Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very appealing, example of the Winchester Model 1887, one of the earliest commercially successful repeating shotguns and one of John Browning’s most distinctive firearm designs.

Chambered in the popular 12-gauge configuration and fitted with a standard 30" barrel, this example displays deeply aged walnut and an honest service patina consistent 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 later became 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 one sweeping movement. The combination of a tubular magazine, exposed hammer, substantial receiver, and oversized operating lever gave the Model 1887 an unmistakable appearance unlike that of any other repeating shotgun of its era.

Serial number 52656 dates this example to 1893, placing it within the classic black-powder production period. As a firearm manufactured prior to 1899, it is classified as an Antique Firearm under U.S. federal law. The top of the chamber is very faintly marked 12. Although the marking was too faint to photograph successfully, it remains visible under favorable lighting and confirms the shotgun’s 12-gauge chambering.

Shotguns 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 advantageous. The barrel is fitted with a small brass bead front sight. Rather than using a separate rear sight, the shotgun has a shallow sighting groove formed along the upper forward 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.

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

The shotgun retains a walnut buttstock and forearm of the original factory pattern. 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 displays the dents, scratches, compression marks, and edge wear expected from a shotgun that saw prolonged service. A crack extends partially into the pistol grip. The forearm shows somewhat heavier handling and use wear but has no major damage such as cracks or repairs. Both stocks remain solid and give the shotgun the honest appearance of a long-serving working firearm.

The metalwork has lost most of its original factory finish. The receiver, barrel, magazine tube, and operating components now display a mottled gray and brown patina with scattered oxidation and darker staining. The sides of the receiver have developed an attractive plum-colored patina as the original finish aged and wore over time. There is scattered peppering on the exterior of the barrel and in other areas, but we see no evidence of significant past pitting or more severe oxidation.

The bore is unobstructed and partly bright, showing moderate old powder fouling, staining, oxidation, and scattered areas of roughness. These conditions are consistent with a shotgun that saw regular use and was not always cleaned promptly after firing. Despite this, the bore appears to have received at least periodic maintenance during its working life.

Mechanically, the lever action cycles correctly, and the hammer releases properly when the trigger is operated. The hammer, breechblock, carrier, and other major operating components appear to move as intended. The tubular magazine remains present, but the feeding system has not been tested with ammunition. 

The Winchester Model 1887 was eventually overtaken by more practical slide-action shotguns, particularly the Winchester Model 1897, which developed from Browning’s earlier slide-action shotgun design. The pump-action system was easier to operate from the shoulder and became 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 American firearms history. It represents Winchester’s determination to apply its signature lever action to nearly every category of repeating firearm and demonstrates Browning’s ability to adapt that operating system to the very different requirements of a repeating shotgun.

The Model 1887 has also become an icon of popular culture, most famously through its appearance in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, although the shotgun used in the film was extensively shortened and modified.

This example remains much closer to the Model 1887’s original intended configuration: a full-length, 12-gauge lever-action repeating shotgun built for serious field use during the closing decades of the American frontier era. Its exterior wear, aged stocks, scattered oxidation, and used bore make clear that this was no presentation firearm. It is an honest working example that has survived for more than 130 years with its major components fully intact and its remarkable lever-action mechanism still functioning.

With its desirable 12-gauge chambering, standard 30" barrel, visible Winchester markings, 1893 production date, deeply aged walnut, and unmistakable lever-action design, this is an appealing example of one of John Browning’s most inventive early repeating firearms. Its substantial wear is part of the character of a shotgun that appears to have seen many years of practical service while remaining largely intact.

Specifications:
Year of Manufacture: 1893
Manufacturer: Winchester Repeating Arms Company
Model: 1887
Serial Number: 52656
Gauge: 12 Gauge
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Shotgun Shell
Barrel Length: 30"
Overall Length: 47"
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.