Winchester 1886 Lever Actions Rifle Instructions Manual

							Only rarely will modem  factory ammunition  experi- 
ence a misfire. If this  ever happens  to you  when 
shooting  your Model 
1886 please  follow  these 
instructions carefully. 
CAUTION:  IN CASE OF MISFIRE, KEEP  THE 
BARREL POINTED  IN A SAFE DIRECTION, 
PLACE  THE  MANUAL HAMMER  STOP IN 
THE “ON”  POSITION AND CAREFULLY 
OPEN  ACTION  WHILE AVOIDING  DIRECT 
EXPOSURE  TO THE BREECH  BY YOUR
- 
SELF  AND  OTHERS. 
Carefully inspect  the ejected 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 
or by  a US. Repeating Arms  Company 
Authorized  Repair  Center (ARC). 
It  is important  that you be fully  familiar  and totally 
competent with  your rifle‘s handling and operation 
procedures.  With the safety  in the  “on” position,  it is 
possible  to cock  the hammer  and pull  the trigger,  and 
then,  when  the cartridge fails  to fire,  think  the rifle 
has  misfired.  However,  you  may have merely forgot
- 
ten to move  the safety  to the “off” position.  In either 
case,  always  keep the muzzle  pointed  in a safe  direc
- 
tion until  you determine  the cause.  
						

							Model 1886 rifles are fitted with traditional open 
sights. 
OPEN STYLE SIGHTS 
Your  firearm  can be adjusted  to shoot  higher by 
moving  the rear  sight elevator  backward by one  or 
more  notches. 
In order  to shoot  lower,  the elevator can  be moved 
forward  (See Figure 
15). 
The rear sight  is attached  to the  barrel  in a dove- 
tailed slot machined  into the barrel. By gently  tap-  
						

							ping the rear  sight  base (where  fastened  to the  barrel) 
to  the  right,  your gun will shoot  more to the  right. 
An adjustment  to the  left  can  be made by tapping  the 
base  to the  left  (See  Figure  16). 
Care  should  be taken  not to mar  the finish  or bend 
sights  when adjustments are  made. 
A NONMARRING BRASS, PLASTIC OR 
FIBER  HAMMER  AND/OR  DRIFT IS ALWAYS 
PREFERRED FOR  THIS OPERATION. 
The Model 1886 will function better  and more reli- 
ably  over  a longer period of time  if it is properly 
maintained and  kept clean. 
BEFORE PERFORMING  ANY CLEANING 
PROCEDURES, ALWAYS  MAKE CERTAIN 
THERE  ARE  NO  CARTRIDGES  IN THE 
CHAMBER, MAGAZINE 
OR ACTION/FEED 
AREAS. 
You should clean  your Model  1886  after every day of 
shooting and more often  if it  becomes excessively 
dirty. 
A minimum cleaning  includes wiping down the 
action  and oiling  key parts.  Most regular  mainte
- 
nance will also  include cleaning  the barrel. If you 
encounter  a function  problem (tight action when 
working  the finger  lever),  be sure 
to give your  gun a 
thorough cleaning  to see  if it  solves  the problem 
before seeking  the services  of our  service facility  or a 
competent  gunsmith. 
To clean your firearm, follow  the general  outline 
below: 
CLEANING PROCEDURES — 
BE  CERTAIN YOUR GUN’S  CHAMBER  AND  
						

