Prototype shotgun info?

Sorry I don't ahve more info or pics...

My hunting buddy has a shotgun that was given to his Mom an unspecified number of years ago. It is a 20 ga Olin marked semi automatic with a fiberglass barrel. This was a prototyle that did not go into production, supposedly only 9 or 10 were made. He was asking me what it was and I was lost. He used to hunt upland game with it for years before he bought an OU 12ga.

Any ideas what this might be?

It seems unlikely he has a prototype of which only a few were ever made and used it for a hunting gun.

I'd say it would have been a Model 59 Winchester.

The only gun with a Fiberglas barrel made while Olin had ownership of Winchester.
They made a total of 82,000 between 1960 and 1965.

http://www.cabelas.com/gun-inventory---east-hartford---win-sg---1034420-win59-eh.shtml

rc

I was also planning to buy the shot range gun the information what you have given is very good if you get still more information about that pleace share with me.

Blue Book says of the Model 59 with Winlite fibreglass barrel "12 ga only." but then:
"Winchester also mfg 20 and 14* ga experimentally in this model, extremely rare and expensive"

So if 41magsnub's buddy really has a 20 ga, then he does indeed have a rare prototype.
Clean it up, hang it up, and show it with pride. Get Mom to document where, when, and from whom she got it; it is likely worth a good deal of money to the right collector.

If it turns out to be the standard 12 gauge, then it is a novel hunting gun with a rather peculiar balance due to the light barrel and the inertia weight in the butt.

*Not a typo, I remember old gunzine pictures of the experimental Winchester 14 gauge aluminum shotshell. Shorter than the usual paper and plastic shell and with the aluminum case mouth bent into a rose crimp like a blank or .22 rat shot.

Interesting, thanks guys! He was adamant that it is a 20 ga so I think he really has something here. I'll try to get him to drag it out next time I'm in town for some pictures.