Anyone have any problems with Brass shells in 87 ?

[Macon Due]

Howdy Gents
Today I got to make a very short test with my new Cimarron 1887 Lever gun. I tried roll crimped paper shells first. I had 2 or 3 that I had 'jiggle' the lever a bit to make em chamber. I think I need just a tiny bit more taper/roll crimp on them. Otherwise it was slick and fun. Then I tried the 12ga. brass shells and it would not feed at all. They were too long. They are longer by quite a bit over the roll crimped paper shells. So I guess I will shorten 10 of them [ to start] to the same length as the paper shells are loaded and roll crimped and see if that solves the problem. Have any of you had this problem with the brass 12 ga. shells in the 87's?
Thanks.......Macon

[Abilene]

I don't own an '87 but you might mention how long are the shells?  Are they Magtechs? 

[Macon Due]

Abilene,yes Sir they are Magtech, 2 7/16" long whereas the paper shells ,roll crimped and ready to fire are 2 1/4" in length.
Macon

[Cap'n Redneck]

The MagTech 2-7/16" shells should duplicate the 2,5" shells that the 1887 was constructed for pretty closely.
Back in the day the 2,5" all-brass shells would have been roll crimped too.

I have an early-production Norinco 1887 chambered in 12/70.  I use un-cut, un-crimped MagTech all-brass shells, but do not load them from the magazine; I put one in the chamber and one down on the cartridge lift.  I have done some smoothing of rough edges inside the receiver / chamber area, and this set-up has served me well for years in CAS-mainmatch.

I will have to do some more experimenting with paper or plastic shells in order to make it feed six shells from the magazine for Wild Bunch.