POTD: Winchester Model 59 Standard Grade Win-Lite Shotgun
Sam.S 09.14.21
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a picture of a Winchester Model 59 semi-automatic 12 Gauge shotgun. These were called “Win-Lite” shotguns since they only weighed in at 6.5 pounds. The receiver is aluminum and the barrel is fiberglass shrouding a steel barrel. They had fixed chokes and operating systems extremely similar to future Winchester shotguns. These shotguns had a short run in Winchesters catalog, but were very popular amongst bird hunters for the weight and versatility. I personally had the chance to take one apart and clean it and I was extremely interested to know more about it. It is very light! So light in fact that it feels slightly fragile.
“Manufactured from 1960-1965. Steel and fiberglass barrel, aluminum alloy receiver, left in the white. Standard markings and receiver field and marsh scene engraving. Single brass bead sight, 2 3/4 inch chamber, choked WS-1 and mounted with a checkered walnut forearm and pistol grip stock with a checkered black plastic Winchester buttplate. Length of pull is 14 inches.”
Lot 3600: Winchester 59 Shotgun 12. (n.d.). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved September 13, 2021, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/54/3600/winchester-59-shotgun-12.
