Winchester Model 1911 S.L. 12 Gauge Long-Recoil Semi-Auto, 28 inch Full Choke, 2 3/4 inch Chamber (Circa 1919)
This Winchester Model 1911 S.L. is a 12-gauge long-recoil autoloader with a 28 inch barrel and Full choke, chambered for 2 3/4 inch shells. It features Winchester WP oval proofs, blued steel construction, and plain walnut furniture. The A-prefix serial range points to circa 1919 production, placing this example squarely within the model’s early-20th-century run.
Condition
Overall Condition: Good condition, showing some signs of prior use and handling.
Bore Overall Condition: Good - Clean, well-maintained, minor wear marks.
Specific Condition Notes: This shotgun shows handling wear throughout. Various areas display scratches and surface blemishes. Finish thinning is visible on high-contact points.
What's Included
- Winchester Model 1911 S.L. 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun
Designed by T.C. Johnson and produced from 1911 to 1925, the Model 1911 S.L. was Winchester’s long-recoil solution during the Browning Auto-5 patent era. It uses a unique barrel-charging system with a knurled gripping panel on the barrel instead of a traditional bolt handle, and a serrated strip runs along the top of the receiver. The design was produced only in 12 gauge, and this example retains the model legend and Winchester WP oval proofs on the barrel and receiver.
This shotgun is configured with a 28 inch steel barrel and a Full choke, paired with a 2 3/4 inch chamber. A single front bead provides a clean sight picture. The tubular magazine holds 4+1 rounds. These concrete features, combined with its long-recoil operation, define the handling and performance profile of this period Winchester autoloader.
Construction is classic early Winchester: blued steel receiver and barrel with a factory plain walnut buttstock and a smooth walnut fore-end. The stock has an uncheckered pistol-grip profile, and the length of pull measures 13.25 inches. The fit and materials reflect the company’s production approach in the 1910s.
Historical context adds significance. The A-prefix serial range indicates circa 1919 manufacture. Approximately 82,000–83,000 Model 1911 S.L. shotguns were produced between 1911 and 1925. The design employed fiber buffer and recoil washers rather than metal rings.
The model is also historically known by the “Widowmaker” nickname, a reference to accidents associated with unsafe barrel-racking practices of the era.