Great video. I have a model 987 purchased in 1980. Since new it will intermittently release multiple rounds with a single trigger pull. I should have returned it to Kmart, but being young and dense, I figured it would break itself in. all these years later it still does it.
Andrew, we spoke in the parking lot a couple of months ago about my model 85, same as those 87’s, but clip fed. You sure have unique stuff. What fun. I should bring you my Winchester 1911 SL or Remington 81 to let you display some real Rube Goldberg stuff clickety clack stuff.
My 87D model has somewhat of a failure to feed. We were using it as a single shot then figured out if you load one LR into mag tube insert the follower rod, cycle the action loading the chamber, pull the follower rod, load to full capacity insert rod, it shoots semi-auto just fine. Now I just reload ammo before I run it empty.
I inherited one from my dad, I remember shooting it as a little kid but barely. It's in great shape, all his guns were, probably a little lubrication needed. Hard to find specific 87D info. would you know the capacity? I have read anywhere from 8 to 16 (LR). Thanks
Thank you making this video. Very helpful. I just bought a Springfield 87A yesterday. I went to clean it and noticed the cartridge guide (feed tube) spring is missing. The gun will dry cycle ammo, but only if I start with the bolt open when I load the gun. If the bolt is closed when I load it, I cannot retract the bolt to chamber a round. The second bullet down the tube goes partway onto the lifter, and partway still inside the feed tube, which block the lifter from rising. What does that spring do?
The cartridge guide spring helps control the cartridge as it feeds onto the lifter. They are a known problem area with this design. New reproduction springs are available from Gun Parts Corp for the 87A. There are other possibilities for lifter timing issues, notably the tab on the lifter itself, if it is the correct lifter, the tab on the trigger housing that limits lifter travel, etc.
@@BTORange Thank you so much. This explains why I cannot cock the bolt after I load the rifle. The first bullet goes up the lifter, and the second one gets stuck half on the lifter and half in the tube making it so the lifter cannot rise. The spring prevents this.
@@BTORange Thanks for the feedback. I was watching another video which showed the spring in action. It prohibits a bullet from prematurely rising up the lifter, allowing the spent case to extract and eject. Neat gun. I ordered a spring from Numrich.
Hello again. I need to remove my mag tube so that I can clean up a lot of rust on the barrel and tube, thoroughly. I have tried tapping it forward off of the magazine guide. I have tried Kroil and heat with no luck. Is there a trick to taking that off? I looked for a video about this on your channel but did not find one. Any input would be appreciated. Happy Holidays.
Fabulous video. Idea for more videos. What is the best Classic Tube Fed Semi-Auto? What is the best Classic Tube Fed Bolt Action? What is the best Classic Tube Fed Pump Action? You could contrast with the worst designs!
@@BTORange - "Opinions" of knowledgeable and experienced people will always matter to me. I've just gotten in to collecting tube fed .22s after falling in love again with my grandfather's Remington Model 34.
Not much variation in the spacers, but there is some variation in the width of the lifter itself between submodels. I have used suppressor timing shims to reduce the wobble in the past. Not the best solution, but A solution.
I have 887 short only. The mag tube doesn't like to push much more than ten rounds down. Sometimes a round pops out of the tube before the feeding round feeds all of the way. The bolt hangs up about half way. The round that popped out of the tube gets shoved up and the rim hangs up on the end of the tube preventing the round to go back into the tube. I have discovered as long as the bolt is locked back prior to loading the lifter totally blocks the ammo in the tube and the feeding crash doesn't occur.
I have not seen a Model 887 that was .22 Shorts only. On this model the lifter acts as the cartridge stop and blocks the second round from feeding out until the bolt is all the way closed. I would suspect the issue does not happen with .22 Long Rifle.
Thanks for the video. I have an Stevens 87A that needs its magazine guide replaced. I have the new guide, but can't remove the old one. I can't even seem to find out how to remove the magazine tube. I'm stuck at this point. Any suggestions or videos would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
I believe on the 87A the takedown screw threads into the rear magazine mount into a cutout in the outer magazine tube. I don't remember if there is a cross pin in the front magazine mount ring or not. Once the takedown screw is removed you should be able to move the outer magazine tube forward enough to clear the guide. I have had to use penetrating oil to get them loosened up in the past.
I'm currently working on a customers Westernfield Model 59 and have to replace the plungers because somebody ground them down for some reason. The problem I have is I can not find anything from Sav/Stev/Spring that matches what I have. It is a very similar design but still vastly different and could use some help in identifying this so I can look for parts and resources.
