Range Report - Davidsons Japchester 1886 TD

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 4:06 pm

Got a (limited) chance to try out the 1886 today after a Flinchlock shoot (50 rds, 50cal, 360gr minnie, 70gr BP...).

Brought a box of Winchester 300gr JHP and 7 300gr handloads I whacked out with a quickness on my Lee Loader.

I wasn't looking for precision, just a few loads to try.

The handloads were 300gr FPBB - Lasercast brand I believe. (I haven't had time to cast up my 457122s yet...)

The first round I fired, I fired from the bench. I have no idea where it went, and it hurt.

(OK, so I'm a wimp. But then, I was almost hospitalized once for Benching 3 boxes of .45-70 in a Guide Gun... I had internal bleeding/brusing from the collarbone to belt on my gun-shoulder side...)

Anyway, I decided that since you can't shoot that way in the feild, benching is BS so I shot the next ten offhand. 50yd target, factory buckhorns:

As I was running out of time, I proceeded to fire off - shoot, lever, shoot - my 7 reloads. 6 were loaded with 3.7cc/50.6gr Varget and one with 70gr 3F Lidu BP.

Not as pretty, but then, it was done quickly.

I also shot a single round of Win 300 at a Clay Pigeon at 100 yds. Missed, but hit close enough to toss it into the air.

Not bad for a gun I've never shot before with sights I've never adjusted...

Now I've got to clean the BP residue out of it. (Why is one round of BP dirtier in an 1886 than 50rds through my Flinchlock?????)

Oh, and if anyone is interested.... 70gr 3F BP under a 300 has the felt recoil and flight characteristics of 50.6gr Varget. I noticed NO difference in shooting it other than the cloud of smoke...

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 4:53 pm

I don't think I'm gonna volunteer to hold any targets while you shoot, OI !

Rimfire McNutjob · Post by **Rimfire McNutjob** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 4:59 pm

I think I will have to file "Japchester" for future reference.

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 5:33 pm

Consider it Christened

CowboyTutt · Post by **CowboyTutt** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 5:37 pm

They may be "Japchesters" but they are probably the best leverguns on the market today. I've had really good luck with accurate loads using Varget. I"ll bet they will shoot well for you with some tinkering and practice!

-Tutt

.45colt · Post by **.45colt** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 5:48 pm

One thing for sure, if You can shoot that well offhand You sure don't need to worry if You take that rifle hunting.Sweet.Jim.

86er · Post by **86er** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 5:49 pm

Nice going - you may ask yourself why you waited so long to get one.

GANJIRO · Post by **GANJIRO** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 6:01 pm

Rimfire McNutjob wrote:I think I will have to file "Japchester" for future reference.

Don't forget "Nipchester", "Slantchester", "Remember-Pearl-Harbor-chester" and my personal favorite "Yellow-skinned-devil-chester"

KirkD · Post by **KirkD** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 9:10 pm

Good range report. I especially seeing the offhand shooting reports.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 10:00 pm

Excellent range report! Thanks for sharing (and no, you are not a wimp!)

Grizzly Adams · Post by **Grizzly Adams** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 10:14 pm

Thanks for the report. Looks like you have a winner on your hands!

Next time you shoot the Holy Black, you might want to try ffg instead of the fffg, and it won't hit ya as hard! In any case, the TD feature makes it a snap to clean!

Jaguarundi · Post by **Jaguarundi** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 10:32 pm

Looks like a keeper Old Ironsights!Thanks for the report.

El Mac · Post by **El Mac** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 11:06 pm

Sweet shooting!

Paul Jenkins · Post by **Paul Jenkins** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 11:38 pm

About Japchesters,
I learned to hunt under the direction of two men who survived the Bataan Death March. No two hated the Japs and anything made in Japan more than them. They are both long gone now. Like Tv's and cameras. The Japs now make the best guns. Hate them or not. I own a '92, '85, and '86 Browning -Miroku that are the best finished , accurate and reliable I own. They're not the least expensive. Just better. I do have to admit I have'nt owned all Levers,but , I have no complaints with Miroku.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 1:09 am

Likewise, Paul, my Browning '86 is a sweet gal, maybe it's a new "Tokyo Rose, all sweet fragrance, no thorns!

OI, that's "some" to quote a word my favorite Charlton Heston movie!

GANJIRO · Post by **GANJIRO** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 1:36 am

Shame on you guys, have you no racial pride? The only Nipponese firearm I own is WWII war booty Type 99 7.7mm Arisaka rifle that my Dad brought back with him after the war, confiscated from a yellow devil no doubt. I'll never own a Japchester never no no never!

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:13 am

GANJIRO wrote:Shame on you guys, have you no racial pride? The only Nipponese firearm I own is WWII war booty Type 99 7.7mm Arisaka rifle that my Dad brought back with him after the war, confiscated from a yellow devil no doubt. I'll never own a Japchester never no no never!

I know Ji,

but I bet you'd love a Browning 1892... thought you had one???

