Winchester Model 1886 Short Rifle .45-70 Government
Model: 534175142
Winchester Model 1886 Short Rifle .45-70 Government
Model: 534175142
Full Specifications
About This Firearm
The Winchester Model 1886 Short Rifle is a walnut-stocked lever-action .45-70 Government built for big game in heavy cover. It has an MSRP of $1,599.99. Winchester designed the 1886 action around the heavier .45-70 load the U.S. Government developed in 1873, and at 8.38 lbs the rifle carries enough mass that a full-power load is no event at the shoulder.
It comes sighted with a Marble Arms front and an adjustable buckhorn rear, and that is the whole aiming system. There is no scope provision at all. The receiver is drilled and tapped for a traditional side-mounted receiver sight, which is the one sighting upgrade it is set up for. A top-tang safety and a rebounding hammer are both modern additions an original 1886 never carried. The butt is bare steel in a crescent, the muzzle is unthreaded, and length of pull is 13.25 inches.
If you're cross-shopping, the Marlin 1895 SBL has an MSRP of $1,619, so close to the same money, and spends it on a Picatinny rail, a ghost ring, a threaded muzzle and 1.08 lbs less to carry. The Henry H10 Provider has an MSRP of $1,135.00 and keeps the walnut and the open sights at 7.25 lbs. Neither one is built on an action this size.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- Grade I walnut with a satin finish over a button-rifled barrel with a recessed crown.
- A steel loading gate, and a rebounding hammer so a dropped hammer never comes to rest on the firing pin.
- Winchester's manual credits the 1886 with handling better and standing up better than any lever action before it, and the large frame it describes is still what this rifle is built on.
- A steel crescent buttplate puts full-power .45-70 recoil straight into the shoulder.
- It carries 1.13 lbs more than the Henry H10 Provider and runs four inches longer overall, which tells on a long day in cover.
- The buckhorn and the bead work in daylight and little else, and Winchester offers no fiber optic or tritium front for it.
Compatible Ammunition
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.45-70 Government Ballistics →Frequently Asked Questions
How many rounds does the magazine hold?
Winchester's description of this rifle and its own specification block do not agree, so count what the tube takes and do not trust a listing. The magazine runs the full length of the barrel.
Is it chambered in anything but .45-70?
45-90 Win, at the same barrel length and the same weight.
Is it still being made?
Yes, in limited runs. Winchester says production is limited across its historical rifle models, this one included, so it arrives in batches and not continuously.
What twist is the barrel cut with?
1:20, matching the Marlin 1895 SBL in this cartridge.
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