Winchester 1885 Cenrefire Rifle Instructions Manual

							9
DISCHARGING FIREARMS IN POORLY
VENTILATED 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.Forearm
Muzzle Rear Sight
Front Sight Barrel
FIGURE
2B
Rear scope
mount holes
HammerChamber
opening
Breech block Top tang
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							INITIAL
CLEANING
Before the first firing, clean the anti-rust compound
from the inside of the barrel and receiver with a clean
rag and light gun oil. Lightly oil the action along the
sides of the breech block and at the pivot points on
the lever. Only a small film of oil will ever be neces-
sary. To prevent rust, regularly wipe down all metal
surfaces with an oiled rag. See “Cleaning and
Maintenance Suggestions” later in the manual.
10
FIGURE
2C
Bottom of
breech block Trigger
Adjustment
screw Lever in downward position
(underside view)
FIGURE
3
Record your serial number
for future reference
Lever
Trigger
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							OPERATION OF THE
HAMMER
Like most lever action rifles with exposed hammers,
the Winchester Model 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 (Figure 4). At
this point, any pull or tug on the trigger will force the
hammer to fall, firing the rifle.The hammer can be
placed in this position in either of two ways. First,
every time the lever is cycled lever linkage will leave
the hammer in the full cock position. The hammer
may also be placed at full cock by manually moving 
it rearward with the thumb until it engages the full
cock notch. Be sure to keep your finger off the trigger
while cocking the hammer.HALF COCK POSITION
—
The half cock notch on the hammer is a safety 
feature designed to protect against accidental 
discharge of the rifle in the event the hammer slips
11
FIGURE
4
Full Cock (fire) position
of the hammer
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							from the thumb while the rifle is being cocked
(Figure 5). The half cock hammer position should be
used for handling and storage — any time that the
rifle is not actually being fired. It is important to 
note that the Model 1885 has an inertia sear which
prevents the hammer from going to the dropped 
position unless the trigger is pulled with the hammer
in the fully cocked position.DROPPED OR FIRED POSITION
— 
The dropped-hammer position is the position of the
hammer after a round is fired (Figure 6). The
dropped position should not be used as a safety 
position of the hammer. Whenever the hammer has
fallen to the dropped position (after firing, for 
example) it should be immediately moved to the 
half cock position. LOWERING THE HAMMER TO HALF COCK
— 
Always make certain when lowering the hammer
from full 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 follow is to place your thumb
extended over the hammer with the point of your
thumb just over the “V” between the hammer and
12
FIGURE
5
Half cock (safe) position
of the hammer 
This is the correct 
position for 
handling and storage
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							13
the firing pin so that your thumb can act as a cushion
against accidental hammer fall, and at the same time,
ease the hammer into the half cock notch. A little
practice with an empty rifle will enable a person to
become adept at using the thumb in this manner. 
To lower the hammer to half cock: 
1. Pull the hammer slightly rearward with your
thumb still controlling the hammer.
2. Squeeze the trigger and allow the hammer to
slowly begin forward travel under the control of 
your thumb. 
3. When the hammer has passed the full cock 
position, immediately remove your finger from the
trigger. 
4. Carefully lower the hammer until it catches on
the half cock position.
It is possible to move the hammer from the dropped
to the half cock position by partially opening the
lever. LEVER
OPEN
POSITION
—
Whenever possible, the lever should be lowered down
and fully forward to open the action and lower the
breech block. This is the safest status for your rifle.FIGURE
6
This is the position 
of the hammer after the
trigger has been pulled 
from full cock Dropped position 
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							When shooting at ranges, and at many other times,
the action should be open unless shooting 
is imminent.GENERAL
OPERATING
PROCEDURES
With a cartridge in the chamber, and the hammer 
at full cock, the rifle will fire a single round when 
the trigger is squeezed. The lever is then rotated 
downward, extracting or ejecting, (depending on
model) the fired cartridge. An unfired cartridge may
now be placed in the chamber. The hammer remains
in the full cock position as the lever is closed, ready-
ing the rifle for firing another round. LOADING
— 
To load your Model 1885 swing the lever down and
fully forward to lower the breech block (Figure 7).
Manually insert a cartridge into the chamber (Figure 8).
