In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.

Inherited a Winchester Model 50

00scoots00scoots Member Posts: 410 ✭✭
edited April 2008 in Ask the Experts
It saddens me to say this, but another elderly relative passed away. I inherited all 3 of his guns, none had been cleaned or oiled in over 50 years. What a shame!

The nicest of the bunch is a Model 50 Winchester 12ga. shotgun, 30" plain barrel, choked full. Serial # 92XX - anyone know the year? It has the butt plate with the round Winchester logo.

I spent more than 9 hours cleaning off the crap and petrified grease. I took it down all the way, well almost. The outside of the barrel has about a billion pock marks from rust, but the rest of the shotgun is pretty good, considering the neglect.

I got a good first hand look at all of the powder residue and other crap inside the receiver ...... it was about as filthy as a .22 auto after firing 5 or 6 bricks of ammunition!

What I want to know is are the Model 50 and 59 Winchester autos filthy firing autos??? I went back to shooting pump and single shot .22's, because they don't leave the mess in the receiver that .22 auto's do. I'll do the same with shotguns! Well, maybe I'd shoot a sidelock!!! [;)]

Thanks for your input!

Comments

  • Old-ColtsOld-Colts Member Posts: 22,700 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The best I can do on the DOM is get it between 1954 and 1960, but it is a low serial number, so it might be close to 1955. It was touted as the World's first Automatic Shotgun with Non-recoiling barrel.

    If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!

  • Bert H.Bert H. Member Posts: 11,279 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Late 1954 or early 1955. Don't know the answer to your second question.
  • bobskibobski Member Posts: 17,868 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    like any gun, they should be cleaned after use. what you shoot thru them could be the cause for filth too, especially if he reloaded and used some old odd powders like 452aa. the floating chamber assy that is inserted into the receiver MUST be kept clean. other than that, that gun is a solid workhorse.
    Retired Naval Aviation
    Former Member U.S. Navy Shooting Team
    Former NSSA All American
    Navy Distinguished Pistol Shot
    MO, CT, VA.
  • only winchestersonly winchesters Member Posts: 1,580 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Good morning 00scoots: Well the Md 50 was in the Jan. 2nd 1954 catelog. However the the first guns didn't reach the warehouse until April 15, 1954.

    S/Ns started at 1000. So in reality your gun is 82xx into production. Since there is not much surviving information on this "late" Winchester, Maddis took the entire production run of "aproximately" 196,402 and divided it by the number of years it was in production (1954-1961) or 8 years to give an average of 24,550 per year, less the 1000 so the first year production was estimated at 23,550.

    With a four digit S/N I don't think any Md 50 lover will argue with you that you have a first year gun. The Md 50 being a "recoil operated vs gas system" it is a fairly clean shooter. Meaning the amount of powder residue found in the receiver will be simalar to what you find in your pump guns. But as Bobski pointed out the floating chamber needs to be cleaned after every shooting. The front of the chamber on the outside will rust up on you if you don't.

    Remember that this gun was made in the era of lead shot, so don't shoot steel through it. If you need to shoot non-toxic shot, use a Tungsten product, if you can find it, Bismuth, or the new "HD" Remington ammo that has come out.

    The Md 50 was the first Winchester shotgun that had interchangeable barrels that required no fitting. On the used parts market you can find Mod. and Imp/Cyl choked barrels to give it a little more versatality in the field.

    While a little heavier than a pump, they do have a good balance. Shoot it and enjoy it!

    Regards Dave
  • 00scoots00scoots Member Posts: 410 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Many THANKS for your replies!

    I'm letting the Hoppe's do its magic for a couple of more days before I do one final scrubbing and put it back together.

    What is extremely odd is that the floating chamber was clean and showed no signs of rust!!! Can't figure that one out!

    Maybe I'll put on the barrel and stock from the Pigeon grade trap gun I bought a few months back for parts. [;)]
Sign In or Register to comment.