Hunting

Taylor’s & Co. 1886 TC86 Takedown 16.5 Rifle

By Mike Dickerson

Photos by Ben Battles

Whether it’s hunting large game or protecting yourself from being hunted by them, this rifle absolutely checks the boxes

The Model 1886 lever-action rifle was the second firearm John Browning created for Winchester, and it changed the game. Lever guns of the time were limited in stopping power for big animals like bison, elk, and grizzlies. With its new and stronger action, the 1886 was initially chambered for the then-new .45-70 Gov’t, among other cartridges. Production ceased in 1935, but the 1886 refused to go away. There have been limited production runs and replicas ever since.

As its name indicates, the 1886 Takedown can be easily separated into two halves by simply unscrewing the magazine tube, rotating the barrel/forend 90 degrees away from the receiver, and pulling the barrel out and away from the front of the receiver.

One of the best of these is the Taylor’s & Co. 1886 TC86 Takedown 16.5 rifle, which blends timeless styling with modern function to produce a hunting rifle that’s easy to transport, handy in tight cover, and completely at home as a guide gun or a bear gun. The rifle is made by Chiappa in Italy. It has classic lines, a color-case-hardened receiver, and an attractive checkered walnut stock, but is equipped with modern features like a scout-style Picatinny rail for mounting optics, an adjustable Skinner rear peep sight, and a high-visibility red fiber-optic front sight. The barrel muzzle is threaded 5/8×24 for mounting a brake or a suppressor. A knurled, protective cap is included.

The 1886, John Browning’s second firearm that he designed for Winchester, ceased production in 1935, but companies like Taylor’s & Co. are keeping this iconic lever gun alive, with help from Italian manufacturer Chiappa.

The 16.50-inch barrel combines a round and octagonal profile, gets a bright-red fiber-optic front sight, and is threaded 5/8×24 if you want to take advantage of a lever-action rifle’s excellent suppressor-host qualities. Capacity is 3 in the tube and one in the chamber. The checkered Walnut forend features a semi-beavertail profile, offering a solid rest on a bag or in the field.

The rifle weighs 7 lbs. and has a bit of a front-heavy balance thanks to the gun’s half-octagon 16.5-in. barrel, which has a 1:18 rate of twist. That weight-forward balance, combined with a rubber recoil pad, helps in managing the considerable recoil of full-house .45-70 Gov’t loads. The shorter barrel necessarily reduces the number of rounds that can be loaded into the tubular magazine via a side gate. Capacity is three rounds, plus one in the chamber, but that’s the tradeoff for a gun measuring just 35.5 inches overall.

We took advantage of the rifle’s factory-mounted Picatinny optic rail and used a long-eye-relief Burris’ 2.75x20mm Scout scope. An adjustable rear Skinner peep sight is integrated directly into the rail. We like the fact that the entire sighting system is mounted to the barrel, meaning there’s no chance of losing zero with repeated take-down of the rifle.

The lever cycles with what I consider to be just the right amount of resistance, and the trigger breaks cleanly at a pull weight of 4 lbs. As its model name suggests, the gun is designed to easily break down into two halves for transport. To do so, you simply unscrew the magazine tube using a flip-up lever at the end of the tube, then rotate the forend and barrel 90 degrees as a unit before pulling the halves apart.

The case-colored receiver is very well done, and provides a distinctive, period-correct look. The lever gets the same treatment and features what we consider a perfectly sized large loop—not overly big for sloppy hand movement, but very beneficial when working with gloved hands.

The glossy-finished walnut stock featured good character and fitment, and gets a checkered pistol grip, rubber buttpad, and sling swivel stud.

In keeping with the rifle’s design, we mounted a close-range optic, the Burris Scout 2.75x20mm scope, on the rifle for testing, which was done at 50 yards and consisted of three three-shot groups with each of five factory 45-70 Gov’t loads. The rifle delivered very good accuracy with most tested loads slinging 250-, 300-, and 325-grain bullets, but before we get to that, a look at velocities from the rifle’s 16.5-inch barrel is noteworthy. Factory-claimed muzzle velocities for the tested loads, produced with considerably longer test barrels, ranged from 1,775 fps to 2,100 fps. I clocked these same test loads at 1,796 fps to 2,059 fps, so the shorter barrel really didn’t sacrifice much velocity or energy.

Tested at 50 yards due to the limited magnification of the Burris, the 1886 Takedown produced impressive results. Top honors went to Black Hills’ Honey Badger 325-gr solid-copper load, printing a 0.49-inch three-shot group.

Accuracy testing produced some eye-opening results. Three of five tested loads printed average groups measuring less than one inch, and another one narrowly missed that mark. The top performer was Black Hills’ Honey Badger 325-gr. load, which shot 0.58-inch average groups and a 0.49-inch best group. That translates to a one-MOA gun at 100 yards. This load’s solid-copper bullet has wide, non-fragmenting flutes that act like a ballistic broadhead, producing deep penetration and wide wound cavities. Two Hornady LEVERevolution loads, with 250- and 325-gr. bullets, shot nearly as well as did Remington’s full-pressure 300-gr. Core-Lokt Tipped load designed for lever guns.

Besides being extremely fun and satisfying to run, as most lever guns tend to be, the Taylor’s & Co. 1886 cycled smoothly and reliably. Whether it’s hunting large game or protecting yourself from being hunted by them, this rifle absolutely checks the boxes.

That’s excellent accuracy for any big-bore lever gun, let alone one with a short barrel tailored for close encounters. For more information, contact Taylor’s & Co.; Tel.: (540) 722-2017; Web: www.taylorsfirearms.com.

Specifications:

Caliber: .45-70 Gov’t

Action type: Lever action

Barrel: 16.50 inches

Rate of twist: 1:18 RH

Finish: Color case hardened/blued

Furniture: Walnut

Magazine/capacity: Tubular, 4+1

Sights: Peep rear, fiber-optic front

Overall Length: 35.50 inches

Weight: 7 pounds

MSRP: $2,184.04