Hello All,
I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good Winchester model for duck hunting? I was looking for an over and under or a side by side. No pump action.
I would be interested in any Winchester made at the New Haven factory before 2000.
I understand that most Winchester’s are made overseas nowadays which I feel devalues current production line.
many thanks for the help and insight.
justin
Winchester stopped manufacturing firearms in December in 1980 when they sold the New Haven factory to the newly formed U.S. Repeating Arms Company in early 1981.
The last SxS shotgun manufactured by Winchester was the Model 21. The Model 101 was the only O/U shotgun manufactured, but they were all made for Winchester by Miroku in Japan.
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Justin Pynes said
Gotcha thanks Bert , guessing anything made outside the New Haven Plant will have low quality or not as desirable
Not so the Miroku products; or at least their 52 Sporter repros were very well made, & you can buy 5 or 6 of them for the price of one original.
November 7, 2015
I’m a big fan of the O/U shotguns Miroku makes for Browning but have no experience with the 101 as the Citori seems to fit me better. One consideration in your case is the non-toxic shot requirement for waterfowl. Some ammunition options may be compatible with older shotguns but steel is not.
Mike
If you are going to shoot steel shot you must buy a shotgun that is safe for steel shot. If not you will at least ring your barrel where the choke starts. I don’t have a personal experience with a full choke barrel?
Edit: The gun I have has a modified choke and a ringed barrel. So, that is my only experience. Maybe a cylinder choke may not ring but it is not correct for duck hunting.
If you want only a Winchester O/U or SxS made before 2000,the Japanese made older Model 101 is a nice O/U which was available with 3 inch chambers.The older Model 24 SxS would make a duck gun.The Model 24 was made in the U.S.A.,but only had 2 3/4 inch chambers.Nether gun was not made for steel shot, so Bismuth or tungsten matrix should be used.
There are others such as the Model 21,but for the most part these would be a bit too expensive to use in a duck blind these days.In my opinion.
I believe the Winchester Model 101 and Model 23 shotguns were made by Kodensha,not Miroku.If I remember rightly, Winchester and Kodensha formed a partner ship to build the Model 101 and the Model 23 in Japan.No doubt, at the time to take advantage of the cheaper labour and quality work done in Japan .
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