Announced at SHOT Show this year, Winchester is now shipping their new Super X Pump Marine Defender.
The SXP Marine Defender is designed to withstand wet conditions and inclimate weather with satin hard-chrome finish that’s far more resistant to moisture than standard blue finishes. The barrel is hard-chromed inside and out, along with the magazine tube and end cap. The Marine Defender, like other SXP shotguns, features a drop-out trigger group for easy maintenance.
It also features rubberized polymer furniture with an “Inflex” integrated buttpad. The 18-inch barrel is threaded for Invector Plus chokes and comes with one cylinder bore installed. A large Tru-Glo fiber-optic front sight comes with the shotgun, but it also has a traditional brass bead installed underneath.
All this is in a compact package. Including the 13.75-inch length of pull the shotgun measures in at 38.5 inches overall and weighs seven pounds five ounces. The Marine Defender has a capacity of 5+1.
Being an SXP the Marine Defender uses a rotating bolt and inertia-assisted action for very smooth and exceptionally fast cycling. The inertia-assist partially unlocks the action, reducing the amount of effort the shooter has to make in order to cycle the shotgun.
In line with the rest of the SXP series, the Marine Defender is inexpensive despite the build quality. With an MSRP of $399, hopefully it will list in stores closer to $350.
This is just an out-of-the-box perfect truck gun. This is a shotgun you can throw behind your seat or leave in the trunk without worrying about the humidity ruining it. It does have some non-chromed parts, so it’s not like you should use saltwater for lube, but the chrome combined with the polymer furniture makes this one resilient shotgun.
Whether you’re looking for a 12-gauge for your vehicle or to take into the field, the Marine Defender looks like a durable, flexible shotgun at a very affordable price.