Just picked up a used Field grade 101 with fixed full/mod chokes in a trade.The gun locks up tight and appears to have been carried but not shot much.It seems to fit me quite well and am thinking about using it for sporting clays.(Perhaps have choke tubes installed)Any thoughts or opinions on these guns from the experts out there?
Winchester 101
- Thread starter BAC4
- Start date
I have owned 3. A 20 field, a 12 field, and a 12 sporter with tubes. I really liked all three in the field but found the recoil a little much for target shooting. A few smiths told me the recoil was due to very sharpe forcing cones. I asked have cones lengthened in the sporter but the smiths I delt with told me that the cones would be difficult to do because of the chrome lined bore. For the same reason they are very difficult to have tubed. That was 12 years ago. I do not know if smiths would be more advanced now or not?
Chrome bores? are you sure?? I don't think so,But I have been wrong before. I have a skeet/skeet ( I use for magpies and around the yard)
Old but a goodie, Got cheap because stock had been chopped
for a kid.
P.S. if yours is like mine ,there is not enough steel -too thin- for the threads
Old but a goodie, Got cheap because stock had been chopped
for a kid.
P.S. if yours is like mine ,there is not enough steel -too thin- for the threads
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Actually I am not sure. I am going by what the smiths told me. They called them chrome lined, but I think the term used by Winchester was chrommolybendamin (better check the spelling of that word eh!). Anyway I was told that it was difficult to hone or thread for tubes, and the way I had it explained was that from chamber to choke was lined with this stuff. If I owned a 101 now, I would look into it further.
PS: wish I had my 20 back! It was 28 inch full and mod and the best pheasant gun I ever shot!
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I believe the 101 did have chromed bores which would make them harder to modify. I never thought the recoil issue of the 101 was because of short forcing cones but the design of the stock.
I owned a 101 three-barrel skeet set and a 28 gauge Diamond Grade skeet both of which were sent to new homes when something else caught my attention.
I owned a 101 three-barrel skeet set and a 28 gauge Diamond Grade skeet both of which were sent to new homes when something else caught my attention.
101
I've owned a couple but the only one remaining is this variant. It's a " Classic Doubles 101 " which is the same as the Wincheter 101 made by the same company that carried the Winchester brand. The name was changed and production continued on after WInchester discontinued importation.
This is a " Classic Skeet " with very nice wood fit and finish. Screw in winchokes with a ported 27.5 inch barrels.
Nice robust guns that serve well on the clay ranges or in the field.
I've owned a couple but the only one remaining is this variant. It's a " Classic Doubles 101 " which is the same as the Wincheter 101 made by the same company that carried the Winchester brand. The name was changed and production continued on after WInchester discontinued importation.
This is a " Classic Skeet " with very nice wood fit and finish. Screw in winchokes with a ported 27.5 inch barrels.
Nice robust guns that serve well on the clay ranges or in the field.
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beretta boy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Orillia, Ontario
My first 32" Sporter was a Win 101 Diamond Grade Trap gun ... originally the top barrel was a fixed "Full" which I had taken out to .015" ( about Lt. Mod.)
with the bottom barrel a Winchoke tube. Shot some very good scores with it, and was finally made an offer I couldn't refuse for it ... it went ... overseas !
Also owned a couple of standard 101's in 12 & 20, A classic Doubles Skeet in 12 and 20 and a Classic Doubles 4 Barrel Skeet set. Still wishing I'd popped for a Clasic 201 SxS in 20 !
All good guns !
Generally speaking, the 101's will have sufficient meat in the barrels for installation of Briley "Thinwalls". For Sporting, I wouldn't feel too handicapped with a pair of fixed Light Modified chokes ... i.e., .015" top & bottom.
with the bottom barrel a Winchoke tube. Shot some very good scores with it, and was finally made an offer I couldn't refuse for it ... it went ... overseas !
Also owned a couple of standard 101's in 12 & 20, A classic Doubles Skeet in 12 and 20 and a Classic Doubles 4 Barrel Skeet set. Still wishing I'd popped for a Clasic 201 SxS in 20 !
All good guns !
Generally speaking, the 101's will have sufficient meat in the barrels for installation of Briley "Thinwalls". For Sporting, I wouldn't feel too handicapped with a pair of fixed Light Modified chokes ... i.e., .015" top & bottom.
Thanks for the info B.B.I'll get it out and try it on the skeet field and some 5 stand and see how it performs.I tried going out today but the weather made me turn around and go home.(Couldn't see past the hood of the truck)I like the idea of the fixed light mods and that may be an option in the future.
