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1887 recommendations


charlie two feathers

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As for what works:

 

Most of the IAC and Norinco manufactured 1887s can be successfully modified to work. Both of these are no longer manufactured/imported so finding one can be difficult.

Those imported by Coyote Cap also work well. Be aware that a few counterfeit Coyote Cap 87s were imported. I know because I bought one several years ago. Unfortunately I did not discover this until after Coyote Cap closed his shop. Had I known, it is my understanding he would have fixed it.

There were others where the receiver casting was unsafe.

 

You can read more here.

 

I have no idea if Ahlmans is performing the CC drop 2 mod or not.  It is not listed on their website.  I do know he patented his method so that others could not copy it. I have no idea who currently owns the patent.

 

Current production 1887s from Chippa can be modified to work for CAS.

 

The ones that seem to have issues are the Century Arms PW-87s Some can be made to work well for CAS others are hopeless. At one time I owned one that Lassiter had modified and it worked really well. It was just ugly as sin with "Zhong Zhou Machine Works" in big bold letters heavily stamped into the right side of the receiver. The back of the bolt had a large flat spot ground into it so that it would clear the receiver.

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If you are looking for one I suggest you find one that you can try out. I love mine (I own 4) but they are not for everyone. 

 

If you decide that an 87 is for you, buy a used one that has already been modified for CAS or contact Lassiter and buy one direct from him.

 

Tom's Single Action Shop

675 CRAWFORD  TOM'S RUN RD, NEW LEBANON, OH 45345
(937) 687-1039

 

I know there are a few other cowboy gunsmiths that have tuned them up and performed a "Drop Two" mod but I have no idea if they are willing to modify one.

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I’ve seen a decent amount of Italian guns showing up for sale lately on the internet. I would give Lassiter a call . He gets the Chiappa’s in and does his modifications to them so their GTG for CAS .

I have one and am very happy with it 

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I,  like Sedalia Dave, have a CAI PW87, ugly receiver stamping included.. I worked it over myself with deburring many rough areas,  filing and stoning other, changing springs, so on and so forth. Then, I sent it to Lassiter for the drop 2 mod. I had the LOP shortened when I got it back. It's as slick as can be. When I do my part right, it runs like a mother.......

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I have two.   A real Winchester and a Chiappa.

 

The Winchester had some age related problems, but I sent it to Coyote Cap, and he fixed right up for me.   Anyway, an original Winchester will work well, but you must limit it to black powder.   Any problems one of them has will be related to the fact that they are OLD.   But the problems can be fixed, and you may even find one that is in good operating condition.

My Chiappa runs great right out of the box with no modifications.   It's the "Terminator" style one, and if I wanted to get an 87 to use as a main match shotgun, I'd go with a Chiappa.   They cost a bit more than some others, but you really do get what you pay for.  (Same can be said about their 92's.)

If I have any knock on the Chiappa guns, it would be as follows.  The 20" barrel one comes with, obviously, no choke.   That's what most people will want, and I have no problem with that configuration.   But the 28" barrel one, instead of coming with a full choke, comes with screw in chokes.   I LOATHE screw in chokes.

But I am weird.

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20 minutes ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:



If I have any knock on the Chiappa guns, it would be as follows.  The 20" barrel one comes with, obviously, no choke.   That's what most people will want, and I have no problem with that configuration.   But the 28" barrel one, instead of coming with a full choke, comes with screw in chokes.   I LOATHE screw in chokes.

But I am weird.

I bought my Chiappa from Lassiter at the beginning of the plandemic, it’s the blued short bbl and it has screw in chokes. As far as I remember when I was shopping for them the long bbl did also . At the time I had a choice of long/short bbl and blued or hard chrome. I also remember Lassiter saying that they had changed the buttstock design on the current ones so you get punched in the cheek less , but never having shot anything but it I have nothing to compare it to.

Ive got no complaints, it shoots good and looks good 

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I have a Coyote Cap one, and a Winchester one, made in 1892. No problems with either one, other than finding ammunition, and waiting on primers to reload the shells. Same song, different verse. 

 

Back in May of 2021, Mike Harvey, the founder, president, ceo, of Cimarron Firearms, stated that he was working with a chi-knee company to produce a "quality" model 1887, at a "reasonable" price. I have not heard the latest status of the shotgun, so I presume it is still a waiting game (what isn't?).

If you go on "yew-tube", you can see his presentation, and a sample of the shotgun.

 

I saw a Chiappa 1887 on-line, lately, so you might want to grab something, while the grabbing is good. Most all of them need some gunsmithing or something. I guess Coyote Cap did that, on mine, before he sold it. 

 

I don't think one particular brand could be said to be the most successful for S.A.S.S., since most are worked on before they are taken to an event. 

All we had, at first, were old Winchesters, and chi-knee ones, some good, some only fit to be a salt-water boat anchor...maybe. 

 

 

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My FLGS had a 10 Gauge Winchester the other day. If you want their info PM me

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I've had and used the 3 common reproductions. The centry arms fit and finish was sub par imo. Rough and clanky but functional after Lassiter did the drop 2 mod. The iac was nicer looking and functioned fairly well but it didn't like my brass hulls. My chiappa looks the best, came with screw in chokes, and ran like a champ until I broke the extractor. Now I'm waiting to send it off for repairs. The broken extractor was 100% on me forcing a round that didn't want to chamber. Smh lesson learned the hard way

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2 hours ago, Turkey Flats Jack said:

 My chiappa looks the best, came with screw in chokes, and ran like a champ until I broke the extractor. Now I'm waiting to send it off for repairs. The broken extractor was 100% on me forcing a round that didn't want to chamber. Smh lesson learned the hard way

Taylor’s stocks parts for the Chiappa’s . I picked up a few spares when I got my gun 

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