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Turkey Guns & Shooting => Turkey Guns => Topic started by: Izzyjoe on December 04, 2015, 10:16:26 PM

Title: Winchester 50
Post by: Izzyjoe on December 04, 2015, 10:16:26 PM
I haven't been on here in awhile, but a few month back I picked up a model 50 feather weight at a local pawnshop. I went there one day after work looking for tools, and happen to see it, the store owner said its been in the back for awhile, and that it had some problems. He claimed it would not feed shells from the mag tube, when I seen the price tag, I thought I had read it wrong, he had $50 on it. Well I couldn't pass that deal up, so I brought it and give it a good cleaning, and found out that someone had been tinkering with it, and that it has to adjusted just right, or it won't pick up shells from the mag tube.  With all that said I've fired it a few times, and this shotgun shoots like a dream, this is the best balanced gun I have ever held, I would like to take it turkey hunting next season, but it only has a Mod. choke, and it's such a light gun that with turkey load it would kick like a mule!
Title: Re: Winchester 50
Post by: Mike Honcho on December 16, 2015, 07:29:27 AM
The Model 50 Win is an interesting shotgun...they were expensive to manufacture and had a unique action with the floating chamber.
I had one all through college in the late 1970's and harvested many ducks and pheasants with it. Mine was a modified barrel and I purchased a full choke barrel as well.

I shot my first turkeys with the full choke barrel.

They made.a lightweight version with a fiberglass barrel called the Model 59.

Enjoy this very interesting shotgun!
Title: Re: Winchester 50
Post by: longislandloco on December 17, 2015, 09:14:29 AM
Good luck with your Model 50, I had one back in the 70's, sold it, wish I had it back, great shooter once you understand their needs.
Title: Re: Winchester 50
Post by: Izzyjoe on December 17, 2015, 06:41:25 PM
I've only shot one box through it, I had a few fte's, but other than that no problems. It comes to the shoulder very quick, and points great! I'm Gona pass on using it for turkeys, cause I don't want to hot rod the old girl, and its aluminum frame, so I don't push it. It'll do great for skeet.  I have also found an older model 11-87 premier from a guy at work, and it will be my new semi auto turkey blaster!
Title: Re: Winchester 50
Post by: hs strut on December 17, 2015, 10:09:57 PM
Quote from: Mike Honcho on December 16, 2015, 07:29:27 AM
The Model 50 Win is an interesting shotgun...they were expensive to manufacture and had a unique action with the floating chamber.
I had one all through college in the late 1970's and harvested many ducks and pheasants with it. Mine was a modified barrel and I purchased a full choke barrel as well.

I shot my first turkeys with the full choke barrel.

They made.a lightweight version with a fiberglass barrel called the Model 59.

Enjoy this very interesting shotgun!
wasnt the fiberglass barrel also threaded so you could swap chokes
Title: Re: Winchester 50
Post by: Mike Honcho on December 18, 2015, 09:10:18 AM
Been a long time since I have seen a Model 59 but I think they had fixed chokes.

Title: Re: Winchester 50
Post by: longislandloco on December 18, 2015, 10:24:56 AM
"Versalite" choke tubes were an option on the Model 59, a full set of tubes today are worth about as much as the gun alone in some cases.
Title: Re: Winchester 50
Post by: nyhunter on December 18, 2015, 11:17:15 AM
Try some long beards in it I bet i'll kill turkeys with that MOD. choke just fine. Pattern it from 20-40yds and you'll know it's limits, I killed a few with a 2 3/4" Ithica with a mod. choke 32yds was it's limit .
Title: Re: Winchester 50
Post by: Izzyjoe on December 19, 2015, 11:05:31 PM
It's a 2.75 only, I'm not Gona try any warm loads in this one.
Title: Re: Winchester 50
Post by: allaboutshooting on December 21, 2015, 01:07:33 PM
The 50 & 59 are interesting guns especially when viewed as a part of the progression of designs of semi-automatic shotguns. I've only held a few of those in my hands over the years, never owned one but have a friend who carried a 59 with him daily, loaded with slugs, as last ditch bear protection, when he lived in Alaska.

He brought that gun to me for a thorough clean-up a few years ago and I found it very interesting to have an opportunity to tear one down and take a look at all its parts. It was strictly a working gun for him and fortunately, he never had to use it to defend himself. It was a used gun when he bought it and it was also the least expensive self-loader on the shelf at the store. He's not a gun guy and this was and is the only gun he owns.

It's not pretty, shows lots of signs of being hauled around and being stored in a case over many years. He still goes back to Alaska every summer to help a friend mine gold and the 59 goes with him.

Thanks,
Clark