Thanks, Dave. My comment on the 1887 not being suited to wing shooting was based on the extreme drop, and I mean extreme. That, and I had read a brief history on it that stated the gun was used a great deal for enforcement/protection purposes. I can see how formidable it would be in the hands of a man riding shotgun on a stagecoach. Six rounds of buckshot at the ready should have given would be robbers pause.
One of the most interesting things about the mechanism, besides the way it will feed an unfired shell back into the magazine, is how well the big leaf spring opens the action. You pull the lever down about 1/4" and you feel it ride over a detent, then you can turn it loose and it will fling itself open, ejecting the empty shell. It's a true self-opener/ejector.
I'm going back to see him soon and clean it up a bit. When I do I will attempt to video the shell feeding, and reversal into the chamber, and see if I can figure out how to post it. It is just amazing to watch.
