Hi you lucky buggers in the USA

Uk shooter here, that'll explain my earlier remark.

Ok, big fan of usa kit, have 2 rugers and had several before, but that's just background.

I bought a winchester SXP a week or so ago, never shot a pump before but wanted to try for a while.
Settled on the SXP after handling as many pumps of all makes as possible, (not easy over here as they aren't exactly popular)
The SXP retails at £375, (now you see where the lucky bit comes in), compared to upto £650 for the opposition.
I know the turkish background but I'm not a name snob, the SXP felt better in the hand than all the others so I got 1, 26" barrelled for £250 in mint 2nd hand cond.
I had already ordered a few extended chokes from the states, (the only option for many gun parts importation allowing), to give the gun more versatility as I thought the 26" a little short, but as I'm carrying some serious injury I found the gun a superb weight and felt I could carry it a fair few hours.

Anyway, got out and shot it yesterday. It is superb in every way, and shot well as soon as I got over the auto reaction of trying for a 2nd shot without pumping , supose that happens to everyone coming from a semi or o/u? The low comb is something I need, I can pick up any 10 guns and likely 9 will shoot yards high, this doesn't. No bruised cheek bone either. The gun can be cleaned in 30 secs, 1 reason I didn't go semi auto.

I'm well chuffed and a few pigeons aren't, so what wrong with it?

Absolutely nothing except the front sighting bead, I'd like to improve it with a fibre optic 1, again likely sourced from your side of the pond.

What is the attachment thread for the fibre optic bead, and anyone any specific advice on which 1 to go for?

Cheers guys

Ted, right up front let me say I can't answer your technical question. Have you considered one of the magnetic fiber optics that mount behind the existing bead? I know some folks don't care for them, but they do preclude the need to remove the original bead.

p.d. wrote:Ted, right up front let me say I can't answer your technical question. Have you considered one of the magnetic fiber optics that mount behind the existing bead? I know some folks don't care for them, but they do preclude the need to remove the original bead.

Yes boss, seen them but I really am trying to go for something that looks like it should be there, always has been, and is not going to drop off.

Magnetic?, self adhesive?, phhhharrrr, crap, mechanical fix for me,

I understand. Good luck in your quest.

No problems, but maybe you can help me.

As I indicated pump action shotguns aren't exactly popular over here, mention home defence and you would be banned from owning a firearm for life.

The Winchester forum here doesn't appear to be too heavily subscribed to, if I can say that without offence.
Is there a better option regarding USA forums that I could checkout?
Bottom line is I could screw the bead off, but that will only be if I can't find the answer out before hand

Cheers fella

Welcome to the Winchester Owners Forum Ted !!

Good to be here shooter

I'd be really interested if you are able to solve this problem. I purchased the SXP combo today/ Came with the 26 inch vent rib shot barrel and the 18 inch smooth bore slug barrel. I want tru-glo sights for both.

They have a rifled slug barrel that comes with tru-glo sights but it is $219 by itself. So I'd just like to pick up something to replace the bead for now, and maybe even a rear sight if possible.

Please post if you find a solution to the problem. I'll do the same.

I'm not sure about the SXP yet (I have yet to have mine shipped in), but wouldn't it have a similar bead system to the Remington and Mossberg shotguns? Meaning that the barrel is drilled and tapped for a specific thread and the bead is screwed in?

It may just be that Winchester shares the same thread pitch as a more popular model. Also if it's smaller, a gun smith might be able to drill out and re-tap the barrel for a Remington size.

Also XS makes sights that epoxy over the standard bead. Those could also be an option.

Guys, I should have posted back earlier.

I found that the thread is 3mm, and here in the UK Berretta import these. Only cost £4.60 delivered, about $7 in your money.

It makes all the difference to me, looks like it should have been on the gun in the 1st place.

Further to add; I love the gun, I've taken a hair drier to the hideous barrel sticker and now that's gone it looks the part too.

Only regret is we don't get the camo version over here plus the new price is £365 against about $350?? for you. Mine was mint, ex demo at £250.

I can miss with any gun regardless of price

Hope that helps.

PS couldn't find the info I asked anywhere so at the asking price I took a guess, luckily the correct 1.

