Rossco89 Posted November 22, 2018 Report Share Posted November 22, 2018 How do I know if the above gun is proofed for steel shot? Tried google but struggling to make sense of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted November 22, 2018 Report Share Posted November 22, 2018 It isn't proofed for steel shot. As with any other gun, you can use steel shot at your own risk, but (from memory) steel shot proofing came along well after Winchester ceased production in the late 1980s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted November 22, 2018 Report Share Posted November 22, 2018 9 minutes ago, Gordon R said: It isn't proofed for steel shot. As with any other gun, you can use steel shot at your own risk, but (from memory) steel shot proofing came along well after Winchester ceased production in the late 1980s. This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossco89 Posted November 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2018 Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweedledee Posted November 24, 2018 Report Share Posted November 24, 2018 Brilliant guns..currently trying to find another and I can assure you they ain't easy found..well good ones anyhow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holloway Posted November 24, 2018 Report Share Posted November 24, 2018 18 minutes ago, tweedledee said: Brilliant guns..currently trying to find another and I can assure you they ain't easy found..well good ones anyhow The gun room in Ivybridge to my memory has 2 but they may be 28 inch they are on guntrader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweedledee Posted November 24, 2018 Report Share Posted November 24, 2018 After a 30"sporter in mint condition Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossco89 Posted November 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2018 My first shotgun and don’t think it will leave my cabinet. Good luck in your search, they do come up on gun trader and gun deal, mint condition might be a bit harder to come by Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted November 24, 2018 Report Share Posted November 24, 2018 They are quality guns, that stand the test of time. Better handling than Browning / Miroku or Beretta I my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konor Posted November 24, 2018 Report Share Posted November 24, 2018 I have an old classic doubles 101 which I reoiled the stock and fitted an Isis recoil pad it looks great and I far prefer it to my grade V mk60 miroku for game /rough shooting. There is one coming up for sale on Gavin Gardiners next auction a 12 bore with additional 20 bore barrels at £600 -£800 estimate I would bid on it if I didn't have my own . A good buy for someone if it is sound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cumbrian Posted November 24, 2018 Report Share Posted November 24, 2018 3 hours ago, tweedledee said: After a 30"sporter in mint condition Greenfields, Salisbury have one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweedledee Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 16 hours ago, Cumbrian said: Greenfields, Salisbury have one. I think they have a 32" 5500????? Bit long for my liking but it does look a real peach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 18 hours ago, Gordon R said: They are quality guns, that stand the test of time. Better handling than Browning / Miroku or Beretta I my opinion. I have to agree with all of this. I am a huge 101 fan. When I started out with shotguns, and not knowing much about them, I bought a Beretta as that is what seemed to be the flavour of the day. It had fixed chokes, an auto safety and I learned to shoot clays badly with it. I then soon realised that the only way to improve was to buy a multi choked gun and ended up with a G3 325. It was a nice gun and I learned to shoot clays quite well with it, to the extent I once won a huge turkey at our local Christmas clay shoot....dinner sorted! 😃 I was desperate to improve constantly and would read and absorb any and all shooting related articles and came across an article by the editor of Sporting Gun whose name now escapes me ( Robin somebody ) regarding the Winchester 101. This was back in the early '90's so production had already ceased, but he raved about the guns handling and lamented its passing. Anyhow, an enforced period out of shooting saw me having to sell my guns so it was a few years before I got back into the swing, but when I did, it was with a 101 Lightweight which was a bit worn and a bit short in the stock really, but I enjoyed its looks ( trap fore end ) and enjoyed using it until I found a mint in it's box Diamond Grade. I came across a 101 Field and a 1500 XTR in a gun rack, along with a 1500 XTR European, all formerly owned by the same bloke, which it was obvious had seen very little use; the chequering on the 101 was still sharp, and I snapped up both the 101 and the 1500XTR there and then. I loaned the 101 to a mate who discovered he shot very well with it, and in a moment of madness to fund a GE, I sold it to him and almost instantly regretted it, especially as I saw it being used on a regular basis. Fortunately for me he liked the GE even better, so when I found him one he agreed to sell back to me the 101....phew! I still have it. As I've mentioned elsewhere, it is simply a sublime little gun which handles like a dream, and although I'm loathe to admit it, even better than my favourite gun, a Perazzi from the same period. Some of the most memorable shots I've taken on live quarry have been with this little gun, and I couldn't design a better gun for bolting live bunnies. It has 27" barrels and is fixed choke and just simply handles so well. You see I've come full circle now, and whilst acknowledging multi chokes open up a guns versatility, they wont improve your shooting. I have also learned to shoot with a 8500 Trap, another 101 I sold and bought back. It is supposedly choked at full and extra full, but in reality is more like a tight 3/4's and a tight full, and I sold it because I was seeing far too much rib and had no idea where it was shooting. Having bought it back I patterned it and discovered it prints exactly where I'm looking, and recently did very well ( for me ) with it at a local clay ground. I get excited about guns, and am very excited to have this one back and can't wait to get out with it again. 