Should be a pre-WW2 Stevens Model 6. Savage stopped repairing those by the late 1940's and would convert them to the then-current "Speed-Lock" action. Best bet for parts is to find a complete gun as a donor. I guess if someone absolutely HAD to, metal could be added and reshaped but the cost for that would be multiples of the gun's value.
I cant believe there is not more likes. Very informative thanks. Found one in a pawn shop but seems they wont take below $175 for it, I think I will pass
Running the gun empty almost always incurs a dry fire situation. Would it be feasible to file back the tip of the firing pin enough to avoid pinging the chamber face? TIA
I have my grandpa's old 87b (he bought it new in '57). It is a fantastic rifle, but its only issue is that it has a bad failure to eject issue that I can't figure out. I replaced the extractors, springs and plungers, the lifter spring, and the spacers. Everything else works fine. Any suggestions? Also, is there a concern about headspace when putting the receiver and barrel back together? It seems to me that because of the two pins, they would mate in the same position that they were in.
There are a number of possible issues from the chamber being peened from dry-firing to the timing of the action being off from wear to the bottom of the bolt or the plungers in the action.
As far as I know it's not. Sears sold a plate scope mount for a lot of these rifles. If you are lucky it will be tapped or cut for dovetail mounts. But I wouldn't hold your breath.
I just purchased a Springfield Stevens 87A. i have not shot it yet but it appears mine is missing that upper cartridge guide. it looks like maybe someone broke it off or it sheared off somehow. would you be able to provide a link to a replacement?
Gun Parts Corp has both used original and new reproduction parts for that model - the part you need is called the "bumper." www.gunpartscorp.com/products/103880a Note the barrel must be removed from the receiver to replace that part.
Have a Western Field 87 round rear cap and I have not gotten it to feed, with bolt only in the receiver (VERY SLOWLY cycling the action by hand) the nose of the cartridge pops up but the extractor does not catch the back and it fails / falls out of chamber and fails to load. Have changed out the springs on the feed ramp and the feed tube. No luck so far. I had a couple of these when I was a teenager and picked this one up at the right low price. So far it has been a project gun that I am failing at fixing. Do the bolts make a difference? As what I have match's your video except it has the saddle type extractor which I have R&R'ed but again no joy. The cartridge is just really short of being picked up by the bolt and the upper guide is there at the top of the chamber but does not appear to contact the nose of the cartridge in time. Cartridge just falls out. Any ideals?
Hi I’ve owned this 87B for quite some years, but I’ve not run into this issue. Trying to disassemble the bolt for cleaning, the bolt carrier itself refuses to come out.
I have an 87 that refuses to cock the firing pin. It's totally usable as a single shot. The cartridges will feed when used semi-automatically but when you pull the trigger nothing happens. I assume it's due to a weak spring, but which one. Or could it be something else?
Sounds like the hammer is not being held to the rear. The gun is pretty finicky with timing. When the gun is fired the bolt goes to the rear and is held to the rear until the trigger is released, letting the bolt move forward but the hammer is retained to the rear by another plunger. Could be a bad plunger, bad hammer, bad plunger spring or combination of all of the above.
..I inherited my dad's Sears Ranger 101..the Sears copy..hehad his mom send it to him when he was in the USAAF, trying in Texas in 1943..a farmer he met at Sunday Mass invited him and his friends to come to his ranch and shoot Jack rabbits...
Winchester made a single-action 22-caliber rifle years ago. On the top center of the barrel, there was a gray knob. That knob was used to cock the gun by pulling it toward you. Do you know Model Winchester that was? Can you do a video on that gun also? My father had one when I was a kid. My oldest brother got it. Sadly he passed away. I don't know what his kids did with it. I would love to buy one just like it. Thumbs up to your great videos.
Most of them single shot bolt action .22's by Winchester had a cocking knob at the rear of the bolt. There was a Model 55 that looked like a semiauto, is that what you are referring to?
If you do not want to dry fire it you would need to remove the large screw at the rear of the action (be careful, there is a big spring under there), then pull the trigger and push the hammer forward to the uncocked position, then reinstall the large screw.
I have a Hiawatha model 189 M, from what I can find it's the same as that model Stevens you have there on the table, the problem I'm having with the gun is that it's not feeding well, sometimes it's fine others times not,, any suggestions
Great video. I have a model 987 purchased in 1980. Since new it will intermittently release multiple rounds with a single trigger pull. I should have returned it to Kmart, but being young and dense, I figured it would break itself in. all these years later it still does it.
Andrew, we spoke in the parking lot a couple of months ago about my model 85, same as those 87’s, but clip fed. You sure have unique stuff. What fun. I should bring you my Winchester 1911 SL or Remington 81 to let you display some real Rube Goldberg stuff clickety clack stuff.