3mm? Can you be more specific? Do you know if any other make/model of shotguns share the same thread pitch?

More specifically, is it 3-56 TPI? If so, http://www.brownells.com should have plenty of beads that should fit.

There is also this that might fit: http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/7-TG948BR

This is interesting news! Thanks for the update.

No sorry, Berretta offered 3mm or 2.6mm.

I guess you can't get other than the 3-56 thread you mention.

We use a mix of imperial measurement and metric, unlike you that have stuck (rightly) to our standard imp
3-56 tpi, that is threads per inch, is difficult to convert. Go 3-whatever unless you have another 3mm option.

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/7-TG948EG

This maybe?

Similar, the 1 i got was 10mm long. Thread looks the same though.


But for the 1st time ever today I knocked the shotgun over, never ever done similar before.

It was in the kitchen, in a fleece lined sleeve ready to take out.

Knocked it when I opened the door and over it went. Never thought it would chave caused any damage in the sleeve, but...

Drove a couple of miles to the farmland I shoot over and got the gun out and the fibre bead was completely squashed, the full weight must have fallen against the brass zip and onto the stone floor.

2nd/new bead ordered this afternoon.

PS I thing if I had gone with the 1 in your link there wouldn't have been any damage, I'll try and send a pic of the 1 I went for.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/370605684798? ... 1438.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/370605684798?var=640026157722&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Man, it's nice to have some fellow SXP owners to speak with. Seems like we are few and far between.

Ted, let me ask you, what's the best way to get the bead out of the barrel without damaging it? Also, did you only do this to the 28" barrel? I have both the 28" (or 26" maybe) and the 18" defender barrel. I'd like to change the sights on both.

Hi, yeah good to talk, even better for me to be talking across the pond, sure wish we had the freedom you guys have.

Just to give you an idea, the regs on rifles are quite tough, 1stlky you have to prove a need or reason for owning. Basically you have to be a range club member and have written verification that you shoot and attend regularly.
Or as in my case you need written permission from a farmer/land owner and then the police firearms dept inspect the land for the suitability of the calibre you are asking for.

To explain every gun, moderator you apply for is granted separately and listed on your "ticket", so is the max amount of ammo you can buy and hold.
Guns have to be in a specified cabinet, bolts secured separately and the same for ammo.
Semi auto's are a no no, with the exception of .22 rimfire. Pistol are just about out, many now keep theirs in france or italy and travel to shoot.

Now, shotguns are dealt with completely separately on a different ticket.
Everyone has a right to own a shotgun unless the police can find evidence that they are not suitable owners, ie, have a criminal record, mental disorder.
Any number of shotguns can be owned provided they are housed as per rifles.
There is no limit to the amount of shotgun shells that can be bought, and suprisingely no control on how or where they are kept.

Sorry for rambling but I think it's worth sharing our situation with you guys.

OK, the SXP, they had 2 as new examples when I went to my local gun store, one in 28" and a 26" gun.

I'm carrying a few injuries so din't want a heavyweight hence a single barrel gun. I am also to lazy to clean out a semi auto properly after every time I shoot.

The 28" was good, but I felt the 26 was distinctly quicker to swing and given it's shorter length more suitable for hide shooting and walking through the rough stuff.
I also wanted a gun that I wasn't afraid of scratching or devaluing, the SXP is cheap as chips by our price standards.

I was out yesterday and have to admit it's great for the 1st shot, but never having shot a pump I still keep trying for the 2nd shot without pumping, but thats just me.

The thing about it being "a pump that thinks it's a semi" escapes me, the slide stays firmly at the front the way I shoot.

Lack of recoil is great.

I did add a rubber stock extension as the length of pull is short and I have long arms, but I couldn't keep it firmly in place, it kept creeping to 1 side or other, but when I fitted a camo neoprene shell holder over the stock and extension, every thing firmed up and it now fits me perfectly.

I also got hold of some extended pointed chokes from your side of the water, effectively gives the option of a 27 3/4" barrel.

The bead removes very easily, I simply carefully used a pair of locking pliers, (mole grips in our terms), and wound the bead out. I'm pretty sure it has loctite or similar on the threads to stop it vibrating out so I treated the new bead the same way, it really does look like an original fitment.