101's seem to be enjoying a bit of a resurgence at the moment. I was pleasantly pleased to discover that the young lad who presents The Gun Shop is also a fan, and recently bought off a mate, his 8500 Trap which he did a short review of recently on youtube. The bloke who supplied a part which broke on mates GE is also a huge fan and currently has 32 101's in his personal collection! Another fan is a mate of mine who has a Browning and a MIroku as well as a Winchester 'Grey'. He has had many 101's and is currently looking for a good 6500. Another is the mate with the GE; he uses it to great effect still on our rough shoot. If you're a Browning or Miroku fan and these guns fit you well, don't pass over the chance of having a go with a 101; it may be a bit of a revelation, and you may well enjoy it but then sell it, but chances are you'll come back to them. There's just something about them. Have fun. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRDS Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 Robin Scott. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 3 minutes ago, JRDS said: Robin Scott. That's the badger! 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRDS Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 3 hours ago, tweedledee said: I think they have a 32" 5500????? Bit long for my liking but it does look a real peach https://www.greenfieldguns.com/gun-details/888180627132920005/ Its a 30 inch gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossco89 Posted November 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 Seems these guns have quite the following, when I went to buy my first gun I was accompanied by an experienced shooter who also had one of these and sold it, now regrets it and fully intends to buy it back when the opportunity comes around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweedledee Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 There used to be a small dealer had a website with only a couple of pages..I think it may have been Somerset direction...he always had nice Winchesters and few handmade Browning's etc in stock..can't remember his name..would anyone else know him???? I made an enquiry about that 5500... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 MGR guns are big 101 fans and usually have quite a few in stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bornfree Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 My first over and under was a 6500 sporter I paid £325 for it and sold it for £600 10 years later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konor Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 Mike George who was the first editor of sporting gun was a great fan of Winchester 101 guns and wrote a few articles praising them I think he bought his Winchester 6500 from Robin Scott,sadly he died this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konor Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 I used to have a model 23 waterfowl model as it was named here a 28 inch barrelled multichoke with a black action .It was called the heavy duck model in USA . I wasn't keen on the elevated rib so sold it if it had a flat standard rib I would never have sold it as it was the perfect wildfowling gun with 1 7/8 oz Winchester lead load for geese when lead was still legal on the shore. I used to get Winchester 3 inch cartridges for Christmas when I was young. I have two classic doubles 101 now one 20 one 12 best value guns and never had a problem with either of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muffin Posted November 26, 2018 Report Share Posted November 26, 2018 Shoot a 7000 field 101 do not look at other guns as I tend to think why. Buy another 101. if they made them today they would be 2 or 3 grand never seen many 7000 fields the one I shoot is supposed to be one of the last out factory lovely exhibition stock so when I saw another hardly used I bought it still hardly used, but better in my cabinet. have over years a few more DG a bog standard super grade and a 1500 xtr Have Winchester cases for all my O/U would recommend them as a good piece of kit and it is fun trying to find cases and cartridge mags and all from that era Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cumbrian Posted November 28, 2018 Report Share Posted November 28, 2018 On 25/11/2018 at 18:17, tweedledee said: There used to be a small dealer had a website with only a couple of pages..I think it may have been Somerset direction...he always had nice Winchesters and few handmade Browning's etc in stock..can't remember his name..would anyone else know him???? I made an enquiry about that 5500... That was Heritage Guns of Shaftesbury. Sadly Michael died of cancer this time last year, aged only 54. No successor. The Greenfields' 5500 is 30 inches, as others have stated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westley Posted November 28, 2018 Report Share Posted November 28, 2018 I recall Classic Doubles made a Trap/Sporter 12 bore. 30" M/C barrels and 2 sets of woodwork. It was a bit fiddly changing the forend wood and I advised the guy that owned it to just leave the Trap forend on the gun and only change the stock. He bought that gun around 27 + years ago. I saw him last month and he still has the gun, the Trap woodwork has never been fitted. The gun has not been out in the past 8 years either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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