The cartridge should be inserted fully into the cham-
ber to prevent interference with the breech block as
it is closed. The top front surface of the breech block
is channeled to help load a cartridge protruding
slightly from the chamber, but it is best to develop a
14
FIGURE
7
Work the 
finger lever 
downward and 
forward to open 
the breech block
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							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. PLACING THE HAMMER ON HALF COCK
—
After loading the rifle, when shooting is not imminent,
the correct position of the hammer is at half cock, 
as pictured in Figure 5 on page 12 (see “Operation of
Hammer” section for correct procedure). When the
hammer is in the half cock position, you need only
thumb the hammer back to the full cock position to
prepare the rifle for firing.UNLOADING
— 
After firing, or in order to remove a cartridge, swing
the lever down. As the lever swings forward the breech
block and the hammer move down in the receiver. At
the end of the lever cycle, the cartridge is extracted or
ejected, depending on the model. Flick away the
empty or grasp the loaded cartridge if unloading.SHELL DEFLECTOR(ONLY ON MODELS WITH AN EJECTOR SYSTEM
)
As a shell is ejected, it will strike the shell deflector.
The deflector is found at the back of the receiver
behind the hammer (Figures 9 and 10).  It is
15
FIGURE
8
Insert a cartridge
into the chamber 
Be sure to 
push the cartridge fully in 
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							adjustable for different deflections depending on your
needs. With a screw driver, rotate the deflector to
one of the click-stop positions. The deflector may be
positioned in a diagonal position to the left or right,
deflecting the shell to the left or right respectively,
and clearing the stock. To avoid ejecting the shell
straight back, always keep the deflector in the right,
left or retained position. TRIGGERThe trigger of the Winchester Model 1885 is adjusted
at the factory. The trigger pull can be adjusted in a
range of approximately 3
1⁄2pounds to over 5 pounds
by using a small screwdriver (Figure 11). Clockwise
rotation decreases the pull weight to a minimum of
approximately 3
1⁄2pounds. Counterclockwise rotation
increases the trigger pull to a maximum of approxi-
mately 5 pounds. If the trigger pull force adjustment
is increased too far, the trigger system becomes inop-
16
FIGURE
9
FIGURE
10
Shell deflector
Deflector in 
“deflect to right” 
position
Deflector in “catch” position
(retains cartridge)
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							erative. Should this happen, merely back off the
adjustment until the mechanism is again operative. WARNING: NEVER TAMPER WITH THE
TRIGGER PULL ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM
IN ORDER TO ALTER THE MINIMUM 
SETTING OF THIS OR ANY OTHER
FIREARM'S TRIGGER PULL.
NEVER ATTEMPT IN ANY WAY TO MODIFY
OR ALTER SEAR ENGAGEMENT OR ANY
OTHER TRIGGER ASSEMBLY COMPONENT.IN THE
CASE OF A
MISFIRE
Only rarely will modern factory ammunition experience
a misfire. If this ever happens to you when shooting your
Model 1885 please follow these instructions carefully. CAUTION: IN CASE OF MISFIRE, KEEP THE
BARREL POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION
AND CAREFULLY OPEN THE ACTION
WHILE AVOIDING DIRECT EXPOSURE TO
THE BREECH BY YOURSELF AND OTHERS. 
17
FIGURE
11
Use a small 
screwdriver to 
adjust the trigger
pull
Clockwise 
decreases pull, 
counterclockwise
increases pull
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							Carefully inspect the extracted cartridge. If the 
primer is indented, the cartridge should be disposed
of in a manner that would prevent accidental injury
to you or others. 
If there is no indentation, your gun has malfunctioned
and should be serviced by a qualified gunsmith. If the
gun is under warranty, it must be serviced by a
Winchester Firearms Authorized Repair Center
(ARC), which you can locate on our website at
www.winchesterguns.com.FIRING
PROCEDURES
IMPORTANT: WHEN YOU ARE PREPARING
TO SHOOT, IT IS ALWAYS ESSENTIAL
THAT YOU BE TOTALLY SURE OF YOUR
TARGET. ALWAYS BE AWARE OF ALL
OBJECTS BEHIND YOUR TARGET. KNOW
THE EXACT LOCATION OF PERSONS
WITH YOU AND ANY OTHERS IN YOUR
VICINITY. PICK YOUR TARGET WISELY
AND CAREFULLY. Begin with a loaded cartridge in the chamber, the
hammer in the half cock position and your finger off
the trigger:
18
FIGURE
12
Firmly position your thumb on
the hammer and carefully pull
back to the cocked position
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