hand made guns went away in 1964. as mentioned, the 1400 was what they banked on to combat the 1100. they lost.
quirks of the m50:
1. the stock bolt would loosen and cause the stock to become loose. recalls were implimented to no avail. some worked, some didnt. issue now is, people own guns made up from parts and dont know of the recalls and what to look for.
2. forearm bolt would crack forearm when gun heated up from use. metal expanded in field from use, shooter retightens bolt. shooter went home, gun cooled in gun cabinet.........metal contracted....crackola.
3. recoil spring needs continuous adjustment to ensure bolt doesnt crack receiver on recoil. spring new is 13". when a spring hits 10", bolt will strike receiver. most people dont even know of this quirk.
4. 20ga m50's do not have replacement springs available. oem or nib 20ga springs are hens teeth. wolfee has 12ga springs.
5. gun needs cleaning after daily use. action can clog up after only 250 rounds.
6. trigger groups were made of alloy. guide holes for pins would wear, misaligning the group in the receiver.
7. there are 3 hammer assy's out there. 1st, modified, and new design. 1st hammer was designed like a m12 and would hang up on second notch causing ad's. recall called for the removal of this notch. by 1956, the new hammers were being installed w/o the notch. again, since this gun design has been parted by so many people, there is no way to track what is done to what gun.
8. an overpowered ejector would toss hulls 25 ft. a recall called for filing it down to reduce throw.
9. the featherweight and proceeding model 59 were flops. receiver cracks spelled doom for the 50-59 lineup. they were glad to get rid of it. owners hated dealing with it. they wanted a simple gun. the model 50 wasnt one.
pros:
1. its a heavy gun. for clay shooting, thats a good thing.
place a m50 receiver next to a m12 and youll see why they call it the semi auto model 12.
2. built like tank.
3. 1st american gun without a recoiling barrel on the receiver. split hairs all you want, but it doesnt recoil and effect your sighting.
4. could be had in numerous grades with the same quality engravings as a model 12 pigeon.
5. last of the best hand done fixed choking from winchester. i never had a gun with a blown pattern or holes.
6. no plastic parts on the gun. ok...(buttplate and red bradley bead.)
7. softest recoiling semi on the market. i'd put it up against new guns today.
8. workhorses....my club stocks loaners of m50's exclusively.
since i like tinkering, it doesnt bother me...clean, oil, adjust, throw them back in the rack and away it goes for another decade. and i always store my forearm screws loosened so the wood moves. you should too.
countless hundreds of model 50's have passed thru my hands. last count in the safe puts me at 18 of them right now. all grades. i like em. besides, they were made in my home state. my uncle worked on them. they have a special spot in my life. that goes for model 12's too.
ask away in the future. be glad to help.
