Condition: Good
1970 Winchester Model 101 O/U Shotgun – 3 Barrel Cased Set: 20ga, 28ga, .410 Bore – Japanese Made
On consignment, we have a magnificent Winchester Model 101 Over/Under double-barreled shotgun set, along with matching beautiful factory case. Coming from a unique time in American gunmaking, this shotgun was produced by Olin/Kodensha in Japan under Winchester supervision. This particular example is a standard field model, and is the Skeet submodel. The shotgun set is in Good overall condition, with one mechanical issue, and wear marks visible on the barrels and wood furniture as detailed below. All standard factory markings are present. We believe the former owner to have been an avid skeet shooter.
Condition
Overall Condition: Good condition. All parts, including all barrels, forends, etc are serial numbers matching. The gun’s components are rated as follows:

  • Receiver: Good condition. The stock, buttpad, and all mechanical functions on the receiver are in Good or better condition. The receiver itself shows finish loss to grey, and the stock seems to have finish wear on the comb consistent with a gun that was used for years. Safety and barrel selector work perfectly.
  • 20ga barrel set: Good condition. Excellent bluing and wood forend, with the lower barrel ejector not functioning. Barrel set is on face. Bore is in Very Good condition with no pitting.
  • 28ga barrel set: Good condition. Good bluing overall - oxidization is visible on the bottom behind the forend. Wood is in Excellent condition. The vent rib is loose at the breech end. Ejectors function perfectly. Barrel set is on face. Bore is in Very Good condition with no pitting.
  • .410 bore barrel set: Good condition. The bluing is Very Good with only minor spots of surface oxidation consistent with a used gun of this age. A crack is present on the left side of the wood forend. Ejectors function perfectly. Barrel set is on face. Bore is in Very Good condition with no pitting.
  • Carrying case: Very Good condition. Some handling marks are present, consistent with use for over 50 years. The hinges and latches are in good, tight working order. The upper half of the case has locks which are both present and lock tightly. The red velvet lining is sumptuous and in Excellent condition.

What's Included

  • Winchester Model 101 O/U shotgun
  • 20ga barrel set
  • 28ga barrel set
  • .410 bore barrel set
  • Leatherette carrying case with red velvet liner

The Winchester 101 came about at a crossroads in American gunmaking. The 1960 saw major revisions to flagship American guns like the Winchester Model 70 and many others due to skyrocketing labor costs, and gunmakers were keen to bring quality, affordable guns to market. During this time, Winchester’s parent company Olin contracted with Kodensha, Ltd. in Japan to produce the Model 101 over/under shotgun. Running from 1963, the Model 101’s production under the Winchester name ended in 1987. Since then, these models have kept a loyal base of collectors and shooters who value their exquisite craftsmanship, fine attention to detail, and excellent woodworking expected of a fine double gun. Furthermore, these guns are known to stay strong and on face even after many years of service.
Japanese manufacturing has always had a good reputation, and this example is no different. The Winchester 101 offers a familiar layout for American shotgunners, with the usual latch, safety, and barrel selector in the expected places. The mechanism is crisp and tight, even for a gun of this age that has seen serious skeet use.
Winchester and Kodensha designed these guns both be beautiful as well as tough and durable. The delicate scroll engraving on the steel receiver is paired with gorgeous jeweling on the breech end of the barrels. Chrome plating on the bores of all barrels gives the gun a very long service life. The vent rib on each barrel is also finely checkered to eliminate glare. Front and mid-beads are present for natural alignment when pointing the weapon. To top it off, the gun is presented in a luscious red velvet-lined carrying case with fitted slots for the receiver and each barrel. The case has a divider which is locked in place by two latches, which are both present and in good working order.
This specific gun set is in Good condition. This appears to be the standard Field grade, based on its engraving pattern. Furthermore, the “Skeet” marked chokes on all barrels (all 28” in length), plus the Monte-Carlo type stock, indicate this as a Skeet gun specifically. The receiver is in Good condition with finish wear consistent with a gun used on the skeet range for years. The mechanical condition of the receiver is Excellent.
The barrel sets are in Good condition collectively. The deep salt bluing is collectively in Very Good/Excellent condition, with only minor spots of wear across the three barrel sets. Jeweling across the barrels is in Excellent condition. Each barrel set is on face. Extractors are fully functional. The 20ga barrel set’s lower ejector is not functional. The 28ga barrel set has a loose vent rib.
The shotgun’s furniture is factory standard to the best of our knowledge. The furniture is rated to be in Good condition across all three sets and the receiver, with nicks and dings consistent with a used skeeet gun of this vintage. The forend on the .410 barrel set shows a crack at the left side breech end, as detailed above. The receiver’s semi-pistol grip has its original black checkered grip cap present. The stock appears to have had an aftermarket red rubber Pachmayr buttpad installed.
This Winchester Model 101 is a wonderful time capsule of its era, and stands as a testament to its previous owner’s deep devotion to the shotgun sports, skeet in particular, and is in Good condition. Without a doubt, given attention paid to its specific quirks, it will serve its next owner on the range for many more years to come!
Specifications

  • Manufacturer: Winchester/Olin-Kodensha
  • Model: 101 Skeet
  • Submodel: Field Grade
  • Caliber: 20 gauge, 2 ¾”; 28 gauge, 2 ¾”; .410 bore, 2 ½”
  • Action Type: Double barrel
  • Locking mechanism: Breech locked
  • Firing Mechanism: Internal hammers, single trigger
  • Safety mechanism: Sliding safety catch with barrel selector
  • Magazine type: N/A
  • Capacity: 2
  • Barrel Length: 28 in for each barrel
  • Barrel Material: Steel
  • Barrel Features: Skeet chokes on all barrels; chrome-lined bores; jeweling at breech end; vent ribs; Winchester Proof Steel construction
  • Sights: 20ga set front fiber optic bead with mid steel bead; 28ga and .410 bore barrel sets front and mid steel beads
  • Scope Mount: N/A
  • Receiver Material: Steel
  • Finish: Blued
  • Furniture: Factory standard
  • Furniture Features: Thick red rubber Pachmayr buttpad; Skeet specific Monte-Carlo style stock comb; fine hand-cut checkering on stock and all forends
  • Size: Full-size sporting shotgun
  • Country of Origin: Japan
  • Year Manufactured: 1970