So I picked up this 1887 12ga at an auction, and it's got some history....

Using dummy shells, it will cycle through all the shells perfectly but the last round will elevate and then the elevator will drop when the action is closed, instead of continuing to hold the shell up until the action grabs it. As soon as the lever starts returning the action, the elevator starts dropping, but ONLY on the last round.

I've had the action apart, and it looks like everything is there, but I can't find an good exploded view for this shotgun. Also, is there a mechanism that holds the lever in the closed position, or it simply friction? (On this gun, it's currently friction, and that can make it bear to open sometimes).

Thanks all!

Here is a link to Taylor & Co who import the Chiappa 1887 lever action copy.   This might have some useful info.


https://www.taylorsfirearms.com/media/binaryanvil/media_library/CHIAPPA_1887_SHOTGUN_MANUAL.pdf


Here is a link to Numrich Arms schematic for a Winchester 9410 410 lever action shotgun.  The design looks very similar to the 1887.   I have no other info which might be of use.   I hope you can figure it out.


https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-manufacturer/winchester/shotguns-win/9410

I know what you’re talking about. If you haven’t noticed the magazine follower acts as a detent on that last round. The 1887 was designed with a follower with a convex face. On that last round, the magazine follower is supposed to protrude into the action and hold the carrier at the upward position by physically touching it and holding it up in the absence of any more ammunition in the magazine. If that follower doesn’t protrude far enough into the action on that last round then the carrier will drop down until it makes contact with the follower. I learned all this the hard way when I tried to replace the follower on my 1887 with one out of an 870. It worked fine until the last round.

@GRMGR1
It's damn funny you mention that!!

I was looking at it and I had thought that the lifter seemed to rest on the shell, until there was no shell to rest on, and maybe that there was some mechanism that the follower hit to hold it in place. Never thought about the follower itself.

The follower in my magazine is FLAT, AND some bubba has had the magazine tube apart.

I will look for a follower or spin one in delrin on my lathe. Do you have any pictures of the follower face on yours?

THANK YOU

ETA  Someone had replace the follower but it was flat. I domed it with a screwdriver handle and it didn't work but it was clearly better because the lifter didn't drop ALL the way....
I made a quickie prototype follower. 15 degree on the dome and some testing for the right length and it feeds better than ever! I'm going to see if I can order a follower from Chiappa and see if that'll work.

Thanks for the help!

Awesome! I actually don’t have the gun anymore. This all happened about 10 years ago. I hope the Chiappa follower works for you but I ordered one myself and it wouldn’t work for me. The Chiappa follower was milled aluminum, not steel and shaped differently. I can’t remember exactly why it wouldn’t work for me. I ordered an original follower for an 1893 winchester off ebay hoping that I could make it work. The 1893 follower was close, but still had a flat face. The 1893 follower was stamped steel. I wound up placing the follower face first onto a properly sized socket. Then I used a steel rod with a rounded end to hit the inside of the follower face making it bow outward into a convex shape. Once I got the shape right it worked 100 %. It took some time because the protrusion has to be just right. If it protrudes too much it’ll stop the action.  I don’t know who owns my 1887 now but I’m sure they’d never guess their Chinese shotgun had a 100 year old winchester follower in it.