The Best There Is. OWNER'S MANUAL VERY IMPORTANT: TRUBS Meee Caco RICE eis iBeielet (ol Bol (oC RPT Ke nim ie Scuba slept ol ste MODEL 1885 SINGLE SHOT RIFLENEW GUN OWNERS RECORD a KEEP THIS RECORD FOR FUTURE REFERENCE Browning Model Seulal Number Gauge / Caliber Purchase Price Purchased From Date of Purchase We are pleased that you have chosen a Browning Model 1885 single shot rifle. The Browning Model 1885 Single Shot is pattemed after the original single shot rifle invented by John M Browning in 1878. He was only 23 years old when he produced this classic flling-block type action rifle. He sold the sales rights to Winchester in 1883 and it later gained great popularity when i was produced as the Winchester Single Shot Model 1885 High Wall. The original Low Wall Single Shos (introduced laces) was referred to as the “thinside” and was traditionally used as a carbine. The original 1885s were designed for use with black powder carcridges, s is the 1885 BPCR model. With a reasonable amount of care, your Model 1885 should give you many years of dependable, enjoyable service, Please feel free to write us immediately iF you have any observations regarding its performance and operation, Special Note for Model 1885 BPCR: In addition co the regular instructions in this manual, be sure you refer to the special instructions starting on page 12 of this manual for special informacion and warnings regarding the Mode! 1885 BPCR model. ‘This manual covers the following versions of the Model 1885: * 1885 HIGH WALL * 3 #1885 LOW WALL * BROWNING. * 1885 BPCR (BLACK POWDER CARTRIDGE RIFLE ) * One Browning Place, Morgan, Utab 84050-9326 Distributed in Canada by Browning Canada Sports Ltd./Ltee, St-Laurent, Quebec H4S 1W6 Printed in Jopan.98105 MODEL 1885 SINGLE SHOT RIFLEYou Are Responsible For Firearms Safety Asa gun owner, you accept a set of demanding nisibilities, How seriously you take these respon- ics ean be the difference between life and death. si There is no excuse for careless or abusive handling of any firearm, At all times handle your rifle and any other firearm with intense respect for its powerand porential danger, PLEASE READ AND UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE CAUTIONS, PROPER HANDLING PROCEDURES AND INSTRUCTIONS OUTLINED IN THIS BOOKLET BEFORE USING YOUR NEW FIREARM. | ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE OF YOUR RIFLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION, EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE CERTAIN THE RIFLE IS UNLOADED. NEVER POINT ANY FIREARM AT ANYTHING YOU DO NOT INTEND TO SHOOT, BE EXTREMELY ALERT AND AWARE OF ALL PERSONS AND PROPERTY WITHIN THE RANGE OF YOUR AMMUNITION. NEVER RELY TOTALLY ON YOUR RIFLE'S “SAFETY DEVICE. You should never trust the 1885's half-cock hammer position to function as a “safety.” See “Operation of the Hammer” later in this manual. No guarantee can be made that at some time, the half-cock notch will not prevent the hammer from striking the firing pin. Like any mechanical device it can sometimes fail and can be jatred or inadvertently manipulated into an unsafe condi- tion, While itisa good idea to practice and become familiar with the operation of the hammer safety, NEVER TEST IT WHILE YOUR RIFLE IS LOADED OR POINTED IN AN UNSAFE DIRECTION. Your Model 1885's half-cock noxch is merely an aid to safe gun handling and is no excuse for pointing the muzzle in an unsafe direction. 3 6 Always treat this rifle as though i were loaded and ready to fire THE USE OF A HAMMER SPUR (EXTENSION) ON THE 1885 1S NOT RECOMMENDED. ‘A hammer spur (extension) can resule in malfunc- tion and possibly create a hazardous condition. WHENEVER YOU HANDLE A FIREARM, OR HAND IT TO SOMEONE, ALWAYS OPEN THE ACTION IMMEDIATELY AND VISUALLY CHECK YOUR RIFLE’S CHAMBER. Make cercain chac it does not inadvertently contain any ammunition. Alvays keep the chamber empty and the hammer in the half cock position unless shooting is imminent. DO NOT TRANSPORT YOUR RIFLE LOADED, WHETHER IN A SCABBARD, GUN CASE, OR OTHER CONTAINER. When the 1885 is stored or cased, the hammer should always be placed in che half-cock position. HUNTING FROM ELEVATED SURFACES SUCH AS TREE STANDS IS DANGEROUS. Doing so may increase the tisk of handling a firearm. The