Original Item: Only One Available. Here we have a interesting example of one of the world's first successful repeating shotguns, the Winchester Model 1887 Lever Action. Designed by the famed John Browning during the late 19th century, it was designed to capitalize on the "lever action" fame of Winchester at the time. While it was later replaced by pump action designs, it carved out a solid place in history.

This example is in the smaller and more desirable 12 gauge chambering, and features a special order 32 inch barrel, which is not one of the original listed factory options. It has a 12 on top of the barrel by the receiver, indicating the 12 gauge chambering, but no other markings we can see. The muzzle is slightly overbored, probably to help with the spread of shot. As with most shotguns from this period it was probably never intended for use with any type of slug. It has a nice brass bead front sight, and the rear sight is still the groove on the top of the receiver.

Serial number 54488 on the front underside of the receiver denotes year of manufacture as 1894, one of 1,489 made that year. Originally quite popular, by 1893 "Pump Action" designs had arrived, which slowed down production of the "Lever Action" Model 1887 significantly. The left side of the receiver is marked with the W R A Co overlapping monogram, and the lower receiver tang still has the correct Winchester markings fully intact and easily legible:

Original walnut stocks are in good solid condition with the classic red brown color of aged oiled walnut, and have a lovely glow. The butt stock is in great shape, with a carved in pistol grip, and factory checkered metal butt plate. There are some scratches, dents, and gouges, but nothing out of line with long service. The fore stock is also in lovely shape, showing only light wear with no large chunks or slivers missing. We did notice some markings made with a small nail in the stocks near the receiver.

The bore is clear, showing some fouling and oxidation, probably having seen light to moderate use on the frontier. We do not see any major oxidation or other damage from use. The metalwork overall shows wear consistent with use and age, now worn to an overall light gray polished patina from years of cleaning. There is a bit of past peppering in areas, but no major oxidation or other damage. The action is in fully functional condition and cycles well, with a crisp dry fire.

Overall this is a lovely example of an iconic lever action repeating shotgun, ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1894
Caliber: 12 gauge
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 30 Inches
Overall Length: 47 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Repeater
Feed System: 5 + 2 magazine (5 in the tube, one in the chamber, one in the carrier)

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.