							MAGAZINE ARE  UNLOADED. ALWAYS 
WEAR  PROTECTIVE  SAFETY GLASSES 
DURING ALL  CLEANING PROCEDURES. 
KEEP  AMMUNITION  AWAY FROM  THE 
CLEANING  AREA. DO NOT  TEST THE 
FUNCTION OF  YOUR FIREARM  WITH LIVE 
AMMUNITION. 
ALWAYS PLACE  THE SAFETY  (MANUAL 
TION  BEFORE BEGINNING  ANY CLEANING 
PROCEDURE. 
1. Open  the action.  Use a cleaning  rod with a tip and 
patch suitable  for your caliber bore. Make  sure the 
patch 
is large  enough  for a snug  fit in the  bore. 
Insert  the rod  and patch  into the barrel  at the  muzzle 
end and run  it back  and forth  several times. 
USE A 
CROWN  PROTECTOR  IF POSSIBLE. 
Be  careful 
not  to strike  the crown  of the  muzzle  with the handle 
end  of the  rod.  Damage  to this  area  can affect  the 
accuracy  of the  rifle. 
2. Inspect  the chamber and  bore for brass,  copper, 
lead  and powder  fouling. 
A normal amount  of powder 
residue  can be expected and  is not  serious.  It can 
usu- 
ally  be removed  by repeating step  one, using  a patch 
saturated with solvent. 
If or  when fouling should 
become heavy, it  can be removed  with a brass bore 
brush.  Dip or spray  the brush  with solvent and  scrub 
the  chamber and  bore until  the fouling  is removed. 
To prevent  brass bristles  from breaking  off, the  brush 
should  be pushed  completely  through the bore before 
HAMMER  STOP) IN THE “ON”  (SAFE)  POSI-  
						

							being withdrawn. 
3. After fouling  has been  removed  the bore should be 
wiped dry.  Then pass a slightly oiled  patch through 
the  bore, 
for preservation. A fine, light gun  oil is rec- 
ommended. 
4. Wipe  all exposed  metal surfaces of the receiver, 
forearm  and barrel  with a clean  rag. Finger marks 
should  be removed  because  they provide  a place 
where  moisture  can accumulate. 
Any dried  oil in the 
receiver  area should  also be removed. 
5. Then lightly  oil your  gun at the  points  described 
under “Oiling  the Action”  explained  earlier in this 
manual. Ordinary 
good judgment  will, of course, indi- 
cate  that the metal of the gun  should  receive  a  light 
film  of oil any time  the rifle  has been  exposed to 
weather 
or handling. Remember,  the polished,  finely 
fitted  surfaces 
of the receiver  and action  mechanisms 
must  always  have a thin  film of oil.  Make  sure that 
the  surfaces  of the  breech  block,  lever  components 
and  feed  mechanism parts  are especially clean and 
lightly oiled  with a high  quality  gun oil. 
Do not use 
pure silicone 
or lanolin. 
6. INSPECT THE BARREL AND CHAMBER. 
TO  MAKE CERTAIN THAT NO PATCHES 
HAVE BEEN INADVERTENTLY LEFT  IN 
THEM. 
Remove  any that  remain. 
7. Wipe  all wood surfaces. 
8. When  transporting only,  place your Model 1886 in 
a quality protective  case to prevent  scratches  and 
dents.  Store in a dry place  to prevent  corrosion.  Store  
						

							away from children. Make  sure your gun is unloaded 
and  always  store ammunition  separately. 
OTHER CLEANlNG  SUGGESTIONS — 
• Never pour large  quantities of oil into  the receiver 
or  other  parts.  It can  drain down 
to the wood  and 
soften  it 
— and cause  permanent  damage and loosen- 
ing of the stock. 
• After extended  periods of heavy use, your  gun 
should  be taken 
to a qualified  gunsmith to have  the 
action  disassembled for professional  cleaning and 
lubrication. 
NEVER  ATTEMPT  TO TAKE YOUR MODEL 
1886 APART  FURTHER  THAN  EXPLAINED 
IN  THIS  MANUAL. 
This is a specialized, finely  fitted mechanism. You 
may permanently  mar it by  attempting  to disassemble 
the  inner  mechanism  assemblies. 
If further disassem- 
bly for service or  cleaning is required,  take your  gun 
to a U. S. Repeating Arms Company recommended 
Service  Center or a competent  gunsmith as explained 
under  “Service  or Repair.”  
						

