[tyler916]

Just added a winchester model 50 to my collection any feed back on this gun

 

[Virginian]

It's a complicated action. Floating chamber. It is only an opinion, but mine is that Winchester never made a good semi auto from the time they passed on the chance to buy John Browning's design, until the Super X One. And even though some love it, even the Super X One has known problems. Shotgun World is down but I found this, it's pretty informative.
http://www.gunsnet.net/showthread.php?5931-Winchester-Model-50-Serious-Problem(s)

 

[hiwall]

My brother has a model 50 in 20 gauge. It has 3 barrels. He used to use it for quail hunting. It never had any issues, though he never shot it to any extreme amount.

 

[akers06]

I'm a Winchester guy and with the exception of the original 1911 I'm not a fan of any of their semi autos...they have had a lot of problems with them

 

[Virginian]

With the Super X 3 they may have finally gotten there. Of course, it's really FN making them now, so maybe that's why. I'm afraid if the right group doesn't buy out Remington from Cerebus, we are going to be left with only FN, Beretta, and the Turks and Russians making shotguns. Sad legacy for the home of the Second Amendment.

 

[bobski]

model 50 is a fabulous gun. hands down. way ahead of its time.

 

[Virginian]

It was so far ahead of it's time that no other manufacturer has ever caught up to the idea of that action design.

 

[bobski]

it was known as the semi auto model 12!

 

[Virginian]

It was advertised as such, but it didn't come close to living up to it.

 

[bobski]

place one over the receiver of a m12 and its identical.
only reason they stopped making them was the 58 & 1100, the new idea 1400, and new factory sealed its fate.
the model 58 and 1100 killed it with its offerings in different gauges.

 

[bobski]

a gun with no plastic on it, save the buttplate. rare indeed.
hand made, pre64, made in usa....solid steel. 1st american gun with non recoiling interchangeable bbl. a classic gun. I wouldn't own 18 of them if they weren't so nice.
now, that im getting up there....time to let them go. breaks my heart.

 

[Virginian]

There are also die hard fans of the Super X One, but the 1100 ran it out of business too. The receivers of all successful Remington shotguns from 1948 until the present, minus the VersaMax and the V3, are based on the 11-48. The 870 is basically a manual 11-48. That includes THE most popular pump and semi auto shotguns of all time.
The Model 50 and 59 did work pretty well if they were well maintained, but they were light and did nothing to relieve recoil, which worked against them for target shooting. I am not overly enamoured of the "all machined" method of manufacturing. Advancements made during WWII ushered in the era of reliable stamped parts and the realization that tight tolerances were not always needed.
I know what you mean about getting older and thinning the herd. I am down to four shotguns.

 

[bobski]

high standards are next.
my bullseye days are long gone.
next will be the m12's.

been shooting m50's now 35+ years. kick goes down the grip. trap versions are the best balanced. bbl length and pad work in harmony, plus steel receiver and parts....a nice heavy gun.
as ugly as some claim the cutts to be, if used with a rubber pad, again, it balances out the gun.

 

[Virginian]

I had a High Standard Sharpshooter, a good one with checkered thumbrest wooden grips, that I bought over Colt Woodsman one time. Shortly Colt announced the Woodsman was discontinued and their value skyrocketed, but I never saw one shoot better than that High Standard. I also still have an HS semi auto .22 rifle from the early 60s. Weird design with a rocking sear that doesn't drop the bolt until you release the trigger, with a cheaply non threaded pinned barrel, but it's accurate as hell. I was sorry to see High Standard go.

 

[IowaShooter]

I had one dated 1955

Bought it used from Brownells a few yrs ago and used it lightly to shoot trap occasionally

Wish I had never sold it

 

[bobski]

go visit the vendors/sponsor forum. ;>

 

[SGWGunsmith]

model 50 is a fabulous gun. hands down. way ahead of its time.

Well then, when will their time arrive, and why are they still not in production? I could never, and still don't, understand how little gold birds, dogs and ducks can make any firearm work better? Please 'splain that.

 

[SGWGunsmith]

It's certainly interesting how "preference" concerning firearms holds for folks. Many of us can't stand the thought of a firearm not consisting of blued steel and walnut.
It's understandable that many "battle weapons" were produced with stamped out parts, as they needed to be produced quickly and put out into the action. Hence, the Kalashnikov 47, M3 Grease gun, and some of the German machine guns. As far as sporting firearms, I've found many of the stamped-out parts to be fraught with burrs and sharp edges from the stamping process that will draw blood when doing simple things like cleaning 'em.

 

[bobski]

the fact that they are still together and functioning is always a good selling point.
why do people like A5's? M21's? garands? M1a? 1911a1? time tends to endorse good designs and function, long after makers follow the yellow brick road on to new and improved. some improve, some get worse. some go away because of bad business habits.
some get re-visited and a new respect emerges. thus the used gun trade continues on.
maybe I am bias. afterall, my uncle did have some 'hands on' with its creation in new haven at the plant. just like he did with M94's.
I think he did a great job and i respect the gun.


heres a factory cutts skeet with varichoke, below........

 

[bobski]

heres a rare English (e) grade. you don't see many of these. weren't popular.
yet john olin ordered all his m50's in e grade.