The worst gun Winchester ever made...

[Andy Griffith]

And I bought one.

I couldn't resist- the condition was too nice to pass up, and it had a 13xx serial number!

I bought a Winchester model 40, 12 gauge self-loader. It was only made in 1940 and 1941 (a little over a year) and only 12,000 were made! They were really cranking them out, if you think about it!

It's one of the few guns in the Blue Book that has in it's description:

"Poorly designed, recalled by Winchester and many returned"

I do have to disagree with the above statement, because I've seen many turkey shoots won with a Winchester 40- they shoot great, but just not in semi-automatic mode.
Pictures to follow later.

[s&wchad]

Congratulations (I think)!

I'd rather have that than a Model 190.

[K.38]

Is this the shotgun with a rifle type sight on it? If is I know a guy who has one. He said the shotgun shoots fine.

If it is the one I'm thinking of when you sent it back to Winchester they would send you a new Model 12.

Winchester also had one that if you weren't strong enough to pull down on the barrel to cock it people would end up cocking it looking straight down the barrel.

[PALADIN85020]

I think the worst shotgun Winchester ever made was the Model 1911. In order to evade Browning patents, the long-recoil action was initiated by pulling back on the knurled barrel. That feature caused some horrible accidents, and it quickly earned the nickname "The widowmaker." I had one I bought on a whim from an antique dealer who nearly gave it to me. Never shot it, but finally sold it to a guy who collects oddball shotguns. That was surely one, and it gets my "worst Winchester" vote hands down.

[jimmyj]

Hi:
Speaking of Winchester Shotguns: What was the Model made with fibreglass barrels?
Jimmy

[Andy Griffith]

I believe it was the model 50.

[spricks]

The only winchester shotgun I have is a 12ga model 37. I was given this gun after my father in law passed. I've had it for years now and never used it other than shootin it for the sake of keeping it alive. I heard it called the ugly duckling once? Anyone have a opinion on this one lunger?

spricks

[butchd]

Check Shotgunworld and see how long 37s last in the classifieds. They are special gus and I'd like to have a few more clean ones. In '51 they were less than $30.00. I have a .410 and a 12 that sit by my other 37s from the '40s. They have Ithaca on them

[AirCommando]

Originally Posted by jimmyj

Hi:
Speaking of Winchester Shotguns: What was the Model made with fibreglass barrels?
Jimmy

I think it was the Model 59 IIRC.

AC

[Dr.-d]

I had a Winchester 37 single shot with the word winchester in red. I believe some had the word colored in and others didn't. Like an idiot I sold it when I was younger and stupid. The 1911 Winchester ranks as one of the worse and so does that fiberglass barrel job. A friend had one of those fiberglass barrels split like a banana on him at one time he said. I particularly don't like the model 1300 shotgun and I'll tell you why. I bought one years ago and it was sensitive to the rims of the shotgun shell. I had a shell with a burr on the rim that locked up the whole mechanism. I had to fire off the shell then take a wooden dowl down the barrel to push it out. That rotating bolt in the design I believe is rim sensitive. I had other shells with burrs that would function fine in an 870 or Mossberg but not in the Winchester. Shells can get tossed around in your pocket while hunting and I don't want a hunt ruined by a inoperable shotgun.

[Cobroller]

Originally Posted by s&wchad

Congratulations (I think)!

I'd rather have that than a Model 190.

Was this the plastic stock one? We had a pump -model 270?- with a plastic forearm and plastic front sight/magazine catch. It didn't last long in my hands.

[scooter123]

Originally Posted by s&wchad

Congratulations (I think)!

I'd rather have that than a Model 190.

Hey, I have a model 190 and it's a fun little rifle for plinking. Put a decent scope or red dot on one and the accuracy aint bad at all. The only issue is that they will turn into a jam-o-matic if you leave it loaded for any period longer than a week, tubular magazines and soft lead bullets just don't mix. So, it only gets loaded up when I am actually shooting it, the rest of the time it's kept unloaded.

[s&wchad]

Originally Posted by scooter123

Hey, I have a model 190 ...

Not picking on the 190, but wouldn't you trade a nice 190 for a nice Model 40 (even up)?

[AKAOV1MAN]

I would say the 1200 was the worst Winchester ever made, an absolutely awful weapon. Was replaced by the 1300(still made as an FN) and the 1400 for the semi auto guys.
The Chicago PD bought several hundred 1200s in the early 70s to replace the model 12 and 97 they had in inventory. It took only about a year for ALL of the guns to become inoperative. Eventually the 1200s were replaced by Ithaca 37s, and later Remington 870s. In between the old 12s and 97s were brought out to fill the gap, which they did quite well.
To be fair the 1200 was Winchesters first effort at an alloy frame shotgun with a rotary locking bolt, they maybe just rushed it to market because they suddenly could not make the model 12 anymore (too expensive) for the LE market.

[scooter123]

Originally Posted by s&wchad

Not picking on the 190, but wouldn't you trade a nice 190 for a nice Model 40 (even up)?

Considering the cost difference between 12 gage and 22LR, I think I'll hang on to my 190. BTW, wood working and refinishing has been a long long hobbie of mine and years ago I refinished the stock and forearm with a rather nice looking mahogony stain and wipe on urethane top coat. So, it's not only a lot of fun to shoot, it's also a rather pretty 190. If my memory is correct I only paid 48 dollars for it back in 1975, so it's worth every penny I paid for it because I've gotten a lot more than 48 dollars worth of fun with it.

