Winchester Super X3 shotgun

It is considered normal practice for weapon manufacturers to re-release legendary weapons with modern modifications. The Winchester Super X3 semi-automatic shotgun is an updated version of the Winchester Super X2, which was developed on the basis of the famous Browning Gold.

In this case, the main improvements were made to the design of the gun, which became more modern and aesthetic. The Winchester Super X3 smoothbore semi-automatic shotgun is popular both in the hunting community and among sports shooting enthusiasts. This gun is considered one of the fastest in the world, as it is capable of firing five shots in half a second.

The Winchester Super X3 gas-operated semi-automatic machine is reliable, has good balance, is light weight, it looks great and is easy to use. It has a number of modifications, allowing every gun lover to choose a worthy copy.

Historical reference

In 1855, Horace Smith, Daniel B. Wesson and S. S. Palmer founded the Volcanic Creeping Company. One of the shareholders of the new company was Oliver F. Winchester, a clothing manufacturer from New Haven, Connecticut. The company produced the Volcanic repeating rifle with reloading using a lever trigger guard. In 1857, Winchester became the largest shareholder, the company's name changed first to the New Haven Arms Company, and ten years later to the Winchester Refining Arms Company. Winchester is the most recognized and respected gun brand in the world.

In 1992, a company owned by Browning created the Winchester Super X2 semi-automatic model based on the Browning Gold model, and the Super X3 semi-automatic is a direct successor to the Super X2 model. The changes affected primarily the aesthetics of the gun, giving it a new shine and even transforming its individuality.

The Super X, produced from 1974 to 1981, was a major success for Winchester, followed by the Super X2 in 1999 and the Super X3 in 2006.

General description of Winchester Super X3

Winchester Super x3 is a smoothbore shotgun with a wide range of models for hunting and sport shooting. This is a balanced and reliable 12-gauge model, which has a large number of operational capabilities, has a low weight of up to 3.4 kg and a barrel length of 660 and 711 mm. Its lightness is ensured by the fact that the under-barrel magazine tube in combination with the receiver is made of light alloy metal.

The metal of the block and barrel is matte in color, which harmonizes with the wood. The red line on the last is a new design solution. The SX3 lettering is also red, and the Winchester lettering is clearly visible on the opposite side. The silver-gray matte slide adds a unique personality to the weapon. The stock shock absorber is mounted on a synthetic base, which is attached to the butt. The heel of the butt pad is made of a harder and more gliding material, which makes insertion easier, since the friction of the heel on clothing is reduced when the butt pad moves vertically towards the shoulder.

The design of the stock has adjusting shims that allow you to adjust the gun to the shooter, based on his anthropometric data. The ventilated rib adds sporty style. The barrel is 26 or 28 inches long (660 or 711 millimeters, sometimes 810 mm - Super X3 Field Extra Barrels), on which there are two white front sights. Bore drilling Back-Bored Technology.

Manufacturer: Herstal Group - Browning International SA

Characteristics

Country: Belgium / Portugal
Type of weapon: self-loading rifled carbine with a longitudinally sliding bolt and rotary locking of the barrel bore
Weight: 3.1 - 3.15 kg (depending on caliber, barrel length and version)
Caliber: .270 WSM / 30.06 Sprg. /.300 Win.Mag. / .7 x 64 / .308 Win. / 9.3 x 62
Magazine capacity: 2, 3, 4 rounds
Barrel length: 470, 530 mm
Overall carabiner length: 1010, 1070 mm
Average cost in the world: $1200 - $2000 (depending on the chosen model and its design)

Description

The Winchester SXR Vulcan rifled semi-automatic carbine with a rotary sliding bolt has been produced since 2007 in Belgium / Portugal by the arms company BROWNING INTERNATIONAL SA, part of the transnational company Herstal Group.
Since 2006, the Herstal Group Corporation has owned the American Winchester Repeating Arms Company and Browning Arms Company, as well as the Belgian arms company FN Herstal. Today BROWNING INTERNATIONAL SA

in Europe it also produces weapons under the Winchester brand.

The Winchester SXR Vulcan carbine is designed to hit targets “at a glance” at short distances - mainly for driven hunting. It is factory zeroed with Winchester cartridges at a distance of 90 m.

