Winchester Model 1885

The Winchester Model 1885 is a single-shot rifle with a falling-block action, principally designed by John Browning and made in two forms, the Low Wall with an exposed hammer for lighter cartridges and the High Wall with a steel frame covering most of the hammer for stronger ones. Browning designed it in 1878 and patented it the next year. In 1883 Thomas G. Bennett of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company bought the design, and Winchester improved it, angling the block at six degrees for a positive breech seal, and released it as the Model 1885. It was built mainly for long-range match shooting, and Winchester made nearly 140,000 between 1885 and 1920 in more calibers than any other Winchester rifle. The action was strong enough that Winchester used it to test newly created cartridges. Winchester also made a large number of .22 caliber single shots for the US Army as the Winder musket, a marksmanship training rifle. Winchester reintroduced the rifle in 2005 as a Limited Series.