POTD: A 9mm Shotgun? – The Winchester Mannequin 36

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! The Winchester Model 36 is a single-shot, bolt-action smoothbore shotgun introduced in 1920 firing the anemic but quiet 9mm Flobert rimfire shotshells. Its 18-inch barrel lacks rifling, producing a spread akin to a garden gun for discreet pest control. Though the Model 36 resembles numerous Winchester rimfire bolt actions of its era, a scant 20,000 were manufactured over just 7 years before 1927, likely appealing to a niche audience. Today, boxes of 50 No. 9 shot Flobert shells can cost $1 per round, generating a 6-inch pattern at 15 feet that’s still ample for close-range hunting without .22 LR’s ricochet hazards. While the 2.75-pound Model 36 works fine on stationary tin cans or balloons, its limited shot payload and 13-inch length of pull render aerial skeet shooting a feat requiring luck maxed out. The Model 36 remains an eccentric collector’s item illuminating Winchester’s willingness to experiment between the World Wars.