Reloading the Win 1887 repro

[Black River Smith]

I know that Cap states to use only Win AA smooth cases.  Also, he suggests no BP shells unless the chamber is adjusted.

Have you found any other store bought shells that function in the action?

If you reload 12 gauge, what are you finding that works?  Are you using only Win AA casings?  What are your favorite CAS and field loads for this shotgun?

Thanks for any comments.

[Grapeshot]

I know that Cap states to use only Win AA smooth cases.  Also, he suggests no BP shells unless the chamber is adjusted.

Have you found any other store bought shells that function in the action?

If you reload 12 gauge, what are you finding that works?  Are you using only Win AA casings?  What are your favorite CAS and field loads for this shotgun?

Thanks for any comments.

Right now I have been using Metallic Hulls and Remington Nitro 27 hulls using Black Powder, 777, Pyrodex or Pinnacle powders.  I have also used Federal Paper Hulls, but they proved to be problematic and tended to stick in the chambers or have the extractors slip over the rims.

[litl rooster]

Remington nitro's or the Win AA

[Pettifogger]

Unfortunately, the Chinese 87s weren't always consistent in quality control or dimensions.  (They are no longer made.)  They are proofed for modern smokeless ammo and should accept any standard 2 3/4" shell.  The only way to know for sure is to buy a few boxes of miscellaneous ammo and try them out.  Won't hurt anything, you just need to see how they feed.  On one of mine the rim recess is cut very shallow so that gun does prefer Winchester AAs.  Some other brands of ammo have slightly thicker rims and it is hard to fully close the bolt on them.

[Black River Smith]

Sorry for not responding earlier but thanks for the info.

Pettifogger, what do you mean by (They are no longer made.).  If you mean the 87 repro, no Cap is not bring them in but they are being produced now by Century Arms out of a China company called Zhong Zhou.  J&G Sales have them for sale.  They are the basic Cap design without the drop two feature, from what I can tell.  I have to believe they have the same 'issues' as with the ones from Cap.

I REALLY like this shotgun design and have been looking at all the issues before buying one.  I even called Century Arms inquiring about replacement parts availability.  None available only warrenty repair.  May have to buy two just for repair or backup.

So, in my mind, the firearm must work or be made to function after buying.

This brings up and additional question for those with an 87 Chinese shotgun, have you broken any parts?  Where did you get replacements?

Any other reloading info for these shotguns would be appreciated.

[Bull Skinner]

Been shooting a IAC import since 2008 (I think) a few years any way.  At least. 2 matchs a month. Nothing broke,yet. They are built of pretty beefy parts. I really like mine. It will digest about any hull made, filled with Bp or smokeless. Mine has a choke tube, appears to be imp. Cyl. And patterns well with all of my reloads, BP or nitro powered alike.

[will52100]

Just spotted this thread.  I've got one of Cap's 87's, it's an early one, got the cast off color frame and was a display model he had at the shot show.  Cap tuned it up for me and it's slick as glass and I've feed it everything from paper hulls to roll crimped black powder and standard crimped black powder hulls of all different makes with nary a hiccup.  I DO like the Win AA hulls, they make for pretty rounds and chamber and eject from all my scatter guns easy, but I have no issue with other hulls.