							To order parts, please write our parts  department and 
furnish  the following:  your name,  address,  and tele- 
phone  number. Also  specify the model  and serial 
number  of your  gun. When  we receive  your request, 
we  will  send  an order  form and a  parts breakdown 
with  prices. 
Write  to: 
Pacts Department 
U.S. Repeating  Arms Company,  Inc. 
275  Winchester  Avenue 
New  Haven, Connecticut  0651 1
-1970 
CAUTION: PARTS ARE  MADE  FOR 
WINCHESTER  BRAND FIREARMS  MANU
- 
FACTURED  BY OR FOR U.S. REPEATING 
ARMS  COMPANY, INC.,  AND SHOULD  NOT 
BE  USED  IN OTHER GUNS EVEN  THOUGH 
MODELS  MAY  BE SIMILAR.  IMPROPERLY 
FITTED PARTS  MAY  BE DANGEROUS. 
If your Winchester  firearm should ever need  repair or 
service,  please utilize  one of the  world-wide  network 
of U.S. Repeating Arms Company Authorized Repair 
Centers  for Winchester  firearms. 
If you have  any 
questions about  how to obtain  service  for your 
Winchester  firearm, call or write  the Authorized 
Repair  Center (ARC)  nearest you. 
A list of ARCs  is 
packaged  with your new gun. 
If you need  to obtain a 
new  list of ARCs call  us at: 
1-203-789-5000  
						

							If you have  other  questions about  Winchester rifles 
and  shotguns, call 
or write our Customer Service 
Department: 
Customer Service 
U.S.  Repeating Arms Company,  Inc. 
275 Winchester Avenue 
Morgan,  Utah  84050-9333 
Phone:  1-800-945-5237 
U.S. Repeating  Arms Company  offers an information 
resource for  you on the  world  wide  web. 
• List of authorized repair centers. 
• Customer  service information. 
• Answers  to many  technical and  historical 
questions. 
• Links  to helpful  sites. 
Go to: www.winchesterguns.com  
						

							
You Are Responsible For Firearms Safety 
As a gun owner, you accept a set of demanding re sponsibilities. How seriously you take these 
responsibilities can mean the di fference between life and death. Fa ilure to follow any of these 
instructions can cause ex tensive damage to your gun and/or po ssible serious injury or death to 
yourself and others. There is no excuse for carele ss or abusive handling of any firearm. At all 
times handle any firearm with intense resp ect for its power and potential danger.  
PLEASE READ AND UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE CAUTIONS, PROPER HANDLING PROCEDURES 
AND INSTRUCTIONS OUTLINED IN THE OWNER’S MANUAL BEFORE USING YOUR NEW 
FIREARM. 
1. ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE OF YOUR RIFLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION, even 
though you are certain that 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. 
2. NEVER RELY TOTALLY ON YOUR RIFLES MECHANICAL SAFETY DEVICE. The word 
safety describes a guns trigger block m echanism, sear block mechanism, hammer 
block mechanism or firing pin block mechanis m. These mechanical devices are designed 
to place your gun in a  SAFER status. No guarantee can be made that the gun will not fire 
even if the safety is in  the on safe position. See  Operations of the Safety  for 
instructions on operation  of YOUR guns safety. 
LIKE ANY MECHANICAL DEVICE, A SAFETY CAN SOMETIMES FAIL; IT CAN BE 
JARRED OR INADVERTENTLY MANIPULATED INTO AN UNSAFE CONDITION. 
Mechanical safeties merely aid safe gun ha ndling and are no excuse for pointing your 
rifles muzzle in an unsafe direction. 
While it is a good idea to test  your rifles mechanical safeties periodically for proper 
function, 
NEVER TEST IT WHILE YOUR RIFLE IS  LOADED OR POINTED IN AN UNSAFE 
DIRECTION 
Safe gun handling does not stop with your guns  mechanical safety devices -- it starts 
there. Always treat your rifl e with the respect due a load ed, ready-to-fire firearm. 
3. WHENEVER YOU HANDLE A FIREARM, OR HA ND IT TO SOMEONE, ALWAYS OPEN THE 
ACTION IMMEDIATELY, VISUALLY CHECK  YOUR RIFLES CHAMBER, FEED MECHANISM 
AND MAGAZINE.  
Make certain they do not in advertently contain any ammunition. Always keep the 
chamber empty and safety in the on  safe position unless shooting is imminent. 
4. DO NOT TRANSPORT YOUR RIFLE LOADED, WHETHER IN A SCABBARD, GUN CASE, OR 
OTHER CONTAINER.
 
