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Old October 25, 2012, 05:42 PM   #1
BerdanSS
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Winchester 1400..thoughts?

Have a chance to buy a very nice (about 95%) Winchester 1400 semi-automatic 28" barreled 12ga. It is not the Ranger model, it's the little higher grade one with the nicer walnut stock and non-fixed choke vent rib barrel. Comes with chokes....$200.

Thoughts anyone? I've never had a Winchester shotgun of any kind, but my dad likes his 1300 Wild Turkey Federation model well enough. Any problems with this model? Price sound good for the condition? Wasn't really seriously looking for one, I'm just always scanning for good guns at a good price and just realized my safe is lacking a Auto-loading 12ga....so therefore I need one

Quick response would be helpful. The guy may meet me tonight.

Last edited by BerdanSS; October 25, 2012 at 09:24 PM.
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Old October 25, 2012, 05:50 PM   #2
Mike Irwin
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The 1400s never had a very good reputation for durability. If you really want a used semi-auto, a Remington 1100 would be much preferable, or a Remington 58, or an 11-58.

I bought my Father a 58 years ago, and it came back to me when he died. I've had to replace some of the small parts (a spring and an extractor, but the great thing about that is that so many of the parts are interchangeable with Remington's models today.
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Old October 25, 2012, 08:53 PM   #3
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Well that's something good to know about the durability. I wonder if it's like a 4 out of 10 thing on the toughness scale, or just don't bang it on a fence post kind of deal. Odds are this Winchester wouldn't get much use other than screwing around with shooting clay's or maybe Waterfowl now and then. Just seems like a nice looking gun for $100 or so less than them seem to go for is GSs or gunbroker.

I really don't care for Remington (or the price of them). For a working gun my go to guy is my Mossy oak camo 835 ulti-mag. And for anything special it's Beretta. It's kinda the coke/Pepsi chevy/ford thing for me.

Shotgun: Mossberg
Truck: Dodge or GMC
And yes.... Pepsi or RC

I just don't get excited over the usual faves like Remington, Colt, S&W (or Chevy). I'm sure to get flamed for this..but hey, it's America.

Thanks for the insight though, I'll have to research some more. Don't want to end up with and egg. Being careful is one thing, but I don't want to have something that needs wrapped in bubble wrap to take it into the field. Or something really finicky about loads...like the old mossberg autoloaders.

picture of the culprit by the way.

After he sent the pic I quickly became aware that it does NOT have walnut stocks. Looks like Birch, maybe?

Last edited by BerdanSS; October 28, 2012 at 06:23 PM.
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Old October 25, 2012, 10:30 PM   #4
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If you really want a gun that goes bang when you pull the trigger, I would get something else. There's a reason they are cheap. I am sure there is someone who has had one for 40 years and it has never blinked, but I have seen a heck of a lot of them with issues.
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Old October 25, 2012, 10:47 PM   #5
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Any specific reason or issues? All of them I've seen for sale on gunbroker and the like have been anywhere from $350-$400, much older ones and some in poor condition. I thought $200 was pretty low for one in like new condition? Don't really want to drop $600 on another shotgun.
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Old October 25, 2012, 11:37 PM   #6
4570Tom
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I had a 1400 some years ago and never had any trouble with it. Traded it for something I wanted more.

The only thing you might want to check on is availability of parts if/when something breaks. Not sure Winchester is making parts for it anymore, though used parts might be an option.
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Old October 26, 2012, 05:05 PM   #7
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berdan, theres a few 1400's on GunAuction with prices higher than the s/g you are looking at. (starting $250 up to $400). Guns America 1400's between $250-$459. The price certainly looks good for a 95% s/g.
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Old October 26, 2012, 08:11 PM   #8
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Well, after a VERY disappointing venture for a wood and blued Mossy 835 this morning....I went and picked up the Winchester. Everything seems to be in good working order as far as I can tell. It is in good condition as promised (one very light 1" scratch in the left side of the stock and one little ding (less than half a centimeter long about the width of a medium sowing needle) on the left side of the receiver, opposite the ejection port...flawless otherwise. I guess I'll find out for sure tomorrow.

A buddy from work told me today that he bought one of these new in 1991 from Galyans. He loved his and said he didn't have one single problem out of it over years of medium to heavy use....after the factory damaged barrel was replaced free of charge. But his friend also bought one and I guess his was very problematic from day one. Just hope I got one of the good ones

MidwestGunWorks has Winchester factory rebuild kits for $29, thought about getting one or two to have on hand in case the ol' girl ever needs a tune up...since parts for these could completely dry up at any time. Mid west seems to be the only ones with any parts...unless someone knows of someplace else.

Last edited by BerdanSS; October 26, 2012 at 08:39 PM.
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Old October 28, 2012, 06:17 PM   #9
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Well I took the Winchester out today. I had an ammo can full of everything from old S&B 00 Buck to light bird loads and high brass 4s along with a couple hand fulls of mixed slugs. I also brought several boxes of new Super X 4s and 6s and two boxes of Remington slugs. It ate the hell out of all of it without a single malfunction other than two of the 15 year old low recoil 00 rounds didn't have the guts to re-cock, but they did eject and load. Patterned well and grouped slugs about baseball size or smaller at 60 yards, dead on wind wise but shot the slugs about 5" high.

