FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $50 LEARN MORE | NEW X55S BREAK BARREL
FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS OVER $50 LEARN MORE | NEW X55S BREAK BARREL
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There’s a certain rhythm to shooting a classic break barrel — cock, load a pellet, aim, fire, repeat. It’s satisfying, but it’s slow, and if you’ve ever had a second squirrel show up while you were fumbling a pellet into the breech, you know the downside. The multi-shot break barrel was built to fix exactly that problem, and the Winchester X55S 10X GEN2 is one of the more appealing versions of the idea. It keeps the simple, self-contained feel of a break barrel but adds a 10-shot magazine so you’re not reloading between every shot.
Here’s what it is, how it shoots, and whether it belongs in your safe.
A traditional break barrel is a single-shot gun: you “break” the barrel to cock the powerplant and load one pellet by hand. A multi-shot break barrel works the same way mechanically — you still break the barrel to cock it — but instead of dropping in a pellet each time, a rotary magazine indexes the next pellet automatically as you close the barrel. On the X55S that’s Gamo’s 10X GEN2 Quick Shot system, and it holds ten .22 pellets at a time.
The payoff is speed without complexity. You get the pump-free, CO2-free, battery-free simplicity of a break-barrel with far quicker follow-up shots. For hunting and pest control, that’s a meaningful upgrade over single-shot designs.
The magazine is the heart of this rifle. It’s a horizontal, low-profile rotary mag that sits flush with the receiver, so it doesn’t add bulk or block your sight line. Winchester calls out smoother pellet indexing and better shot-to-shot consistency on this second-generation system, and in practice that translates to fewer feeding hiccups and a cleaner cycling feel than older multi-shot setups.
Ten shots is enough to work a hunt or a pest problem without constantly stopping to reload. When the mag runs dry, you swap it or top it off — quick either way.
Instead of a coiled steel spring, the X55S runs on Gamo’s IGT (Inert Gas Technology) gas piston. A gas piston stores energy in a sealed pneumatic cylinder rather than a spring, and the practical differences are real: less vibration on the shot, more consistent power over time, and better cold-weather behavior. Springs can also take a “set” if you leave the gun cocked; gas pistons handle that far better.
In .22, the X55S is rated up to 1,000 feet per second with light pellets. That’s solid power for a break barrel and plenty for squirrels, rabbits, and backyard pests at sensible ranges. Chambering it in .22 rather than .177 means more downrange punch, which is what most hunters actually want.
The barrel is built around Gamo’s Whisper Maxxim sound-dampening design, a dual-chamber system integrated into the muzzle. It won’t make a spring-piston airgun silent — the powerplant itself makes noise — but it noticeably tames the crack at the muzzle. If you’re shooting where you’d rather not broadcast every shot to the neighbors, that matters.
A lot of rifles in this class ship with synthetic stocks, and those have their place. The X55S goes the other way with a premium hardwood beechwood stock and a laser-engraved Winchester logo. It gives the rifle real heft and balance, a warmer traditional look, and that solid, planted feel in the shoulder that synthetic just doesn’t replicate. At around 6 pounds, it settles nicely for offhand shooting.
If you like the idea of a modern multi-shot action wrapped in classic Winchester styling, this is the draw.
The rifle comes with a Gamo 3-9×40 scope and rings, so you’re ready to shoot without a separate optics purchase. Variable 3-9x magnification covers close pest work and longer target shots, and it helps you take advantage of the accuracy the rifled steel barrel is capable of. Winchester backs the rifle with a 3-year warranty.
The X55S makes the most sense for hunters and pest-control shooters who want faster follow-up shots than a single-shot break barrel allows, but don’t want to mess with pumping, CO2 cartridges, or filling a PCP tank. It’s also a great fit if you simply prefer the look and feel of real wood over plastic.
It’s less suited to someone chasing the absolute quietest backyard setup or ultra-light weight — the wood stock adds a bit of mass. But for an all-around, do-everything .22, the balance of power, speed, and classic style is hard to argue with.
The Winchester X55S 10X GEN2 delivers on the whole point of a multi-shot break barrel: the honest simplicity of a break-action gun with the speed of a 10-shot magazine. Add the smooth IGT gas piston, quieter Whisper Maxxim barrel, an included scope, and that handsome beechwood stock, and you’ve got a complete, ready-to-hunt package. For shooters who want power and quick follow-ups without the fuss of other powerplants, it’s an easy multi-shot break barrel to recommend.
