For a gun you just took out of the box, it's running pretty darned well. Nice technique, and definitely getting a longer look as a possible addition to the collection.
With any of these 87 repros if your fingers aren't a bit bruised after a shooting session your aren't working the lever smartly enough. 12 ga shells in the 19th century were 2.5" while modern shells are 2 3/4" so the front of the hull is brushing the action with modern 12 ga. Several small companies make leather wraps to cushion your fingers on lever guns. With one of those you can really smash that lever forward with more power.
Shells were actually available in 2⅜" and 2½" in 1887. They were black powder, the first "smokless" woods powder being offered in the early 1890's. Sporting shooters desire for more reach started to influence the shell length upwards thereafter.
@@fhorst41 I've got one of the IAC copies of the Winchester lever-action shotgun, so like the video stated, it's a hybrid of features from the 12-ga. and 10-ga. 1887 and the 10-ga. only Model 1901. It came with a naugahyde/ faux-leather western-type wrap on the hinged lever handle. I initially removed it, but you just have to get pinched by the hinge on the lever once before you decide it is there for a reason. Eventually, the faux leather began to break down, so I've since replaced it with a nice paracord wrap along the lever. My gun exhibits all of the problems of the breed: The last round will not eject because there is no shell in the carrier to act as an extension of the "ejector" on the carrier, and sometimes the star-crimps on 2-3/4in. shell hulls get hung up on the lip of the receiver since it was designed for 2-1/2in. black powder shells, and lots of paper roll-crimped hulls instead of various types of plastics. I'll try it with exclusively one brand at a time to see if I can get the two extractors working right. It is a cool gun, but mine sure don't work smoothly like this here Cimarron. Then again, I've got short arms too. Some folks I know shortened the stock length-of-pull had had better results working the action that way.
Old timey SASS shooter here, Charlie Utter #18818. This is the best review of this shotgun I have seen, hands down! I have one on the way to me right now! Thanks for a great video!
Very nice. My original 87 only holds 6 as well, but being made in 1890 only takes black powder 2-1/2" hulls. Paper (which I don't have) or brass. It's by far my favorite shotgun and I think I'll pick one of these up so I can still enjoy it with some modern (and cheaper) ammunition.
I just acquired an original Winchester 1887 12 Guage at auction. Do you load your own black powder shells or do you have a supplier? I think I am probably going to have to load my own shells for it, and I'm exploring my options.
@@jessemorrison339 Some of them allow the block to close with a shell on the lifter and a full tube, so 5 in tube +1 on lifter and one in chamber, for 7 (5+2) total. It appears that the Chiappa replicas allow for this. However, I also saw a vid where a guy demonstrated load and cycle with the new Cimarron 1887 with seven (6+1), provided either A) shorter hulls are utilized (2.5" crimped down), or B) replacement magazine spring. With shorter hulls and an aftermarket spring together, the gun apparently can actually become 7+1. Again, that's with the new Cimarron that is featured in this video. So theoretically, someone may be able to make a Chiappa 1887 become 7+2.
Ive had mine for maybe a week now and its given me no issues. I knew id have to really work the lever to have it feed and eject but the first couple shells i didnt have my technique down yet. Now I am running this thing empty in no time. The quality is very good. The only thing i did notice was the two screws on the sides of the receiver wanted to loosen so I removed them and put on blue loctite. Money well spent and now I have a odd yet functional gun.
When you said " Oh , that's hot". Were you talking about the gun ? (or the spent hull that landed on your neck ) 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Friend.....it's refreshing to see an honest and genuine review. Thank you
I run a double barrel for SASS, but I do own one of the Century Arms PW87s they came out with. They are very rough. I need to tear it down and do some polishing yet. These look pretty smooth out of the box. Honestly, I would be interested in one of these in the 28" barrel. Would be fun to do some upland bird hunting with!
So after bringing my own 1887 home yesterday, here are my thoughts. Like every lever action I have bought new, the screws came loose and needed to be tightened. Otherwise, the wood is beautiful, the action is butter smooth, and the insides are polished to a T. It doesn't like ghost loading and I think that is down to the shotgun having very tight tolerances internally.
@LibertysetsquareJack not yet. It was received at Cimmarons Gun Smith down in Texas, and it could honestly go either way in terms of repair or replacement. It really just depends on if the gunsmith thinks the receiver tang will hold up when Re-tapped.
I've also been watching your situation and hope to hear some updates on it and the end results I've recently become the owner of a new production cimarron 1887.
I've been heavily anticipating a new batch of their '97s, though I'd definitely be interested in picking one of these up! I've only owned revolvers from Cimarron, never any long guns.
For quick reference, these are PRC made but work far better than the old Century PW87s and have a short "break in" period. That being said and I'm sure it has been aaid before, you cannot mollycoddle these things, you have to throw that lever forward good to get a positive ejection. If it counts Mike Harvey of Cimarron has personally seen to or has representives seeing to these are made to an acceptable standard to ensure they aren't lemons
@@otroflores91 RU-vid won't let me post links but just Google Cimarron 1887 eventually you come across an article about it with a video from Mark Harvey discussing their process
If you search here on YT you'll see a vid of Harvey himself (from 2021) explaining that they are manufactured in China (PRC). Apparently the walnut is American, then shipped to the PRC. No confirmation on the steel. One thing that worries me is a vid put up back in April from a channel called "CourrierSix" where ye explains how after ~ 200 shells of 2 3/4 00 buck high base he had to RMA the gun to Cimarron because the lower tang screw had come loose, owing to the tang losing its threading. This has raised concerns that the metallurgy is not strong. We're still waiting on the poster to get back with an update about what Cimarron's assessment of the returned gun is.