Overall I'm very pleased New pictures
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Old October 28, 2012, 07:39 PM   #10
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i have a 1400 mk2.its a decent gun but only shoots high brass or slugs.doesnt like the cheap stuff at all!Has many new parts inside to try to remedy situation but to no avail.Good ammo or nothing for mine
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Old October 30, 2012, 05:08 AM   #11
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These gun do have walnut, just about the lowest grade available though. The Ranger series were meant to be an entry level model. I had one back in the late 1990s and it was a decent gun. It had a rifled barrel and the plain looking wood like yours, although yours does have some good colors to it. I painted it and chased hogs with it for a few yrs. It could he finicky if it wasn't cleaned often, monthly, but other than that it was a good gun.

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Old October 30, 2012, 10:35 AM   #12
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Over the last three days we've fired over 300 shells of varying age, brand and quality: from the cheapest of walmart bird loads to high quality high brass game loads and slugs....without a single hiccup (save for those two nasty old S&B 00). That was with a quick cleaning prior to the 300+ and no cleaning was done in between. A quick patch swab down the barrel, inside of the magazine tube and of the piston itself with CLP.

The young man I bough this from was a collage student that was a member of a private trap shooting team, and was wanting to step up to a "real" trap gun. It was VERY dirty on the inside and he said he had been shooting it since last year without (other than the barrel) cleaning it. I believe it's safe to say out of the sea of lemon 1400s...I've got a gem. No wear can be found on any of the internals.

The only part that needed attention was the cup that separates the magazine and piston springs. Some slight strain on the pins from recoil I'd wager. That has been since resolved. For this type of shotgun, I prefer plain. In truth I really wouldn't mind if it even had any checkering. I was expecting walnut, but it is most definitely birch. They will be getting replaced with some nicer grade walnut the next time the gun show rolls around. There is a guy there that has parts for any older shotguns you could imagine, including...a plethora of Winchester 1400 parts, stocks and barrels. Last time he had several very nice looking unfinished plain walnut stocks and forearms for the 1400.

Also the serial number places the manufacture date around '88

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Old October 31, 2012, 03:19 PM   #13
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Great Find on your part I have it's brother, the Ranger 120 pump that came with a Deer Slug barrel (rifled sights)..takes both 2-3/4, 3in shells...it loves sporting clays

I'm no gun collector, however, I have purchased and sold many different brand long guns over the last 25yrs. My own experience has revealed to me, that Winchesters are bang for the buck. On any given day, you can find a well serviced used Winchester at a local gun shop in this pressed economy, that someone had to part with, due to these hard times. No worries for parts..Countless Wins have been sold and continue to be re-cycled thru many hands, which generates the need for a continuation of parts thru various suppliers.

Hopefully, Remington, Marlin and Mossberg, will start to build with quality and reliability once again..we all should know now, the big problems that have faced each of these gun makers.

All 3 of my Wins, have proven themselves, at the range and in the field under harsh conditions, without any trouble. Thankfully, they have provided much bounty for the table
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Old November 8, 2012, 03:58 PM   #14
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I just picked up a Win. mod 1400 two days ago, well its actually a Sears and Robuck Ted Williams 300. I got two barrels one Winchester w/ fixed modified choke and the other is the original Ted Williams barrel w/ an adjustable choke. The reason I mentioned this was to ask about the adjustable choke. Do these work well? I will be using the gun for trap.

I really like it so far, I've always had pumps.

John
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Old November 8, 2012, 04:29 PM   #15
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I have had a Win 1400 for about 15 years which I got in trade. I have shot 100's and 100's of loads from target loads to slugs and it has always worked perfectly!

I mainly use it for knocking clay's out of the sky and it does it well.

I have always had a much higher opinion of the 1400 because I own one!
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Old November 8, 2012, 09:05 PM   #16
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Nothing wrong with the 1400 (Mk I and II) guns - keep it clean and oiled. Parts can be a challenge but there is stuff out there. The only real soft spot on the guns is the plastic follower - if you attempt to load too many shells it will disintegrate and a replacement is very hard to find. The later 1400 series guns were made up of some really cheap parts and were worth about what you paid for it.
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Old November 9, 2012, 07:17 AM   #17
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Congrats on the good buy! Ive heard some stories about them too. Im glad you found a good one.
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Old March 14, 2013, 09:48 AM   #18
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GOOD FIND!

I too came across a Winchester 1400 Ranger 12ga about the same time as the OP. Got it from a co-worker for $175. He had never shot it.

I've put about 400rd of Winchester x target loads through it.

It doesn't say on the barrel, but how can you tell what choke it is? It came with a screw in choke but took it out and now I can't hit anything with it (trap) so I'll but it back in for trap league tonight.

I figured it would/is a good starter Shotgun and move up to a Higher quality ? gun later.
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Old March 14, 2013, 01:14 PM   #19
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I owned one in 20 ga. Never again. It's the only gift gun I've ever sold.
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