The operating principle of the automation is based on the use of the energy of exhaust powder gases, which are supplied to the piston through a system of special gas outlets. The pressure created by these gases causes it to move.

And with the help of additional rods, levers and weights, it acts on the bolt group, which moves to the rearmost position, thereby ensuring the opening of the barrel and the ejection of spent cartridges, as well as the compression of the return spring.

Subsequently, from the release of which all moving parts of the bolt group return forward and a new cartridge is fed into the chamber.

Winchester SXR Vulcan bolt action

The main feature of the Winchester SXR Vulcan carbine is the rotating bolt, which has 7 lugs and a special adjustable gas exhaust system.

Thanks to the design of the bolt, the barrel is rigidly locked, which has a positive effect on the accuracy of the weapon. And adjusting the gas outlet allows you to adapt the weapon to different types of ammunition.

The barrel is made of especially strong steel by cold forging.

Performances

Winchester SXR Vulcan Battue

Winchester SXR Vulcan Black Tracker

The carbine has been produced in two modifications since 2007 - Winchester SXR Vulcan Battue and new in 2015 - Winchester SXR Vulcan Black Tracker. The first model uses 530 mm long barrels with a caliber of .270 WSM / 30.06 Sprg. /.300 Win.Mag.

/.7 x 64 / .308 Win. / 9.3 x 62 in cross-section can be either standard round or with flutes. The second barrel is shortened to 470 mm with flutes and can only be made in .308 Win calibers. / 30.06 Sprg. /.300 Win.Mag. / .9.3 x 62.

Sighting elements

A Battue-type sighting bar and a front sight adjustable in horizontal and height are used as sighting elements. The stock and fore-end in all modifications are made of high-quality walnut wood, which is sanded, impregnated with oil and coated with a special protective coating. For the Winchester SXR Vulcan Black Tracker, stained wood is used.

Cross type fuse

To block the trigger mechanism when the weapon is in a non-combat position (when carrying, charging, storing the carbine, etc.), a transverse type fuse is used. It is located on the trigger guard, just behind the trigger.

The power button is quite large, which is very convenient. The mechanism is easy to use. By simply pressing the button on the right side the trigger is immediately locked. The carbine is in safe mode.

Click on the left until the red bar appears, and the weapon is again in ready mode.

Detachable box magazine

The magazine capacity, depending on the caliber used, can range from 2 to 4 rounds.
Optical mount

The Winchester SXR Vulcan carbine can be equipped with a variety of optical, red dot sights and night vision sights. For mounting a wide variety of brackets and adapters on the receiver there are 4 holes identical to the Browning BAR.

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Technological features

First used in 1990, Back-Bored technology was a technological breakthrough. Back-Bored barrels have a larger bore diameter than standard barrels. Increasing the barrel diameter significantly improves its technical characteristics. The larger bore diameter reduces the friction of the shot shell against its walls.

Instead of losing energy to friction, the powder gases act with greater energy on the bottom of the wad, thereby increasing the speed of shot exit, since the pressure of the barrel walls on the shot shell is reduced, individual pellets are deformed less. The spherical shape of the shot shell has better ballistic characteristics, which improves shot fall. Barrels made using Back-Bored technology allow you to achieve excellent ballistic performance of a shot:

Increasing the speed and depth of shot penetration.
Improvement of shot talus. Accuracy and uniform scree – more targets hit.
Reduced returns by 6%.

But this drilling of the barrel bore requires a more careful selection of wads when independently loading cartridges, especially for winter hunting. The set includes 5 choke constrictions of the INVECTOR PLUSE system; the gun is suitable for chokes such as Stainless steel Invector Plus, Briley, Midas, which allow you to shoot cartridges loaded with steel shot.

Winchester sx3 was designed for hunting large migratory birds. It has a high rate of fire, and its reload speed allows it to fire up to 12 shots in 1,442 seconds, a record set by Patrick Flanigan in April 2007.

To commemorate the occasion, Winchester released the 12-gauge Super X3 Flanigan exhibition/sporting model, named after the famous marksman. It is an exact replica of the gun Flanigan uses: red anodized receiver, synthetic stock with Dura-touch coating.

The magazine capacity is 4+1 rounds. The gun works with cartridges having different charge powers. A special seat is provided on part of the stock for optical devices.

