data is only for new or recently manufactured guns recommended for smokeless powder. This data is not for antique rifles originally made for back powder
These are the two 45-70 bullets I had, I was wondering if i could load any of these:
https://www.mattsbullets.com/365-grain-round-flat-nose-gas-check-458.html
https://www.mattsbullets.com/405-Grain-Round-Flat-Nose-Gas-Check-458_p_126.html
That is a beautiful deluxe ’86. I would not touch that rifle with a tool for sure!! I’ve had five original 1886’s as well as the Browning (Miroku) 1886 SRC. I would say that the ’86 has the most resistance of a variety of original levergun makes and models and I have to intentionally hold it pretty hard against my shoulder while levering, otherwise the butt gets pulled down. I have to lever the next cartridge in with authority – put some punch into it. It is substantially harder to lever an ’86 than a ’94. That being said, my Browning ’86 SRC is hard to lever as well and I have to pull it in hard to my shoulder while levering otherwise the buttstock gets pulled down.
It your rifle will cycle, then I would expect it to be just fine. Especially if it will cycle a cartridge. If you really want to clean the action, I would open it all the way and then with a thin brush reach down into the action and clean up what I can reach.
Exuma said
As a follow up question… where might i find load data?I was excited to check my cast bullet book and was dismayed to see it says this:
This data is only for new or recently manufactured guns recommended for smokeless powder. This data is not for antique rifles originally made for back powder
These are the two 45-70 bullets I had, I was wondering if i could load any of these:
https://www.mattsbullets.com/365-grain-round-flat-nose-gas-check-458.html
https://www.mattsbullets.com/405-Grain-Round-Flat-Nose-Gas-Check-458_p_126.html
Chuck and Bryan Austin are the guys for load data. I’m sure they’ll reply here at some point.
Rick C
Exuma said
As a follow up question… where might i find load data?I was excited to check my cast bullet book and was dismayed to see it says this:
This data is only for new or recently manufactured guns recommended for smokeless powder. This data is not for antique rifles originally made for back powder
These are the two 45-70 bullets I had, I was wondering if i could load any of these:
https://www.mattsbullets.com/365-grain-round-flat-nose-gas-check-458.html
https://www.mattsbullets.com/405-Grain-Round-Flat-Nose-Gas-Check-458_p_126.html
You could load either of these. But if you have not slugged the barrel a .458″ may or may not be the best diameter. If you want you can shoot it anyway.
Buy Mike Venturino’s book on reloading.
Exuma said
mrcvs said
You really need to work the action of the 1886 off your shoulder, it works better that way.
How much did this cost you? Maybe you got a bargain, you never know.
I’m afraid to say, but I think about $10K including the reserve.
The thrill of buying it was quite exhilarating, and in general I care less about the things I’m sure many other people would balk at. I suppose I care most about the character and whether it speaks to me, more than some kind of mar or ding or combination of features (like that sling eye) which decreases the “market value” or makes it more common. I was maximizing the variables of 1) i want to shoot it 2) a caliber i can reload easily
When I was bidding, I got into a bidding war with 2 other people who were on the auction floor, and I was bidding online. The best part is that I hit my bid cap for being an online bidder… the guy on the floor did not know this, and only had to bid $200 additional dollars to win, but because he didnt know i hit my bid limit he backed out!
You DEFINITELY want to avoid bidding wars in future. In my experience, back out, and, later down the road, you usually find something even better for less money.
Exuma,
Bob is right with hammer drag. The friction of the hammer against the back of the firing pin makes the lever pull hard, a little grease on the front of the hammer and loosen the hammer spring strain screw up a little. You don’t need all that spring pressure to set off the primer.
The 45-90 likes 300gr bullets at 1450fps. I use Remington jacketed hollow points or cast 300gr in a original Winchester mold, both work good. I use 38-40grs of 3031 with a filler. You need to have consistent velocity to be accurate.
Don’t loose any sleep over the price you paid, you got what you wanted. 20 years ago I got in a bidding war over a 45-90 86 and it’s worth what I pad today. I knew the other two bidders, one still won’t talk to me which I don’t understand. I bid by phone now. T/R
Sorry when I saw 45-70 I assumed it was a 45-70. TR is correct you should use a 300 grain bullet. I load these using 3031, 4759 and 4198. Each of my loads shoot about 1,550 fps or a little less. My data is from a highwall with a 30″ barrel. Mike still has the data in his book.
Awesome, thanks guys.
I was very eager to just SHOOT, and I used 12gr Unique with a 365gr bullet (the matt’s bullet listed above), and it was very accurate (~1080 fps). I was super pleased… was a bit nervous that it was going to not even hit the paper 😅 I was keyholing shots @ 50 yd
I am now going to try to find a 300gr bullet, or some of the ones mentioned here.
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