Guns International #: 102216809
Seller's Inventory #: 211
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Guns International #: 102216809
Extremely Rare Winchester Model 40 Semi-Auto 12 Gauge - Exceptional Condition
Description: The Winchester Model 40 was a short-lived American 12 gauge self-loading shotgun manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company for only one year, 1940 to 1941. It isn’t even in the Winchedter catalog. Winchester's second self-loading shotgun design, the Model 40 was Winchester's unsuccessful attempt at re-entering the semi-automatic shotgun market. The design heritage of the model 40 dates back to 1911 with the Model 1911 Winchester's previous offering which Winchester attempted to sidestep many of John Browning's patents. As a result, John Browning sold his patents to Remington. By the 1930s, sales of semi-automatic shotguns by Winchester's competitors were booming; this spurred Winchester all the more to create a self-loading shotgun that could immediately be competitive with other offerings from its competitors. This new shotgun would be known as the Model 40. The shotgun was introduced in Winchester's 1940 catalog. After its introduction, Winchester attempted to sell the firearm through an advertising campaign; the Model 40 was touted as being a streamlined design that incorporated a number of new features and was very smooth to operate. However, despite Winchester's best efforts, the Model 40 was commercially unsuccessful, even more so than its predecessor, mainly due to a number of design flaws. With the firearm being commercially unsuccessful, along with reports of design flaws with the shotgun, Winchester decided to not refine the design further and stopped production the next year in 1941. After stopping production of the Model 40, Winchester issued a recall of the firearm, reportedly, owners who did send in their Model 40s received not a repaired Model 40 from Winchester, but a Model 12 instead, along with a note telling them to "forget about Winchester making a semi-automatic shotgun", with Winchester converting most of their tooling for the war effort. The Model 40s recalled by the Winchester factory were presumably disposed of, apparently by lining them up on railroad tracks and having them run over by passing trains. In essence, the Model 40 is a long recoil-operated semi-automatic shotgun, where the barrel and bolt are locked together when the bolt moves to the rear, with the barrel unlocking later on when a new cartridge is chambered; a coiled spring brings the barrel back into battery after it fires. The Model 40 was heavily based on the Model 1911 but featured an actual side charging handle due to the expiration of Browning's patents. As it was based on the Model 1911, the Model 40 suffers from almost all the same faults, such as splitting stocks when the fiber washers acting as recoil rings wore off causing excess recoil. The weapon uses a four-round tube magazine. Field and Skeet variants are known to exist; the main difference between the two is the addition of a Cutts compensator on skeet models and a Poly choke on the field models in an attempt to reduce recoil. It did not. This gun is in exceptional condition and I believe it to be one of the few variants known to exist with the Cutts choke in Winchester's attempt to reduce recoil. With only approximately 12,000 guns made in one year of production, and most recalled you can understand the rarity. The variant makes it even rarer. Reference to the Model 40 can only be found in Winchester's 1940 catalog. Layaway 1/3 down 90 days Shipping: $125 Fully Insured Payment: Personal Check, Money Order, Cert. Check, or Zelle randywine2000yahoo (703) 858-2881 Returns without damage or alteration within 3 days of delivery minus a 20% restocking fee Curio/Relic: Yes Shotgun Gauge: 12 Gauge Manufacturer: Winchester Model: 40 Serial Number: 103xx Barrel Length: 27 Condition: Excellent Metal Condition: Excellent Wood Condition: Excellent Bore Condition: Excellent Action: semi-auto LOP: 13 7/8 Finish: blued Manufacture Date: 1940 Chokes: Poly Price: $6,999.00 Buy Now Contact Seller |
Guns International #: 102216809
Seller's Inventory #: 211
Guns International #: 102216809
Seller's Inventory #: 211