Unk handed me a shotgun this weekend and said take care of it. I remember seeing this gun in my dads closet when I was a kid but forgot about it as I grew.

This was a working gun all of it's useful life, it fed several families. With the advent of smokeless powders it became unusable as it was not manufactured for nor could it take the pressures of the smokeless powders.

Winchester 1887 12 GA manufactured in 1892. To the best of my knowledge this gun was bought new by my Great Great Granddad and has been in the family since it was manufactured.

What's the inscription on the left side of the receiver?

Winchester Repeating Arms Co now that I look at it again.

Man what a great piece of family history! Are you going to be able to shoot it with black powder or trail boss maybe? I love the round knob on the pistol grip. Congrats on receiving part of your history.

Pretty dang cool.

Great old 87 Paul!!!!! See that mainspring? Be careful with that if you ever decide to take it apart! 😉. Damn nice gun!!!

That is some kinda cool. Heirloom is an understatement.

Pretty humbling to know that Unk trusts me to take care of it.

I'm thinking about having a competent gunsmith take a look at it to see if it's safe to fire and if so load up some black powder shotgun shells and take it hunting like GG Grandpa did.

Heirlooms are the best!

That is a cool gun Paul, and almost as old as you!

Nice

+ 100

so cool. I wonder if there are bp or bp equivalent loads manufactured now? (low pressure)

Reminds me of the first Terminator movie. Ole Arnold made them cool again!

Wow, what a treasure! Good for you.

What an amazing piece of History for your family!

You should be able to get some low pressure smokeless shells from RST or Ballistic Products that would be safe to shoot if it is in good shape. I have used some in an old Damascus double with good results.

Jerry

So cool. A piece of your family history.

I don't know if I'd shoot it. Might be a wall hanger.

Incredible,if only it could talk...

That is beyond cool.

Salute!

Very Nice!

Those things wreak all sorts of nostalgia!

There are but I was thinking of staying real. I've read that you can use plastic hulls with BP but it's a one time use thing as BP and plastic don't play well together.

They do, that's one of the reasons I want to take it hunting. I don't imagine this thing has bee fired in 75 or more years but wouldn't it be cool to get a few full brass shells and load them up.

A cool firearm and a cool story.

That is a really cool piece of firearms history and an heirloom to cherish.

Thanks for sharing that piece of your family history! Is that design a tube fed repeater?

I think Ballistic Products has brass 12 gauge hulls for use with black powder. Check them out. If that beautiful old Winchester was mine, I'd sure want to shoot it. You're a lucky man indeed.

Awesome piece of family history

The old canoe sinker! No much hammer spur on those and legend has it that many a canoe or sneak boat had the bottom blown out when lowering the hammer with cold wet fingers. Very cool, especially being a family gun.

You should be able to find some low pressure 2 7/8” loads from one of the specialty makers. Maybe even some nice shot so you could kill a duck or goose with it.

Paul! You didn’t tell us you’ve already made meat with the old girl!!!! 🤣

Looks like it's in fantastic condition.

I hope I look that good at 128!

From what I understand it is 5 in the tube one in the receiver and one in the chamber. I haven't tested function yet to confirm.

I remember that trip we made!!

That may be a 2 1/2 inch chamber. Those don't tend to pull a 2 3/4 inch shell out of the chamber reliably..,.

It is 2 1/2.

Is the info I gathered on the capacity right?

5 in the tube, 1 in the receiver and 1 in the chamber?

Chas. Daley is marketing a replica. I had a chance to shoot one but shot their 3-barreled gun instead. IIRC the lever gun replica worked with 2-3/4" smokeless shells.

Oh hell I thought this was a 10bore. You should be able to find low pressure 2 1/2” 12ga loads pretty easily

Well, quit "thinking about it" and just get busy and DO IT!!!. Darn few of us ever get a chance to do something like that, it will be worth every effort you have to make in order to get it accomplished.

Wow, Paul! That's beyond cool. I wish it could talk. Wonder if was in the same woods as us...or in the UP...or on that river outside your door.

Batchelders in GR is probably where I'd take it. Or up to Hampels in TC. Not too many with that expertise in old guns anymore.

If I can find enough Brass You and I can shoot a round of Trap with it.

Beyond awesome firearm!!! You are right to be proud of that one!

In a bit of the same dilemma as your Unk….my father passed on to me a Winchester 1873 in .44-40 Some day in the not so distant future, I'm going to have to decide where it will go in the family.

Very, very cool Paul!

Now, with a pair of shades a leather jacket and a motorcycle, and you can terrorize old Boss. He'll think you're the Terminator.

Hell!!! I thought he was the terminator.

I might be able to help you out with that....what is the gauge? 12ga.?

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...grandfathers-reloading-gear#Post13887274

Edit: missed that in your OP. (Was mesmerized by the pics, I guess. Take a look at the pics, and get back to me. If I recall correctly, there were about a half dozen brass, as well as the shot and wads,and primers.

I am, watch it mister!

You can't say stroke! I don't like it!

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/M...hells-for-reloading/productinfo/3921270/

There you go Toby, a buck a piece not bad!

Nice, Congrats on the very special gift, if I were granted too meet anyone from the past, it'd be John Moses Browning, I would not ask him any dumb questions, would just be happy to watch him work, or listen to him speak/teach.

I build a lot of things with my hands and as I look at this action I think what an accomplishment! it truly is an amazing design that the man created.

BTW, I'd ask all kinds of dumb questions! JMB would probably tell me to STFU!

I'd be content in being that fly on the wall ; ]

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Brass-hulls/products/202/

midway has them 25 for 25$

For the record, and for the 99th time: Trail Boss is NOT a black powder substitute. Common error that is going to get someone killed. Pyrodex, Triple 7, and many others are but Trail Boss is a smokeless that simply takes a large volume of space and is used in large cases like 45, 44 by the SASS shooters because they can't double charge by accident.