Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Winchester SX3

Would like to hear from SX3 owners. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. You can read about them of course, but would rather hear from actual owners. How does it compare to the over priced SBEII. It will be used in Arkansas flooded timber, just about every day in January.

Thanks,
G2

I loved mine, and would buy another one if I needed one. I would take it over a SBE any day that ends in y.
Much easier on recoil, and never had an issue with it. I sold mine to a guy that I lent it to (because his SBE died on him) and he would not give me my X3 back....

And yes, I have had more than a few Benelli shotguns, they are good guns, but to me I think there are better out there (IMHO).

I love mine. Never owned a Benelli, only because they cost a week's pay more than the SX3. At this point I wouldn't trade it even up for a Benelli.

The ONLY thing bad I have to say about the SX3 is that it has more recoil than my SX2. But it weighs about a pound less, too.

When I got my SX2 I purposely did not clean it just to see how long it would go before it hiccupped. It NEVER did. About year 7 or 8 I started feeling guilty and took it down and cleaned it. I have not had the SX3 that long. But I can only assume it will have the same incredible reliability as it's older brother.

My brother uses a SX3 every year on our flooded timber Arkansas hunt. He loves it and to my knowledge it has never malfunctioned. He is pretty darn quick with that gun. I still manage to whip him by a bird or two with my Beretta 390.

Great shotgun. I gave my dad my beretta 390 and bought the SX3 when it first came out (mine is a 3" gun). I've had it about 4-5 seasons now and the only issue I ever had was a broken spring inside the piston. The gun never malfunctioned and did not show any signs of a problem. I found the broken spring when I was cleaning it at the end of the season here. Who knows how many rounds it had through it from the time it broke to the time I found it. Anyway, I called winchester who said it was a known issue with some of the early Sx3 and Browning silver guns. They sent me out a new piston, never asking me to send the old one back to them. No other issues at all since the piston change. The gun will run with any shells without hiccup. I will say one thing though , if you get one with the dura touch stock, do not use kroil to clean the gun or be very careful not to get it on the stock. I got some on mine and the places where it was became pretty sticky. Didn't change the appearance of the stock or take the soft coating off, just made it sticky, which I can live with. Good luck if you get one.

Craig

They're nice guns but their no SBEII

Every gas gun i've used has failed, except my extrema2

The SX3 stock is a tad to short to fit me well, and compared to a Benelli they are more complex and tougher to break down

But I love my SBEII

I own four and the only thing I would change would be a slimmer forend.

My son had a bad one, really bad one. In fact, it was so screwed up I know it couldn't have been remotely close to normal for the SX3. Most guys love them and the shotgun performs really well for them. My son probably should have let the dealer send it in but the dealer offered a full refund and dealer pricing on a Benelli and that is the direction my son went.

I have a Benelli M2 in 20 gauge and I bought my son the SX3 in 20gauge.

The SX3 is a bit heavier but not by much. It recoils less than my M2. It is noticeable IMO.

Neither shotgun has hiccupped with any factory loading, but I have had the Benelli longer so take that FWIW.

I love Benellis but I have to say that thus far the SX3 is pretty fuggin' UBER and substantially cheaper.

I think Winchester hit a home run on the SX3 and I am no fan of Winchester.



Travis

Agree with everything deflave said. He nailed it.

Im a benelli guy but only cause of the fit. If a SX3 fit me better then I would shoot one. three or four of the guys I hunt with use SX3s, they all love them and they all have been very reliable. I don't like the shape and pitch of the butt of the stock on the SX3 or the browning silvers but other than that I would buy one any day of the week.

A big plus is the back bored barrels are the invector plus series guns aren't picky and usually shoot heavy loads and larger shot sizes better than the tight bores of the italian guns. I have noticed this from many pattern board sessions with a M1, M2, SBE, Franchi Alcione vs 3 browning golds a SX2 and a 835. Also heavy loads like turkey loads shot through superfull chokes tend to wander around on the paper with tight bores way more and shoot away from point of aim more than back bored guns. Big bores = consistent patterns.

I will buy one soon, had a super 90 and it was a good gun but I know several guys that have had problems with the nellis. only problem I had on mine was trash getting into the bolt recess and it wouldn't go full battery and a no fire situation on a few occasions. only when hunting in thick high weeds etc...

I still own two SX-1s which I have had for a LOOONNG time without EVER a failure. the 2s and 3s handle better and are much lighter..

Plus 1 on the Super X model 1...best gas operated shotgun ever built.

Doc