The Galleries
- Robert E. Petersen Collection
- Ancient Firearms - 1350 to 1700
- Road to American Liberty - 1700 to 1780
- A Prospering New Republic - 1780 to 1860
- A Nation Asunder - 1861 to 1865
- The American West - 1850 to 1900
- Innovation, Oddities and Competition
- Theodore Roosevelt and Elegant Arms - 1880s to 1920s
- World War I and Firearms Innovation
- WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Beyond - 1940 to Present
- For the Fun of It
- Modern Firearms - 1950 to Present
- Hollywood Guns
Winchester Model 23 XTR Pigeon-Grade Side-by-Side Shotgun
As with many sporting shotguns, the Model 23 XTR was available in various gauges, barrel lengths, and option.
1979 Winchester (U.S.) Model 23 XTR Side-by-Side Double-Barrel Shotgun (breech-loading/ smokeless powder/ shot ammunition) Introduced in 1979, the Model 23 XTR chambers 12 and 20 gauge shells which are three inches long. The gun was produced in four different barrel lengths, and it had a single trigger, vent rib, auto ejectors, scroll engraving over a silvery-gray satin finish, blued barrels, and a checkered select walnut stock and forearm. Imported from Japan by Winchester, its price started at about $1,500 in 1985, and ran to over $4,000.
Once again the trend in place of manufacture went westward across the Pacific, especially as faster means of transportation were developed. In the case of the Model 23 XTR, even the Japanese were unable to make sufficient profit, and the gun was eventually discontinued. - Dr. William L. Roberts, THE AMERICAN LIBERTY COLLECTION; #183