[novalty]

I have a 290, not sure if it is a great deal different than the 190, but it sure shoots fine. With the factory sights, I could shoot 3" groups at 10 yards, and I can't shoot.

[ColbyBruce]

For all you Wincheser #12 & #37 fans, John's Gun and Pawn in Clayton, GA (706) 782-1008 has a wall full of both models.

[Andy Griffith]

I finally got around to taking a few pictures of this thing...

New camera for my birthday and all.





What amazed me, is the way they checkered both sides of the bolt tab:




Finally, the "rifle style" front sight on it's 30" barrel.


I think they must have used the model 40 to design the outside of the Super X2 and X3!

[srgvaz]

Looks good for it's age it's not a Browning/Remington but if the price was right I wouldn't of resisted picking it up. The problem with most autoloaders is most people will not take them apart for the proper cleaning.

[RufusG]

Always thought a model 40 was a beautiful, beautifully made gun. It's too bad they just didn't work. I've casually watched prices the last few years and they don't go very cheap for something that doesn't work very well.

Saw a beautiful Model 1911 at last december's Crossroads show for $500 I think. The Blue Book is also not too positive about that model, indicating it's nickname was the "Headbuster", but that didn't seem to be affecting the seller's opinion of the gun.

[cjw3]

Originally Posted by AKAOV1MAN

I would say the 1200 was the worst Winchester ever made, an absolutely awful weapon. Was replaced by the 1300(still made as an FN) and the 1400 for the semi auto guys.
The Chicago PD bought several hundred 1200s in the early 70s to replace the model 12 and 97 they had in inventory. It took only about a year for ALL of the guns to become inoperative. Eventually the 1200s were replaced by Ithaca 37s, and later Remington 870s. In between the old 12s and 97s were brought out to fill the gap, which they did quite well.
To be fair the 1200 was Winchesters first effort at an alloy frame shotgun with a rotary locking bolt, they maybe just rushed it to market because they suddenly could not make the model 12 anymore (too expensive) for the LE market.

I agree on the 1200. The bolt on mine "disassembled" itself as I threw a shot at a fox (which I killed). While sitting there in the woods with the trigger assembly out and the bolt in pieces, another fox came trotting by (laughing, IIRC). I finally got the bolt put back together and had it welded to permanently fix that problem. I sold or swapped later for an Ithaca 37....which had to go back to the factory due to an issue with the alignment of the barrel threads.

Repeating shotguns........

[Wyatt Burp]

Don't fret. I have a Win. 94 in .32 Special made in 1948. My dad gave me it for Christmas around 1972. Well, I was looking in Cartridges Of The World, you know, the book that tells about every weird *** cartridge ever concieved, and Barnes refers to only one round in that whole book as "totally useless". Yep. It was the .32 Special. I didn't tell my Winchester about that, though.

[kewpie]

Originally Posted by s&wchad

Congratulations (I think)!

I'd rather have that than a Model 190.

Some have experienced barrels loosening on the 190. I've heard of some whose trigger assemblies were suspect/sloppy
and shimming carefully (safely) with brass shim stock would make them more positive.

((The Model 52 didn't seem to have those problems ))

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I would nominate the Winchester Model 55 (?)-a single shot semiautomatic?
The weakness of the Model 40 was in the wrist of the stock IIRC. The M1911 shotgun was like the Rollin White Patent Evasion models. A Clever Idea That Didn't Work.

[michael thornton]

had a 190 the barrel would get lose every so often, traded it for speedmaster

[kewpie]

traded it for speedmaster


IMO, you traded a Yugo for a Cadillac

[moosedog]

Personally, I hate their model 88s. The lever action on those is a far cry from the 92's, 94's and Marlins.
It rotates at an odd angle.

[Steave]

Originally Posted by BLACKHAWKNJ

I would nominate the Winchester Model 55 (?)-a single shot semiautomatic?

The Model 55 .22 is a bit of an oddball, but I don't think it ranks among the worst Winchesters. I would have to agree that honor falls to the 1400 and some of the .22's produced in the late '60's to early '70's.

[Steave]

Nice old Winchester, Andy. I'd sure swap ya a Model 190 for it, and the 190 I have is the ultra rare carbine......

[OFT II]

Originally Posted by jimmyj

Hi:
Speaking of Winchester Shotguns: What was the Model made with fibreglass barrels?
Jimmy

The model 59. It was model 50 with a thin steel barrel that had a spun fiberglass sleeve. The biggest problem was that the choke would gradually get shot out, especially when using high brass loads. I found this out the hard way.

[keith44spl]

Originally Posted by PALADIN85020

I think the worst shotgun Winchester ever made was the Model 1911. In order to evade Browning patents, the long-recoil action was initiated by pulling back on the knurled barrel. That feature caused some horrible accidents, and it quickly earned the nickname "The widowmaker." I had one I bought on a whim from an antique dealer who nearly gave it to me. Never shot it, but finally sold it to a guy who collects oddball shotguns. That was surely one, and it gets my "worst Winchester" vote hands down.

Ran across one of the above in a dope house...The younger guys with me couldn't figger out how to clear it.

I guess that's why they kept a few of us old dogs around...For the high risk tasks.~Smiley~

Su Amigo,
Dave

[n4zov]

Andy, we need a range report on that Model 40. Not a bad looking old gun by any means and a darn sight better looking than the A5 Brownings and its clones that ruled in the pre-war years.

[M2A2]

Well I have chime in here and say ...I bought a .223 wssm model 70 bull barrel.What a piece of ****.. A true bunch of lies. Such a piece of **** I hoped the company would fold! I will NEVER buy another winchester rifle again ! Go big green!