I picked up a pretty clean old Winchester 1300 Defender today from summitgunbroker. It has the standard length mag tube, an 18 1/2" Defender marked barrel on it, an unmarked but absolutely reliable steel +2 extension on it and utilitarian wood furniture. Got into it right, too.



My wife and I shot some clays this afternoon. The old-school Winchester pad worked surprisingly well and this gun isn't punishing at all. It is light and very fast in the hands and a natural pointer from the hip or the shoulder. As long as I snap-shot clays quick, my hit rate with the 1300 was near 100%- better than even with my Browning Light 12. That might have something to do with the fact I spent the last 40 years rocking short barrel shotguns.

I patterned the 1300 at 25 yards on the 11x17 steel 'crack-head torso' plate. This is one round each of Universal #8, one Federal 2 3/4" Magnum 00 buck and a Super X slug. A good spread with birdshot, 7 of 9 buckshot on the plate and the slug printed just a couple of inches above the bead. I think I pulled the slug right just a hair.

Good example on what to do with a new-to-you shotgun, particularly something you might reach for in a tight spot. Function test with a variety of loads and targets. And then actually pattern it to see were POI is.

Thank you for sharing!

Thanks MWN.

Got some trigger time with the old 1300 this afternoon. Top target represents 1 round #8 Universal and 1 round Remington 0 12 pellet buckshot, 25 yards; followed by one Super X 1 oz 2 3/4" slug at 25, 50 and 100 yards. Second pic is close-up of slug results.

Six o'clock hold on all because (like many old riot guns w/no pedestal under the bead) it prints a bit high. Still, wouldn't be embarrassed to take it deer hunting.

Final review, warts and all.

http://www.thesixgunjournal.net/the-model-1300-winchester-defender/

I'd take one over a 870 express or 500 any day of the week. I am looking at the SXP in 20 ga. Winchester pumps have always been under rated except the model 12 which has a cult following.

Having spent some time inside 870s, 500s and now this Winchester, my opinion is the 1300 is the least robust of the three. This only matters if you are issuing them to puppy cops and soldiers- who can break damn near anything.

I had to tweak the secondary shell stop on this 1300 to stop the occasional double-feed. I've had to bend and blacksmith the carriers on 870 Expresses and 500s to get them to feed a shell smoothly. As an old LE armorer, none of this surprises me. All three makers have sent the occasional sorry example out the door and if you use any gun hard for a decade or four, parts eventually need replaced.

I think 1300's are fine as basic field and defense shotguns; and they handle better than the others for me. Probably just the luck of the draw, but this old shotgun fits me better and is more comfortable to shoot than any riot gun I've ever used- and that takes in a lot of them.

Sarge, my experience bears this as well. Having seen all three, plus the Benelli Nova, in use as a police shotgun, the Winchester is easily the least robust. That being said, they are are slick shooting little guns.

You know the world is upside down when the two most reliable shotguns you've owned, in the last 20 years, are an old Browning Auto 5 and a Mossberg 930.

No kidding....

870s have always been bulletproof for me, but I have seen issues on and off over the years. My little Franchi AL48 has, so far, been completely, boringly reliable, and a Beretta A300 I picked up a year or so ago seems to be doing pretty well.

Others have not been so great.

They are all individual machines and subject to problems. They all need to be functioned tested and need range time just like SargeMO did.

Issue a couple hundred of any model to non-gun people, subject them to hard use and low maintenance, and flaws will be exposed. Guaranteed.

I've worked with guys that could break a (big!) ball bearing or a crow bar. If they couldn't break it, they'd lose it.