Winchester 140 automatic shotgun.

[DanISSELisdaman]

Have any of you guys ever seen a more uncomfortable shotgun to handle or shoot than the 140 model Win. Whoever engineered that model should have been fired. The only thing in the right place on them is the trigger. The safety is in front of the trigger guard, the button to release the action couldn't be in a worse place and is very tight on most guns that I have seen and the forearm feels like a fence post. The balance is just awful. Comparing it to a 1100 Rem. in like comparing a Rambler to a Mercedes. I have one that was left to me by my brother that passed away and though it will always be a keeper, it wont see much use.

[CitizenBBN]

Sadly by the 1980s Winchester and other once great American gun makers were turned into licensing companies that would slap their name on anything for the right money, and also turned to making cheaper and cheaper guns.

IN fairness they were losing market share to cheaper guns, including cheaper Chinese imports, but too many sacrificed quality to too great a degree.

Remington for example has the 870 and 1100, both are reasonably priced overall, and the Mossberg 500 is ubiquitous. Winchester just turned out a lot of cheaper stuff in that era.

Ruger managed to be cost competitive and still make quality, Mossberg, and some others, but Winchester just went the way of licensing. I just bought a Winchester safe today, it's just a rebrand but sufficient for my needs.

I have a Browning 20 I've used forever, and like the 1100, but I don't really shoot enough shotgun to be too picky. My favorite is my old Fulton side by side.

[DanISSELisdaman]

You're absolutely right, they sacrificed quality all across the line. I have a Rem. 1148 Super mag turkey gun, and love it. It just fits in every way. They have much less recoil than the Mossburg Super Mags too.