Shotgun Forum banner

Restoring my Winchester Super X Model 1

4K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  winmod21 
#1 ·
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.
 
See less See more
#4 ·
I am looking for a for end for a Super X Model One as part of my restoration as mine has a long, lengthwise crack.
Looking for a trap or skeet model. Does not have to be extra fancy wood, just above plain no grain, field model. A nice field model with a little grain might work too.

Thanks
 
#5 ·
OK, I sanded stock and fore end with 220 then 320. I have one coat of Min Wax Antique Oil Finish on butt stock. Waiting for some ZAP Super Glue to arrive later today to repair crack. I will use my old fore end until I find a nice used one. After sanding both looked very good so I may stick with the old fore end if the repair and finishing looks good. Nice feeling to bring my old friend back to life. Hopefully Trap Barrel will be here on Tuesday and the stock finish dry.
First time I tried the Min Wax finish. It is very thin. I did a gun recently with boiled Linseed and was reminded about the very long drying time between coats. I used McCloskey Spar Varnish on a Winchester Model 61 .22 butt stock and it turned out well.

I found a nice surprise when I removed the butt plate. Nu Line Guns put a new, spare, O-ring and Recoil Buffer inside the stock bolt hole.
 
#6 ·
Stock refinishing moving along. A tip I read here on using Zap a Gap superglue worked very well on my cracked fore end.

I bought a barrel listed as "Trap Full" by the seller. It was a vent rib, field, full choke barrel. So back it goes to the seller, a well known barrel selling shop.
So I will have to search for a true, factory stamped, trap barrel in Full or IM.
They are hard to find and cost more than I paid for my X1 new.
I am sticking with the worthy project.
 
#9 ·
Restoration complete.

Received the used Factory Trap IM barrel and it is mint.

Repaired fore end crack on the inside with epoxy and glass cloth. Small outside crack was filled with Zap superglue per fellow SW Member recommendation. Sanded all wood to 320, applied one coat of MinWax Antique Oil and five coats of McClosky's satin, Marine Spar Varnish thinned 3 to 1 with mineral spirits (very light 2 to 1 on checkering with toothbrush). Very, very happy with finish.

Before: Note darkened butt stock water damage from Duck hunting and heavy field use.



After with 30" Trap barrel installed and old 28" barrel below.



I completely disassembled, cleaned and lubed action, and touched up blueing with Brownells Oxpho Blue. It had been 20 years and this video was helpful in jogging my memory.


Total restoration cost after selling my old field barrel to a Shotgunworld member was $150.
Happy to see my trusty old X1 have a new life. Considering NuLine had completely gone through the action including rust proof gas system, it should easily out live me.
A great project for a deserving shotgun.
 
#10 ·
Beautiful job! Congratulations
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top