Grizz

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:36 am

GANJIRO wrote:Shame on you guys, have you no racial pride? The only Nipponese firearm I own is WWII war booty Type 99 7.7mm Arisaka rifle that my Dad brought back with him after the war, confiscated from a yellow devil no doubt. I'll never own a Japchester never no no never!

Hey, any $1250 gun I can get for a $400 trade gun & a little grease...

Nihonchester?

Winoku?

Mirchesku? (naaa, sounds Romanian...)

How about just "Davidsons" 1886?

Jarhead · Post by **Jarhead** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 10:20 am

GANJIRO wrote:Shame on you guys, have you no racial pride? The only Nipponese firearm I own is WWII war booty Type 99 7.7mm Arisaka rifle that my Dad brought back with him after the war, confiscated from a yellow devil no doubt. I'll never own a Japchester never no no never!

I too have a 7.7 Jap my Dad brought back from WWII. The quaility of the 7.7 Jap ain't too good....I let ya know how I like my new 1892 Trapper 45LC when she gets here. I like that "Japchester" slogan....I think it's funny

Ironsights, that off hand shooting is good enough to put some Venison on the table...

GANJIRO · Post by **GANJIRO** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:20 am

Grizz wrote: I know Ji,

but I bet you'd love a Browning 1892... thought you had one???

Grizz

"Get behind me" Browning, nope I have a made in the US-of-A Marlin 1894 my Daddy got me back in '76 (last century). I'd be sorely tempted by 1886 Browning fortunately (?) I'm broke.
Oops I forgot, I have a early 1960s vintage Miroku 20 gauge O/U (which Browning labels and sells as their Citori), a sweeter handling upland game gun I do not know.

Jarhead wrote: I too have a 7.7 Jap my Dad brought back from WWII. The quaility of the 7.7 Jap ain't too good....I let ya know how I like my new 1892 Trapper 45LC when she gets here. I like that "Japchester" slogan....I think it's funny

My Dad got his Arisaka in Aomori on Honshu a home guard rifle early production so never saw action and is excellent quality hand picked by Dad (along with a cavalry saber which I also still have), this was early in his occupation duties shortly after hostilities ended (Sept. '45). The mum was defaced on this gun so my Dad had a local smith smooth, polish, and reblue the action so no sign of former mum left. We tried shooting her using reformed '03 brass but the smaller diameter '03 brass resulted in many split cases so I bought my Dad some Graf & Son 7.7 brass to try but he passed away before we could do any reloading. Sorry Dad.

Your thumper 45 will make an excellent wild boar gun especially in the thick stuff we have around here. Next Hawaii vacation bring it along!

Poohgyrr · Post by **Poohgyrr** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:31 am

Appreciate the thread and good info & pics about about a Lever I've been looking at. The 1886 bug is biting me and there are not many options..

They seem to make good Levers

maybe even better than Winchester does these days

......

OT: Most of the now deceased oldtimers in my family experienced the Nazi side of WWII. As a kid, they told me things like "not all Germans were nazis" and "the nazis made their familys, communities, and country look bad".... Except for the Soviets, we don't seem to hold WWII (or WWI) against the Germans anymore. I'd much rather buy S&W or Colt than Sig or H&K, but their pistols are still good..

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:56 am

I've never owned a Japanese manufactured lever gun. Years ago the the Browning 92s and 86s were out I did lovingly fondle several of them. But at the time I had insufficient disposable income to make one mine.

The current "Japchesters" are probably the best made Winchesters in recent years, but they are too costly for normal blokes such as myself, and they have that damnable rebounding hammer action with the tang safety.
Many have gone to the trouble to retrofit their guns with an older action and got rid of the safety. I've decided that I just won't buy them. Too much b.s. for me. So when I say I refuse to by a Miroku made levergun, it's not because it's made in Japan. It's because of the action and safety b.s..

War souvenirs;
All my dad brought back from WW II was a bad attitude, no guns or goodies.
Maybe that was because he was a Navy crewman on a LST on D-Day. He never got ashore to pick up any souvenirs.

Bigotry;
I am not in the least bigoted against the Japanese, Germans, Vietnamese, or Chinese people. However I detest the Communist Chinese government. That is why I flat out REFUSE to purchase or even own a firearm made there. Much of what we buy is made in Commie China and I can't do much about it. BUT, when it comes to fire arms I CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT - I JUST SAY NO!

I once drove for an auto parts store. One of our best customers was a WW II vet who lost a lot of friends and family in the December 7th 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. He hated anything Japanese. He didn't want to work on Japanese made vehicles but really with so many of them around he didn't have much choice. The problem was he refused to work on any cars owned by Japanese people. Even if they were American born of Japanese ancestry he refused. He'd find some way to get around it.
Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, fine, Japanese, no way.
He was a BIGOT in the truest sense of the word.

OI, glad your 86 works so good. Now go kill something with it and post a hunt report.

Joe

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 1:05 pm

J Miller wrote:...OI, glad your 86 works so good. Now go kill something with it and post a hunt report.

Joe

Yep, it works good, and I'm planning on jerking the guts out and making it work better too.

Tang "safety" gets in the way of the Tang Sight I want to put on.