My 87D model has somewhat of a failure to feed. We were using it as a single shot then figured out if you load one LR into mag tube insert the follower rod, cycle the action loading the chamber, pull the follower rod, load to full capacity insert rod, it shoots semi-auto just fine. Now I just reload ammo before I run it empty.
I inherited one from my dad, I remember shooting it as a little kid but barely. It's in great shape, all his guns were, probably a little lubrication needed. Hard to find specific 87D info. would you know the capacity? I have read anywhere from 8 to 16 (LR). Thanks
LR 15+ 1
@@keithbuesing6912 thank you
Thank you making this video. Very helpful. I just bought a Springfield 87A yesterday. I went to clean it and noticed the cartridge guide (feed tube) spring is missing. The gun will dry cycle ammo, but only if I start with the bolt open when I load the gun. If the bolt is closed when I load it, I cannot retract the bolt to chamber a round. The second bullet down the tube goes partway onto the lifter, and partway still inside the feed tube, which block the lifter from rising. What does that spring do?
The cartridge guide spring helps control the cartridge as it feeds onto the lifter. They are a known problem area with this design. New reproduction springs are available from Gun Parts Corp for the 87A. There are other possibilities for lifter timing issues, notably the tab on the lifter itself, if it is the correct lifter, the tab on the trigger housing that limits lifter travel, etc.
@@BTORange Thank you so much. This explains why I cannot cock the bolt after I load the rifle. The first bullet goes up the lifter, and the second one gets stuck half on the lifter and half in the tube making it so the lifter cannot rise. The spring prevents this.
@@BTORange Thanks for the feedback. I was watching another video which showed the spring in action. It prohibits a bullet from prematurely rising up the lifter, allowing the spent case to extract and eject. Neat gun. I ordered a spring from Numrich.
Hello again. I need to remove my mag tube so that I can clean up a lot of rust on the barrel and tube, thoroughly. I have tried tapping it forward off of the magazine guide. I have tried Kroil and heat with no luck. Is there a trick to taking that off? I looked for a video about this on your channel but did not find one. Any input would be appreciated. Happy Holidays.
Check for small cross pins through the support rings for the outer mag tube, also check for a retention screw in the rear ring,
Fabulous video. Idea for more videos. What is the best Classic Tube Fed Semi-Auto? What is the best Classic Tube Fed Bolt Action? What is the best Classic Tube Fed Pump Action? You could contrast with the worst designs!
That would be interesting. I do try to stay away from best or worst videos because that begins to be just my opinion
@@BTORange - "Opinions" of knowledgeable and experienced people will always matter to me. I've just gotten in to collecting tube fed .22s after falling in love again with my grandfather's Remington Model 34.
Great video, I have side to side play on the lifter, is there a particular washer used? Maybe 2 thicker ones than the factory ones?
Not much variation in the spacers, but there is some variation in the width of the lifter itself between submodels. I have used suppressor timing shims to reduce the wobble in the past. Not the best solution, but A solution.
I have 887 short only. The mag tube doesn't like to push much more than ten rounds down. Sometimes a round pops out of the tube before the feeding round feeds all of the way. The bolt hangs up about half way. The round that popped out of the tube gets shoved up and the rim hangs up on the end of the tube preventing the round to go back into the tube. I have discovered as long as the bolt is locked back prior to loading the lifter totally blocks the ammo in the tube and the feeding crash doesn't occur.
I have not seen a Model 887 that was .22 Shorts only. On this model the lifter acts as the cartridge stop and blocks the second round from feeding out until the bolt is all the way closed. I would suspect the issue does not happen with .22 Long Rifle.
Thanks for the video. I have an Stevens 87A that needs its magazine guide replaced. I have the new guide, but can't remove the old one. I can't even seem to find out how to remove the magazine tube. I'm stuck at this point. Any suggestions or videos would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
I believe on the 87A the takedown screw threads into the rear magazine mount into a cutout in the outer magazine tube. I don't remember if there is a cross pin in the front magazine mount ring or not. Once the takedown screw is removed you should be able to move the outer magazine tube forward enough to clear the guide. I have had to use penetrating oil to get them loosened up in the past.
Is it ok to shoot LR ammo in bolt action mode?
I'm currently working on a customers Westernfield Model 59 and have to replace the plungers because somebody ground them down for some reason. The problem I have is I can not find anything from Sav/Stev/Spring that matches what I have. It is a very similar design but still vastly different and could use some help in identifying this so I can look for parts and resources.
