Weapons and Gear => Shotguns => Topic started by: FluffyHitman on October 21, 2009, 08:22:30 pm
Title: Westfield shotguns
Post by: FluffyHitman on October 21, 2009, 08:22:30 pm
I was at the gunstore today and saw a very cheap shotgun, looked to have an 18" barrel, 5 shot tube (estimates on both of those), one of those adjustable chokes that looks like a muzzle break, and it was labelled a Westfield. From what I have found, these are rebranded guns for Montgomery Ward, but I can't find any more about them, because I seem to have gotten the wrong model number. I thought it said model 40, but that model number appears to belong to a .22 rifle, which I am quite sure it wasn't.
Would anyone happen to know about these shotguns, or know of a list of model numbers accompanied by their normal names? The price was around $90, which seems like it would be a very good deal for a shotgun if it is in good working condition. I'm not currently in the market, sadly, but I have a friend that is.
Title: Re: Westfield shotguns
Post by: GeorgeHill on October 21, 2009, 11:03:32 pm
I don't know anything in detail about them... I'll try to find my reference books this weekend and I'll look it up... I believe one of the books had some information... it's just a matter of finding it again.
Title: Re: Westfield shotguns
Post by: Thernlund on October 22, 2009, 01:20:49 am
Are you sure is said Model 40? Maybe it said Model 40N?
The Western Field Model 40N was a 12ga made by Noble for Montgomery Wards between 1953 and 1971.
Western Field was Montgomery Wards trademark brand. It was later shortened to Westfield as I understand it. Many manufactures made these guns, among them Savage, Mossberg, Stevens, Marlin, Remington, and Colt.
These aren't very valuable from a collector standpoint. $90 is probably about right. They are purported to be decent guns though.
-T.
Title: Re: Westfield shotguns
Post by: FluffyHitman on October 22, 2009, 02:07:03 am
I think 40N might have been it, I remember there was something on the end on the model description on the gun, but the tag just said model 40, so I promptly forgot what was after the 40.
If the noble-made pumps are decent guns, I think I will tell the friend that is looking for a shotgun about it. Mostly you see wallhangers for that price.
Title: Re: Westfield shotguns
Post by: Thernlund on October 22, 2009, 02:12:43 am
They were considered ok back in the day I'm told. Just another department store gun. Something you wouldn't mind having dropped in the mud while trudging across the back 40.
-T.
Title: Re: Westfield shotguns
Post by: FluffyHitman on October 22, 2009, 02:24:26 am
Okay. One thing I noticed was that you didn't need to hit the slide release to rack the pump repeatedly, is that a very bad thing? I really know jack about shotguns.
Title: Re: Westfield shotguns
Post by: Deer Hunter on October 22, 2009, 08:19:44 am
I think that's pretty neat actually, haha.
Title: Re: Westfield shotguns
Post by: Beamish on October 22, 2009, 11:27:03 am
Slam fire here you come...
Title: Re: Westfield shotguns
Post by: Thernlund on October 22, 2009, 11:28:22 am
How would that produce a slam fire? ???
-T.
Title: Re: Westfield shotguns
Post by: bmitchell on October 22, 2009, 11:48:39 am
If it doesn't lock into place the bolt might SLAM back when FIRED? Like if you remove the recoil spring from a self-loader?
Ben
Title: Re: Westfield shotguns
Post by: Beamish on October 22, 2009, 11:55:32 am
...but that has nothing to do with what sounds like a broken slide release.
That was kind of the genesis of my question. The slide release shouldn't matter I'd think.
-T.
Title: Re: Westfield shotguns
Post by: FluffyHitman on October 22, 2009, 02:11:01 pm
Yeah, it would be pretty cool, but I'm pretty sure you can't do that with a Winchester model 12 or Ithaca 37, I'm pretty sure I've tried on accident once or twice, forgetting that you need to hit the slide release.
So is the slide release vital to the operation? Will a broken one cause OOB firing, or will it just make it possible to unload really quickly?
Title: Re: Westfield shotguns
Post by: Beamish on October 22, 2009, 02:12:05 pm
Not every shotgun has a slide release. I presumed this shot gun did not have one and would just let you work the slide at will. So it is not broken - it is simply not manufactured with the same "safety" features on a more modern shotgun.
Title: Re: Westfield shotguns
Post by: FluffyHitman on October 22, 2009, 02:18:13 pm
Except I'm pretty sure it had one, but it just sort of wiggled when I pushed it, felt like it wasn't connected to anything.
I could be thinking of a different gun, though. I was looking at a lot of them.
Title: Re: Westfield shotguns
Post by: g.willikers on October 22, 2009, 04:28:46 pm
There used to be many off brand shotguns around, especially at local guns shows and flea markets, for well under $100. When that's all I could afford, that's all I had, and they were just fine. In the real world they did everything the brand names could. One was a Stevens pump, bought for a whopping $45, that developed an interesting condition. When the round went off, the slide came back on it's own, ejecting the shell. All I had to do was push the slide back into battery and shoot again. It was almost an auto loader. Never did try to fix it. It was too neat the way it was and was perfect for the shotgun side matches at our local club.
Title: Re: Westfield shotguns
Post by: bmitchell on October 23, 2009, 09:11:41 am
That's exactly what the Charles Daly did when the recoil spring removed itself. Of course, once I realized it I'd have to have a really good reason to shoot it that way again.
Ben
Title: Re: Westfield shotguns
Post by: wildsailer on October 23, 2009, 02:06:39 pm
i had a ithica 37 that if you fired a round and kept the trigger back when you cycled the action it would fire pump fire pump fire pump fire.
Title: Re: Westfield shotguns
Post by: Daylight on October 23, 2009, 03:00:32 pm
Re: the Ithaca 37, this is not an issue of a manual slide release, but a trigger disconnect. Model 37 does have a manual slide release located on the front of the trigger guard.
The lack of a trigger disconnect allows the weapon to be fired by cycling into battery with the trigger depressed. Trombone firing is a quick way to put a quarter pounder with wads down range, but I can't recommend it as a way to put rounds on target.
Firing a modern pump gun requires releasing the trigger after each shot so it can reset.
Perhaps one of the armorers could comment it lack of a disconnect in a design makes for fewer parts.