# Winchester SX3



## chashlls150 (Nov 7, 2013)

I am thinking about buying one before the season comes in. Looking for opinions. I am also considering a Browning Maxus. Any suggestions would be good. Thanks


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## king killer delete (Nov 7, 2013)

I am an old Super X 1 man. I have some buds that shoot them and they love them. I want to buy one myself but I just got a new A5 which I love. But I just like 12 gauge shotguns.


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## rnelson5 (Nov 7, 2013)

Both are great guns as both are built about the same. The working parts are practically the same. Get an SX3 if it fits you good and it will not disappoint.


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## chashlls150 (Nov 7, 2013)

Thanks fellas, I do like the Sx3s feel a little more. I was just concerned about performance. I have shot an 870 and 11-87 for the last 10 years. Its time for an upgrade.


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## rnelson5 (Nov 7, 2013)

I have an SX2 and have NEVER had any trouble with it. The SX3 is the same gun but with lighter parts basically. That gas system has been around for a long time and has a great reputation.


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## Flaustin1 (Nov 7, 2013)

I love my buddies SX2 and SX3.  I cant afford one, but if I were buying a new shotgun, that's what it would be.


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## labradoodle (Nov 10, 2013)

if you want it to throw dove loads, do not get one that is chambered for 3.5 inch shells.. great guns other than that


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## icdedturkes (Nov 10, 2013)

labradoodle said:


> if you want it to throw dove loads, do not get one that is chambered for 3.5 inch shells.. great guns other than that



Not exactly true.. The X2, X3, Golds I have been around cycled cheap loads for a period of time.. But the fancier models provide both a light and heavy piston fortelling the future problems.  I have both a 3.5 and 3 inch X2... The 3.5 was a clunker from day one and needed to be broke down each and every hunt the 3 inch version was great for 5 years and went to crap... The spring inside the piston if you shoot enough at some time will either break, or seize up thus making your gun unreliable... It leaves you with the option of buying new piston (expensive), buying a new spring and installing (difficult) or having your piston sealed... 

I went through heck with my X2s at this point.. Bought a sure cycle kit did not work.. Than I started researching and found the above problem.. I sent my piston off to Jeff at Sure Cycle and he sealed the piston, basically replacing the spring in the piston with a solid aluminum sleeve... It FIXED everything, with sure cycle kit you cannot stop the X2... I was always the guy with the non cycling shotgun, now its everyone else in bad conditions. The gun will simply not quit, even when its so dirty you struggle to open the action, it will cycle.

I tried to take the gun to failure last year and actually felt bad for it and cleaned it... Hunting corn fields 5-6 times a week in the worst crap imaginable it would not stop.. 

The sealing of the piston was actually dreamed up for high volume trap and skeet shooters shooting extremely dirty low dollar shells that would shut their X2 down.. Not only does it make the whole system more reliable but much more clean.. I no longer have build up on the magazine tube, in the fore end or anywhere.. Even after 100s of dirty Xperts a quick wipe down of the mag tube removes all fouling whereas before it was bore cleaner on a green 3m pad... 

The seal costs about 40 bucks with shipping and even without the sure cycle kit will make your 3.5 cycle garbage shells,  make it more reliable and run cleaner.. 

It is a mod Winchester should have done going from the X2 to the X3.... If I buy a new X3 I will have the piston sealed before I even shoot the gun. It was the best 40 bucks I have spent for waterfowling. 

Sealed Piston






As to the OP, I would go with an X3 they handle well and are soft shooters... If it were me I would go with the basic black one and in 3 inch.. Other than resale value I have no need for a 3.5 and the extra half inch of action travel makes 3 inch guns more reliable than their 3.5 inch brothers in alot of guns and you will save money.. Hard to beat for a 900 dollar autoloader


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## GADawg08 (Nov 11, 2013)

Ive had an sx3 for 3 years now.....been everywhere from GA swamps and dove fields to TX mud flats and marshes. Never been disappointed. Have had a couple of cheap hulls that didn't want to eject though.


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## volguy (Nov 11, 2013)

*sx3*

I shot an 1187 special purpose from 1987 until last December.  I  had a bad shell in the barrel that blew up inside the barrel.  A replacement barrel was not to be found.  I have been impressed for years with the SX line of Winchester and decided to bite the bullet and go with the SX3.  

The gun was purchased in January of this year and it is the 3.5 inch camo duck blind camo model.  I have put a case of steel thru it and 4 cases of lead in varying shot sizes.  I have even put a few 7/8 oz loads thru it just to see how it would cycle.  My main load has been a case of 1 oz. RIO dove loads this dove season.  I have yet to have a single jam, ejection or other problem.  I am not sure about the above complaints, but I clean at the end of each season (duck, turkey, clays in the summer, and dove this fall) or if it has been a really bad rainy hunt.  I would imagine all of the ejection issues in the past have been worked out with the new sx3.

