Winchester Model 1887
Winchester Repeating Arms Company · Shotgun · Out Of Production · 1887
Also known as: Model 1887, Winchester 1887
Overview
The Winchester Model 1887 is a lever-action shotgun designed by John Moses Browning and produced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company from 1887 to 1901. Conceived to extend Winchester's lever-action fame to the shotgun market, it chambers 12 and 10 gauge shells fed from a tubular magazine and cycled by a falling rolling-breech action operated by the lever. Though Browning himself recommended a pump-action design, Winchester insisted on a lever gun for brand consistency.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3629 g (128.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 997 mm (39.25") |
| Barrel Length | 762 mm (30.00") |
| Action Type | Lever Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tube |
| Effective Range | 40 m (44 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 12 Gauge · primary — also known as 12 ga, 12 bore
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Hammer
- Features: Exposed Hammer, Rolling Breech Block
Variants
- Winchester Model 1901 — Improved
Production
Estimated total produced: 64,855 · Production years: 1887-1901
Total Model 1887 production across all gauges; Model 1901 produced separately afterward
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: John Moses Browning
Discontinued: 1901
Notes
Superseded by the stronger Model 1901 in 10 gauge, intended for smokeless powder. The 1887 is built for black-powder shells and originally chambered in 12 and 10 gauge.
Background
John Browning thought a pump-action shotgun was the better design and said so, but Winchester wanted a lever-action to match the rest of its lineup, so Browning gave them one anyway, creating the first truly successful repeating shotgun.