Need a little help...

[Illustrated_Man]

Anyone here familiar enough with the Winchester 1887 lever action shotgun to be able to tell me why mine won't stay in battery? If you close the lever, it drops about a half inch, and refuses to lock into position. Thanks guys,

 

[whynotvap]

I'm not that familiar with the lever-action Winchester shotgun but what it sounds like there is a problem with the actual 'lever' section not fully engaging the bolt. If you're comfortable with doing so, take it apart and look for worn or missing parts. Is this an original or one of the Norinco clones that have been coming into the US in recent years? Either way, if you plan on shooting it and it's original I'd strongly suggest having it gone over by an expert before doing so. In the Action Cowboy Shooters circles there's a guy named "Coyote Cap" who is a flipping wizard at tricking out those guns. He mainly does 'race actions' for competition but I think that qualifies him more than enough for simple gunsmithing. Worst case scenario, he might point you in the right direction at least.

Good luck!

If it's a Norinco or not, this might help especially #2 and 3 from what you're describing.

http://www.coyotecap.com/gunsmithingsimplified.htm

 

[Illustrated_Man]

We both went to the same place. It's an original 10 gauge by Winchester. I emailed Coyote Cap and he told me that the 1887 Winchester in 10 gauge is not designed to stay in battery on its own. The 1901 added a lever catch to keep things closed, but the 1887, if you want it to stay closed, you just hold the lever. At the moment of firing, however, there is a catch on the bottom of the trigger that engages a notch in the lever to hold the action closed. Yes, I'm somewhat shocked by this, but at least I know I'm not going crazy with my assessment that nothing was broken. Well, looks like I need to start building a mag follower, find a spring, and start working on my 'Rose box shotgun'.