Fireball #7709 Life

I was hoping I could get some information from you about original 1887 Winchesters.   I have been shooting a Chiappa replica for the last 4 years and have owned a couple of the IAC copies over the same time frame.  The fact that the replicas are so hard to find and that the price on them continues to go up I am starting to look at the original guns as a viable alternative.

I have read online that you can only use them with smokeless power, is that true?  The first 87 I shot was an unaltered original that we shot 2 3/4" smokeless shells out of.  I am pretty sure that was stupid on our part but that was 20 some years ago and I was young and dumb at that point.  I have watched several auctions on GunBroker recently and I think I would like to get an original but if I can only use black powder safely in the gun I probably would change my mind.

My Chiappa was modified by Lassiter for his drop 2 conversion, can the originals be modified for this conversion?  Is it sacrilegious to ruin an original like this?

I would greatly appreciate any additional information you would like to share about this shotgun.  

Thank you 

Curly Pete