Anyone own a Taylor & Co or Uberti 1885 or know someone that owned one? Looking for options on quality and especially accuracy. They seem expensive, want to see if they are worth it. Larry

Aren't the Taylors just a rebranded Uberti?

Consider also the WInchester 1885 reproductions made by Miroku for Winchester. I don't know if these are still in production, but they may be available on the used market. Excellent, well-built, accurate rifles.

I have1 in 38/55 the rifle is great but wish i had opted for the 45/70
You need to monkey with the 38/55 cartridge to get the accuracy
Second thought i also have 1 in 45/70it shoots wellwith factory loads

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age is just a number

Bought mine in 2005 on a Williamson Close-out.

With a Trail Boss load in virgin Winchester brass, 255 grain Bear Creek Moly Coated, Federal Match primer. I had replaced the factory sights with a Modern Lyman Tang Sight and a Lyman 17M Globe, with the fine cross-hair insert. After zeroing I shot a 20-shot 100-yard group off a rest, that could be covered with a nickel! These are the same as the Browning 1885 Hunter series. The Lyman Tang Sight is the same one on the Browning Hunter.

Back then the gun as about $500 OTD! I had it set up for my 2" 15x Unertl just before my stroke and never found the need to put the scope on!

The design is an early J.M.Browning creation. I only handled 1 clone, it was in 45-70 and the hammer wasn't centered, or the hammer pin was at an angle, and it dragged on the action wall. So, I didn't bother to find out how it shot! This was around 2008/9 and was $650.

Ivan

The Miroku, Browning, Winchester “1885” has very little in common with the original John Browning Winchester except for the basics of a falling block single shot.
Still a fine rifle, my .40-65 has burned a lot of Swiss.

Yes.
Taylor, Cimarron, EMF, do not manufacture anything.

I bought a .38-55 Traditional Hunter version not long after they were available twenty five or so years ago. I still shoot it regularly with cast bullets. Very accurate, as is the .32-40 and .405 I bought some years later.

I've had many .45-70s and still have a Shiloh Sharps that I no longer shoot. Unless you have a real need or want for a .45-70, the .38-55 is much more pleasant to shoot and at least as accurate as any .45-70 I've had.

Montana Valley Arms makes 1885's that the parts interchange with Original Winchester actions. The Japanese and Italian reproductions Don't! The cost reflects this in a big way! BTY, I don't believe Winchester parts are interchangeable without major fitting, depending on when the action was made! But if you want to replace buggers screw heads, they have the exact right ones (size, pitch and length).

However, my 1885 circa 2005 & 1886 circa 1986 follow the spirit of the design with the exception of the parts relating to the hammer springs. The Originals use leaf springs, and these modern copies use coil springs.

MVA also makes faithful copies of late 1800's scopes and sights. I wish I had a MVA tang sight on my 1885. The Lyman copy of their own sight uses an O-ring instead of a ball detent for elevation adjustments. The Lyman brand copy, hold a setting fine, but there are no "Clicks" when adjusting elevations! That makes "Repeatability" a guessing game! I treat it as a "Tunable" fixed sight! (It does fold down.)

I have a MVA sight on my 1974 Shiloh Sharps 1874. Those are the things Dreams are made of! MVA makes a base plate to fit their sights to any predrilled tang including the Italians.

The Japanese made Traditional Hunter come drilled and tapped for modern 6" spaced scope bases. When I had mine set up for the long external adjustable scopes (9" to 11" spacing mid barrel) The long-tapered barrel was an absolute pain in the rear! It took the machinist three times longer than the bull target barrels they were used to. MVA won't drill your gun! So be sure you find a real machine shop instead of some guy with a drill press.

They included the scope "Blocks" and only charged me $50 (about 8 years ago) but said they would never do another! They actually ground the blocks to match the barrel's taper!

Ivan

Larry, get a hold of Steve. He has a .38-55 and loads for it.
Bill

If you're interested in a variety of current loads for the .38-55 using cast bullets and several powders, see HANDLOADER #210. Test rifle was a Traditional Hunter.

And I also have some of the Miroku High Walls. I like shooting them all.

