Power Pak -- Like Cutts, PolyChoke?
I have an old Win Model 12 with a "Power Pak." Looks like it's intended to functiion like a Cutts Compensator or PolyChoke. Anybody know anything about the "Power Pak"?
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found this in archives........
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101AIRBORNE
Senior Member
1683 Posts
Posted - 01/16/2005 : 1:34:09 PM
In the early 60's, Pachmayr was manufacturing and installing
the POWer-PAC choke device. Offered with three choke tubes for:
Short Range, Medium and Long Range. Price in 1962 was $28.50 installed
with the three tubes, wrench and carrying case. Just as bad looking
as the Cutts.0 -
The Power Pac was also factory installed on some High-Standard Shotguns, some of which were marketed by Sears as the J.C. Higgins Model 20. You will notice a fairly large gap between the actual end of the barrel and the bottom of the screw-in choke tube, which is retained by the compensator, and which is normal.
These were huge compensators/choke devices, which would make any 20mm proud.0 -
They are bigger and uglier than the Cutts. The good thing about them is that the barrel remains the same length no matter what tube you put in it since the tubes go into the "soup can". With the Cutts, the tubes screw into the end and, since the full tube is longer than the I.C. tube, the barrel length changes. I have shotguns with those devices on them. Was there anything specific you wanted to know? 0 -
quote:Was there anything specific you wanted to know?
Yes....did Winchester install any of these as original factory extras (like Cutts Compensators and PolyChokes), or are all of the PowerPaks third party after factory "add ons"?0 -
look on the barrel for a choke mark. if no choke mark exists, it was installed at the factory. if there is a choke mark, the gun left the factory with a choke, and someone added the power pac choke afterwards. 0 -
The 1952 Stoeger "Shooter's Bible" contains the following paragraph on page 54: "Equipping a repeating or single barrel shotgun with a recoil reducing or pattern controlling muzzle attachment has become popular with skeet shooters and some hunters. WINCHESTER shotguns so equiped are available on special order subject to short delay for factory installation and at the increase in price over and above the gun price represented by the accessory manufacturers' prevailing published prices."
I guess it's open to conjecture as to whether "factory installation" refers to the Winchester factory or the choke device factory. The book on Ithaca 37's that I have indicates that when Ithaca had a special order for a gun with a choke device, they set it out to Poly Choke, etc. for installation. I wonder if Winchester did the same.
Stoeger's shows the Cutts, Poly Choke, and the Weaver Choke. They do not list the Power Pac as available on Winchester guns.0 -
Since there seems to be some interest in this, here is a photo and a PowerPak ad dated 1948.
Photo:
Ad:0 -
you didnt answer the most important question. pics are meaningless.
again......is there a choke mark on the barrel? look on the left side of the bbl where it says winchester etc... it will have a mark, either: SKEET, WS-1, WS-2, MOD, IM-CYL, FULL, etc... if there is a choke mark...its NOT FACTORY INSTALLED. factory installed bbls will NOT have a choke mark. why would they put one on if they were putting a multi-choke device on? see the logic? you now have all the info you need to answer your own question. good luck.
this is a factory WS-2 choke mark....0 -
Sorry Bob. I thought you were giving a hint....not asking a question. Yes, it says FULL. That means the PowerPak was probably added by Simmons in Kansas City, as the vent ribs on both barrels are marked as "Simmons." I understand Simmons was very active in that era for vent ribs...even Winchester called on them to "teach them" how to do it more cost effectively. 0 -
yep. unfortunatley, it hurts the collectors value of the gun. but im sure it will work just fine for a shooter. 0
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