You guys will know, regards Winchester 1400??

[Nath]

Spill the beans please on Winchester 1400 12g auto's.
I know the 1300 and love them but how do the guts fair on the 1400?

N.

[GunnyMack]

From what I remember of the 1400, they like to be kept CLEAN. If memory serves, there is a plastic piece that joins mag tube to receiver that is prone to breakage( I haven't seen a 1400 since '93 at gummsmiff skool)...
That said, if you are really intrested in picking one up I'd say look for parts availability before pulling the trigger!

[Pete44ru]

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A couple of husbands ago, I bought my oldest Daughter's first husband the Sears & Roebuck economy version of the Winchester 1400 (aka: Sears Model 300).

Even though the Winchester 1200 (pump) & 1400 (autoloader) were known here as a gunsmith's best friend, IMO it might make a difference, depending upon the individual gun - since neither he not I had a lick of trouble with it in the 3 years before that Daughter kicked him to the curb (I haven't seen him since, so IDK if the gun's still OK).

.

[gamekeeper]

My local dealer has one for £350.00, I'm a bit miffed though, he got it for nothing off another dealer who thought it wasn't proofed, I pointed out that it had German proof marks and was legal to sell, I wish now I had kept my mouth shut and offered him £20.00 to take it off his hands.....

[rgates]

I purchased a Model 1400 MkII in 1979 to shoot skeet. Put many hundreds of rounds through it with no problem. In about 1998 I bought a second used 1400 in case I needed parts. Basically I now have two Model 1400's and have had no problems with either of them. Cleaning every 200 to 300 rounds has kept them shooting just fine. No broken parts or malfunctions of any kind.

[Nath]

Thanks guys. Not sure now! Maybe pass on it, sounds like a flintlock is more reliable!

N.

[marlinman93]

I bought a Winchester 1400 back in 1981 when the Winchoke was an option, and I paid the extra for the Winchoke barrel and 4 chokes. It has never failed to function flawlessly, and it rarely gets a thorough cleaning in all these decades. It's a wonderful gun, and that's coming from a Marlin fan. I'll never sell it, and absolutely love it. Used it for bird hunting, and weekly trap shoots for most of it's life, so it's seen many thousands of rounds through it. Still shoots as well as it did when I bought it new.

[Nath]

I bought a Winchester 1400 back in 1981 when the Winchoke was an option, and I paid the extra for the Winchoke barrel and 4 chokes. It has never failed to function flawlessly, and it rarely gets a thorough cleaning in all these decades. It's a wonderful gun, and that's coming from a Marlin fan. I'll never sell it, and absolutely love it. Used it for bird hunting, and weekly trap shoots for most of it's life, so it's seen many thousands of rounds through it. Still shoots as well as it did when I bought it new.

Thanks, that puts a different slant on it.
I noticed they don't use gas to unlock. Does it unlock like the 1300? As in the rear of the bolt assembly is released and in turn rotates the bolt head?

N.

[marlinman93]

The 1400 uses a two piece bolt with the bolt face that turns to lock it, and a disconnector to keep it locked until it's fired, or the release is manually overridden to allow it to open with a round chambered. It's foolproof, and mine has never failed. I have cleaned the gas tube once or twice since 1982, but never found much to clean out. I've used almost exclusively 18 grs. of Red Dot with 1 oz. of #7 1/2 shot, and Win. AA casings for it's entire life. Rarely seen a factory loaded round in it's life.