Winchester SX 3 ?

[Dedduc]

What's everyone's thoughts on the Winchester SX3? Is it reliable and easy to clean?

 

[jmez]

Don't know about the 3 but the 2 is both. I've had one for years and never an issue. Nice gun.

 

[DKennedy951]

Got a duck hunting buddy that uses one. I've never seen him have an issue with it and he doesn't baby it at all. The gun never fails to shoot.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

I used to help a friend out in the spring with his snow goose outfitting business and the #1 gun that his clients had issues with was the Winchester SX. I did this for about 4-5 years and brought out hundreds of clients and I saw more jams/cycling issues with them then all the others. They are probably fine under normal conditions but, laying in the spring mud in a layout blind with a 10shot extension tube was not good for them.

 

[mtnlomo]

I have had one since I was a teenager. I have never once had it malfunction or give me any issues. Personally I take fairly meticulous care of my guns and they get cleaned and oiled regularly, but when hunting I don't take it easy, from busting brush for upland to muddy PNW waterfowl season it has seen some abuse.

 

[Meshnasty]

My buddy has one, doesn’t clean his gun often, and I’ve seen him issues with it.

I cleaned his gun for him once on trip when it was acting up and it started cycling correctly again. His idea of cleaning is a few drops of rem oil once a year.

I think if you take care of it you’ll be fine. If I ever seriously duck hunted again that would be high on my list of potential guns to get.

 

[elkhunterUT]

SX3 has a great reputation. My brother has one and loves it.

I bought an SX4 last year and have loved it so far (although the knock on the SX4 is that it has cheaper components than the SX3 - so far I have had no issues at all with my SX4).

 

[Blueman75]

I’ve had a SX3 for years and the only issue was replacing the recoil spring. It’s been my absolute favorite shotgun and wish I could find another new one to buy.

 

[Gman12]

I've heard mostly good things about the SX3 but my son had one and it jammed all the time. I guess he got a lemon.

 

[Southernfried]

Weird, Ive been researching this as well, and scouring the forums, it seems, the only issues anyone has with the fn slp, sx, sx2,3,4 etc is with the 3.5" versions? I care nothing about shooting 3.5" again and if I do I have a few other shotguns that can shoot the 3.5" but I really try not to see a need to lol.

 

[steelheadmike]

I have had a browning gold 3.5 (pretty much a SX2) for ~24 years and I've got 10-15k through it. Never a problem except I had to replace a $5 plastic part about 7 years ago. I keep it reasonably clean but am not neurotic about it. That gas system is pretty simple/reliable.

 

[SloppyJ]

My Browning Maxus 2 is legit. I believe it's the same design. It can get finnicky if you don't clean it correctly and let it gum up around the gas port/piston. It's taken a lot of Arkansas cold weather absue.

 

[HuntingGriff907]

I've had an SX3 for almost 10 years in and around saltwater environments. The gun is incredible reliable and durable. Several other people I hunt with run them as well. The gun is also surprisingly light in the hands for upland hunting as well. If I ever purchase another shotgun, it will be an SX4.

 

[Timplant]

I've had a SX3 12ga for about 12 years, I do not clean it and I've oiled it less than a dozen times. Probably around 300rds a year if I had to guess? I just bought a 24'' 20ga SX4 and its LEGIT also I love it for early squirrles and I've been shotgunning coyotes with it!

Both of mine run flawlessly, every time, so far, for me.

my .02

 

[Duckhunterbrad]

I've shot a SX3 20ga that has been through the Rob Roberts treatment and that thing is a blast to shoot ducks with! 0 issues over the last 5 years or so.

 

[EmperorMA]

I used to help a friend out in the spring with his snow goose outfitting business and the #1 gun that his clients had issues with was the Winchester SX. I did this for about 4-5 years and brought out hundreds of clients and I saw more jams/cycling issues with them then all the others. They are probably fine under normal conditions but, laying in the spring mud in a layout blind with a 10shot extension tube was not good for them.

What is "a 10 shot extension tube?" Is that part of the stock shotgun that you are calling unreliable? Pretty much everywhere I've hunted even 5 shots is illegal.

 

[antaresproper]

What is "a 10 shot extension tube?" Is that part of the stock shotgun that you are calling unreliable? Pretty much everywhere I've hunted even 5 shots is illegal.

snow goose management hunts in some places. but agree, aftermarket part in an extreme use case.

 

[nettereo16]

Love mine. Beat the heck out of it kayak duck hunting. The only problem I’ve had is the recoil spring and tube got real rusty after hunting before work and not getting it drained right. Replaced both and good to go.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

What is "a 10 shot extension tube?" Is that part of the stock shotgun that you are calling unreliable? Pretty much everywhere I've hunted even 5 shots is illegal.

No it's an accessory that you can add to your gun to increase shell capacity. Spring conservation Snow goose hunts for most states don't require plugs in your shotgun. There was also many that were "stock" that had issues.

an extreme use case

I agree that some people would call that an extreme case, but for many including myself when i was guiding that was everyday use for 2-3months a spring.

I never said in my post not to purchase one. Was just giving my personal opinion on what I saw fail more often than other manufactures while bringing out hundreds of clients a year for 4-5 years.

 

[spur60]

Main issue with SX2/SX3/SX4/Gold etc. is learning how to properly clean and maintain the recoil spring in the stock. Most don't know they have to clean this spring, especially when first purchasing. Run a bunch of rounds through it without cleaning and you'll see cycling issues rather fast, especially with lighter cheap trap loads. Clean the manufacturing oil out, buff the tube with a 20 gauge bore brush, lightly oil the spring itself to keep it from rusting, and run the follower dry or use some dry lube. The follower gets dirty first and is the component that causes the issues once dirty. I clean the assembly 2-3 times a year. Once before duck season, once before spring snows, and likely once more during spring snows if we've been mag dumping case after case of steel.

When I bought my SX2 in 2003 I had no idea about the recoil spring and would occasionally have cycling issues. Once I got back into waterfowling around 07/08, I quickly learned from a buddy about that spring and how to clean it. To this day that gun runs right next to the berettas and benellis in the snow goose spread, and it's still my main 12 gauge with thousands and thousands of rounds through it with just a few parts replacements.