CLASSIC SHOTGUN: AT HOME ON THE RANGE

Created on 14th May 2009

MIKE DAVENPORT celebrates the Winchester 1887 - the world's first successful repeating shotgun as used by outlaws Bonnie and Clyde

THE USE of shotguns for the defence of bullion, mail and secure premises goes back over 200 years. Originally it was the domain of the blunderbuss - a very formidable weapon which was loaded with a heavy charge of large shot or even nails when this was not available. Usually fired from the waist, or when lighter charges were used from the shoulder, it was the terror of every highwayman. Some blunderbusses were even supplied to mill owners by the government at the time of the Luddite riots. It's not surprising therefore that stagecoaches in the American West used shotguns for the protection of their bullion and passengers. Before Morgan Earp and his brothers walked down to the O.K. Corral, the local Wells Fargo office gave them one of its shotguns, which was then given by Morgan to Doc Holliday as the group started its walk into history.

Shotguns served a useful role and it was not surprising that Winchester saw an opening for a repeating shotgun to fulfil it. The firm approached John Moses Browning, who was just beginning to earn a reputation as a brilliant and prolific arms designer. Winchester wanted him to design an underlever repeating shotgun, believing this would be in keeping with the rest of the firm's underlever range. Browning thought differently and said so, but Winchester persisted so he designed the 1887 - although the firm later relented and he designed the pump action repeater of 1893 and its replacement, the 1897. The 87 was sold alongside the 97 until production ceased in 1901, by which time around 64,855 had been made.

The 87 became popular with Western law enforcement agencies the Arizona Rangers and Texas Rangers, which also later favoured the pump action 97. Lawmen John Slaughter and George Scarborough are known to have carried the 87, as are Bonnie and Clyde. In fact it was this gun that Clyde attempted to pick up when Special Investigator Frank Hamer stopped the outlaw pair in their car in Louisana and terminated their criminal careers. Less glamorously, the 87 found popularity with railroads and the diminishing stagecoach runs. It has recently found fame in films such as Terminator 2 and The Mummy, due to its photogenic profile.

Several options

The model on test is made by Norinco in China. While at first sight it looks slightly odd, it handles extremely well. The finish is dark-blue overall, with a light wooden stock and forend. Several versions with different barrel lengths and magazine capacities are available. It takes the 12-bore 2¾" cartridge with a magazine capacity of either two or five cartridges. The two-cartridge version can be held on a shotgun certificate while the five-cartridge, which has a barrel length of 22", requires a Section One FAC. Barrels are bored to a nominal half choke. The 1887 is loaded via lowering the underlever, working each cartridge into the lifter and pushing it forward until it locates on a lip at the front of the magazine tube. This is slower than the under-action gate used on the 1897 pump action Winchester and most modern repeating shotguns. However, once loaded the rate of fire is similar. Because of this I feel the 1887 will be more popular with Cowboy Action shooters than with the followers of Practical Shotgun. I can also see it being popular with collectors and Western history enthusiasts. I am certain, though, that this is not the shotgun to take to his lordship's pheasant shoot if you want to be invited back the following year!

Legalities

There is a popular misconception that a shotgun with a barrel less than 24" in length is illegal. This only applies to pump action and automatic shotguns under the 1998 Act. Some initial uncertainty regarding the finer points of our convoluted firearms laws was clarified by the excellent BASC Fireams Dept.

Fun to shoot

We fired cartridges loaded with SG, some with no.7 shot, and some slug cartridges. The Brenneke slug proved very accurate at 25m. After firing the lever is brought smartly down to eject the spent case over the right
shoulder (in a most dramatic fashion). The underlever is then brought back up quickly to load the next cartridge. We found rolled turnover 2¾ cartridges more suitable than crimped cases because of their shorter length. (This gun should be loaded with only smokeless cartridges. Although the original was designed for black powder cartridges its action had bigger tolerances built into it to allow for the extra fouling these produce.)

We were able to pick up the targets quickly with the small bead foresight. It was great fun to shoot and we could have done it for hours. It comes up to the shoulder surprisingly well, points quite naturally and cycling is easy once you have sorted some suitable ammunition and practised your technique. The hearty ‘whumph' as Brenneke after Brenneke slams into the target and the healthy recoil felt in one's shoulder are genuinely satisfying. The 1887 won't do much for your Skeet or Sporting scores but I'm sure the Cowboy Action Shooting brigade will thoroughly enjoy this recreation of the first truly succesful repeating shotgun. It's no real surprise that the design has stood the test of time - it's another superb design by that master of gunmaking John Moses Browning.

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