First Look: Winchester SXP Shadow Defender Shotgun

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posted on May 24, 2017
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Winchester Repeating Arms announced the addition of two new models to its line of pump-action shotguns: the SXP Shadow Defender and the SXP Shadow Marine Defender. Both new models are designed to offer gun owners with ideal platforms for personal defense.

The two guns both come equipped with pistol-grip stocks constructed from synthetic materials and incorporating a textured surface to enhance a shooter's grip. The shotguns also feature customizable length of pull, allowing users to add included spacers to adjust the length of the shotgun's stock in order to fit any size shooter.

Other features of the new shotguns include a customizable comb, as well as a textured forearm that is designed to give shooters an optimum grip on the front of the gun for added control, as well as extra purchase when racking a new round into the chamber. The gun is supplied with two extra comb pieces that allow owners to adjust the cheek height for ideal sight alignment.

Both guns feature 18-inch barrels and 3-inch chambers. The bore and chamber are chrome-plated to ensure durability and reliability. Other add-ons include the company's trademarked Invector-Plus cylinder choke tube, as well as a removable TruGlo fiber-optic front sight or a brass front bead. Both guns are drilled and tapped for scope rings and bases and feature aluminum-alloy receivers complete with a rotary bolt that features a black-chrome finish for added protection from the elements and fouling.

The Winchester SXP Shadow Defender features a matte-black finish on the receiver, barrel, stock and trigger of the gun, ensuring that no glare will impede a shooter's view or alert threats to the position of the user. The gun features a total magazine capacity of five 2 3/4-inch shells. The Shadow Defender is equipped with a brass-bead front sight and weighs in at a total of 7 pounds, 8 ounces. The suggested retail price for the Winchester SXP Shadow Defender is $449.99 for the 12-gauge model, while the 20-gauge model retails at a suggested price of $469.99.

The Winchester SXP Shadow Marine Defender includes many of the same features as the company's Shadow Defender, except that both the exterior and interior of the gun feature hard-chrome plating in order to withstand the harsh conditions found on the coast and in the salt air during maritime use. The suggested retail price for the Shadow Marine Defender is $499.99 for the 12-gauge model, while the 20-gauge option retails at a suggested price of $519.99.

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