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1885 High Wall
ladygunslingers
Member Posts: 18 ✭✭
I traded for a 1885 High Wall last night and I am looking for verification on what I was told about the rifle and any other information that would help with a good description.
It's my understanding that this firearm was built by John Browning while he WAS NOT working for Winchester. It is stamped with Patent date Oct 7 79 on the lower tang. The serial number is 44457 and that serial number is one of several missing (Blue Book of Gun Values) during 1904-1905. I was told that John Browning built this gun after he left Winchester but before he went to work for Colt when he was self employed for a short time. The caliber is 7x57 rimmed. It is a round 22" barrel and I was told not original to the gun. The butt plate has been replaced with a brown rubber WhiteLine. I will be listing it here on GunBroker, but I wanted to verify my information first.
It's my understanding that this firearm was built by John Browning while he WAS NOT working for Winchester. It is stamped with Patent date Oct 7 79 on the lower tang. The serial number is 44457 and that serial number is one of several missing (Blue Book of Gun Values) during 1904-1905. I was told that John Browning built this gun after he left Winchester but before he went to work for Colt when he was self employed for a short time. The caliber is 7x57 rimmed. It is a round 22" barrel and I was told not original to the gun. The butt plate has been replaced with a brown rubber WhiteLine. I will be listing it here on GunBroker, but I wanted to verify my information first.
Comments
or send him a personal email just double click on his name he will know if anyone
Mr Browning did not work for Winchester, and damn sure didn't work for Colt.
W.D.
It was built by Winchester. John Browning never touched it.
List it as a Winchester 1885 (technically incorrect, but it will get lots of "hits".
Don't bother with the story, anybody bidding on this will know more about it than you do.[:D]
The 7x57R barrel is kind of a novelty. I wonder if the firing pin was bushed to handle it.
But the John Browning legend is nonsense.
yooper
From the Browning timeline posted by forgemonkey, Colt did indeed market several Browning firearms. Possibly the technical definition of "worked for Colt" was not met - I don't know - but they certainly had a working relationship of some kind over several years.
yooper
Colt bought the patents from John M. Browning, just like Winchester did, and FN did. JMB did had his own office at both Winchester and FN, but was never on the "payroll".
WACA Historian & Life Member