Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very appealing frontier-used example of the Winchester Model 1887, one of the earliest commercially successful repeating shotguns and one of the most distinctive firearms designed by John Browning.

Chambered in the formidable 10-gauge cartridge and fitted with a special order 32-inch barrel, this example has the imposing proportions, deeply aged walnut, and honest service patina associated with a shotgun that saw decades of practical use.

The Model 1887 emerged from Winchester’s effort to carry its famous lever-action identity into the rapidly developing repeating-shotgun market. Winchester had built its reputation around lever-action rifles and wanted its first successful repeating shotgun to operate in the same familiar manner. John Browning designed the action, and the Model 1887 was introduced commercially in 1887.

Although Browning would later become closely associated with slide-action and self-loading shotguns, the Model 1887 remains one of his most mechanically recognizable creations. Its large operating lever lowers the breechblock, ejects the fired shell, raises a fresh round from the carrier, and closes the action in a single sweeping movement.

The shotgun’s combination of a tubular magazine, exposed hammer, substantial receiver, and oversized lever gave it an unmistakable appearance unlike any other repeating shotgun of its era.

Serial number 47934 dates this example to 1892, placing it squarely within the classic black-powder production period and making it a federally classified pre-1899 antique.

The serial number is marked: 47934. The chamber is very faintly marked: 10. This confirms the desirable 10-gauge chambering.

The 10-gauge Model 1887 was the largest and most powerful version of the original design. Guns of this type were well suited to waterfowling, market hunting, farm protection, and other demanding work where the heavy payload of a large-bore shotgun was considered an advantage.

This example is fitted with a special order 32-inch barrel, a highly desirable configuration that gives the shotgun exceptional proportions and added collector appeal. The extra barrel length would have been particularly useful for long-range waterfowling and other field use where a longer sighting plane was preferred. The barrel is fitted with a small brass bead front sight. Rather than a separate rear sight, the shotgun uses the shallow sighting groove formed along the upper front portion of the receiver.

The left side of the receiver retains the intertwined Winchester Repeating Arms Company monogram: W R A Co. The marking remains relatively crisp despite the overall surface wear.

The upper receiver tang is clearly marked:

MANUFACTURED BY THE
WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO.
NEW HAVEN. CONN. U.S.A.
PAT. FEB. 16 & JULY 20. 1886.

The patent dates relate to the action and operating system developed for the Model 1887.

The shotgun retains its original-style walnut buttstock and forearm. Both have developed the deep reddish-brown color characteristic of well-aged, oil-finished American walnut. The buttstock has an integral pistol-grip profile and retains its factory-pattern checkered steel buttplate. The wood shows the dents, scratches, compression marks, and edge wear expected from a shotgun that saw prolonged service. Some portions of the grain appear slightly raised, possibly indicating past exposure to moisture. The underside of the comb shows repaired cracking and areas of old wood filler. The repairs appear stable but are visible and form part of the shotgun’s long service history. The forearm displays heavier use and handling wear. Additional wood-filler repairs are visible on the right side. Neither stock component should be considered high-condition, but both remain solid and give the shotgun an attractive, authentic working-gun appearance.

The metalwork has lost nearly all of its original factory finish. The receiver, barrel, magazine, and operating components now display a mottled gray and brown patina with scattered oxidation and darker staining.

There is some pitting on the upper surface of the barrel near the chamber. This indicates that the shotgun was exposed to moisture or corrosive black-powder residue and was not always cleaned promptly during its working life. No major active rust is presently noted, but the metal surfaces retain extensive age and service wear.

The bore is unobstructed and partly bright. It shows old powder fouling, staining, oxidation, and scattered roughness throughout, consistent with extensive use with black-powder shotgun ammunition.

Mechanically, the lever action cycles correctly and produces a crisp dry-fire release. The hammer, breechblock, carrier, and major operating parts appear to move as intended.

The tubular magazine is present, but the feeding system has not been tested with ammunition. No representation is made regarding its ability to chamber or feed live shells.

The Winchester Model 1887 was eventually overtaken by more practical slide-action shotguns, particularly Winchester’s Browning-designed Model 1897. The pump-action system was easier to operate from the shoulder and better suited to the increasingly popular smokeless-powder shotgun cartridges of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Nevertheless, the Model 1887 occupies a unique place in firearms history. It represents Winchester’s determination to apply its signature lever action to nearly every category of repeating arm and demonstrates Browning’s ability to adapt the system to the very different requirements of a shotgun.

The design has also become an icon of popular culture, most famously through its appearance in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, although the movie shotgun was heavily shortened and modified.

This example remains far closer to the Model 1887’s original purpose: a long-barreled, heavy 10-gauge repeating shotgun built for serious field use during the final decades of the American frontier.

Its exterior wear, repaired stocks, oxidized barrel, and used bore make clear that this was no presentation gun. It is an honest working example that survived more than 130 years with its major components intact and its remarkable lever-action mechanism still functioning.

With its desirable 10-gauge chambering, special order 32-inch barrel, clear Winchester markings, 1892 production date, and unmistakable frontier character, this is a compelling example of one of John Browning’s most inventive and visually dramatic firearms.

A distinctive centerpiece for a collection of early Winchester arms, Browning designs, repeating shotguns, or firearms of the American frontier.

Specifications:
Year of Manufacture: 1892
Manufacturer: Winchester Repeating Arms Company
Model: 1887
Serial Number: 47934
Gauge: 10 Gauge
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Shotgun Shell
Barrel Length: Special Order 32"
Overall Length: 49"
Action: Lever-Action Repeater
Feed System: Tubular Magazine
Federal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique

The Winchester Model 1887 (Dellosso Shotgun) is a lever-action shotgun originally designed by famed American gun designer John Browning and produced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company during the late 19th century. It was a black-powder design, and was replaced by the similar Model 1901, which was designed to handle smokeless powder, but was otherwise identical.

The Model 1887 was one of the first successful repeating shotguns. Its lever-action design was chosen at the behest of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, best known at the time as manufacturers of lever-action rifles such as the Winchester Model 1873. Designer John Browning suggested that a pump-action would be much more appropriate for a repeating shotgun, but Winchester management's position was that, at the time, the company was known as a "lever-action firearm company", and felt that their new shotgun must also be a lever-action for reasons of brand recognition. Browning responded by designing a breech-loading, rolling block lever-action. To Winchester's credit, however, they later introduced a Browning designed pump-action shotgun known as the Model 1893 (an early production version of the model 1897), after the introduction of smokeless powder.

Shotgun shells at the time used black powder as a propellant, and so the Model 1887 shotgun was designed and chambered for less powerful black powder shotshells. Both 10 and 12-gauge models were offered in the Model 1887; 12-gauge variants used a 2 5/8" shell, 10-gauge variants fired a 2 7/8" shell. The standard barrel length was 30" with 32" available as a special order. In 1888 a 20" barrelled version could be ordered and Winchester offered the shotguns with Damascus barrels.

NOTE: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are not able to ship to the United Kingdom. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.

Note: This gun is NOT considered obsolete calibre, so we are not able to ship to the United Kingdom.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.