Winchester Model 12
- Thread starter Elevon
- Start date
Good shotguns. 20 gauge would make a nice upland gun. - dan
Enjoy it either way
gunrunner100
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- NW Ontario
I've had a couple. Well built and will work for years if in good shape and kept that way.
Congratulations! Model 12s are fine shotguns.
Check the serial number and see exactly how old the shotgun is. An online search will give you a website where you can easily check the serial numbers by model.
The earliest Winchester Model 12 shotguns were in 20ga and they had slightly shorter chambers than modern 20ga shotguns do. The chamber may be 2 1/2" or 2 9/16" long, where modern ammunition is 2 3/4". Measurements are take from fired shells, not unfired. I don't know that this would necessarily be an issue, but it might. Do more research and please do play it safe.
Personally, I think that a Winchester Model 12 is the best pump-action shotgun ever made. But that's just my opinion....
Check the serial number and see exactly how old the shotgun is. An online search will give you a website where you can easily check the serial numbers by model.
The earliest Winchester Model 12 shotguns were in 20ga and they had slightly shorter chambers than modern 20ga shotguns do. The chamber may be 2 1/2" or 2 9/16" long, where modern ammunition is 2 3/4". Measurements are take from fired shells, not unfired. I don't know that this would necessarily be an issue, but it might. Do more research and please do play it safe.
Personally, I think that a Winchester Model 12 is the best pump-action shotgun ever made. But that's just my opinion....
I'll be checking the serial number for sure. This one is a 2 3/4" chamber with a full choke bore on it. Once I get it professionally cleaned up, I'll post pics. I'll be having it inspected by a gunsmith as well. I don't know if it's ever been fired. From what my mother tells me, my grandfather would take it "rabbit hunting", but her and my aunt would lock him out of the house if he actually brought any game home, so she suspects he was either the worst hunter ever, or went and killed a few hours at the local coffee shop uptown. I have a few boxes of the old shells, unfired, that he purchased.
There are many authorities on model 12 here and most will tell you they were a fine gun in there day used by thousands of shooters in everything from squirrels to geese. I have a number of them including a couple 20g and have rarely had any problems. Enjoy your grandfathers gift while you can 
Congrats once upon a time that was common place at shoots across the countr
At our turkey shoots in southern ontario the Win Mod12’s with fixed full chokes and silver bullets are highly respected, especially the ‘missing outs and Annie Oakleys’…At 60 yards and beyond they win more than their fare share of the meat compared to all the newer toys.
20 gauge Model 12's are excellent field guns. They are slimmer in the receiver, of course the barrel and likely weigh 1 to 1.5#s less than a 12 ga Model 12, making carrying for upland hunting pleasant, They are still heavy enough to swing well too.
At the "Mad Trapper" and last shoot of the year for that club I decided to push cart around my 12 ga Model 12's. Used the 1962 WS1 Skeet gun for the the closer targets and the 1938 Standard Trap for the longer shots. Surprised myself by coming in 4th over-all out of 37 shooters.....doubt I'd have done much better with my Beretta A400 Xcel Black that I always shoot in competitions. Model 12's fit me, and keep on working. Pumping becomes second nature. Love shooting them!
At the "Mad Trapper" and last shoot of the year for that club I decided to push cart around my 12 ga Model 12's. Used the 1962 WS1 Skeet gun for the the closer targets and the 1938 Standard Trap for the longer shots. Surprised myself by coming in 4th over-all out of 37 shooters.....doubt I'd have done much better with my Beretta A400 Xcel Black that I always shoot in competitions. Model 12's fit me, and keep on working. Pumping becomes second nature. Love shooting them!
Many trap shooting clubs will host at least one turkey shoot per year, usually between October to January. Its labour intensive and trying to find a volunteer to do it year after year is difficult. Sooo the events and dates are all over the map. Hamilton Gun Club usually has one around Xmas, HAHA in Ancaster does a new years day one, Dunnville gun club is good for one around xmas, Ft Erie gun club does a few, St Thomas plays also and thats just a partial list and its dynamic …..hook up with a local Gun Club that has trap shooting, and some of the members will be on top of all the turkey shoots that will be occurring in the next four or five months ahead of time in your driving to area.
Mr. B we have 4 clubs here in Lower Mainland that rotate "meat shoots" every alternating weekend in the winter so we usually see the same suspects at each shoot. Works great for the winter but as summer comes the tendency is to drift to bigger events or spend time during the summer season. Admit that I truly enjoy the meat shoots during the winter and with most of us being at about the same level it can be a great outing.
Yes…meat shoots!! That’s the second best part…we knew what food each club will have available for snacks or a lunch break. Jerk chicken and chilli at one, burgers and sausages at another. The Lithuanian or Latvian club I always get those two mixed up. would have a fabulous sit down lunch served up by the wives of the members. One other club I won’t mention by name we believe served mystery meat, which may have involved coyotes lol
The trap shooters did well at these events but the hillbillys took their fair share with beat up old 870’s and Model 12’s. Nobody laughed when a shotgun missing 50% of its blueing due to marsh exposure over 40 years got up to the line. Those boys could shoot.
