[Grayrock]

How do I find out what choke this gun is? There does not seem to be any indication on the barrel. 12 gauge, vent rib barrel. Pump action. Any idea?

[ATAShooter]

Being of Winchester MFG. It should be on the barrel right below the MFG writing. If not, put a dial caliper to it a reply with reading, and I will tell you what it is. Now if it is a slug barrel or screw in chokes.... you won't find no choke marking...

[Grayrock]

You know- I've been looking at this thing now for 3 weeks off and on trying to decide. I HAVE to get my bifocals adjusted. Sure 'nuf- right at the end of the barrel stampings it says MOD.- Know what? I think somebody snuck in last night and stamped my barrel because I swear that was not on there the last time I looked.:o :o Mystery solved.

[foghornl]

It looks like the "Door Ding Gnomes" that over-run public parking lots have moved on to become "Gun Barrel Gremlins"


:D :evil: :D :evil: :p

[ATAShooter]

Damn Gremlins !!!!

[Grayrock]

What caliber for GREMLINS??:D

[Oldnamvet]

Not very large caliber I think. I drove an AMC Gremlin about 25 years ago and it was weak -- got stuck on snowballs.:D Didn't take much to stop them.

[ATAShooter]

Oh My Gosh, a AMC Gremlin... I ain't seen one in ages. I did have a Pacer when I was 17.....

[Grayrock]

Back to Ted- He has a modified barrel- what is the steel shot handling capability of it?

[kirbythegunsmith]

For all of these type of older "economy" guns (I mean not expensive to replace) that have a decent amount of barrel thickness, I have always recommended at minimum to have my special forcing cone lengthening to reduce damage possibilities to the barrel and choke.
(In case the choke should become damaged from a long-term use with large pellets, I also have my special steel shot choke tubes to install in place of the factory fixed choke)

The special super-long version forcing cone helps to reduce the deformities to the wad, and consequently saves more of the resilience of the shot cup integrity to protect the choke from being hammered and grooved by the steel pounding action at over 1300 FPS through the choke. The modified constriction already there should be OK for a fair range, and the forcing cone work has a side benefit of improving the pattern consistency with steel shot, as well as lead shot.

I have had many waterfowl shooters call to say how much better that their guns do vs. their buddies un-modified guns after having my special forcing cone modification. More than once there has been a shooter try a forcing cone job, and later arrive with a handful of barrels to have reworked.

See my other posts to get more understanding from a gunsmith perspective.

kirbythegunsmith@hotmail.com

[Grayrock]

OK- next question about ol' Ted. Barrel says 2 3/4". Just for grins today, I decided to see if 3" shells would fit. I put 4 in the magazine and they all seemed to chamber fine and eject fine. I did not fire them. If they fit and function, is there any reason to NOT keep it stoked with 3 inch shells for HD?

[Big Az Al]

2 3/4 is the total of the opened shotgun shell.

A 3 inch shell all crimped shut, is 2 3/4 just like a 2 3/4 is 2 1/2 when crimped shut, A 3 will fit the chamber, put when it opens under pressure the 1/4" may be in the forcing cone allowing strange things to go on!

Also the ejector or ejection port, may be sized to 2 3/4 so a 3 inch shell when fired does not have the clearence to leave, the gun. THAT three inch Elvis not exiting the building will leave your gun all jammed up!

[Ash]

I do know that a fair number of pump-action shotguns with fixed chokes from the 1960's are not really suitable for steel shot. That said, I did use steel in a Savage 720 from the 1940's before I knew better, but for instance, Mossberg does not recommend using steel in their older fixed-choke barrels or those with the C-lec poly-choke installed.

Ash

[Grayrock]

I found out this gun is a Sears version of the Winchester Model 1200. I also thought I learned that the only difference between a 1200 and a 1300 was that the 1300 can take 3" shells. Well- I was wrong. Turns out there are other differences as well. I ordered a SpeedFeed stock for a 1300. Turns out they are not the same. The TW 200 has a flat end on the receiver where the 1300 has a funky angle end on the receiver. Anyone have a synthetic stock for a Ted Williams 200 they want to trade for one for a Winchester 1300?:banghead:

[Grayrock]

http://http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=75029&d=12061659841000?

