A while back, my daughter was pretty busy and asked me to sight in her slug gun for her, a 20 gauge Remington 1100. Having always used 12 gauge slug guns, I was shocked, it was like shooting a cap gun compared to the 12's, and I decided right there and then that I needed a 20 gauge slug gun for myself.
I decided that this gun (whatever it was), was going to be pretty, and a shooter. I had my mind on a Winchester 1300, because I especially like the way the barrel fits into the receiver, and the idea was to have 2 barrels, a smoothbore slug barrel and a fully rifled one, along with accompanying scopes for each, so I figuered the 1300 was ideal, as despite an aluminum receiver, it's drilled and tapped from the factory so I could put weaver bases on it, and after all, weaver rings were the original 'quick remove and return to zero' rings.
So search I begin, and my first find, and the birth of the gun is a piece of wood on Ebay. This piece of wood is advertised as a rough cut stock from the Winchester factory for a 1300, but I am more inclined to believe that it's really for a Winchester 275. Incidentally, a Winchester 275 is a 22 magnum pump manufactured between 1964 to 1973, and they had a deluxe model with some very fancy walnut. The receiver was smaller than a 1300, but because it was a rough cut stock, I figuered I could make it work.
When I got the stock, a 1300 stock bolt wasn't long enough, which confirmed for me that it was for a Winchester 275, and no prob, I could make a stock bolt for it. The stock had promise of being a very nice piece of wood, and since I didn't have the gun yet, I started fitting it to a 12 gauge 1300 because the receiver on a 20 is the identical size.
After about 8 hours of sanding, fitting and prepping the wood for finishing, I start to finish it with tru-oil. I don't remember how many coats later, but I had a stock I was pleased with. the wood was a bit short for the metal overlap at the top of the receiver, but it was workable for me.
All this time I am searching for a gun on the gun auctions, and locally, and cannot find one that has a drilled and tapped receiver in 20 gauge, they are a dime a dozen in 12 gauge, but I cannot find one in 20 gauge. And I don't have the option of buying a new one, because Winchester isn't making them anymore. FINALLY, after about a year of looking, I find a sorry excuse for a 1300 Ranger on Gunbroker, and since it had a drilled & tapped receiver, I rescued the gun from a pawn shop somewhere out in Minneapolis, because the way things were going, I didn't forsee myself finding another one anytime soon and said to myself, I can make this work.
The gun finally arrives at my FFL, and I go pick it up, a sorry excuse indeed for a 1300, LOL, rust on the slug barrel, a remchoke wrench, and a Remington plug for the magazine(which allows 3 shells in a 1300 magazine), just so you know. I stripped it, cleaned it, blued what I had to and now was making headway on my new gun.
Next problem was I needed a forend to match the stock(somewhat anyway), and I want something with no checkering on it and fancy wood. I recall in the back of my head that a gun shop about an hour and a half from me had a Winchester Model 12 forend in a box of junk wood in the corner of the shop, so I take a ride with the pump tube of the 1300. I find it in the shop, unfinished and cracked at the tip, but I have to cut the tip off anyway because a Model 12 forend is longer than a 1300. It looks as though I can modify it to fit the pump tube with a little work, so I procure it for 10 dollars, and I'm on my way home with it.
I fit and finished the Model 12 forend on the pump tube, and then I order the rings, bases, recoil pad, etc. and put the whole thing together. I put a Bushnell Banner 1.5X4.5 scope on it for the smoothbore slug barrel, took it to the range, and it's shooting 3 inch groups at 100 yards with Winchester foster slugs, so I was a happy camper Here is the completed gun.
I have a Bushnell Elite 3200 scope in 2X7 power for it also for the fully rifled barrel, but still can't locate a rifled barrel, and Winchester isn't making them anymore, so I keep searching the auctions.
I carried this gun hunting this year, and while I didn't get a shot at a deer, it is such a pleasure to shoot and carry, somehow, I don't see myself carrying a 12 gauge anymore. Just thought I would share.