following rules should always be observed by you and those you hunt with: Ahoays make certain thae the stand being used is safe and stable, Always make certain that your fireatm is unloaded when itis being taken up and down from the stand. Akoays make certain that your fircarm is nor dropped from the stand, or dropped while itis being taken up or down from che stand. Remember, 2 oaded firearm may discharge when dropped, even with the hammer in the half cock position. BEWARE OF BARREL OBSTRUCTIONS, FOR THE SAFETY OF BOTH YOUR GUN AND YOURSELF. Maud, snow, and an infinite variety of other objects may inadvertently lodge in a barrel bore. It rakes only one small obseruction to cause dangerously increased pressures that can ruin (well or rupcure) the fines rifle barrelsBEFORE CHECKING FOR A BARREL OBSTRUC- TION, BE CERTAIN NO LIVE ROUND ISIN THE CHAMBER . Look through the barrel to be sure itis clear of any obstraction, Ifan obstruction is seen, no matter how small it may be, clean the bore with a clean- ing rod and patch as described in “Cleaning Suggestions” later in this manuel. Before the fist firing, clean the bore with a cleaning rod and patch, and wipe away any anti-rust compounds in the action/chamber areas. ALWAYS UNLOAD YOUR RIFLE WHEN NOT IN USE. REFER TO THE SECTION OF THIS INSTRUCTION BOOKLET EXPLAINING THE UNLOADING OF YOUR RIFLE. Store your gun and ammunition separately—well beyond the reach of children. Take all safeguards to ensure your rifle does not hecome available to untrained, inexperienced or unwelcome hands. USE THE PROPER AMMUNITION. The barrel and action of this rifle have been made with substantial safery margins over the pressures developed by established American commercial loads. Nevertheless, Browning assumes no liabiliry for incidents which occur through the use of car tridges of nonstandard dimensions which develop pressures in excess of commercially available ammunition which has been loaded in accordance with standards established by che Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Insticure (SAAMI). When loading/shooting black powder or Pyrodex” cartridge loads in the BPCR version of the Model 1885 you must refer to and understand the special warnings and instructions found rear the end of this manval BE ALERT TO THE SIGNS OF AMMUNITION MALFUNCTION. Ifyou detect an off sound oF light recoil when a cartridge is fired, DO NOT LOAD ANOTHER CAR- TRIDGE INTO THE CHAMBER, Open the action and remove the cartridge from chamber. Glance down the barrel to make sure that an obstruction does not remain in the barrel. If there is an 10 13 14 obstruction, completely clear the barrel before loading and firing again. Failure to follow these inseructions ean cause extensive damage to your gun and possible serious injury to yourself and others DISCHARGING FIREARMS IN POORLY VENTILAT- ED AREAS, CLEANING FIREARMS, OR HANDLING AMMUNITION MAY RESULT IN EXPOSURE TO LEAD AND OTHER SUBSTANCES KNOWN TO CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS, REPRODUCTIVE HARM AND OTHER SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY. HAVE ADEQUATE VENTILATION AT ALL TIMES. WASH HANDS THOROUGHLY AFTER EXPOSURE. DO NOT SNAP THE FIRING PIN ON AN EMPTY (CHAMBER — THE CHAMBER MAY NOT BE EMPTY! Treat every gun with the respect due a loaded gun, even though you are certain the gun is unloaded. KEEP YOUR FINGERS AWAY FROM THE TRIGGER WHILE UNLOADING AND LOADING, UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO SHOOT. BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET AND BACKSTOP. Particularly during low light periods, Know the range of your ammunition, Never shoot at water orhard objects. ALWAYS UNLOAD YOUR RIFLE’S CHAMBER BEFORE CROSSING A FENCE, CLIMBING A TREE, JUMPING A DITCH OR NEGOTIATING OTHER OBSTACLES. Refer to “General Operating Procedures” larer in this manual for instructions on the unloading of your rifle, Never place your loaded rifle on or against a fence, tree, car, or other similar object. WEAR EYE AND EAR PROTECTION WHEN SHOOTING. Unprorecced, repeated exposure to gunfire can cause hearing damage. Wear ear protectors (shoot- ing ear plugs or muffs) to guard against such dam- age. Wear shooting ghsses to protect your eyes from flying particles. Allow proper distance (eye