[Red Label]

NEVER NEVER NEVER!!!!!!....EVER fire a longer shell than the barrel is made for. It may take the pressure once or not! It may work three or four times or NOT. When that barrel gives way you do not want to be there!!!

[foghornl]

The earlier posters have it correct..use ONLY the ammo type that is so marked on the barrel.

If you are going to shoot 3" shells in that gun, let me know so that I can be at least a mile away. It will NOT be pleasant for anyone close by when the barrrel lets go.

[Grayrock]

Don't worry. I get it. I will NOT (repeat NOT) be firing any 3" shells in a 2 3/4" only gun. Everyone can stand down. You too, arachnid. I was just curious why they would even fit.

[Grayrock]

Any ideas on a replacement stock?

[CajunBass]

I've got an old Sears Model 200, the plain version of the same gun. 30", full choke. It was my dad's turkey shoot gun. It is chambered for 3" shells. I'm surprised the Ted Williams version isn't.

[Grayrock]

I guess they made 2 different receivers then? Or were the 2 3/4" receivers 3" capable, but just came with a 2 3/4" chambered barrel instead of a 3" chambered barrel? Why doesn't Winchester list a 3" chambered Model 1200, of am I just not looking for them in the right places?

[CajunBass]

I don't know Grey. Mine is marked 3" on both the barrel and the receiver. I'm not sure how old the one I have is, but I guess my dad bought it in the early/mid 70's. It was after I graduated HS and left home in 71 anyway. Perhaps your's is older, or maybe they did just make a standard and a magnum model.

I had a Winchester 1200 about that sime time. It was a slug gun and if I remember correctly it was chambered for 3" mag shells, but I can't swear to that. It was another of those guns I was stupid enough to sell/trade off. :banghead:

Here's a picture of my Dad's 200.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b292/CajunBass/Sears1.jpg

[Grayrock]

Getting ready to bastardize my Fred Williams. Putting the black tactical forearm and the sidesaddle on it. Have to keep the wood stock. Might (with a big "M") paint the stock black. Why are the magazine tube extensions so expensive? I know this thread is worthless without pictures- no worries- soon to follow.

[Grayrock]

Let's see if this works.
http://http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/DSC02932.JPG

[CajunBass]

Did you replace the forearm? The TW guns I remember had a forearm that extended the full length of the magazine tube. They looked like a semi-auto if you just glanced at them. And the forearm was the same color as the stock.

[Grayrock]

Did you replace the forearm?
Read post #23 above. It goes with the replacement stock mentioned in post #14 above and pictured in post #15 above. The long forearm you mention interferes with the sidesaddle. I wanted the stock to match the forearm, but it was not to be (see post #14 again). See the paint plan mentioned in post #23.

[JustSomeDude]

Grayrock, just out of curiosity, if you hand-fit the stock and the spacer, do they seem to fit right? I think I bought the same one ($20 from CDNN), and the angles at the bottom of the spacer are all wrong on mine. I filed the spacer down to fit, but I just wondered if maybe I got the wrong spacer somehow.

[Grayrock]

I would have to do a LOT of filing to make it maybe fit. I'm not comfortable with that. See pic in post #15 on 1st page of this thread. The spacer resting on the green shell is in the proper orientation to fit into a Winchester 1200 receiver. But look at the receiver of my gun- it is straight. See where the point of the stock buts up against the flat face of the receiver? It is too bad this stock will not work, I liked its feel and looks. Maybe if I pack the area with a buttload of JB Weld and duct tape the joint??:p Whaddaya think?

[JustSomeDude]

I dunno, Grey, I don't think I would attempt that much filing either, and there's pretty much no way you're going to get the JB Weld fix to look good(no offense intended). I would probably try painting the wood stock you have first. That would at least be reversible later, and I think you might have trouble getting the angles right on the synthetic stock. I realize my previous post was worthless without pics, so here they are. When I get around to it, I'll get some "after" pictures taken. I have to say, I'm pretty proud of my work on this one:)