How To Tell

Y

yournodaisy

New member
Ok guys,

I just bought a late 60's early 70's Winchester 101 in about 95% or better condition. The gun is tight and smooth. I'm just curious if there is a way to tell if it's been shot a lot. I know it can be difficult to tell but thought I would throw this out there anyway. The woods beautifull and fits great. 12ga with 24 tubes.
Another question is where do you measure the barrels length? Where it meets the receiver or in front of chambers? Thanks. I'm more a rifle dude. I paid $ 800.00 out the door for it.
 
You can kinda tell, but not really. The more worn out the bluing is on the action bar and inside the receiver, the more it has been shot. If there is still 50% or more bluing on the action bar, its probably has less than a couple hundred rounds is my guess.

To measure barrel length, unload the gun, close the bolt and drop a dowel down the barrel, then mark it with a marker. Its my understanding that shotgun barrels include the chamber in the length.
 
If the lever is to the right of center, then it most likely hasn't been shot too much.

The above mentioned method of using the dowel is correct; you measure the entire length from the breech when closed
 
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The proper way to measure any fixed breech (non-revolving) firearm's barrel length is to drop a rod downbore from the muzzle to the face of the closed/cocked breechface & mark the rod at the muzzle prior to withdrawing the rod and measuring the distance to the mark.

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If a shotgun's been shot a lot, but well cared-for, the usage may not be readily apparent, but excessive wear to the action can usually be determined with a detailed inspection.

The FP holes should be perfectly round, and the breechface perfectly flat around it/them.

The barrel(s) of double guns can be checked for fit via removing the forend, upending the gun, and trying to wiggle them in place with one hand on the barrel(s) & the butt tucked under the other arm to steady it.

Any more than a very slight tolerance movement would usually indicate some wear to the barrel pivot point (on either barrel or action), of (at the very worst) a bent or cracked receiver - all of which put the barrels "off face".

While being off face can be indicated by a top lever sitting not to the right of center when the action's in the closed position, that indicator isn't reliable except for the most badly-worn guns - IOW, some guns may be in fact "off face" even though the opening lever position looks ok.


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Great gun.......but

Keep an eye on the pivots, they should be well greased. It's also a good idea to purchase snap caps. You can then store the gun with the hammer springs relaxed.

The old 101's are notorious for felt recoil. It's generally accepted that the pitch of the stock is incorrect for most folks.

That can be corrected by altering the pitch and installing a good modern recoil pad like a Pachmeyer decellerator.

Check with your local trap or skeet club to find a good stock fitter. The key to accuracy with a shotgun is fit.

A shotgun is pointed, not aimed.......thus the fit of the gun is critical to both your enjoyment (recoil) and your scores or number of birds in the bag.

If it's an older 101 Briley can do screw in chokes for it. Their thin wall chokes are expensive, but they are one of the few who can properly install chokes in an old 101.
 
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