Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Winchester 101's - Hate em or Love em

gotta watch those hidden auction fees and bid wisely.

how many have cracked wood on theirs?

Bob

No cracks here.

Paul

12 ga field grade with 30" bbls, no cracks. I haven't had it long enough to form much of an opinion other than it seems to be a well made gun.

There are no 101 drilling. They are simply combination guns. By definition drillings have three barrels. From the German, dri is three and ling is barrel.

I love my 101s!

And correct you are. I doubt if they made any vierlings either.

I've a 1980s 101 in 12ga with 2-3/4" chambers. Can the chambers be reamed to 3"? Not really planning on having it done. Just want to know if it is an option.

Once saw an incredible Parker Octling 8x22lr... if that could be shorthand for eight 22lr barrels. Built as a goose gun for some sheik, all eight fired at once.

I believe 3-inch is over-rated personally and would not do it, but it should be possible.

Winchester has repeatedly said the 101 is good to go with steel shot. Mine have seen more than a little steel without issue in any of them.

I have owned several 101's in past years. All small gauge 20, 28, 410; field & skeet; even a 3 Bbl. set or two. IMO the Brownings, Berettas & Kguns just seemed to be better guns, at least for me so those are what I shoot today when I reach for an O/U.

New FN built guns sure seem nice...

The older 101 in 20 ga is in my opinion one of the best O&U ever made. I have the Sporting Clay Winchester that is Belgian made and it is called Winchester Select Energy Sporting Clay with Ported barrels

I have been a gunsmith for the last 40 years. Repair close to 1000 guns a year. Havent seen a 101 in a long time for anything broken. Customers love them. They made a 101 for Sears called the Ted Williams 400. It is a 101 for half the price if you can stand to look down and not see Winchester on your gun

Back in the early days of sporting clays one of the top Shooters was a Brit named A.J. "Smoker" Smith. He became world champion using a pair of high grade Winchester 101's. Worked for him.

P.S.

Regrettably as an older man he shot himself evidently suffering from depression

small gauge guns are nice.
12ga....sorry, they kick and crack wood.

I started shooting sporting clays with a 101 Waterfowl 32" in 2002.

I know this is an old thread but yeh,

The olin/kodensha 101 is a great gun even by todays standard.
Own 4 and have owned 5 previous plus a nikko shadow and a 96 xpert basically same gun.
Only item i have ever replaced was 1 pair of kickers and 2 sets of firing pins and that was on guns that had shot in the 100s of thousands.

The whole recoil issue is non existent the gun just doesn't fit some people the same with lots of guns. I can shoot a 101 all day and literally not know i have been shooting.

Anyone who knows double guns well and isn't brand snobs will agree the 101 is a very well made gun on par with any browning, cd or beretta of its time.

Some complaints you may hear can be traced to owners not knowing how to treat them-
Fore end cracks are usually caused by pulling or oushing the fore end when it isn't properly engaged or disengaged from latch.
Slamming the gun closed will loosen it at it wears the locking faces.
People forget they where generally cheaper than brownjngs so tend to find them either mint or well well shot out.


Some of the best shooting, well balanced guns ever made imo and i have shot with just about everything.

I always found the 12 gauge 101s kicked my head off. While the 101 is a good gun, I much prefer the Charles Daly Miroku. I have also found the Miroku to have better triggers, for which part of the reason may be their “V” springs.

I have had 101's in 20 and 12 gauge... just didn't like them. They were utilitarian for my tastes.

Browning Superposed were a better fit and better made... the 101's felt like a boat paddle by comparison to ME... your results may vary...