I will say that going from a 13 lb gun to a 6 lb gun has made a tremendous challenge on my swing and shooting skills.  It has taken quite a bit of getting used to the new super light gun.  I believe for the price range, it is the best gun on the market.  I can tell you to shop it very carefully.  I ended up purchasing my gun from a reputable gun shop in Illinois and was able to save $150 from any other place.  I even called Winchester to verify when it was manufactured and to verify its serial number b/c the price was so much better.  So shop the gun carefully.  You can find some really good deals out there on the all black models.


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## chashlls150 (Nov 11, 2013)

volguy said:


> I shot an 1187 special purpose from 1987 until last December.  I  had a bad shell in the barrel that blew up inside the barrel.  A replacement barrel was not to be found.  I have been impressed for years with the SX line of Winchester and decided to bite the bullet and go with the SX3.
> 
> The gun was purchased in January of this year and it is the 3.5 inch camo duck blind camo model.  I have put a case of steel thru it and 4 cases of lead in varying shot sizes.  I have even put a few 7/8 oz loads thru it just to see how it would cycle.  My main load has been a case of 1 oz. RIO dove loads this dove season.  I have yet to have a single jam, ejection or other problem.  I am not sure about the above complaints, but I clean at the end of each season (duck, turkey, clays in the summer, and dove this fall) or if it has been a really bad rainy hunt.  I would imagine all of the ejection issues in the past have been worked out with the new sx3.
> 
> I will say that going from a 13 lb gun to a 6 lb gun has made a tremendous challenge on my swing and shooting skills.  It has taken quite a bit of getting used to the new super light gun.  I believe for the price range, it is the best gun on the market.  I can tell you to shop it very carefully.  I ended up purchasing my gun from a reputable gun shop in Illinois and was able to save $150 from any other place.  I even called Winchester to verify when it was manufactured and to verify its serial number b/c the price was so much better.  So shop the gun carefully.  You can find some really good deals out there on the all black models.



I have been shooting an 1187 SP since I could handle one. You are right about it probably takes some getting use to. Hopefully I can get one this week and have a weekend to shoot some clays.


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## tradhunter98 (Nov 11, 2013)

i have a 11-87 sp there great guns!


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## king killer delete (Nov 12, 2013)

I just bought a new A5 but I have been a Super X fan since they retired the model 12 and came out with the Super X1. My super X1 spent the night stuck in the puff mud along the bank to the approach to the pull over at Rhetts. 24 hours in almost 100 % salt water. ( The Boat sunk) Pulled the gun out washed it with fresh water and purged it with WD40. Wrapped 550 cord around the forend so that it would warp back into shape. Shot that gun for 10 more years until steel shot became the law.


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## icdedturkes (Nov 12, 2013)

volguy said:


> The gun was purchased in January of this year and it is the 3.5 inch camo duck blind camo model.  I have put a case of steel thru it and 4 cases of lead in varying shot sizes.  I have even put a few 7/8 oz loads thru it just to see how it would cycle.  My main load has been a case of 1 oz. RIO dove loads this dove season.  I have yet to have a single jam, ejection or other problem.  I am not sure about the above complaints, but I clean at the end of each season (duck, turkey, clays in the summer, and dove this fall) or if it has been a really bad rainy hunt.  I would imagine all of the ejection issues in the past have been worked out with the new sx3.



Your gun is basically brand new.. My 3.5 X2 had some issues from the start but bought it used.. It required a complete breakdown every hunt for mediocre reliability.. 

The 3 inch X2 was bought brand new and for about 5 years performed flawlessly.. Than slowly but surely started down the wrong path, first it was cheap dove loads, than it was heavy magnums in the field from time to time and finally to almost No reliability.. 

I have seen the same trend with hunting buddies Golds and they eventually part ways with them.. I have a hunting buddy whom shoots a first of year production X3 that has been flawless yet now headed down the slippery slope.. 

This is not something that occurs right out of the box and depending on how much you shoot you may never run into problems, it happens after cases and cases of ammo.. I cleaned everything numerous times including rear action spring and soaked piston in mineral spirits till it came out spotless to the same result, at some point the spring inside the piston gives up the goat... 

Personally having broke down X2s and X3s I cannot remember anything different in the gas system.. The maxxus has a re designed piston that is there idea of being "sealed", but sure cycle I am pretty sure will do a re do of the seal on the Maxxus piston.. 

Like I said if I bought a brand new X3 I would send the piston out before shooting if not for anything how much cleaner the gun runs.. The difference in fouling on the piston, magazine tube, foreend and on the barrel ring is considerable..


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## stuckonquack (Nov 14, 2013)

I have a SX3 and have had it since they came out. Love mine and never had a single problem and shoots all shells.


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