In early 2000 bought an import and could not get it to shoot right my cowboy action smith worked on and never could get to work right and he took back. Went with double barrel and a 1897🇺🇸🤠
I'm sure once you break in the gun with a 100 or so rounds it will fire beautifully. Definitely a unique firearm and a beautiful one to add to the collection. Should help you fight off any T-1000's and or help you in your persuit against any bank robbers. Movie reference "Public Enemies" with Johnny Dept. That's what I mean with bank robbers.
I just picked one up $580 out the door. I have been searching for one for about a year. The ink wasn't dry on the price tag, it didn't get to hang on the wall at the gun store. He walked out the back with it and I immediately jumped on it.
Looks like a sweet shooter. Are the carrier screws staying tight so far? I have an IAC 1887 and the ones on mine like to loosen every now and then. Might have to snatch one of these up if I get the chance.
@@supernice8887 🇦🇺😎👍Yep. After the pump action ban in 1997 the lever action 12 gauge was released in about 2015 , I think. IAC was the first one. Then the Adler and now the lever release…I have 2 IACs
Good review. However, you should run it wearing a cowboy hat because it looks like the spent hulls were barely clearing your ball cap. If they hit the brim of your cowboy hat and bounce back into your face, that could be an issue.
Great review but I am a little confused. I have had one of these shotguns from Cimarron for around or a little over a year now, Why does everyone keep saying they are a new release?
Could you hunt with these? I had a friend suggest this shotgun for like an all-around for hunting for bird and deer. Or is this just for just action shooting?
Absolutely. Only thing that would limit you is what choke is in the barrel. I think the one in the video is the “field model” which has a modified choke built in. You could send slugs, bird shot, or even buckshot down range with that choke just fine. I personally would opt for a model that has screw in chokes so that way you can have the perfect choke for the load, but the modified should be just fine.
I’ve hunted pheasant with it, had to make a mag tube plug out of a dowel, works good, ended up just carrying the gun with two in the tube and sliding one in the chamber with the lever cracked open. When you see game and are ready to shoot then just snap the lever closed acts as a rudimentary way of carrying it without having to try and decock and cock the recessed hammer. A little blue lock tight on the carrier and magazine tube band screws makes a huge difference. Oil the action liberally, very satisfying gun to hunt with
I have quite a bit of personal affection for this 'ole shottie, its like John Moses Browning had a corporate sponsored unwanted and later regretted Autistic design and gave up on it early on
Finding this video was almost impossible. Apparently there's some guitar guy with the same name and the search is ALL him. Sheesh. Anywho, I was just curious why the magazine tube is so short. The downside of shotguns has always been capacity and this looks like it's capable of several more shells. Longer barrel versions even more. Just curious.
I will say this, the longer a tube and the more rounds in a shotgun, the less easily it handles because shotgun rounds are just heavy. Five to six in the tube is a pretty good tradeoff between weight and number of rounds, at least to me.
@@717UT that's true but when considering the era when this was designed, it seems like significantly more capacity would trump the handling penalties. I've never handled one so you may be right.
@@brandiwynter More ammo is better. I've never handled one of these either, but I put the longest tube extension I could fit on my Rem 870, and it was wickedly heavy.
It's made in China. When you go to the official Cimarrion Firearms YT channel, they released a video a couple of years ago where Mike Harvey (President of Cimarrion) talks about how they worked with the factory in China to make these.
I'll stick with my Rem. 870, but if I did Cowboy Action shooting, I'd be interested in an 1887 lever-action shotgun. For practical purposes, the pump-action did away with lever-action shotguns with the exception of some things like the old Marlin share-holder .410s and remakes by other companies...
All of these replicas come from 1 place and i can tell its it not Italy or Europe but from China. Products made in China can be amazing if the quality control is done well and in the case of this gun its done very well its works 100% out of the box. But one thing i never understood: The original 1887 is made for 2 5/8 or 67mm cases as max but 70mm shells work pretty okay without massive lever force but none of the replicas has ever been scaled up to modern 2 3/4 shells. Put a original 1887 next to this gun and u see its 100% the same size in terms of dimension and it has metric treaths (china) and some diffence related to carrier form and hammer markings where u put ure thumb. These are not bad copies at all..................But how crazy and stupid i sound i trust a genuine 1887 more in function if u have one that has little use and wear and a tight lock up and good barrel. A 1887 wont blow up from the use of smokeless powder,if they did then my gun would of been of toast... and i fired alot of hot ammo in it including 1oz 1750fps slugs......
@@davecarlson1918 NOPE in the 60's they changed the 2A into a privilege. If a man or group of men can take away a God Given human right from anyone for any reason, its not a right, only a privilege. And that is the foundation of all the gun owners woes to date. When the got people to lay down and accept the disarming of 10's of millions of people, that opened the door to all the problems we currently face.