5. HUNTING FROM ELEVATED SURFACES SUCH  AS TREE STANDS IS DANGEROUS, and 
may increase the risk of handling a firearm. The following rules should always be 
observed by you and those you hunt with:  Always make certain that the stand being used 
is safe and stable. Always  make certain that your firear m is unloaded when it is being 
taken up to and down from the stand.  Always make certain that your firearm is not 
dropped from the stand, or dropped while it is being taken up to or down from the stand. 
Remember , a loaded firearm may discharge when  dropped, even with the safety in the 
on safe position.  
						

							
6. BEWARE OF BARREL OBSTRUCTIONS, for the safety of both your gun and yourself. 
Mud, snow, and an infinite variety of othe r obstructions may inadvertently lodge in a 
barrel bore. It takes only one small obstructi on to cause dangerously increased pressures 
that can ruin (swell or rupture) the finest rifle barrels. 
BEFORE CHECKING FOR A BARREL OBSTRUCTION, BE CERTAIN NO LIVE ROUND IS IN 
THE CHAMBER AND THAT THE MAGAZINE IS REMOVED AND FEED MECHANISMS ARE 
COMPLETELY EMPTY. PLACE THE SAF ETY IN THE ON SAFE POSITION. 
Look through the barrel to be sure it is clear of any obstruction. If an obstruction is seen, 
no matter how small it may be, clean the bore w ith a cleaning rod and patch as described 
in  Cleaning and Maintenance Suggestions.  Before the first firing, clean the bore 
with a cleaning rod and patch, and wipe  away any anti-rust compound in the 
action/chamber areas. 
7. ALWAYS UNLOAD YOUR RIFLE WHEN NOT IN USE. REFER TO UNLOADING THE RIFLE 
FOR AN EXPLANATION OF HOW TO  UNLOAD YOUR RIFLE PROPERLY.
 
As a safety precaution, it is preferable to disassemble your gun for storage. Store your 
gun and ammunition separately -- well beyond th e reach of children. Take all safeguards 
to ensure your rifle does not become availa ble to untrained, inexperienced or unwelcome 
hands. 
8. USE THE PROPER AMMUNITION. 
The barrel and action of this rifle have been  made with substantial safety margins over 
the pressures developed by established Am erican commercial loads. Nevertheless, 
Browning assumes no liability for incidents wh ich occur through the use of cartridges of 
nonstandard dimensions which develop pressu res in excess of commercially available 
ammunition with standards established  by the Sporting Arms and Ammunitions 
Manufacturers Institute (SAAMI). 
BE ALERT TO THE SIGNS OF AMMUNITION MALFUNCTION. 
If you detect an off sound or light  recoil when a cartridge s fired, DO NOT LOAD 
ANOTHER CARTRIDGE INTO THE CHAMBER. 
Open the action and remove all cartridges 
from the magazine, chamber and action ar eas. With the action open, glance down the 
barrel to make sure that an  obstruction does not remain in  the barrel. If there is an 
obstruction, completely clear the barrel before  loading and firing again. Failure to follow 
these instructions can cause  extensive damage to your gun an d possible serious injury to 
yourself and others. 
MAKE SURE OF ADEQUATE VENTILATION IN THE AREA THAT YOU DISCHARGE A 
FIREARM. WASH HANDS THOROUGHLY AFTER EXPOSURE TO AMMUNITION OR 
CLEANING A FIREARM. 
Lead exposure can be obtained from discha rging firearms in poorly ventilated areas, 
cleaning firearms or handling ammunition. Lead  is a substance that has been known to 
cause birth defects, reproductive  harm and other serious injury. 
9. 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. 
10. KEEP FINGERS AWAY FROM THE TRIGGER  WHILE UNLOADING, LOADING, UNTIL YOU 
ARE READY TO SHOOT.