The "Widow Maker
- Thread starter onpoint
- Start date
Some guns and rifles and hand weapons were labeled with monikers...Widowmaker was one such.
Speaking only for my reference, the Canadian Ross rifle was termed Widowmaker....basically for it's straight-pull bolt action which caused a few problems.
Tho, as I recall, the problems were overblown.
I asume the OP used the same term for his new scattergun purchase. My only knowledge of the 1911 was I thought it was winchester's response, a rather poor response, to the Browning Auto 5.
I could well be wrong.
I reckon that one could make a long list of names, labels and monkiers attached to guns, rifles and handguns.
Speaking only for my reference, the Canadian Ross rifle was termed Widowmaker....basically for it's straight-pull bolt action which caused a few problems.
Tho, as I recall, the problems were overblown.
I asume the OP used the same term for his new scattergun purchase. My only knowledge of the 1911 was I thought it was winchester's response, a rather poor response, to the Browning Auto 5.
I could well be wrong.
I reckon that one could make a long list of names, labels and monkiers attached to guns, rifles and handguns.
onpoint
Active member
I guess you're too late to take advantage of the Winchester offer to trade you even for a brand new model 12.
You now need a one each of Win models 59, 12 and 21.
That way you'll own two of the finest Winchesters ever made....and two others.
I have 2-model 12's(12 & 16) a model 97 16ga, a model 50 12ga and a 1911SL 12ga now.
I would love a model 21. I have watched them on the gun auction sites for some time now. I had a 42 410 pump and a Browning remake of the model 12 in 28ga. Sold them both. Looking for another 42.
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Now, why the 1911 was dangerous. It had no bolt charging handle. You had to compress the barrel to operate and cock the gun. The last of the 1911's were built in 1925
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Model_1911
Quote
"Design and safety flaws
The novel method of charging the 1911 could be potentially lethal if done incorrectly. Shotgun cartridges of the time were often made of paper, which could make the cartridge body vulnerable to expansion when exposed to moisture in large quantities. If this happened in the 1911, the barrel would have to be cycled in order to open the chamber so that the swelled shotgun shell could be removed. Some users mistakenly cycled the barrel by placing the butt of the weapon against the ground and forcing the barrel down. In this position, the muzzle of the weapon would be pointing towards the face of the user, and the swelled shell could fire, injuring or killing the user. This situation could be avoided with adherence to safety procedures common to handling firearms, in particular, the practice of keeping the weapon pointed in a safe direction at all times.
The potential for slam fire when clearing jams was not the only flaw in the 1911's design. The system of buffer rings used to reduce the recoil (two fiber washers[4]) when the weapon was fired often failed. The breakdown of these rings greatly increased the recoil when a round was fired. The gun's "hammering recoil" caused many a stock to split.[3]
The sales of the "mechanically ill-fated" weapon lagged significantly behind those of Remington's and Browning's autoloaders,[3] and Winchester ceased its production in 1925, after producing almost 83,000 of them.[2] As recently as 2005, four people accidentally shot themselves with the 1911 while loading or clearing the weapon.[5]
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If using it correctly and following the safety manual you would be perfectly safe but few followed those rules.
Here's a video of a fellow shooting one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DuTjVxDL1g
jnormanh
New member
I only ever owned one 28 ga gun, a Winchester single shot my uncle gave me to shoot my first pheasant, but I'd love to own more of them. I've shot many borrowed 28s, and they'll do anything I want to do, are light as a feather and no recoil.
Back in the day Winchester factory shooters hunted pheasants with M42s and they were deadly. Today those old 42s are really expensive.
The only .410 I owned was a Mossberg pump.
At the time there were several of us who thought we were hot shot quail shooters. We shot released birds on a huge, 7000 acres plantation. The owner had three rules posted:
Rule 1: Don't shoot the dogs.
Rule 2: Don't shoot the guide.
Rule 3: NO DAMN .410 GUNS!!!!
Well, we knew him really well, so one time we each took along our .410s and got him to agree to let us use them.
After the third covey flush, and only two birds down for three of us he said: "Okay, that's enough! Put them damn .410s back in the truck!"
Michigan Gunner
Member
Some guns and rifles and hand weapons were labeled with monikers...Widowmaker was one such.
Speaking only for my reference, the Canadian Ross rifle was termed Widowmaker....basically for it's straight-pull bolt action which caused a few problems.
Tho, as I recall, the problems were overblown.
The main problem with the Ross was that you could incorrectly assemble the bolt which would leave an unlocked bolt when you fired the rifle. The result was that you would eat the bolt upon discharge which was never for the best.
Lock and Load!