So, I got my new Winchester/miroku 1892 SRC, and it is gorgeous. However, it has a slight issue for my purposes. When I thumb a round in the loading gate, it holds the gate open until I poke my little finger in there and push the cartridge just a hair further. This lets the gate close and the gun can start feeding from the tube.
Some of you are already thinking, "what difference does it make? You ain't fightin' injuns." Well, the reason it's an issue for me is that I'm one of those nutjobs that likes to shoot tactical matches with ww2 bolt actions and cowboy guns. So, I would really like to be able to just thumb a round in there and run the lever.
So, I looked for solutions, and I noticed something about original '92 Loading gates that is different from my modern one. They have a shallow, rounded cutout at the front of the loading window, as pictured below. Some are more pronounced than others, but it seems to be common on originals. I think the Rossis had it as well. It seems like its purpose is to mitigate the type of problem I'm having.
Attachment 300113
Before I go messing up the beautiful bluing on the gun, I would like to hear from people who have guns with this cutout. Will it solve my issue?