Comment: shot a chums model 42 and was smitten. have found several browning repos that seem identical. any one have knowledge of them?

pdavis

Dear Pdavis,

Love the classic Winchester Model 42s? I know the feeling. I’ve got three of them. They are as cute as puppies, but real shooters too.

I had a Browning Reproduction Model 42 made in Japan. It was an excellent gun in all respects except that I found the interrupter a little bit aggressive in that I almost had to push the forend forward a touch after firing to disconnect the interrupter to allow me to pump. Others have not mentioned this problem, so I might be just my sample of one or my way of pumping the gun.

As an astute reader pointed out to me, the original Winchester Model 42s, like the ones I have, also have interrupters designed in so that you can’t pull the forend directly back after firing the gun without giving the interrupter a moment to disengage. But the interrupter on the original M42s requires very light pressure. I really never noticed that they had interrupters at all, until it was bought to my attention by a reader who pays more attention to that than I did.

Of course, I tried to remove the interrupter in my Japanese Model 42, but to no avail. It’s really built in. Others have tried to stone down the interrupter so that it is less “catchy”, but I’ve not seen anyone do this successfully.

Bottom line: if the interrupter doesn’t bother you, the Japanese Model 42 is fine. If you want your Model 42 to sound like a machine gun, stick with the original American-made gun.

Today, a plain Jane field grade real Winchester Model 42 in fair cosmetic, but good mechanical, condition, goes for about $1,500. That sounds pretty high, but that’s what it is these days. The sky’s the limit for fancier models as you will then be bidding against collectors. A little scouring of http://www.gunsinternational.com, http://www.gunsamerica.com and http://www.gunbroker.com will turn up real Model 42s in all price ranges.

Best regards,
Bruce Buck
Shotgun Report’s Technoid