Winchester Model 100
The Model 100 surprised me with its simplicity. Being a bit of mechanical nerd, I simply had to disassemble the rifle not only to see how it worked but also to inspect and clean it. The Model 100 has a traditional walnut stock like most firearms of the era. Bedded inside this carved wooden stock, the receiver and barrel of the rifle are bolted down. Midway down the bore is a downward facing gas block with a gas tube that receives the gas piston.
The piston is attached to a yoked set of operating rods made from flat bars. Two op-rods reach behind the bolt carrier and hook forward to attach to it. The return springs are mounted in front of the magwell and push the back of the gas piston boss.
The reciprocating charging handle is attached to the right op-rod and extends out near the bolt carrier. The bolt itself is a three-lug rotating bolt with dual-spring ejectors and a sliding extractor that snaps over the case rim.
On top of the receiver, the rifle is drilled and tapped for a Weaver scope rail. I mounted a Leupold VXII 4-12x40 riflescope, which I figured would be a good match for the rifle as it is a similar vintage. The rear sight folds down when not in use, and the front sight had lost its hood.
At the front of the rifle, the front screw that secures the barrel does double time as a swiveling sling connection. The shouldered bolt allows tension to be applied to secure the barrel but also allows the sling loop to rotate.
Shooting the Model 100
Having previously mounted the scope to the rifle, I grabbed a few boxes of ammunition that I had available, including a couple boxes of Norma Whitetail hunting ammunition with 100-grain bullets. I also brought a box of Hornady American Whitetail ammunition, which also featured 100-grain Interlock bullets.
My son and I ventured into the dry deserts of Arizona to test out the function of the rifle. Semi-automatic rifles such as this one are challenging to boresight without tools. But I had taken the time to boresight it while I had the rifle disassembled, so it was ready for zeroing as soon as we reached our spot.
Initially, it was hitting a little high, so I adjusted the scope to correct the impact. We shot through our first box of ammunition just getting familiar with the rifle. The short 22-inch barrel made the rifle handy to quickly point and shoot. I prefer shorter barrels, so I found this one to be an excellent concession, as the .243 typically uses longer barrels like 24 and 26-inch lengths, to maximize velocity.
At 7.5 pounds the rife was neither heavy nor ultralight but felt in-line with rifles of the time. The soft-recoiling .243 Winchester cartridge made the rifle comfortable to shoot. I’d imagine that chambered in the bigger .308 Winchester, it would take a significant step up in felt recoil. But for a modest deer hunting rifle from the ’50s, it was perfectly acceptable even for a petite or young shooter.
Accuracy
To test accuracy, I laid the rifle across the top of my bag and fired a few groups from a prone position. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Being a bit of a rifle junkie, I had high expectations. But knowing this was a rifle from another time, and not knowing its history or baseline accuracy, all I could do was shoot and see.
A typical group from the rifle averaged around 2 MOA, which is not what I am used to. But for a lot of general-purpose hunting, I expect it would be fine, particularly if you are not shooting any farther than 100 yards.
Five rounds fit neatly into the steel box magazine, which is secured by a steel lever at the front of the magwell. The rifle does lock back when the magazine goes empty, and you can either remove the magazine under pressure of the bolt or hold it back by the charging handle while removing the magazine with your other hand.
Pros & Cons
I approach older rifles like this one with a little different perspective. I never expected this rifle to shoot 1/2 MOA bugholes, nor did I expect it to replace my other hunting rifles. Instead, I imagine someone my father’s age, a young hunter back in the ’50s or ’60s, happy to have a rifle and hoping to sneak up on an unsuspecting deer. This little Winchester fit right in with technology of the time.
While the accuracy might not be what we are used to with today’s rifles, it is certainly enough to be useful. The rapid repeating capabilities of the Model 100 also give the shooter additional backup. And with a five-round detachable box magazine, you won’t miss for lack of trying.
The rifle is certainly handy and easy to manipulate. The trigger was better than I anticipated, and the break felt like a decent AR trigger break. The quality finishes of the old New Haven plant were quite apparent in this rifle, as the bluing and wood finish work looked great despite decades of use.
Aside from the accuracy, I didn’t care for the sling setup. It left few ways to reconfigure the sling situation, but again, this rifle comes from a time where there were few other options.
Final Thoughts
It’s never a dull moment around here, even when old guns are involved. I really enjoy revisiting guns that came before my time, and it’s easy to imagine myself using these older rifles in my hunting adventures – knowing that despite being less than I am used to, I could still get it done the same way my ancestors did.
Many rifles like this one are available all over the country, in gun shops and closets or right here on Guns.com. This one can easily be found in the very affordable ballpark of $300 or $400. Many modern rifles wouldn’t stand up to the same test of time while looking as good, and with the Model 100, you’d have a classic Winchester in your collection, too.