The Winchester sx3 is sold in a hard plastic case with the Winchester logo on it.

Peculiarities

The rate of fire guaranteed by the manufacturer is 5 shots in 0.49 s. This semi-automatic weapon is the fastest in the world. A special feature of the Winchester Super X3 is its automatic mechanism and distinctive barrel drilling.

Features of automation Winchester sx3 has a gas exhaust automation system. The principle of its operation is that the gas cylinder is equipped with a piston with a built-in active valve. It is necessary in order to regulate the powder gases that come from the holes in the barrel at the moment of firing. When the pressure in the gas cylinder exceeds the permissible threshold, a spring located in the piston releases excess gas. They are discharged through exhaust ports located between the fore-end and the barrel.

Powder gases entering the gas chamber act on the piston and a plastic collar with a rod attached to it, due to which the action occurs on the bolt. Relieving excess pressure allows you to use cartridges of different power, reduce recoil during a shot and increase accuracy. The "active valve system" automatically adjusts to the projectile used. The piston has a short stroke, so the automation operates very smoothly and softly, without losing speed.

SX3 Composite Sporting

Features of the barrel Back-Bored technology is used to drill the barrel bore. The barrels are manufactured with an increased bore diameter of up to 18.8 mm, due to which the friction of the shot on the bore walls is reduced and the shot speed is significantly increased. The shot itself is practically not deformed during movement in the barrel and retains its aerodynamic characteristics and ballistic qualities. It is much easier for the shooter to calculate the exact hit of the bullet on the target, since deviations and errors are reduced to a minimum.

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Winchester Super X3 design

The Winchester Super X3 shotgun is available in three and three and a half inch (76 and 89 mm) chambers. The Winchester Super X3 Combo model is also sold in Russia (with interchangeable barrels, but not with a fully rifled bore, but with a smooth one). A special feature of both the rifled bullet barrel and the smooth one is that it is equipped with an aiming bar for mounting optics/collimator. The Winchester Super X3 Combo model has this strip welded to the barrel of the weapon.

Taking into account the height of the seat and the height of the sight itself with the bracket, the result is a very high optical line of the sight above the barrel, which results in a completely different weapon retention compared to a conventional smoothbore gun. To eliminate this drawback, almost all manufacturers make a stock with a high comb, but in this model of gun this point in the design of the stock is not taken into account intentionally, because The gun is also equipped with a smooth barrel for shot shooting.

From an automatic point of view, the Super X3 is a gas-operated semi-automatic. The main element of the gas system is the patented Super X3's Active Valve gas regulator with two gas pistons. Its use makes the extremely reliable Winchester Super X3 not only compatible with virtually all types of factory ammunition, but also reduces recoil when fired, thereby increasing shooting comfort. The gas exhaust valve operates independently of the gas piston, which makes this gas exhaust system more efficient.

The Winchester Super X3 semi-automatic does not have such design elements as the magazine cut-off and its fast charging system, which are characteristic of the Browning Fusion Evolve model. The design of the bolt of the Browning Fusion Evolve shotgun is somewhat different from the design of the semi-automatic Winchester Super X3; the latter does not have a cartridge limiter in the bolt. But both semi-automatic machines function reliably with domestic igniter caps, unlike Italian models. The safety is located at the rear of the trigger guard and is made more intelligently than that of the Browning Fusion Evolve, since its design prevents foreign objects from getting under the button. It can be manipulated with gloves, but when switched it makes an audible click.

Due to the widespread use of composite materials and alloys, the weight of a semi-automatic machine can vary from 3.0 to 3.3 kg, depending on the design options. Winchester designers have improved the design of the gas piston, as a result of which the semi-automatic Winchester Super X2 and X3 have very comfortable recoil even when firing magnum class cartridges with heavy shot loads. The outside of the gun barrel is spray-coated with a durable aluminum-based compound, which dramatically increases its anti-corrosion properties.

The barrel design allows the use of both optical sights and collimator sights. Of course, such results can be achieved by using sub-caliber bullets: Remington Copper Solid, Federal Sabot Slug, Winchester Partition Gold, Winchester Hi-Impact .50 Sabot Slug. In this case, there would be no need to obtain permission to purchase rifled weapons.