Anyway, hope that helps and goes to explain why I posted on a USA site in the 1st place, pumps are few and far between over here, possibly one reason being that they are frowned upon at clay pigeon shoots as being difficult to be seen safe.

Man, you guys have it rough over there when it comes to guns. I spent a year at RAF Mildenhall near Bury ST Edmunds. I love England and the people and the places. I had an amazing year in England. I did know though, that you guys have very strict gun laws. I'll never understand why a government would want a populace that cannot protect themselves, unless the government are the ones planning on being the opposition.

Anyway, thanks for the info. That should help me a lot in finding the next front sight for my new toy.

tornado ted wrote:I was out yesterday and have to admit it's great for the 1st shot, but never having shot a pump I still keep trying for the 2nd shot without pumping, but thats just me.

The thing about it being "a pump that thinks it's a semi" escapes me, the slide stays firmly at the front the way I shoot.

I noticed the same thing.

Next time you go shoot though, try allowing your grip on the forearm to relax a little when you pull the trigger. You'll notice the slide does come back, and then tighten your grip and pump it back forward. I think it's going to take some practice for me to get really fast with it. But the slide does come back if you relax the grip when firing.

The thing is, it's not really all that necessary under most shooting circumstances. But technically the gun is capable of Winchesters claims.

Are you using light target loads in your SXP? The one I've shot seems like it works better with the heavier 1-1/8 oz. target loads, the cheap 7/8 oz. loads are lighter to shoot but they don't have the recoil necessary to open the bolt.

I've only tried 2 different shot shells yet, both are 29g, just over 1 oz.

But I still don't quite get how the bolt can open if I'm holding the slide forwards, and the gun is kicking against my shoulder??

It's no issue to me, just don't see what they are getting at

tornado ted wrote:I've only tried 2 different shot shells yet, both are 29g, just over 1 oz.

But I still don't quite get how the bolt can open if I'm holding the slide forwards, and the gun is kicking against my shoulder??

It's no issue to me, just don't see what they are getting at

Well, that's the thing. Don't hold the slide forward. You have to relax your grip.....which is somewhat inconvenient.

New front bead arrived today so we'll try again, I am going to have to put the O/U away for awhile so I can get used to it, still holding for the 2nd shot instead of pumping.

The fact that you have to lesson your grip defeats whatever they claim for the gun in respect of being a recoil ejecting gun, but that means jack shite, I bought it as a pump pure and simple , and it does it's job dam well.

Hey guys, good morning from sunshine Athens.

You are looking for this?



To find the fore sight you want, just go to:
http://www.truglo.com
Optics/firearm
Wing shooting
Second page (the first two items)

Unfortunately I can't copy and paste the URL from truglo.

My SXP came with this already installed.

Enjoy some other views:





Have good time,
Yianni

Hi Yianni,

Quite a cosmopolitan thread we have going here, that's great.

Yes, there are many options, magnetic, stick on and as I was looking for, a direct screw in replacement, the type I linked to as did another guy and of course the 1's in the truglo cat.

The essential point being that if anyone looks at the fitment list that you point to, it is the 3mm thread that is reguired, not 3.56 or 2,6mm etc.

Hope that's clear for all.

You got 5 mins to tell about gun control in your neck of the woods?

Hi Ted,
My SXP is the defender model with 20" barrel that make us the minimum legal leghth of a shotgun in Greece (1meter). I bought it for HD but it become "my gun" in IPSC challenges here. I mostly compete in handguns but I'm having fun with shotgun competitions also.

The reason that I'm writing these is, that if you don't have any specific reason to have your bead exactly 3mm, you should reconsider and aim lower or higher with a stable bead (like what I'm proposing). It is stable and solid after 2-3 thousand shells.

Like in every shotgun without rear sights you should not expect the precision of a riffle, with a little exercise you can bullseye slugs in 50 meters with this fiber optic.

Finally if you don't find any solid bead don't turn back to the metal one. Put any optic fiber and buy a laser shell to put into chamber. There you can examine where is the laser and where is your aim in 5, 10, 25, 50 or 100 meters...

PS: please define, "neck of woods" I'm not into that argo...