Cheers Bac4
Cheers Bac4
beretta boy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Orillia, Ontario
You will no doubt find Mod/Full to be a bit of a handful at Skeet (you either "smoke" them [if you're "on", you're "on"], crack them or miss them completely ! [and if your not, your not] ) but O.K. for 5 Stand. More than once I've just left the Lt. Mod. chokes in an O/U or semi and just shot .... a couple of rounds of Skeet, a couple of 5-Stand ... then out the back for a 100 Sporting. Surprising how well you can do when you focus on the targets and not fiddle with your loads/chokes at every Station.
Skeet targets are invariably shot at something like 22 yards or less. Most 5-Stand Target presentations are 30-35 yards ... and often closer, and for the most part, most Sporting set-ups are well within the 35 yard range, with only a few really "long" stations. I watched a fellow shooter shooting 60 yard crossers with a 20 ga. with Imp. Cyl chokes ( that's all he had with him in the gun ... he'd forgotton the rest at home somehow ) you should have seen the breaks he was getting ... with Kent 7/8 oz target loads of 8's. Optimal ... probably not, but as I recall he was "even" with the shooters using lots of choke in 12 ga. with 1 & 1-1/8 oz loads of 7-1/2's.
One of the nicest rounds of Sporting I witnessed another fellow shoot was at Uxbridge a couple of years back .... a 96/100 with CYLINDER chokes left in for the entire round. (And two of the rabbitts he missed, he likely would have missed anyway ... no matter what choke or load he was using ... bunnies were his personal nemisis ! )
Trap on the other hand ... well, light mod is generally just not enough for the steady diet of 34 yard + targets from 16 ... and certainly not enough for the
stuff from the back fence.
Yoiu should be able to get the existing chokes reamed/honed out for something like $50 - $75 per tube. With 101's, it's also worthwhile, IMHO, to have the forcing cones lengthened and polished at the same time.
Skeet targets are invariably shot at something like 22 yards or less. Most 5-Stand Target presentations are 30-35 yards ... and often closer, and for the most part, most Sporting set-ups are well within the 35 yard range, with only a few really "long" stations. I watched a fellow shooter shooting 60 yard crossers with a 20 ga. with Imp. Cyl chokes ( that's all he had with him in the gun ... he'd forgotton the rest at home somehow ) you should have seen the breaks he was getting ... with Kent 7/8 oz target loads of 8's. Optimal ... probably not, but as I recall he was "even" with the shooters using lots of choke in 12 ga. with 1 & 1-1/8 oz loads of 7-1/2's.
One of the nicest rounds of Sporting I witnessed another fellow shoot was at Uxbridge a couple of years back .... a 96/100 with CYLINDER chokes left in for the entire round. (And two of the rabbitts he missed, he likely would have missed anyway ... no matter what choke or load he was using ... bunnies were his personal nemisis ! )
Trap on the other hand ... well, light mod is generally just not enough for the steady diet of 34 yard + targets from 16 ... and certainly not enough for the
stuff from the back fence.
Yoiu should be able to get the existing chokes reamed/honed out for something like $50 - $75 per tube. With 101's, it's also worthwhile, IMHO, to have the forcing cones lengthened and polished at the same time.
if the barrels on your model 101 were chrome lined, they can be altered to change the choke with a carbide reamer. this process will cost somewhat more than regular choke alterations because of the cost of a carbide reamer and other equipment.the chrome lining can be ground off and a regular reamer used , but a carbide reamer is your best bet.
Thanks for the replies.I'll give it a go with the fixed chokes for a bit and see how I do.I can always use my Beretta 391 if it doesn't work out.I took the gun in on a trade and it seems to fit me well so I thought I would play with it a bit.Now I just have to take it out and see if I can hit anything with it.(lol)
Cheers BAC4
Cheers BAC4
beretta boy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Orillia, Ontario
Yes ... had an early one ( 67 or 68 vintage) marked "Skeet" with 3" chambers !
I have two 101's one field grade 28 in and the othr a trap model with a 30 inch barrel. Both bought used. Recoil not a problem with handloads. 1 oz, 17 grains 700x 1195 fps. The trap model has a worn hinge pin and I am looking for someone to repin it or turn he pin, I also have a model 12 trap gun in the original packing, Don't shoot it too much but it is a beautiful firarm and a excellent shooter. Mostly now I use my 1187 or an american arms sterling O&U. Interesting enough the trap ghun has two full choke barrels, don't know why. Great guns .
