IAC 1887 followed me home

[Oregon Bill]

Got one of these NIB with the 20-inch barrel at a gun show this afternoon. What issues do I need to expect with this gun, and what advice on do-it-yourself slicking up. Safe to dry fire? Plan to run BP loads through it, of course. I've heard that the secret to proper ejection is to be right snappy with the lever.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I went through mine and lightened the spring a slight amount, but mostly polishing up the moving parts where the mill marks can drag against each other really did the trick. If you have a depression in the center of the follower instead of a hole, drill a hole the size of the depression. This will allow the extractor to drop into it to stop on the drop-two position. You can also face back the carrier slightly at an angle, but don't take any off the bottom of it and don't go more than 3 or 4 degrees. Too much will not allow you to still load into the magazine because it won't go past the drop two point. A call to Coyote Cap can net you some very useful information before you go into it heartily. BTW, I love mine. It's more fun than anything else I shoot. If you want to get it done absolutely right, send it to him, it's worth a couple hundred to get it back perfect.

[Oregon Bill]

Marshal: Thanks for the advice. I agree, these things are a darned hoot. Gave mine a workout on clay pigeons and was surprised how well I did considering the short barrel and cylinder choke. It takes a firm throw on the lever to eject and reload, and I soon realized why the leather wraps on the lever are so popular. I'm eager to try this thing with brass shells and BP loads.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Marshal: Thanks for the advice. I agree, these things are a darned hoot. Gave mine a workout on clay pigeons and was surprised how well I did considering the short barrel and cylinder choke. It takes a firm throw on the lever to eject and reload, and I soon realized why the leather wraps on the lever are so popular. I'm eager to try this thing with brass shells and BP loads.

My cousin has one in 10 ga that he shoots with brass & BP. Great fun to watch. Those levers can be mean. I wrapped mine with a long strip of soft leather wound around it and tied off. I also find mine good on clays with the cylinder bore.