The Winchester 1300 shotgun

[BruceRDucer]

The Winchester 1300 shotgun: (aluminum receiver)

Don't see much about this shotgun. It seems to be eclipsed by the Remington 870 and the Mossberg 500.

It is referred to as the "Speed Pump". [" The Winchester 1300 shotguns are also known as the 'Speed pump', because of the very fast-cycling pump action, which makes these guns popular among both hunters and sport shooters."] That's from the advertising and specs on one website. Is it a smoother pump? Is it only of equal quality or merely generally "as good as"?

Anybody have one?

"with dual action bars. Receiver is produced from lightweight aluminum alloy...etc"

 

[Jeff F]

It is a good shotgun, too bad they quite making them.

 

[RandyB]

I consider them on par with the 870 express and leaps above the Mossberg 500. Had one for years and sold it to my uncle.

 

[Milkmaster]

I actually prefer the 1300 to the 870. Ergonomically it is better for me. I have two of them. Used ones I see are marked down and are a bargain these days at gun stores. Production halted in 2006, but occasionally I still see a new one also at a bargain price. Normal stock parts are readily available, but fancy tactical doo dads are not too plentiful. That works for me in that I care more about fit and function more than cool doo dads.

Actually there is quite a bit of 1300 info spread out on THR. Get a cup of coffee and do a search.

 

[ShunZu]

I actually prefer the 1300 to the 870.

+1. Have had one for many years and it's been a great performer. Reliable, quick stroke - faster than my 870's, and much smoother than them too. If you find one in good condition, especially since they don't make them anymore, consider buying it. You won't be sorry.
Just .02.

 

[BSlacker]

but fancy tactical doo dads are not too plentiful.

Really you do not need to much on the Defender model or any shotgun for that matter. It is a good value in HD shotguns.
And to prove you can get lots of pretty stuff here is one tricked out.

It is a brute to shoot, expensive and just plain wrong.

 

[rbernie]

I have a couple (one 12ga and one 20ga), and I really like them well. I am a bit leery of the plastic magazine throat bits being too frangible for critical/social use, but I have no empirical data to back up that fear. Certainly, for sporting use they work well.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Good shotgun.

 

[foghornl]

Never owned one, but have shot a couple of 1300's over the years. Good solid serviceable shotgun...will serve you well.

 

[Youngster]

Along with the speed, the 1300 seems a lot harder to short stroke, especially for someone not used to pumpguns, that right there is a major advantage IMO. The shorter-than-average LOP stocks they come with is a nice bonus.

 

[Cougfan2]

I never owned one, but had friends that did and they were good serviceable shotguns. I had a 1400 semi-auto 12 ga. that was OK as long as you kept it very clean. If you let too much powder resigue build up in the chamber where the locking lugs of the rotary bolt engaged, it would sometimes not go into full battery. This is rather irritating when a pheasant gets up in front of you and you pull the trigger and then have to hit the bolt handle with the heel of your hand when you are trying to get the shot off. :banghead:

My bad for doing a poor cleaning job when I was younger.

 

[stiletto raggio]

I currently own five 1300s. They are great shotguns. I was initially attracted to them because, unlike any other pump, they they reliably feed and eject Aguila mini-shells. I also prefer their ergonomics, namely the location of the safety and slide release.

Pretty much any useful accessory is availabe for the 1300. Surefire, Speedfeed, Knoxx and Mesa all make dedicated stocks/forends. Mag-tube extensions and side-saddles are easy to come by. The only place they are lacking is the availability of aftermarket ghost-ring sights, but that is really only applicable for "combat shotguns."

The "Speed Pump" is real and it is effective, but is is more the byproduct of the locking mechanism than something designed into the gun. Very fast and smooth.

The FN TPS is a dolled-up 1300 with a steel receiver. The Winchester brand guns are out of production, but they were extremely common and finding parts will never be an issue, at least not in my lifetime.

While no pump gun is primary to my home defense array, they relatively simple to sue, and with the Aguila shells, even a small female or young person can use them effectively. I thought about getting a Mossberg .410 or a Saiga .410 for the female/youth defense role, but I realized that all I needed to do was buy more Aguila shells.

 

[modifiedbrowning]

I like mine. I have the Defender with the 18.5" barrell and fiberoptic front sight.
Also, they are back in production at FN's SC plant.
http://www.winchesterguns.com/

 

[cowboy68t1]

I have 4 Winchester 1300 and 1-1200 and I love them. The 1200 was made before the 70's and the 1300 are all after. The last one I bought was new in 2001. It's a synthetic stock slug gun. I have taken the barrels of my other guns and used it on this on. Even thou my others are older they still all fit. (As long as they are the same gauge.) I shoot trap with a 1200 with a fixed full choke and when we start shooting handicap. I'll get out one of the 28 inch barrels and put my turkey choke in to help with those long shots. One of the great things about 1200 and 1300 is the rotatary bolt hasn't been changed in like 30 some years. Thats a design that works so why fix it. Winchester has had some problems with gun quality before but not this one. Can you take a barrel from Remington made in the 60's and put an gun barrel made in the 90's on it? What about Mossberg?

 

[SwampWolf]

I also prefer their ergonomics, namely the location of the safety and slide release.

I agree with what stiletto raggio says, especially when it comes to the location of the safety. Though I like the tang position (i.e., Mossberg, Browning) best, I much prefer a front-mounted safety to one located at the rear of the trigger guard. This is, of course, an objective opinion (predicated on general human ergonomics) and a subjective opinion (based on what I've become used to over fifty-some odd years of shooting).

And I do like where the safety on a Browning Double Auto is located (to the rear and behind the trigger guard) although I've found that it is a little too easy to disengage sometimes, particularly if a lot of use and time has caused the detent spring to weaken.

 

[Youngster]

It is a good shotgun, too bad they quite making them.

Actually they're back in production, they're just called the "Speed Pump" instead of the "1300."

http://www.winchesterguns.com/prodinfo/catalog/category.asp?cat=019C