WHY A MODEL 1886 LEVER GUN?
Early lever-action rifles were chambered for pistol cartridges, and the designs were limited in their mechanical strength. Even the famous 1873 Winchester, the “gun that won the West,” could not handle anything more powerful than the .44-40 or .45 Colt cartridges.
This all changed by 1885. Working with Winchester Repeating Arms, John M. Browning designed the first lever-action rifle capable of shooting the powerful .45-70 Government cartridge. Browning’s strong locking-block action replaced the weak toggle action of prior Winchester designs.
The 1886 Winchester transformed lever gun usage forever. Hunters and law enforcement officers who fired .45-70 rounds were no longer limited to a single-shot rifle, and the lever-action repeater became the new standard.
MY IMPRESSIONS
The Chiappa Wildlands is no 1886 Winchester – or is it? It is hefty yet short, more carbine than rifle. It comes to my shoulder quickly and points where I look. I appreciate those traits in a short rifle.
Some of the best new features of the 86 Wildlands are the Picatinny rail, the large loop lever, and the peep-style sights. The Pic rail allows me to attach my Primary Arms Classic red dot sight. Mounted forward of the action, it allows my peripheral vision to work with the red dot to acquire moving targets more easily. I could substitute a long-eye-relief scope for the red dot easily to add some magnification power to my sighting – versatility that’s impossible on an original 86 Winchester.
John Wayne and Chuck Connors, “The Rifleman,” had one common trait on their rifles: a large loop lever. The 86 Wildlands follows suit, making it great for gloved hands. It also gives me a better grip on the lever for ejecting those big .45-70 cases. The paracord wrap is a thoughtful touch. The big loop lever is shaped to fit the functional pistol grip. It looks great and makes the gun pop.
The Features
Low-mounted peep sights replace the traditional buckhorn sights of the original 86 Winchester. The front fiber optic sight is eye-catching when viewed down the barrel. I view these sights as secondary to anything mounted on the Picatinny rail, but they are sturdy and will allow aiming if all other sights fail.
My favorite two features of the 86 Wildlands are the threaded short bull barrel and the black composite stock. The kick of a full-power .45-70 Government round has been compared to that of a mule, but this little carbine tames that kick with its weight and a well-fitted, full-sized stock with rubber butt pad. The forearm is thick and tapered to aid my grip.
Although the 5/8x24 threaded muzzle could be used to attach a muzzle brake, it serves best for adding a suppressor like my Silencerco Hybrid 46. Adding less than a pound and only 8 inches long, it is rated to suppress any rifle cartridge from 5.56 NATO to .458 Win Mag. It turns the .45-70 cartridge into a mild-mannered pussycat.
The original 86 Winchester does not have a manual safety, and neither does the 86 Wildlands. I like that. When the hammer is set to half-cock, the gun cannot be fired. Too many modern lever guns have a crossbolt safety, which I feel is unneeded and unauthentic.
The smooth, curved trigger and hammer work together to operate the gun effectively, and the single-stage trigger breaks crisply without creep. All of these improvements make the 86 Wildlands an attractive modern rifle.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Weight: 9 pounds
- Length: 36 inches
- Length of Pull: 14 inches
- Barrel Length: 16.5 inches
- Trigger Pull: 7 pounds
- Stock: Black laminate textured with soft butt pad and pistol grip
- Sights: Peep-style rear with fiber optic red front
- Picatinny Rail: 6 inches
- Capacity: 4+1
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Lever: Wide loop with paracord wrap
SHOOTING TIME
Area 52 is a great place to shoot a lever-action rifle. For this test, we set up two steel “milk bottle” targets at 30 and 80 yards and several 2-liter soda jugs at various distances. Ammunition included Hornady Subsonic Sub-X 410-grain polymer-tipped jacketed bullets – soft-point rounds that are safe to shoot in tubular magazines – and Hornady LeverEvolution 325-grain FTX bullets. The reduced velocity of the subsonic round softens kick and aids in sound reduction, while the high velocity rounds are a good test of the rifle’s ability to tame kick.
The 86 Wildlands magazine holds four rounds and is loaded by pushing cartridges into the side loading gate. Because of the large cartridge rim, force and finesse are required to push all four rounds into the loading gate. I found this annoying; however, after some effort, I loaded four in the magazine and one in the chamber.
The rifle is comfortable to hold and balances well. The lever is stiff to operate but very positive, and empties are ejected forcefully from the gun. Despite the short barrel and mighty .45-70 round, the sound of shooting with a suppressor is mild.
After slamming center on a steel plate at 30 yards, the 86 Wildlands made quick work of several 2-liter soda jugs. Few rifle cartridges can surpass a .45-70 Government cartridge for sheer hitting power, and the impact of the jacketed subsonic bullets simply vaporized most of the jugs. Two shots fired at the 80-yard steel plate rung home with pleasant dings.
This rifle is surprisingly easy to shoot offhand, despite its heavy trigger. I also fired one round of Hornady 325-grain full-power ammunition at the steel plate. While the gun kicked noticeably more, it hit the center of the plate, and the suppressor reduces the sound.
Shooting from the bench, I placed a three-shot group of Hornady Subsonic ammo within 4 inches on paper at 80 yards. That is not bad for hunting accuracy, and I’m sure it could be improved with hand-loaded ammo. Except for the difficulty in loading, there were no jams or failures to feed or eject in this test.
PROS & CONS
