If Old West single-shot Winchester rifles excite your interest, a made-to-order Model 1885 rifle from the workshop of C. Sharps Arms Company in Big Timber, Montana, is probably on your wish list. With the newest of the original guns, now 125-year-old collectibles, it makes sense for those serious about their range time to go with a modern reproduction. There are two basic options. Suppose you are satisfied with an off-the-shelf gun. In that case, variants of the Model 1885 are manufactured by the respected Italian gun-making firms Davide Pedersoli and Uberti and, in Japan, by Miroku for Winchester itself. The MSRP on these guns runs between $1,350 and $3,125. They are fine production guns with fixed feature sets but little, if any, option for customization.

A Custom Classic – C. Sharps Arms 1885 Winchester

If you want something that isn’t found on an off-the-rack gun or really looks like an original, you have to go with an American custom builder. C. Sharps Arms is the only company manufacturing complete Model 1885 rifles in-house, at scale, and from their own parts (with the exception of the barrels, which are made by Green Mountain or McGowen Barrels). Even then, the lead time is often 6-8 months. While their base-level Model 1885 rifles can cost a little less than the fanciest imports, you can easily double the price if you have refined tastes. That being said, I’ve never heard anyone complain that they didn’t get their money’s worth. C. Sharps Arms promises heirloom-grade guns, and you get what you pay for. They look like genuine Model 1885s did when they were new, but they are made of stronger, higher quality steels with better quality control.

Different Calibers

I tested a C. Sharps Arms rifle, specifically a Low Wall model that Winchester originally designed for a range of calibers, from .22 rimfire to .44-40 WCF. This company also produces the High Wall version, which is perfect for big game hunting and long-range target shooting. My test rifle was a nearly standard lightweight sporting model in .22 LR with a sporting chamber, though match chambers are available at no cost upon request. For a $250 upcharge, I customized it with a pistol grip stock and a crescent buttplate.

C. Sharps Arms provides an impressive selection of vintage original and modern calibers for the Low Wall, including .17 Hornet, .17 HMR, .218 Bee, .22LR, .22 Hornet, .22 Winchester Magnum, .25-20 WCF, .32-20 WCF, .38-40 WCF, .44-40 WCF, .45 Colt, and .40-50 Sharps. On their website, C. Sharps Arms features drop-down menus for each rifle they offer, detailing the available upgrades and their costs. The variety of options is astonishing, including barrel weight, length, profile, forend style, and decoration. You can choose the receiver and barrel finish, standard or set triggers, stock and buttplate styles, wood grade, hand-cut checking, wood finish, and screw finishes. They also provide options for front sights, rear sights, and scope mounting bases. For those who appreciate guns as an art form, C. Sharps Arms offers traditional custom services like engraving, wire inlay, and various cosmetic embellishments.

Accuracy Testing

Shooting the C. Sharps Arms from the bench with a rest under the forend and butt, I tested accuracy at 50 feet with the standard buckhorn and blade sights and quickly decided my eyes could no longer manage buckhorn sights. When I switched to a tang-mounted aperture rear sight, it cut my group sizes down an average of 43%. In fairness, this gun is configured as a hunting rifle for which the standard sights are fine. In fact, the rounded top of the German Silver front blade reflects enough light to shine so it will stand out in the dark forest. For deliberate bullseye shooting, the standard sights caused me to string my shots vertically.

I regret that I didn’t have any true match grade .22LR on hand when I did my testing. Still, I had three loads that performed quite decently. Winchester Sub Sonic 42 MAX, with a 42-grain hollow point bullet, averaged groups of 0.43 inches and 1,051 feet-per-second (FPS). Federal Auto Match with a 40-grain lead round nose bullet shot average groups of 0.48 inches and 1,147 FPS. Remington Thunderbolt High-Velocity 40-grain lead round nose bullets produced five-shot groups averaging 0.54 inches and 1,109 FPS.

C. Sharps Arms

The Model 1885 is a delightful gun to shoot, provided you aren’t in a great hurry. If you are, it’s a simple manual of arms that is hard to screw up. The shooting hand grips the wrist with the tail of the lever between the index and fourth finger, providing leverage to easily open and close the breechblock. Pull down the lever to expose the chamber and partially extract an empty case. With the next cartridge to be loaded held between your thumb and forefinger, use the nail of your middle finger to claw the fired case clear of the action and load the fresh cartridge, pressing in the extractor so the case head is flush with the breech. Then raise the lever to close the breech block and cock the hammer.

The rifle is ready to shoot. If you reload your spent brass, include a step to pocket your empty casing. People who enjoy the ritualistic process of shooting single-action revolvers will probably love the Model 1885.

For more information, visit:https://www.csharpsarms.com/

Specifications: C. Sharps Arms1885 Winchester Low Wall 

Performance: C. Sharps Arms1885 Winchester Low Wall 

Performance was tested with a series of five-shot groups fired at 50 feet from a bench rest with a Competition Electronics Pro-Chrono Digital Chronograph set 15 feet from the muzzle. Bullet weight is in grains, velocity in feet-per-second and the group size in inches.