relief) between the scope and your eye when firing a scoped rifle or shorgun, Always keep « sae dis- cance becween the muzzle of your fircarm and any persons nearby, as muzale blast, debris and ejecting16 7 shells could inflict serious injury. Also, wear eye protection when disassembling and cleaning your shotgun to prevent the possibility of springs, spring-tensioned parts, solvents or other agents from contacting your eyes. DROPPING A LOADED GUN CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGE Even with the hammer in the half-cock position. Be extremely careful while hunting or daring any shooting activity, o avoid dropping any firearm, IF YOUR RIFLE FAILS TO FIRE, KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION. Hold this position fora minimum of 30 seconds, Carefully open the action and remove the car- cridge. IF the primer is indented, the cartridge should be disposed of ina way chat cannot cuuse harm. Ifche primeris nor indented, your firearm should be examined by a quslified gunsmith and the cause of the malfunction should be corrected before further use BE DEFENSIVE AND ON GUARD AGAINST UNSAFE GUN HANDLING AROUND YOU AND OTHERS, Don’t be timid when it comes to gun safery. If you observe other shooters violating any of these safecy precautions, politely suggest safer handling prac- tices. BE CERTAIN YOUR RIFLE !S UNLOADED BEFORE CLEANING. Because so many gun accidents occur when a firearm is being cleaned, special and extceme care should be taken to be sure your gun is unloaded before disassembly, cleaning and reassembly. Keep ammunition away from the cleaning location, Never test the mechanical function of any firearm. with liveammunition. TEACH AND SUPERVISE FIREARMS SAFETY TO ALL MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY — ESPECIALLY TO CHILDREN AND NONSHOOTERS. Closely supervise newcomers to the sho sports. Encourage enrollment in hunting/shooting safety courses. 21 NEVER DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES OR TAKE ANY TYPE OF DRUGS BEFORE OR DURING SHOOTING. Your vision and judgment could be dangerously impaired, making your gun handling unsafe to you and to others, 22. PERFORM PERIODIC MAINTENANCE — AVOID UNAUTHORIZED SERVICING. Your rifle isa mechanical device which will not last forever, and as such, is subject to wear and requires periodic inspection, adjustment, and ser- vice. Browning firearms should be serviced by a Browning Recommended Service Center or by Browning's service facility in Amald, Missouri. Browning cannot assume any responsibility for injuries suffered or caused by unauthorized servic- ing, alterations or modifications of Browning firearms. 23. READ AND HEED ALL WARNINGS IN THIS INSTRUCTION BOOK, ON AMMUNITION BOXES AND WITH ALL ACCESSORIES THAT YOU INSTALL ON YOUR FIREARM. Ic is your responsibility to secure the most up-to- date information on the safe handling procedures of your Browning gun, Browning assumes no lia- bility for incidents which occur when unsafe or improper gun accessories or ammunition combi- nations are used. 24. BROWNING RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE ON FIREARMS THAT HAVE BEEN ALTERED, ADDED TO OR SUBSTANTIALLY CHANGED. Removal of metal from barrel(s), or modifications of the firing mechanism and/or operating parts may lead to Browning's refusal of service on such firearms. Browning will charge the owner for parts and labor to return the firearm to original Browning specifications. DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, ALTER THE TRIGGER, SAFETY OR PARTS OF THE FIRING MECHA- NISM OF THIS OR ANY OTHER FIREARM. FAILURE TO OBEY THIS WARNING MAY RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH TO YOURSELF OR OTHERS. BE CAREFUL!Breech Block ~a Hammer Lever Nomenclature In conventional gun terminology the position and movement of gun parts are described as they occur with the gun horizontal and in the normal firing posi- tions i. the muzzle is forward or fronts the butt stock is rearward or rear the trigger is downward or under- neath; the sights are upward or on top. For general nomenclature, se figuee 1. Serial Number ‘The serial number can be found on the lower right side of the receiver toward the rear corner. Record it at che space provided at the front of the