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I own a Browning (Miroku) 1885 and have handled a few Uberti's. Mine is a .30-06 and was my go to hunting rifle, back when I hunted. My wise Father once told me that you only get one shot at game. Many would take exception, but I've found it to be true. I can't speak to the accuracy of Uberti's, only my Browning that will make cloverleafs at 100 yds. I never appreciated what a neat deer stand these single shots are until I owned one. Dropping the finger lever just a bit it like engaging a silent safety for those who don't like exposed hammers. Hammer access is a bit tight with a scope, but once you know how to manipulate the finger lever the hammer never gets touched. The quality level and tightness of Miroku's is above Winchester's which are generally too valuable to take to the field. If you settle on a Miroku instead of a Uberti, don't feel like you have chosen second best. All the modern High Wall and Low Wall clones are super weapons. They used to be relatively cheap, but no more.

Yep. The difference is Uberti will finish and fine tune to the customer's specs.
You can get anything from downright drab, utility piece to beautiful deep blue or case coloring with extra fancy checkered wood with a super trigger. Taylor's is known for going for the top of the line fancy versions. Thus they're more expensive than other brands.
Personally, I'd go straight to Uberti and order one I like at the finish level I'm willing to pay for.

I have an Uberti 1885 Deluxe in .30-30. I was looking for one in .38-55 but the .30-30 is fun to shoot, very easy on the shoulder and very accurate. At 100 yards with 5 shot groups 1 MOA is the norm with plated or cast bullets and sub MOA with high quality jacketed bullets.

It’s not a lightweight at 10 pounds 9 oz but it’s well balanced and very pleasant to shoot.

The trigger is very good by field/hunting standards, and still heavy enough to take into the field.

It’s a copy of the Winchester 1885, and while I cannot speak to parts interchangeability with those long out of production Winchester rifles, I can say it stays with the period correct features of the Winchester 1885 they reverse engineered.



The faux color case hardened finish is well done. The colors could be a bit brighter, but on the other hand they have held their color for the 12 or so years I have owned it, and that’s not always the case with faux CCH finishes. It’s also not over the top and is in keeping with color case hardened 1885s as they’ve aged.

The polish and bluing on the barrel is excellent.





The checkering is pressed rather than cut, but it’s nicely pressed checkering.



It has a trap door buttstock in it along with a sectional cleaning rod which is a nice touch.






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I also own a relatively recent Browning 1885 low wall. It has all the features that comes with a newer rifle, such as the rebounding hammer (not a plus), and a cantilevered hanger to support the fore end (a plus for accuracy and consistency in holding a zero, and an improvement over the single shot Ruger rifles). It however isn’t any more accurate than my traditional design Uberti 1885.

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Taylors, Cimarron, Stoeger, etc don’t make any of their own rifles. They order them from Pedersoli, Uberti and Armi Sport (now a subsidiary of Chiappa).

Where the differences can come into play is in terms of the specifications for wood and finish and that’s usually reflected in the price.

A lot of good info here. Spotted a Taylor locally in 32-20 and not sure about the quality or reputation of this brand. Nice looking gun supposedly shot very little. Nothing available on the accuracy of the rifle. On the Taylor & Co website, the guns new are somewhat expensive, more than I thought.

I like 32 caliber and this gun would fit right in place in the safe. Also like single shot rifles. Plus the Low Wall is a classic. One on an auction site has the barrel replaced with a Douglas and chambered in 32-20 but pricy. Early Winchester with the flat spring, sure it shoots good.

Would hate to buy the rifle and get 2” groups at say 25 yards. I know it wouldn’t be a precision target rifle either. Larry

I don't know anything about those guns but assume they are of good quality. I do know the Miroku Winchester/Browning reproductions are generally accurate, of excellent quality, desirable, and retain value well, certainly something to consider at sale or trade time.

