Winchester-Western Low Brass Shells
 

A mention of the compression formed Winchester Xpert in another thread got me using up some of my social isolating time researching the history.

From the 1930s into the early 1960s Winchester's low brass shell was the RANGER and Western's the Xpert. For 1964 the Olins went to a plastic hull they called Poly-Formed for the RANGER and Xpert.

Attachment 85714

This was the RANGER and Xpert to 1970. In 1971, a new compression formed low brass shell UPLAND replaced the RANGER in the Winchester line and the Xpert in the Western Line.

Attachment 85715

For 1980 they committed the unforgivable sin of combining Winchester and Western names --

Attachment 85716

and then for 1982 the Western name was gone --

Attachment 85717

Also in 1982 Olin off loaded the gun business in New Haven to U.S. Repeating Arms and kept their ammunition business.

The 1985 Winchester ammunition catalog was the last appearance of the UPLAND.

Attachment 85718

During 1985 they introduced the new Winchester Xpert --

Attachment 85719

apparently the same hull as the UPLAND but now with a plastic wad replacing the fiber wads. Now really a field version of the AA. From the 1986 catalog --
Attachment 85720

The Xpert remained in the catalogs through 1990. For 1991 the compression formed Xpert was replaced with something called the Super-X Low Brass.

Hard to imagine these hulls I'm still reloading are from that long ago.

Did they ever make a AA 16 gauge Skeet or trap load that was listed as such ? And if so what time period . I don’t ever recall seeing such a thing but my recollection and $0.62 will get you a cup of coffee in the AM !

Not that I've ever seen or heard of. The AA was introduced in 12-gauge trap loads, and 12- and 20-gauge skeet loads in 1965. In the 1970 catalog they introduced the AA .410-bore skeet load, and in the 1971 catalog it states the AA 28-gauge skeet load would be available May 1971. I looked through everything I have from 1965 to 2011 and no 16-gauge AA.

Dave;
Any idea of when the SuperX Mark5 load came out? I believe it was in that same time period. (mid 60's to late 70's?)

The Mark 5 shot collar was introduced on the Winchester Super-Speed and Western Super-X in 1962.

Attachment 85722

Meanwhile Remington and Peters were introducing plastic shotgun shells.

Thanks Dave. You truly are a fountain of knowledge.:bowdown:

As the commercial goes "we live and breath this stuff". That's you.

Fond memories of those red and yellow Xpert boxes from the early 60's. Sitting on a bar stool in my grandfather's basement. He'd let me stuff the shells in the boxes when he reloaded. I'm sure he couldn't have done it without a 6 year old grandson underfoot.

From the 1930s into the early 1950s our ammunition companies offered 16-gauge Skeet Loads.

Attachment 85727

Attachment 85728

I've been loading 7/8 oz. 16 gauge loads with 14 grains of Red Dot for the past few years. I knew that there were factory loads using Red Dot years ago but never had one to take apart to weigh the powder charge. Does anyone here know what the old factory charge weight was?

These are the ones that surprise me, 28-gauge loaded with Red Dot --

Attachment 85733