I replaced the rear sight with a skinner peep sight. I picked up a screw set from Homestead Gun parts and was able to get the lever spring screws and tang screws replaced. I cleaned up a couple other screw heads too. 

I built some dummy 44WCF rounds to test feeding, and everything seemed to be good to go. So I decided to go for it and load it up 10 live rounds.  Starline brass, WLP, Missouri bullet company 210gr black powder bullets, and 2.2cc (36-ish grains) of 3F Swiss. 

Average velocity for the 10 rounds was 1200fps and I was able to ring an 8” steel plate consistently at 25 yards. Considering this rifle probably hasn’t been shot in 50+ years, and I have never sighted it in, and I replaced the rear site, I’m extremely happy. Exactly

IMGUR BP loads

I will say my late "police rifle" style 1907 was very comfortable to shoot compared to a much older one I once owned. I suspect that gun had a worn out buffer. Although I think it would still be a handful if modified to full auto, the late Saul Lebman's conversions were probably not as impractical as I once believed. Because shooting at moving vehicles was a popular Prohibition Era sport, I think the ballistics of the .351 just might have provided that extra edge. 

To me, the design of the 1907 (and I presume the 1905 and 1910, as well) action shows off the remarkable talent of T. C. Johnson in evading the network of interlocking patents awarded to JMB to protect the Browning long recoil action. 

What is not often mentioned about Johnson is his sense of esthetics, which he apparently passed on to the junior members of the Gun Design Department. Until 1964,  almost all of the really new and particularly the top line, guns created by the department on his watch or as a result of his tutelage, were remarkably sleek and pleasing to the eye. The Model 54 and subsequent 70, the 52 Sporting and 75 Sporting, the Models 12, 50 and 59 shotguns, and the 88 and 100 rifles -- even the Model 37 shotgun was a standout among its competitors. The exception, for some reason, was the Model 61 hammerless. Although it's my next favorite rimfire repeater, it is a little awkward-looking compared to Pedersen's Remington Model 12 and 121.

Zebulon said

At the range, it fired everything I fed it. I really didn't keep track of where the slugs landed because I was more interested in where the brass was landing. I finally figured out the ejection port needed to be centered in and up against the open end of the brass catcher net, to trap the flying cases, which are ejected at high velocity in random directions from the port. But the gun itself never failed to fire, eject and reload smoothly. 
  

It seems that all of the Winchester S.L.R. center fire rifles suffer that very same malady.

Bert

In any event, I brushed a lot of Kroil into and around the little lever assembly, dried everything off, sprayed all the moving surfaces with BreakFree CLP and let it set overnight. I reassembled the gun and function checked it with the 10 dummy rounds I'd made up, pulling the trigger on each chambered round to hear it strike the dead primer. I carried it to the range assembled. 

At the range, it fired everything I fed it. I really didn't keep track of where the slugs landed because I was more interested in where the brass was landing. I finally figured out the ejection port needed to be centered in and up against the open end of the brass catcher net, to trap the flying cases, which are ejected at high velocity in random directions from the port. But the gun itself never failed to fire, eject and reload smoothly. 

At least according to Dad, one reason for the gun's reputation was it could be pretty stiff to cock and chamber the first shell. Shorter or short-armed men sometimes put the butt on the ground, put both hands -- and sometimes their upper body -- over the barrel to push it out of battery. If they lost their grip after the bolt reached the end of its opening stroke, the bolt could slam the shell home and a worn sear could jar off from the impact. Look, Ma -- no hands! And sometimes no head. 

I lost a friend back in the Eighties on the opening day of dove season.  He crossed a fence holding his shotgun and took a load of shot full in the chest when the gun jarred off. 

For all the fuss and bother about handgun firing pin blocks,  the only shotguns I know of that are drop safe are very expensive sidelock doubles.with intercepting sears. 

the opportunity has not presented yet. I tend to be more mindful of condition recently and apparently the shotguns received heavier use.

Also as I age I'm more aware of any firearm tagged as "The Widow Maker".😃

Darrin

https://www.buffaloarms.com/search/?q=cleaning+rods

Bob

this should cover it.

Darrin

JSchluter said  . . . . . .The forend cap anchor appears dovetailed to the barrel as does the capped end anchor. I don't want to damage the thin rolled sheet tube by trying to tap out the dovetailed anchors. . . . . .
  

DO NOT attempt to “tap out” the ring from the barrel!

Although the fastening of the mag tube to the barrel APPERS to use a dovetailed ring, it is NOT! To remove this ring, you must PIVOT the ring out from the barrel.

TR said
  A stainless steel wheel on a dremel does not sound good. Old tooth brush, Kroil, cotton rag, and maybe 0000 steel wool with oil sounds better. Old grease and light rust will come off with soak time. T/R
  

Agreed!

Soak all of the pieces & parts in small tub of 100% pure acetone to remove all of the old dried grease, oil, and gun powder.  If any rust exists, a soak in Kroil and use of a copper wire brush will remove the rust scale.

Bert

Post pictures of the gun so we can the condition its in.

Bob

steve004 said

Jim F in CT said
I had a “revelation” when cleaning my rifles after using jacketed bullets . . .
What I thought was CLEAN . . . .proved wrong after trying “Thorro Clean”.
Running a Teslong bore scope thru after Thorro Clean, showed a “sparkling” bore!
  

Never heard of it - can you tell us more about it?  Others here have any experience with it?
  

Steve,

I found several good You Tube videos demonstrating it - 

Tech Central - How To Clean Your Rifle Using ThorroClean - YouTube

Bing Videos