manual for fut reference, Initial Cleaning BEFORE THE FIRST FIRING, CLEAN THE ANTI-RUST COMPOUND from the inside of the barrel and receiver with a clan ragand light gun oil such as Browning Oil. See “Cleaning Suggestions” section. Recewver Barrel Muzzle ‘Swivel Stud General Description All three versions of the Model 1885 function in essentially the same way, Please note che following * Only the high wall version has the shell deflector fea- ture. This feature is discussed later. * IF your rifle is the BPCR version itis very important that you review the special procedures for cleaning and maintenance that are necessary when shooting black: powder, Please also note that most of the descriptive photos in this manual are of the low wall version of the Model 1885 Single Shor rifle, Although there are design and significant pare differences, the basic function and operation isthe same forall three versions. Operation of the Hammer Like most lever action rifles with exposed hammers, the Browning 1885 does not have a separate manual safety. ‘The exposed hammer is an excellent indicator of the status of the rifle, “The hammer has three positions: full-cock, half-cock, and dropped or fired. FULL-COCK POSITION — ‘The hammer is all the way to the rear (se figure 2). Ac this point, any pull or tug on the trigger will force the hammer to fal, firing the rifle, “The hammer can be placed in this position in either of wo ways. First, every time the lever is cycled, lever linkages will eave the hammer in the full-cock posi- tion, The hammer may also be placed at fll-cock by manually moving it rearward with che thumb uneil itengages the full-cock norch. Be sure to keep your fin- ger off the trigger while cocking the hammer. HALF-COCK POSITION — The half-cock notch on the hammer isa safery feature designed to protect against accidental discharge of the rifle in the event the hammer slips from the thumb while the rifleis being cocked (see figure 3). The half- cock hammer position should be used for handling and storage — any time that the rifle is not actually being fired. Ic is important to nore that the Model 1885 has an inertia sear which prevents che hammer from going to the dropped position unless the trigger is pulled. Always make certain when lowering the hammer from fall-cock to the half-cock position that your thumb is securely and squarely on the hammer and that the rifle is pointed in a safe direction, A wise practice to fellow isto place the thumb extended over the hammer with the point of the thumb just over the “V” becween the hammer and the firing pin so that the thumb can act asa cushion against accidental hammer fall, and at che same time, ease the hammer into the half-cock notch. A litcle practice with an empry rifle will enable a per- son to become adept at using the thumb in this man- ner. Pull the hammer slightly rearward and with the thumb still controlling the hammer, squeeze the tig- ger and allow the hammer to siowly begin forward travel under the control of your thumb. When the hammer has passed the full-cock position, immediate- ly remove your finger from the trigger. Carefully lower the hammer until itcatches on the half-cock position. DROPPED OR FIRED POSITION — ‘The dropped-hammer position is the position of the hammer after a round is fired. (See figure 4.) General Operating Procedures With a cariridge in che chamber, and the hammerat fall-cock, the rifle will fea single round when the criggeris squeczed, The lever is then rorated down- ward, extracting the fired shell, An unfired shell may now be placed in the chamber. The hammer remains in the full-cock position as the lever is closed, readying the rifle for firing another round LOADING AND FIRING— To load your Model 1885 swing the lever down and fully forward to lower the breech biock, Manually insert a cartridge into the chamber (see figure 5). The cartridge should be inserted fully into the chamber to prevent interference with the bole as i is closed. The top frone surface of the bole is channeled to help load @ cartridge protruding slightly from the chamber, but it isbest to develop habit of pushing the cartridge all the way into the chamber. Now close the lever. This locks the action and leaves the hammer in the full- cock, ready-to-fire position.