Potent Leverage

Taylor’s & Co. Offers a Handy Bootleg Version of the Winchester Model 1887 Lever-action Shotgun.

- Mike Searson

One of the greatest fight stoppers of the Old West was the shotgun. Whether it was a single-shot or double-barreled fowling piece cut down to an appropriate length or a pump action or lever action in 10 or 12 gauge, the shotgun saw use on both sides of the law and everywhere in between.

Taylor’s & Co. offers a modern replica version of the Winchester 1887 lever-action shotgun completely superior to the original, something we do not say often in the world of replica historical firearms.

HISTORY

Repeating shotguns owe their existence to one of the greatest firearm engineering minds of all time: John Moses Browning.

While working as a designer for Winchester, Browning developed the 1886 lever action rifle. This was the first successful lever action repeater that was designed with higher pressure loads such as 45-70 and 45-90 in mind. The action and locking block were strong enough that Winchester easily made the transition to smokeless powder with a minimum of modifications.

Winchester tasked Browning with designing a repeating shotgun. The young gunsmith originally had a slide action model similar to the Spencer pump shotgun of 1882 in mind, but Winchester’s marketing lead wanted a lever action for purposes of “brand recognition.”

The company had built its fortune on the lever action rifle and carbine, and that was what they felt they needed over Browning’s objections to the design.

Browning went to the drawing board and came up with the Model 1887. Offered in either 12 gauge or 10 gauge with the choice of 20 inch or 30 inch barrels, it held five rounds in the magazine tube and sported an enlarged WRAC logo on its left side plate.