1885 winchester 22 wcf

dodge69

I have a Winchester 1885 WCF 22 that has aftermarket sights on in. I know there must have been a lot of sights that you could have ordered but maybe there was a standard for these guns, a 3/8 dove tail and maybe some kind of blade for the front.

dodge69

can anybody tell me if a 1885 22 WCF that has been lined can be lined again? I found a really nice looking one that the liner is in really bad shape. I'm not even sure anybody makes a liner for a WCF. I know most people shot the Hornet in these old guns but I wouldn't know if a Hornet liner would work or not or even if they are made.
I would guess the best bet would be to find a decent barrel that has not been lined and have it lined.

MIKE WISKEY

"I'm not even sure anybody makes a liner for a WCF.".........liners arn't made for specific cartridges, just calibers. in your case you need (want) a .22 cal. liner installed and THEN chambered for the .22 WCF...........and yes, this is possible.

Hawk Carse

That would be an interesting project.
The old liner was probably soldered into place.
I THINK the barrel could be heated up and the liner pushed out.
It could either be replaced with a new liner made to the old one's diameter or the hole reamed to take a current commercial liner.

Finding a .226-.228" liner would be the trick, along with a .22 WCF reamer. Also consider availability of dies and bullets or mould.

Sounds like Hornet time to me.

charliemeyer007

+1 for interesting project. Perhaps turn down a 22 Savage Hi Power barrel into a liner. The 22 rimfire liners I have seen don't offer enough room in the chamber area for a much bigger cartridge.

I'd be looking at a new barrel in a Hornet as the easier and cheaper way out. The 219 Zipper or Donaldson Wasp would require some extractor work.

dodge69

Well I would plan on using the Hornet ammo for sure. I think finding a decent used WCF barrel that has not been lined would be difficult.

tsr1965

quote:Originally posted by charliemeyer007
+1 for interesting project. Perhaps turn down a 22 Savage Hi Power barrel into a liner. The 22 rimfire liners I have seen don't offer enough room in the chamber area for a much bigger cartridge.

I'd be looking at a new barrel in a Hornet as the easier and cheaper way out. The 219 Zipper or Donaldson Wasp would require some extractor work.


A 22 rimfire barrel liner would be dangerous, as it is like 0.003-0.004" less in grove measurement than the standard 0.224" bullets we have today. It would be a cast and size proposition only.

On the other hand, since it has no collector value, if it has a liner in it, I would use it as a project gun, and rebarrel it, possibly in 22-K Hornet. Maybe 223 Remington, or even 221 FireBall.

Bert H.

quote:Originally posted by tsr1965
A 22 rimfire barrel liner would be dangerous, as it is like 0.003-0.004" less in grove measurement than the standard 0.224" bullets we have today. It would be a cast and size proposition only.

On the other hand, since it has no collector value, if it has a liner in it, I would use it as a project gun, and rebarrel it, possibly in 22-K Hornet. Maybe 223 Remington, or even 221 FireBall.


The Model 1885 requires a rimmed cartridge unless you want to punch empties out with a cleaning rod. Additionally, the 221 Fireball and 223 Remington are way too may cartridge for an original Model 1885 low-wall action. I would stick a new liner and chamber for the standard 22 Hornet.