This unique semi-auto 12 ga shotgun is well worthwhile to have in your gun safe. In Very Good condition overall.
Winchester Model 50
The receiver group is attached to an American Black Walnut buttstock and is quite heavy relative to the weight of the gun's plain barrel. This is all to the good as it helps place the weight between the hands and the shotgun points more quickly as a result.
The Winchester Model 50 was built nearly entirely of milled steel components, save for the machined aluminum trigger guard and housing. There are no castings, MIM, plastics, or stampings anywhere in the design, which debuted in January of 1954. These shotguns were built until 1962 and approximately 190,000 were built.
MECHANICS
Compared to the long recoil system of Browning's Auto-5, which features both the barrel and bolt recoiling together, the Model 50 uses a floating chamber insert that incorporates a locking cut for the bolt's retractable lug. Locking is accomplished by a top-mounted lug.
On firing, the bolt and chamber insert remain locked together and move away from the fixed barrel. Then, the bolt tilts downward and the retractable top bolt separates from the hole in the chamber insert. The chamber insert is then free to return into place in the barrel with the help of a small, captive spring-loaded pin at its left rear that supplies the small amount of force necessary.
The bolt body itself tilts downward at its rear during recoil, via a pair of diagonal tracks machined onto the bolt that use machined pins on small arms on both sides to cam it out of battery. A machined steel, flat rod engages the recoil spring in the stock. The front of the rod is pinned to the bolt body and pivots downward slightly during its rearward travel. One can assume the bolt motion is used to increase the amount of time your shoulder feels recoil, which decreases the subjective slam.
The insert reseats into the barrel accurately by exterior shape using a bottlenecked cut similar to that of a rifle cartridge case. Some gas flows back onto the outside of the insert, but it would take many hundreds of rounds fired before cleaning becomes necessary to ensure proper function.
The barrel is attached via interrupted right-hand threads, similar to the Winchester Models 97 and 12 shotguns. However, the Model 50's magazine tube is limited in length to hold just 2 rounds. This means the M50 was originally designed strictly for hunting upland game or waterfowl.
A final interesting thing about the Model 50 is the location of the ejector. It is a fixed part that protrudes at three o'clock from the bolt's breech face on recoil, or when the action is manually opened. There's no other repeating shotgun with this design and it may be there to ensure reliable ejection, given the very fast cycle time of the action.
Within the stock is the gun's recoil spring, known then as the inertia system. This system requires re-timing the action if the shotgun is completely detail-stripped.
IN THE FIELD
The Model 50 is an accurate, easy shooting shotgun. Moreover, the rapidity of fire and the surety of feeding and function are both better at awkward angles, especially overhead shots, than pump guns.
The trigger pull measures about 4.5 pounds and is crisp with no discernible take-up, lash, or over-travel. It is a delight to use.
Since the piece is recoil operated, it is necessary to shoulder the shotgun, so there is a firm base of support. The M50 can be expected to function reliably with any low base target or high base field loads. For an autoloader, it is not particularly persnickety about ammo selection.
The dimensions of the buttstock on this postwar Winchester repeating shotgun is a joy to behold. The length of pull, drop at comb, drop at heel and pistol grip inside radius all fit quite well.
When your cheek hits the comb, you'll find your right eye directly behind the small faux ivory front bead sight, centered in the receiver's serrated top. The checkering patterns on the butt and fore-end more or less replicated the patterns used on the Model 70 bolt-action rifles of the era, which is not a bad thing at all.
One final ergonomic nicety is worth mentioning. The Model 50's push to the left safety button, located at the front of the trigger guard and operated by the trigger finger, is similarly ergonomically correct for a right-handed shooter.
Having roughly 95% of its original New Haven bluing, with a few small (neutralized) rust spots here and there (on the receiver mostly) and a few dings on the buttstock, this gun is not going to win any beauty contests. However, it will get the job done nicely.
A Winchester Model 50 takes one back in time to when guns were made of machined steel and stocked in hand-checkered American black walnut. It has a unique operating system, interesting construction and functions great. It is also inexpensive. What more could you want?
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