Does Winchester make good semi-auto shotguns

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JROC

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I got to thinking the other day that you really don't hear much about Winchester semi-auto shotguns. It seems when you think auto shotguns you think of companies like Remington, Browning, Beretta, Benelli, and maybe a few others, but those are the ones that come to mind. I own a old Winchester model 1912 12 ga pump and think it's a great gun, and most seem to have a good opinion of Winchester pumps, but I really don't now much about their auto-loaders. What's y'all opinion on them?
 
I can't speak for what they are making/selling now but I bought a new Winchester 1500 XTR back in the early 80's that has been an excellent gun.
 
If you like the Brownings, you'll like the Winchesters because they're the same company - FN/Herstal Group. They bought Winchester/USRAC in 1987 I believe.

I bought a used 2003 Winchester SX-2 Waterfowl in 2006 and it's been a fine gun.

John
 
I think the SX3 is current? I like my old 1400 a lot better since I put a left hand safety on it. That gun was a perfect fit right out of the box and I've never shot a 12 gauge that was quite as soft on the shoulder. Don't even need a recoil pad on that thing. I bought it about 1988 from a Walmart. It's the birch wood "ranger" version.
 
If they fit me better, I'd have bought a new SX-3. It looked like a very nicely built gun, and I read nothing but positive reviews about them.
 
I got to thinking the other day that you really don't hear much about Winchester semi-auto shotguns. It seems when you think auto shotguns you think of companies like Remington, Browning, Beretta, Benelli, and maybe a few others, but those are the ones that come to mind. I own a old Winchester model 1912 12 ga pump and think it's a great gun, and most seem to have a good opinion of Winchester pumps, but I really don't now much about their auto-loaders. What's y'all opinion on them?
The steel brick of a gun called SX-1 is favorite with Winchester Boys Club. I prefer the extra light thingy with miles of fiberglass sheets wrapped around steel core of the barrel and chokes with porting that came with some of them. I believe that was first modern S/A
to be equipped with choke tubes.
 
A widely held belief is that Winchester did not offer a really good semi from the time they turned down old John Browning's design until the advent of the Super X one decades later. It was sort of like the gun version of "the curse of the Bambino".
I haven't heard anything bad about the current Brownchesters.
 
I've shot (but don't own) an SX-3 and it was a fine shotgun. CDNN has a great deal on them right now, and I'd snag one if I hadn't blown my gun budget.
 
I have a model 59 with a model 50 (steel) receiver. It has been nearly flawless for over fifty years. I have a 3 barrel set with it (26" IC, 28" MOD, 30" FULL). All fiberglass over steel tubes.

Dan
 
Do not get sucked in by tales of individual guns doing well. I am not saying there have not been individual examples of problem free guns, but there have been volumes written about the losers. I have seen way more than one fuzzy fiberglas wrapped steel barrel. I can just imaging hugging it and then itching unbearably for months !
 
My father bought me a 16 ga model 1400 in 1967. It is an excellent shotgun and looks as good as when I received it. I'll be getting one in 12ga from Gunbroker at some point.
 
59

I prefer the extra light thingy with miles of fiberglass sheets wrapped around steel core of the barrel and chokes with porting that came with some of them.
That'd be the model 59. I have one that I use for Upland hunting....though mine has a fixed choke (mod.) and is not ported. Less than six pounds, easy to carry all day.
I have a 25 straight with it at ATA Trap. A great shotgun. No fuzzies.
Pete
 
Why not go to the Win site and see what they have to offer? Opinions,while heplful can very baised at times. Not all have had a chance to own all/a lot
of the Semi-auto`s available. Hard to compare one against another. J s/n.
 
ive owned my sx3 for 3yrs now. i havnt had any problems with it and love it. the synthetic models have a shim kit that allows you adjust the length of the stock, the height of the comb, and you can adjust the stock left or right with this shim kit as well. id put this gun up against a benneli any day of the week or in any duck blind for that matter.
 
Regardless of past Winchester guns & what they were, there currently is no "Winchester" company, it's now a brand name licensed by Browning to import & sell foreign and domestically produced guns for FN.

Current Winchester-marked guns come from sources in South Carolina, Turkey, and Japan.
There is no Winchester factory.
Denis
 
"Current Winchester-marked guns come from sources in South Carolina, Turkey, and Japan."

They don't make any Winchester shotguns in Belgium/Portugal anymore? I guess I missed the news.


"the Super X line of shotguns including the new Super X3 autoloader and the new Super X Rifle (SXR) centerfire autoloader. Both are made in Belgium and assembled in Portugal. In addition, we will continue with our line of quality Select over and unders: the only production Belgium-made over and unders in the world."

- 2006 www.winchesterguns.com/library/articles/detail.asp?id=116
 
"Current Winchester-marked guns come from sources in South Carolina, Turkey, and Japan."

They don't make any Winchester shotguns in Belgium/Portugal anymore? I guess I missed the news.


"the Super X line of shotguns including the new Super X3 autoloader and the new Super X Rifle (SXR) centerfire autoloader. Both are made in Belgium and assembled in Portugal. In addition, we will continue with our line of quality Select over and unders: the only production Belgium-made over and unders in the world."

- 2006 www.winchesterguns.com/library/articles/detail.asp?id=116
Winchester is gone. Some company is making guns and putting Winchester name on them. The X3 looks just like Browning or FNH police offering.
 
Hello, folks,,,,I've decided to expand beyond Shotgunworld, and try this forum out.

I'm quite opinionated about Winchester's Super X Model One, and believe that it's the finest gas operated target shotgun ever devised by the hand of man. Period.

Before that, the Winchester Model 50 wound up being a good shotgun, but early on had some very serious problems, all of which were corrected by Winchester before the end of the model in the early 1960's. A good Model 50, and I own a very nice 20 gauge Skeet model with a Cutts, is a wonderful bargain in used semi auto shotguns today.

The Winchester 1400/1500 series were nice looking, soft shooting, great handling shotguns with all the integrity of a counterfeit Rolex watch sold on a street corner by a guy in a raincoat. Stay away. So long as they work they work well, but eventually one of those cheapo parts inside is going to break or wear out, and if you can even get a replacement part it's going to be the same stamped, pot metal, or plastic part that failed in the first place.

The new semi autos that bear Winchester's name might be wonderful shotguns, but for what they cost you can buy a very nice target grade SX1,,,so I don't have one yet.:)
 
Sorry, left out Belgium.
The main point is that there is no Winchester company & no Winchester factory. :)
Denis
 
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