The Model 40 had the same issues as its predecessor, the Model 1911. In the case of the Model 40, the recoil buffers broke down quickly, which then caused excessive recoil force on both the gun and the shooter. The excessive recoil caused the butt stock to crack, and in some cases, the receiver frame cracked. It also caused the bolt to jam in its rearward position.

straycat23 said
Thank you Bert. Would a factory Cutts compensator stopped the excessive recoil problem?  

No it would not… Winchester tried that exact thing on the Model 40.  The Model 40 used the exact same recoil operated “blow-back” action as the Model 1911, which relied on the recoil buffer to absorb the shock & stress on the receiver frame… it did not work!

If you were looking at it as a “shooter”, then Yes, steer clear of it. If you are looking for a “collectible” gun, I would look again. Model 40 Shotguns are very difficult to find!

straycat23 said
Is the Winchester X1, which must be Winchester’s 3rd attempt at auto shotguns, any better?  

I have no idea (it is too modern for me). 

That stated, the Model 50 was the 3rd attempt, and the Model 59 was the 4th auto-loading Winchester Shotgun.  I believe that the Model 1400 was the 5th semi-auto shotgun model manufactured by Winchester.

No real problems with the Model 50 other than it was expensive to manufacture. It was Winchester’s first successful auto-loading shotgun.