Winchester Model 100

About the Winchester Model 100

The Winchester Model 100 is a gas-operated, semi-automatic sporting rifle produced by Winchester Repeating Arms from 1961 to 1973. Chambered in .308 Winchester, .243 Winchester, and .284 Winchester, it used a gas piston mounted beneath the barrel driving a rotating bolt, fed from a detachable box magazine. Marketed as a fast-handling deer rifle, it shared styling cues with the lever-action Model 88 and was praised for being lighter than comparable semi-autos.

Designed in the late 1950s by Winchester engineer Edwin Pugsley, the Model 100 was the semi-automatic sibling of the lever-action Model 88, sharing its one-piece stock and rotating-bolt action. It became a popular deer-woods rifle before being discontinued in 1973.

Winchester Model 100 specifications

A 1990 factory recall addressed firing-pin breakage that could cause unintended discharge; Winchester offered free replacement of the firing pin. The .308 and .243 chamberings used a 4-round magazine, while the .284 Winchester version held 3 rounds.