Posted by Jason Brumett
The Super X Pump is the latest version of Winchester’s Model 1300 “Speed Pump,†which hasn’t been made since 2005. Introduced in 1978, the 1300 was an improved Model 1200, which was the notorious low-cost 1964 replacement of the legendary Model 12. While both the 1200 and 1300 suffer in comparison to one of the greatest shotguns ever made, they were a good value, finding a niche competing with the Mossberg 500 and the Remington 870 Express. The 1200 and the 1300 both feature a rotary bolt that unlocks and opens very quickly and is the secret to the action’s speed.
The 1300 was made in the New Haven, Conn., Winchester plant until it closed in January 2006. At the time, Winchester management agreed with the union not to make the 1300 for three years. Winchester re-engineered the gun, renamed it, and found a Turkish vendor to produce it. Those guns are coming into the country now in 3-inch, 12-gauge, both as an 18-inch, cylinder-bored Defender model and a field gun with a 26- or 28-inch barrel. My test gun was a field model with a 28-inch barrel.
Make: Beretta Model: 687 EELL Diamond Pigeon Caliber: 12 gauge
In Italian, EL stands for extra lusso (extra luxury). The EELL designation takes that quality to an even higher level. This is an over-under with the feel and allure of a classic g...(more)
Make: Beretta Model: TX4 Storm 12 Ga Caliber: 12 gauge
New for 2010, the Tx4 presents yet another solution in Beretta’s line of home defense options. The shotgun incorporates decades of Beretta’s experience perfecting the...(more)
Make: Beretta Model: Sako 85 Limited Anniversary Series Caliber: .375, .416 Rigby, .450 Rigby, .500 Jeffrey
Sako’s Limited Anniversary Series Rifle is based on the Sako 85 L and new for 2011 XL actions. These actions offer traditional Sako 85 features such as: mechanical ejection,...(more)
Make: Browning Model: Citori 625 Caliber: 12 ga, 410, 20 ga Designed By: Browning Make Year: 2011
Browning 625 Citori is as much a work of art as it is a firearm. I would personally not want to take this gun out and attempt to walk through briars or hop barb wire fences. I woul...(more)
Make: Winchester Model: 94 Short Rifle Caliber: 30-30 Win., 38-55 Win.
The 30-30 Winchester or 38-55 Winchester Model 94 Short Rifle is a compact model 1894 the same gun that the company has been selling for well over a century. The model 1894 was fir...(more)
