This is my second pheasant season for my Win 101 maple field model. From the beginning it had a real stiff safety. I thought it would free up some with use. This past week it cost me some shots--either late or never--when I could not operate the safety quickly with heavier gloves on.

A few nights ago, and before the next trip to the field, I took the stock off for the first time to see what the safety mechanism looked like and if I could free it up. Hooray. Once I figured out how it worked--a spring metal piece that slid forward and backward under a ledge (not real technical gunsmithing terms), I was able to slightly bend that piece with a small screwdriver so that it did not have as much spring tension. I applied a small dab of Super Web Grease (from my MEC stash) and it made a huge improvement in the ease of safety operation.

During my next hunting trip I was able to easily disengage the safety with heavier gloves while drawing down temporarily on multiple hens--no roosters flushed in range. I'm ready to go for the next rooster flush.

If you're having the same issue, PM me.

Tom

Good job How is the gun treating you ? Do you like it for fit, finish and felt recoil ?

This is actually my second (FN Model) Win 101 maple, 12Ga, 28" barrels. I bought the first one in Sept. of 2018 with plans for it to be my main fair weather pheasant gun. at 7lbs 2oz, it was 18 oz lighter than my 28" Citori. While getting to know the gun at sporting clays, on the second trip, after about 90 rounds a chunk of wood about the size of a quarter fell out of the bottom of the fore-end near where it mates with the receiver. I was able to find the chunk at the previous station. I sent it in to the repair facility near St. Louis. 3-4 months later they sent me a few gun and I have used that during the 2019/20 season and now the 2020/21 season.

About a year ago I had a gunfitter install some flat and pitch spacers along with a different recoil pad to adjust the fit to be nearly identical to my previously modified Citori for 14.75" LOP.

The maple stock is beautiful with a lot of zebra stripes. Fit and finish is maybe just a little shy of Citori/Cynergys. If it's raining or snowing I carry a Browning Maxus camo with 28" barrels that also weighs 7 lb 2 oz.

In my quest for a lighter weight carry field gun I had thought that I found a real winner in a Lanber I bought new at Cablela's for just over $700 with 26" barrels. It weighed 6 lbs 3 oz. Over a couple of years I decided that I just did not shoot it well; too short, light and whippy I guess. This was despite it fitting me well, as confirmed by my gunfitter. I sold it to one of our hunting partners for a $200 loss.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Tom