Design

The stock is made of synthetic material and treated with a special Dura-touch coating that prevents slipping. The stock and fore-end have a refined shape, which increases maneuverability when handling a semi-automatic weapon. The hard drive barrel has a chrome-plated bore, is made of nickel-plated steel, and is top coated with Perma-cote, which provides increased resistance to external influences. The barrel is equipped with an aiming bar designed for mounting optics and a collimator. The gun comes with 5 muzzle tubes.

Winchester SX3 design

The box has special holes for installing optical mounts. Models are available with 76 and 89 mm chambers.

For the manufacture of the receiver, ergal is used - an aluminum alloy that weighs 10% less than conventional weapon steel.

The magazine has a quick loading system, for this reason it does not have a magazine cut-off. The double-sided safety is located at the base of the trigger guard. Its design is convenient, it can be manipulated even with gloves, and foreign objects cannot get under the button. The trigger is moved back and has a short stroke. The trigger force is 2500 g. The bolt design does not have a cartridge limiter. The removable trigger mechanism makes cleaning the weapon easier.

The Winchester sx3 kit is equipped with 2 replacement Sporting clays gas pistons. Each weighs 62 g. They have different markings and are designed to fire cartridges with different weights.

The Winchester Super X3 is produced as both a hunting and sporting rifle. Depending on the purpose, the designs have some differences. Hunting rifles come with camouflage-colored stocks and special gaskets for adjustment. In shotguns for clay pigeon shooting, the chokes are unscrewed manually, and in hunting models using a key. Sports models (Winchester Super x3 sporting) have a red receiver.

Technical characteristics of Winchester Super X3

To date, several modifications of the Winchester Super X3 semi-automatic smoothbore shotgun with a gas-operated reloading mechanism are being produced. Their most common technical characteristics include:

12/76 caliber;
5-round magazine;
660-760 mm barrel;
weapon weight 3-3.4 kg;
under-barrel tubular magazine;
gas vent recharging;
convenient location of the safety on the back of the trigger guard (with color indication of combat readiness);
possibility of instant reloading (after shooting ammunition, the bolt is fixed in the open position).

The Winchester Super X3 shotgun has enviable versatility of use, a low price compared to semi-automatic weapons of this class, unique ease of maintenance in the field with a minimum of tools or even no tools at all, as well as standard structural reliability and guaranteed service life.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Winchester Super X3 semi-automatic shotgun has many advantages, such as:

high rate of fire;
use of ammunition of any power (shot load from 24 to 56 g);
light weight of the weapon;
aesthetically pleasing appearance;
a wide range of models for hunting and clay pigeon shooting;
the ability to adjust the bend and length of the butt using special inserts;
soft recoil during firing;
high hit accuracy, uniform shot distribution;
maneuverability and versatility;
flawless operation of automation;
ease of maintenance.

Among the disadvantages, it should be noted the likelihood of scratches on the forend. Without proper care, severe contamination forms on the gas outlet mechanism. Problems may occur when working with ultra-short sporting bullets.

Reviews from hunters about the modern Winchester Super X3 model are mostly laudatory. There are no complaints about either reliability or combat performance. Of course, the design and control features may raise questions for some, but this is a matter of personal preference. The gun is distinguished by its ease of mounting, which is very important when hunting migratory birds. Winchester Super X3 has good balance. It is convenient to hunt geese in the field and woodcock and hazel grouse in dense undergrowth. The Winchester Super X3 shotgun is very accurate. The weapon does not require adaptation or getting used to it. When firing with powerful charges, the recoil is small, so aiming 2-3 shots goes quite quickly.

The Winchester Super X3 is a gun that stands out from its competitors from other gun companies. It has a lower cost compared to Italian models, but is not inferior to them in its technical characteristics. An excellent option for hunting and sport shooting.

The Winchester Super X3 shotgun is distinguished by high quality materials, excellent appearance, it fits comfortably in the hand, and is light in weight. The process of shooting and hunting gives the owner only positive emotions; the gun satisfies all operational and aesthetic requirements. The speed of the shot and its accuracy, the maneuverability and adaptability of the gun, the ability to operate in any conditions - these are the main advantages of the Winchester sx3 and the reason for choosing it for hunting and clay pigeon shooting.