I don't have an 1885, but I do have a Uberti 1873 Cattleman, which is their SAA clone. It is a well-made revolver built on the original Colt blueprint, with one modern exception: it has a firing pin safety built into the hammer and is a "3-click" when you pull the hammer back. The original Uberti clone and the original Colt SAA are "4-click" guns. I've had no issues with this safety, it is invisible and does not distract from the original look of the gun nor is it a type of safety you can apply or release. A rod that goes up through the hammer has to have pressure applied by the trigger being pulled, which pushes the firing pin and holds it so it will fire the primer. It can be defeated (several YT videos) and I believe the older original hammer will interchange but the trigger must be modified by removing a small spur. Mine is .45 Colt and I can hit a 12" steel plate at 25 yards all day long with it. The rear sight isn't all that great but you get used to it; I wouldn't change it for the sake of making the gun more accurate, it would change the appearance of the gun to do so.

Uberti is imported through three routes. Stoeger is the largest and the guns are marketed through Uberti USA. Stoeger and Uberti are part of the Benelli Group, owned by Beretta. Stoeger only acts as the FFL importer for Uberti and handles the warranty, but Uberti is the manufacturer.
2nd is Cimarron, and third is Taylors; both cater to cowboy-action shooters, and have Uberti guns made to their specification (grips, barrel lengths, finish, names), but do not manufacture them. They are only importers but brand them under their names.

If the handguns are any indication of Uberti quality, the rifles should be very nice. Are you looking at the Courteney stalking rifle or the High Wall?

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Looking at a Low Wall, priced around about 900.00. Larry

C. Sharps makes several period single shots, including a Highwall, but I think the 1875 - not 1874 - Sharps is their best deal.

Is a twenty plus year old Uberti Low wall in 32-20 that I bought new. My wife and I can ring a twelve inch gong about ninety percent of the time at two hundred yards with this gun shooting Lead bullets.
The bottom rifle is a Uberti low wall that if have purchased in the last couple of months in .45 Colt. It does not look to disappoint. Interestingly enough they were both about the same price. But you can see that the earlier gun has the pistol grip and the checkering on the stock which the recent gun does not.

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Charlie, have you ever shot at targets with the 32-20 and what size groups did you get? Hitting a 12” gong at 200 yds is impressive. How does the 45 shoot?

The one I am looking at has the checkering.

There are a lot nice guns in this thread. I like the Martini style guns and currently have a Ruger No1 in 223 with a heavy Douglas bbl. Like the looks of the 1885 rifles. Thanks for all the input so far, Larry

But that was a long time ago, not sure how well I did. The new gun in .45 Colt I have just not had time to fool with it yet. I just got it a couple of weeks ago and have been busy. The 32-20 I do remember as being finicky about ammo with a definite leg up using heavier lead bullets, nothing less than 110 grains.

I have a modern Marlin 1894C in 32-20. 12" at 200 isn't difficult with a tang sight and factory front. The difficulty comes in finding the correct elevation with my handgun loads. 115/117 RNFP cast over WW231. My bullet mold is like the old Lyman 3118 but with a gas check.

Ivan

PS, I'd love a 32WCF in a 1885 or Rolling Block or even a Rugar NO.1!

Still looking for what it likes. I got tired of fooling with it after a while as It would not really shoot well no matter what I ran through it. We will eventually get back to it.

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I remember when they came out. I have no idea what the specs are. I would use smokeless loads at Black Powder velocities, about 800fps in a handgun, and work up from there. Using cast bullets at .313/.314"

In the late 80's/early 90's Handloader did a workup on 32-20 with cast and jacketed bullets. The HP's were similar to Hornady XPT bullets and at M-1 Carbine ballistics. I never got the accuracies the article did, but I already had M-1's so I stuck to the traditional Lead Bullets. (mine do have gas checks, because the mold is that way)

Ivan

I wonder if that custom work is still available since the China Virus wiped out so many employees of the Italian manufacturers, especially the older, more skilled ones.
From what I hear it was so bad that the Italian gun manufacturers will probably never get back to their former production levels, and variety of models.
I believe CZ in the Czech Republic was hit hard too. Production has been way down, and several models that required skilled assembly and fitting together have been discontinued since the virus.
Don’t know about other non-gun related industries in Italy, but it might be safe to assume they have declined similarly.