{"product_id":"original-u-s-winchester-model-1887-lever-action-12-gauge-shotgun-with-30-barrel-serial-no-52656-manufactured-in-1894","title":"Original U.S. Winchester Model 1887 Lever-Action 12-Gauge Shotgun with 30\" Barrel - Serial No. 52656 - Manufactured in 1893","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. \u003cstrong\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChambered 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSerial number \u003cstrong\u003e52656\u003c\/strong\u003e dates this example to \u003cstrong\u003e1893\u003c\/strong\u003e, 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 \u003cstrong\u003e12\u003c\/strong\u003e. Although the marking was too faint to photograph successfully, it remains visible under favorable lighting and confirms the shotgun’s 12-gauge chambering.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShotguns 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe left side of the receiver retains the intertwined Winchester Repeating Arms Company monogram:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eW R A Co.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe marking remains relatively crisp despite the overall surface wear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe upper receiver tang is clearly marked:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMANUFACTURED BY THE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e— NEW HAVEN. CONN. U. S. A. —\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePAT. FEB. 16 \u0026amp; JULY 20. 1886.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese patent dates relate to the action and operating system developed for the Model 1887.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMechanically, 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNevertheless, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Model 1887 has also become an icon of popular culture, most famously through its appearance in \u003cem\u003eTerminator 2: Judgment Day\u003c\/em\u003e, although the shotgun used in the film was extensively shortened and modified.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWith 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.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003eYear of Manufacture: 1893\u003cbr\u003eManufacturer: Winchester Repeating Arms Company\u003cbr\u003eModel: 1887\u003cbr\u003eSerial Number: 52656\u003cbr\u003eGauge: 12 Gauge\u003cbr\u003eCartridge Type: Centerfire Shotgun Shell\u003cbr\u003eBarrel Length: 30\"\u003cbr\u003eOverall Length: 47\"\u003cbr\u003eAction: Lever-Action Repeater\u003cbr\u003eFeed System: Tubular Magazine\u003cbr\u003eFederal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShotgun 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNOTE: 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45355925864517,"sku":"ONJR26JUGC023","price":2095.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONJR26JUGC023.jpg?v=1784144516","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-winchester-model-1887-lever-action-12-gauge-shotgun-with-30-barrel-serial-no-52656-manufactured-in-1894","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}