I pulled my old friend Super X1 out of the safe and have decided to do a long delayed restoration and conversion.
The conversion involves replacing the factory 28 inch, VR, modfied barrel with a 30 inch Winchester "Trap Full". I plan to use this for trap shooting. I will refinish the stock and will likely replace the fore end as the original is badly cracked. The factory "Trap Full" barrel was more money than I paid for the shotgun in 1974. I hear good things about Winchester X1 trap barrel chokes and they are hard to find. I will also reblue the receiver.
I used my Super X1 as my main Pheasant and Duck gun for over 30 years. I never shot better with any shotgun before or since. I sent it off to NuLine Guns and they completely went through it. Funny, I got a phone call from one of their gunsmiths and he asked whether the shotgun was still functioning. I said it had been acting up a little. He said it was the most internally worn Super X1 they had ever seen. It had literally started to "digest" some parts. This was due to 30 years of shooting my favorite Duck and Pheasant handloads - 23/4 inch AA hull pushing 11/4 or 13/8 oz of number 5 or 6 hard shot at 1,330 - 1,350 fps. This was a hot "Baby Magnum" load. On real warm days I would sometime shake a primer or two out of the action. I shot Ducks and Pheasants at some unbelievably long distances with lead of course. Pretty much any straight away Pheasant was downed which led to some wonderful long retrieves for my Springers. As many of you know the Super X1's are built tough and I sure torture tested mine.
It will now live a more retired life as a Trap gun. I may sell my modified barrel as I have a Beretta 391 that serves as my Duck and Pheasant gun. I will post it in the Classifieds here if I sell it.
My old X1 will receive a restoration and put back into a use it deserves.
I might even break it out for some wild Rooster hunting in South Dakota.
The conversion involves replacing the factory 28 inch, VR, modfied barrel with a 30 inch Winchester "Trap Full". I plan to use this for trap shooting. I will refinish the stock and will likely replace the fore end as the original is badly cracked. The factory "Trap Full" barrel was more money than I paid for the shotgun in 1974. I hear good things about Winchester X1 trap barrel chokes and they are hard to find. I will also reblue the receiver.
I used my Super X1 as my main Pheasant and Duck gun for over 30 years. I never shot better with any shotgun before or since. I sent it off to NuLine Guns and they completely went through it. Funny, I got a phone call from one of their gunsmiths and he asked whether the shotgun was still functioning. I said it had been acting up a little. He said it was the most internally worn Super X1 they had ever seen. It had literally started to "digest" some parts. This was due to 30 years of shooting my favorite Duck and Pheasant handloads - 23/4 inch AA hull pushing 11/4 or 13/8 oz of number 5 or 6 hard shot at 1,330 - 1,350 fps. This was a hot "Baby Magnum" load. On real warm days I would sometime shake a primer or two out of the action. I shot Ducks and Pheasants at some unbelievably long distances with lead of course. Pretty much any straight away Pheasant was downed which led to some wonderful long retrieves for my Springers. As many of you know the Super X1's are built tough and I sure torture tested mine.
It will now live a more retired life as a Trap gun. I may sell my modified barrel as I have a Beretta 391 that serves as my Duck and Pheasant gun. I will post it in the Classifieds here if I sell it.
My old X1 will receive a restoration and put back into a use it deserves.
I might even break it out for some wild Rooster hunting in South Dakota.