The two most accurate box-stock, factory firearms I have ever fired were both Browning B-78's. I own one of them, and a friend owns the other. I want another one (or several).

At a recent gun show, when I asked a professional gunsmith friend of mine if he had seen any displayed for sale, he advised me NOT to buy the 78, but to go with the 1885 High Wall. He said that the 78 had trigger problems, and that the factory would refuse delivery if sent in for work, and that the trigger was basically crap.

I went to another 'smith friends table, asked the same question, and got the same response !!! In 18 years of association with numerous B-78's, this is absolutely the first I have ever heard of this problem.

Neither could give me the specifics of the trigger problem, or how it could be remedied, other than replacing the whole trigger assembly with an aftermarket unit. When pressed, neither had actually worked on a 78 with the problem they told me of, just had heard about it, nor could they tell me who makes an aftermarket trigger for what would HAVE to be a VERY VERY VERY small market segment. Neither could tell me the difference between the 78 trigger and the 1885 trigger.

Will someone here please advise.

The Browning 1885 has a generally poor trigger. I have always thought it was the same as that of of the B78 (it is NOT the same as any one of the four types of triggers that were/are made for the the REAL 1885).

In any event, there are two different fixes for the Browning BPCR 1885 and also the Browing Low wall (same trigger for sure there). One is by Lee Shaver at www.egunsmith.com and the other is a do it yourself modification invented by Dale McGee (sp?), better known as Dale53 on Shooter.com and similar places. Shaver will fix the trigger for about $25 plus shipping.

Brent

I don't have a trigger problem, just was advised by two smiths to expect it. I have never had any problem of any kind with any B-78 I have ever worked with.

But two professional gunsmiths both told me ADAMANTLY to absolutely avoid the B-78 because of problems.

I sent an e-mail to egunsmith.com, but got a "page can not be displayed" when I tried the other one.

For what it is worth -

I owned a B78 in 22-250 back in 1980. I had an AD with it while checking OAL with a loaded cartridge. Here is what happened and the sequence of events/movements leading up to the AD.

The memory of this happening in my basement is as clear as if it happend 5 minutes ago. There is absolutly NO chance that either my memory has faded or the events occured differently that what I am about to relate.

I was in my basement working on a new load for the rifle. I had primed, charged, and seated a bullet into a case. I know, I know, I should have used a dummy round and have ever since this AD.

I normally seat bullets to factory length and then unscrew my seating stem by a half turn to gradually lengthen the OAL on each test cartridge assembled until I see rifling marks on the ogive then I screw the seating stem back in 1/4 to 1/2 turn so the final OAL is just off the rifling.

I had placed a loaded cartridge into the chamber and closed the lever which of course leaves the hammer back in the cocked position.

I safely lowered the hammer to the "safety notch" where it resides about 1/4" off of the firing pin. Then, using only (let me repeat this as some will say it couldn't happen if this was what I did) ONLY my right thumb and index finger touching ONLY the back of the lever I began to slowly lower the lever which in turn lowers the breech block.

At the first downward movement of the lever the hammer droppped the 1/4" from the "safety notch" to hit the firing pin and the gun discharged.

I had the rifle pointed downward toward the floor and specifically at the juncture of the wall (concrete) and the floor (also concrete). The bullet went through a stack of camping equipment blowing holes into a tent, backpack, and other stuff and finally blew a 4" diameter hole about an 1" deep at its center into the concrete wall.

My brother-in-law was sitting near me (not near the impact or the direction the rifle was pointed) and both of us were shocked and deafened to say the least.

I swear to God the hammer dropped and nothing, either my fingers or any clothing were in contact with the trigger.

I traded the rifle off soon afterwards to a gunshop in Cody Wy. and informed them of what had happened. We tried to recreate the AD in the gunshop as the "smith" didn't believe it could happen without touching the trigger.

The hammer dropped on an empty chamber on the 26th attempt.

The main problem with the B78 trigger is that it sucks! Turning of the "adjustment" screws made little difference in the trigger pull but could render the trigger inoperative. The trigger mechanism appeared to have been designed by a man who got payed by the piece and it had plenty of pieces.
Since the buttstock through bolt threaded into the trigger housing, the housing was distorted when the bolt was tightened. This changed the trigger geometry enough that a trigger which funtioned well with the buttstock off, failed when the stock was reinstalled.
A well adjusted trigger on a B78 felt like it was connected to the rifle with rubber bands. The pull was spongy and creepy. A poorly adjusted one wasn't a lot different.
The trigger Canjar made for the B78 worked well once it was properly fitted but it required some skill and effort to do so. It was apparently beyond the abilities of many 'smiths and the trigger was discontinued. Regards, Bill.

Now we're getting somewhere. But what caused the hammer to drop without a trigger pull? Was something in the trigger assy. broken/out of adjustment? If so, how did it get that way? Can the condition be prevented? Can it be fixed? Are the same conditions present in the (modern) 1885 High Wall ? The current Low Wall?

wingnut - the rifle was really pretty new and didn't have that much useage, I would guess under 500 rounds. It had always been cased when not in use both in storage at home or to and from the prairie dog towns. It hadn't been a "truck gun" where it would have been exposed to a lot of dust and grime.

Wish I could explain what caused it to AD but I never adjusted it (the trigger) or dismanteled it before or after the AD.

Loved the rifle, love'em still but can't bring myself to own one again.

For Bill Leeper-

All the B-78's I've shot and/or loaded for, so far, have had EXCELLENT triggers!! The one that I now own, and each of the 6 or seven others I have worked with, were bought used.

I don't know if any or all are factory or replacement, or have been adjusted by a knowledgeable 'smith or by the owner. I do know that every one has had a trigger pull that would make Elmer Keith smile, i.e., the proverbial thin glass rod, crisply snapping with no observable movement.

Glad you mentioned the stock through-bolt. The main reason I prefer the 78 over the newer 1885 is the 78's pistol-grip buttstock. It just looks, feels and handles better for my personal body geometry, than the 1885's straight stock. But I do prefer the 28" barrel of the 1885.

Do you happen to know if the stock bolt setup is different on the 1885?