# Winchester Model 1887 Lever Action 12 gauge.



## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

My grandfather or great-grandfather bought one in 1892 and it was just passed down to me. It was taken to the field when they went out to work on the farm and the stock has a few dings where an ax or hoe hit it. 

There is a weld on the right side that my brother thinks that the lever-action had to be modified to be compliant, but my guess is it is a sloppy repair in the early 1900s. My dad said there was a plug to reduce the number of rounds.

It is heavy and has a kick.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

if you look at a schematic of the 1887 that weld is right where right side cartridge guide screw should be 
a screw from each side held the cartridge guide 
I imaging while the left cartridge guide screw probably works it's self tighter the right side probably works it's self loose as it is the same part number for both it seems unlikely one is left handed threads 

that works loose on you too many times and around a farm globing some weld on it is probably what happened 

thanks , for sharing


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Thanks, @GREENCOUNTYPETE. you can see where the screws are damaged from being tightened. Considering it is 130 years old, it has most likely been disassembled a few times


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

that might be brazing rod and for the time period an oxy acetylene torch in the early part of the 20th century would make sense

it looks brass in color 

brazing didn't need the heat of welding and if the crew was striped or the hole worn it could put metal back where needed or hold the screw from moving.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

po boy said:


> Thanks, @GREENCOUNTYPETE. you can see where the screws are damaged from being tightened. Considering it is 130 years old, it has most likely been disassembled a few times


you see that on a lot of screw heads , a good screw driver set with a lot of bits that cover different thickness of blade and width are very important they don't even have to be that old or been disassembled that much 

something like this is very handy 








Wheeler 89-Piece Professional-Plus Gunsmithing Screwdriver Set


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those little screws can really add up and that is if you can source them not uncommon for a screw like that perfect in length and shoulder and everything to fetch 8-14 dollars.


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

The screw at the top of the magazine does not look original. I want to leave it in its current condition for sentimental value.

My parents had a friend that had lost an arm and he would shoot it when he came to visit. He was small and it would just about knock him down. Dad would have to cycle the next round for him to shoot again. 

The barrel has been shortened because my older brother dropped it barrel first and then shot it...
Thanks for the replies.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

po boy said:


> *The barrel has been shortened because my older brother dropped it barrel first and then shot it...*
> Thanks for the replies.


My uncle did that to Grandpas M37 , got a muzzle full of snow , he bought grandpa a new barrel.
it was the gun I shot my first squirrels with , I had shot a bunch with my bow but first gun squirrels were that shotgun 
my other uncle got the gun from grandpa in 2018 , I knew I was never getting it and grandpa was still using at the time.
I was way down the line of succession and frankly enjoyed hunting with grandpa and wanted him to keep using ti as long as he could..
so 20 years ago I bought one very similar the barrel is a little different.
I went to get a hair cut and came home with a shotgun.
that was the first time for that but not the last time a shotgun followed me home.


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