1901 Winchester lever action shotgun: Is it an approved shotgun.

["Big Boston"]

My friends estate has a 1901 Winchester shotgun, and it's for sale. The 1901 isn't specifically mentioned in the rules, but it is newer than 1899. If I can't legally use it for the odd match, I'll likely pass on the purchase.

 

I'm not here to argue or make a case for it, I'd just like to know definitively, if it can be used as a main match shotgun.

 

TIA

 

BB

[Blackwater 53393]

Simple answer! YES!!

[El Sobrante Kid]

Be aware that all 1901's are 10g.

[Rough 'N Ready Rob]

3 minutes ago, El Sobrante Kid said:

Be aware that all 1901's are 10g.

What he said.

[Blackwater 53393]

They also don’t like 2 7/8” shells if you’re using brass shells! I used 2 7/8” plastic shells with a roll crimp and they worked well!  For brass shells, I used 2 5/8” OAL when I loaded two because the bottom shell didn’t want to go into the magazine.

 

Edited December 26, 2025 by Blackwater 53393

["Big Boston"]

11 minutes ago, El Sobrante Kid said:

Be aware that all 1901's are 10g.

 

Thanks, I was aware of that. I frequent most of the local gunshows and my quest was to find ammo for him. After about two years he said to me, you can stop looking now, I have enough to last me a lifetime. And he was right, as there is still about 3/4 of a box of factory ammo left. 

 

 

I suppose it's about time I put this tool to work. IMHO it has seen very little use, I've never used it.

 

BB

 

[Blackwater 53393]

I still have my 10ga hammer double! I also have lots of ammunition for it!  I stumbled onto a dedicated 10ga reloading press about a year ago and the next thing I bought was a hundred primed shells and a new bag of wads. I already had three boxes of 10gs brass shells and all the components to service them several more times.

 

There’s also a partial box of original Winchester XX shells that I got from a friend.

 

10ga can be addictive!! 😜🤣

[Cusz M. Dutch SASS Life 55326]

I have been wrong before but i think the 1901 was the Smokeless Powder model upgrade.  

[Leroy Luck]

46 minutes ago, Cusz M. Dutch SASS Life 55326 said:

 

I have been wrong before but i think the 1901 was the Smokeless Powder model upgrade.  

 

That is correct

[Blackwater 53393]

1901s were proofed for smokeless powder!  
 

You can produce thunderous results with black powder in a 1901 with no worries!!  Much more fun!!!

 

Edited December 26, 2025 by Blackwater 53393

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

The 1901 run of '87s was the last run of any Winny '87.

Only run proofed for smokeless powder. Only 10ga was made.

It does have a shorter chamber than today's 10 ga does....

[Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428]

I have an 87 in 10ga. It is a blast, literally!  Hope for a little wind, because after a couple shots you will have to go by memory to hit the next targets if it is still and the smoke just hangs there!  I love it!  You will too.  

Edited December 26, 2025 by Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428

[Blackwater 53393]

5 hours ago, Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428 said:

I have an 87 in 10ga. It is a blast, literally!  Hope for a little wind, because after a couple shots you will have to go by memory to hit the next targets if it is still and the smoke just hangs there!  I love it!  You will too.  

I shot first on the first stage at the Alabama State Match one year and used my 1901 for the shotgun string. I was shooting 80gr loads of FFFg!

 

One of my shots produced a smoke ring that was about six feet in diameter and it hung over the shotgun targets for the next four or five shooters!!  After that, most of the posse begged me to shoot last!!🤣

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

dang , something else , I want 

 

   CB 

 

    

[Cusz M. Dutch SASS Life 55326]

15 hours ago, Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001 said:

dang , something else , I want 

 

   CB 

 

    

Most fun u can legally do with your clothes still on

[Blackwater 53393]

My 1901 had a 32” barrel!!  There were lots of KDs that I could almost shove over with that gun!  I would shoot Black Powder most of the time, but occasionally, I’d break out some smokeless rounds!

 

Those smokeless rounds are pretty potent and sometimes when I completely missed a target, it would fall anyway because of the concussion!  It often befuddled and amazed spotters and TOs, but the most fun was those times when a static target became a knock down!! 🤪🤣 That happened quite often, actually…

 

[Cusz M. Dutch SASS Life 55326]

23 hours ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

My 1901 had a 32” barrel!!  There were lots of KDs that I could almost shove over with that gun!  I would shoot Black Powder most of the time, but occasionally, I’d break out some smokeless rounds!

 

Those smokeless rounds are pretty potent and sometimes when I completely missed a target, it would fall anyway because of the concussion!  It often befuddled and amazed spotters and TOs, but the most fun was those times when a static target became a knock down!! 🤪🤣 That happened quite often, actually…

 

Just love it when the RO would start whining before you even shot that canon with BP!

[Blackwater 53393]

7 hours ago, Cusz M. Dutch SASS Life 55326 said:

Just love it when the RO would start whining before you even shot that canon with BP!

Several years ago, I was on a great posse at The Black Gold Shootout, (the posses at that match are all always great) with Nuttn’ Graceful, Titus A. Gnatsass, and Bitterroot Jake.  We were all shooting full house Black Powder loads, Titus in Frontier Cartridge and the rest of us shooting Frontiersman!

 

Tennessee Tombstone was the posse marshal and usually took the first portion of the stages as TO.  Around the third stage that first day, we noticed that he was handing off the timer when a couple of us darksiders were ready to shoot. He’d time one Black Powder shooter, but never more than that.

 

On the last stage, the four of us waited until he took the timer to begin the stage and we quickly lined up at the loading table, right after the first shooter!! The look on Tombstone’s face when he saw the four of us standing there was ABSOLUTELY PRICELESS!! 🤣

 

We all still laugh about it every time we get a couple of us together somewhere!!! 
 

And yeah! Tombstone laughs about it too!!😜

 

 

Edited December 28, 2025 by Blackwater 53393

[watab kid]

been an interesting thread - i learned a lot i didnt know , thanks