House of Browning

During 1884, while Winchester was developing what would become the Model 1886, John Browning designed another lever action rifle. The application for US patent No. 324296 was submitted in early 1885, assigning rights to Winchester.

The design explores an alternative arrangement of the locking action of the falling block. Like the previous patent, the rifle utilizes a sliding breech-block in conjunction with a locking block which travels vertically. The previous patent focused around a unique, non-fixed, lever arrangement to operate the locking block. This design has a more conventional fixed lever and uses a unique locking block that rises to disengage the receiver.

Although it was never developed for production, this design would be the first evolutionary step that would culminate in one of Winchester’s most popular rifles, the Model 1890.

Related Patents: 385238, 436965

Inventor: John Browning, Matthew Browning

Patent Attorney: Joyce Spear

Assigned: Winchester, March 1885