Should be a pre-WW2 Stevens Model 6. Savage stopped repairing those by the late 1940's and would convert them to the then-current "Speed-Lock" action. Best bet for parts is to find a complete gun as a donor. I guess if someone absolutely HAD to, metal could be added and reshaped but the cost for that would be multiples of the gun's value.
I cant believe there is not more likes. Very informative thanks. Found one in a pawn shop but seems they wont take below $175 for it, I think I will pass
Running the gun empty almost always incurs a dry fire situation. Would it be feasible to file back the tip of the firing pin enough to avoid pinging the chamber face? TIA
Not without causing potential fail-to-fire / light strikes. You could always load a snap cap as the last round in the tube.
I have my grandpa's old 87b (he bought it new in '57). It is a fantastic rifle, but its only issue is that it has a bad failure to eject issue that I can't figure out. I replaced the extractors, springs and plungers, the lifter spring, and the spacers. Everything else works fine. Any suggestions? Also, is there a concern about headspace when putting the receiver and barrel back together? It seems to me that because of the two pins, they would mate in the same position that they were in.
There are a number of possible issues from the chamber being peened from dry-firing to the timing of the action being off from wear to the bottom of the bolt or the plungers in the action.
@@BTORange I have th same issue with my dads old 87D. He had replaced the ejecter clip but no luck. Ant help would be appreciated.
Is the 87A scope ready? If so, what type of mount?
As far as I know it's not. Sears sold a plate scope mount for a lot of these rifles. If you are lucky it will be tapped or cut for dovetail mounts. But I wouldn't hold your breath.
I just purchased a Springfield Stevens 87A. i have not shot it yet but it appears mine is missing that upper cartridge guide. it looks like maybe someone broke it off or it sheared off somehow. would you be able to provide a link to a replacement?
Gun Parts Corp has both used original and new reproduction parts for that model - the part you need is called the "bumper." www.gunpartscorp.com/products/103880a Note the barrel must be removed from the receiver to replace that part.
Have a Western Field 87 round rear cap and I have not gotten it to feed, with bolt only in the receiver (VERY SLOWLY cycling the action by hand) the nose of the cartridge pops up but the extractor does not catch the back and it fails / falls out of chamber and fails to load. Have changed out the springs on the feed ramp and the feed tube. No luck so far. I had a couple of these when I was a teenager and picked this one up at the right low price. So far it has been a project gun that I am failing at fixing. Do the bolts make a difference? As what I have match's your video except it has the saddle type extractor which I have R&R'ed but again no joy. The cartridge is just really short of being picked up by the bolt and the upper guide is there at the top of the chamber but does not appear to contact the nose of the cartridge in time. Cartridge just falls out. Any ideals?
Feed throat
@@BTORange All right will check it thanks
Hi I’ve owned this 87B for quite some years, but I’ve not run into this issue. Trying to disassemble the bolt for cleaning, the bolt carrier itself refuses to come out.
There are two plungers operating upward from the trigger group. You will have to hold the trigger to the rear, then release it to remove the bolt.
I have an 87 that refuses to cock the firing pin. It's totally usable as a single shot. The cartridges will feed when used semi-automatically but when you pull the trigger nothing happens. I assume it's due to a weak spring, but which one. Or could it be something else?
Sounds like the hammer is not being held to the rear. The gun is pretty finicky with timing. When the gun is fired the bolt goes to the rear and is held to the rear until the trigger is released, letting the bolt move forward but the hammer is retained to the rear by another plunger. Could be a bad plunger, bad hammer, bad plunger spring or combination of all of the above.
..I inherited my dad's Sears Ranger 101..the Sears copy..hehad his mom send it to him when he was in the USAAF, trying in Texas in 1943..a farmer he met at Sunday Mass invited him and his friends to come to his ranch and shoot Jack rabbits...
Winchester made a single-action 22-caliber rifle years ago. On the top center of the barrel, there was a gray knob. That knob was used to cock the gun by pulling it toward you. Do you know Model Winchester that was? Can you do a video on that gun also? My father had one when I was a kid. My oldest brother got it. Sadly he passed away. I don't know what his kids did with it. I would love to buy one just like it. Thumbs up to your great videos.
Most of them single shot bolt action .22's by Winchester had a cocking knob at the rear of the bolt. There was a Model 55 that looked like a semiauto, is that what you are referring to?
how do you un cock the springfield 87a
If you do not want to dry fire it you would need to remove the large screw at the rear of the action (be careful, there is a big spring under there), then pull the trigger and push the hammer forward to the uncocked position, then reinstall the large screw.
I have a Hiawatha model 189 M, from what I can find it's the same as that model Stevens you have there on the table, the problem I'm having with the gun is that it's not feeding well, sometimes it's fine others times not,, any suggestions