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
03-101_WFA_1885 Centerfire  7/17/03  11:16 AM  Page 9 

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...

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...

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)....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...