Gather 'round boys and girls and hear the tale of what is widely regarded as the WORST shotgun ever, since the shot was first put a'front of the gun. The Witchnester 1911. Or; "
Widowmaker" for the Darwinianly inclined culling fodder.
Recreational *haters* of the S&W 916, take note as that wart on S&W's reputation is nothing compared to this.
The Winchester 1911 SL (self loading) was the unholy issuance of a failed dalliance between our own near&dear John M. Browning and Winchester. When JMB offered up what was to become the Auto-5/Mod 11 to Winchester, Winchester chaffed at his protectionist - and in my mind reasonable - stipulations.
So, they parted ways. JMB famously traipsing off to Browning and Winchester setting a course much like the Ford/Ferarri/Shelby dust-up in the 60s..... In other words;
"I'll show YOU, by gum!"
They commenced to build Browning's design while skirting several protected patents. Most notably; the bolt handle!
Really?!?
The get-'round on this was that they knurled a hand-hold on the barrel and it is cycled by pulling backwards on that, thereby cycling the action.
While I've heard and read many a ghosty tale regarding; safety, recoil, awkwardness and the like - here's my take on them:
Sure, and it's weird but I can't for the life of me see why
anyone with arms at least equal to a 12 year old boy would *have* to put the butt on the ground to cycle it. Simply set it into the crook at the top of the leg/hip and cycle away. Even easier in a blind or a boat.
Another way that I prefer is to lock the bolt back, insert a shell, release the bolt, engage the safety and load the magazine. Never saw an extractor fail behind that sequence.
Recoil? Down to loadings and the condition of the *buffer*. This one and a couple others that I've had apart look to have *custom buffers* made of tractor tires. Works damn nice.
Safety? Don't point it at your head or bleedy-parts nor the same of those around you fer-cripe's-sake!
Safety; Mod1.... Keep an open eye on the degradation of the sear. One can imagine the shame and potential harm of a semi-auto slam-firing. As this one now does.
Safety; Mod 2... Watch the state of the bolt stop. They will stop...
stopping, in time.
In the end, regardless the reputation garnered; both earned and unearned, I have never, ever seen one of these that was not HEAVILY used - speaking to something on the parts of past owners and the guns themselves.
Me? I find them damn interesting and this one most particularly. I would love to know the stories behind the wood and the metal *engravings*, inlays, the stock modification and how many seasons of use it went through to reach such a state of user wear.
And how about that front sight? Surprisingly effective. When I'm done with it, it'll have a gold bead at the top-rear. It's not like I'm gonna queer any collectability.
Now, it sits in the *project rack* for a couple few parts and prioritized time on my part. I get a hell of a kick out of shooting them.
Also, they have a very significant designed-in benefit to the owners: No one
EVER asks to borrow them.
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