A few quick questions about semi's

[mole]

Howdy folks. I only shoot and own pump and break action shotguns. The father of a friend is wanting to sell his semi 12 gauge. I haven't seen it and all I know so far is that it is a Winchester semi 12 gauge that the friend said he thinks it has never been fired and his father wants $150 for it. The man found a new toy he wants and these are real stand up guys so I know they wouldn't try to give anyone a bad deal. Because of the asking price I guess that it's a Winchester 1400, which some people like a lot and some people don't like at all. I don't have a Winchester and I don't have a semi shotgun, so it looks like a decent thing to add to the collection if reliable.

Can semi's shoot light loads like the 1 oz cheapo value packs at wally world? That's what I use when plinking, busting clays, etc. My pumps love it. I shot a semi once years ago that would only work well with stout buckshot.

How much is felt recoil reduced generally? 20%?

Can shorter barrels be used? I read somewhere once that semi's don't like to work too well with short barrels. I don't know if it's true or not, but I really like the 20" on my Mossberg and my others are only slightly longer.

If it is whatever Winchester's cheapest semi shotgun (1400 maybe---I don't know anything about Winchester guns), is it reliable and is $150 good for that model in very good condition? (I know some guns are flawed and just don't command a good price.)

Not counting their high dollar ones, how good are the Winchester semi's? Will they keep up with a Rem 1100?

Is there anything special about semi's that would make it not a good idea to use rifled slugs?

I told my little brother about it and he made a remark about getting it. He doesn't own any firearms, but has fired mine a few times and wants one for the everpresent just incase --- shtf, defense, etc.... My pump and break actions seem to have too much recoil for his tastes (my single shot 20 is the hardest kicking little devil ever ). Should I be content with my other shotguns and let him get it if it has less recoil and he likes it? (He's going to get a .22lr, but just hasn't got it yet.)

Thanks in advice

mole

 

[sm]

Winchester's Best Semi Auto - SX1
Later come the SX2, and now I hear of a SX3 not real sure of this line extension bit...

You ain't getting a SX1 for $150, unless you are real darn lucky!

Win 1400.
Softest shooting semi ever made - period. It is restricted by design to 3 shells total. No mag plug needed, couldn't put one in it anyway - that is where the gas system is. Still funny as heck to watch a game warden check a 1400 "for the plug", especially younger wardens...*snicker*

That gun was made to shoot the loads of the day. Meaning, being a 12 bore it was designed to shoot a 2 3/4 dr equiv, or more, of 1 1/8 oz of shot. It will run the Superlight loads that chrono 1145 fps [Superlight wad, AA compression hull, Rem Blue Magic or Rem-STS, 18.5 gr of Superlight powder replicates this load]

Now this was before all the 1 oz loads hit the market, and 7/8 oz loads...them went in 20 ga guns. Earth was more flat back then, except we walked uphill going to and from school...

I "tried" some promo 1oz loading and cussed up a storm. Basically I got mad at Win for mucking up the quality ammo they used to have....I couldn't even get this ammo to act right in a single shot. Got beer can metal for bases and and that plastic...seen better plastic on a hooker on nineth street.

1400 did not like the quality reloads a buddy does either. I know these loads, these are good loads.

1400 likes what it likes. It will run them all day long, in rain, mud, snow, duck blinds, deer hunting, hog trails...and run dirty too.

It ain't a SX1, nothing is, will ever be. Still the 1400 is a great gun for what it is...just wants to fed what it was raised to be fed.

Kinda like the muscle cars back in my day, we ran 105 octane [Amoco Gold] , cost us 32 cents a gal, but it was what the cars liked, so we fed the cars what they liked.

Now they dish out the pistons and folks run 87 octane, and I hear some parts of the country even 85 octane...

Contact Nu-Line in Missouri for a take down diagram. Last heard they still had parts.

Been awhile since I took one apart, they are different, not hard, just different.
Oh, get the extra screw that fits inside the opposite of port. I forget what they call the part, the "spring thingy that bumps shell dealie" - that screw will work loose sometimes. Some use loctite. I put a dab of clear nail polish on mine, and never looked back...




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