Winchester model 12
- Thread starter surfer365
- Start date
Model 12 is the perfect "three lifetimes" shotgun.
Some were used a trench guns in WWI and are still shooting, a whole bunch more saw service in WW2 and Korea and Viet-Nam and a whole bunch of other nasty places and are still working.
Shoot a Model 12 until the headspace is darned near dangerous, take out one screw, set the collar, put the screw back in and you have a "new" gun. You can KILL a Model 12, but it's very close to impossible to wear one out. There are lots of them that have fired half a million rounds: I know of 2 in the same safe!
Not bad for an old clunker that came out in 1912, I would think.
Mebbe those old-timers actually DID know something about making guns.
Some were used a trench guns in WWI and are still shooting, a whole bunch more saw service in WW2 and Korea and Viet-Nam and a whole bunch of other nasty places and are still working.
Shoot a Model 12 until the headspace is darned near dangerous, take out one screw, set the collar, put the screw back in and you have a "new" gun. You can KILL a Model 12, but it's very close to impossible to wear one out. There are lots of them that have fired half a million rounds: I know of 2 in the same safe!
Not bad for an old clunker that came out in 1912, I would think.
Mebbe those old-timers actually DID know something about making guns.
That is true Mike but by some fluke of luck in 1972 they did make one more great shotgun it was designed to feel like a model 12 and it is the Winchester Super X1 it is Sold today as a SX3 and a Browning Maxus best autoloader ever built no action bars just a gas piston that moves about 1 1/4'' the bolt is free to travel without dragging the complete front end of the action assembly .
I'm expecting a ton of Model 12's to appear on the EE now! Everytime we have a "best ever built" thread on a type of gun it happens. And the sellers expect high prices will sell.
Let's wait and see if I called it...
Let's wait and see if I called it...
The only way field grade model 12's will bring top $ again is if someone develops a component like bismuth that can be sold for $35-$40 for a box of 20or 25 rounds until then they are doomed to go the way of the dinosaur .Smellie I do not mean to offend you, you are talking about the take down adjusting sleeve between the BBl and the receiver it is used to keep the two mated tightly together it has nothing to do with the head space if head space is ever needed to be corrected on a model 12 the chamber ring inside the front of the receiver is the part that does that job. if a model 12 ever gets to that point the recess inside the receiver where the bolt locks into is so enlarged they are generally beyond repair.
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#1bcshooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- North Of The DMZ (US border)
I have 5 but none of them are available 
If it's a 28 gauge I'll take it.I've got one available for $800
"Not many want old guns these days. Most want what the guys on Wild TV use."
Maybe if you are 12 years old. A lot of people still appreciate hand made, Blued Steel and nice wood.
The Model 12 is a great gun but the Rem. Model 31 in my opinion is nicer. If Remington's marketing department had of done a better job there would be a lot more 31's than 12's.
Are you serious? The 31 cost too much to make, plain and simple. The 870 was brought in as an ECONOMY replacement, made with stampings and pins instead of forgings and screws. When it was introduced shotgunners looked down on it as a lesser gun. Models 12 and 31 were both just too expensive to make a profit on, not because they were inferior guns.
That's like saying if the Model 12 was so great why did they come out with the 1200.
Like what has been said before the Mod. 12 Win. and the Mod. 31 Rem. became to expensive to produce. So both Companies came out with replacements that were much less labor intensive.
Bang on.
...and I'm one of them. I'll take a hand-made firearm carved from solid steel over a mass-produced gun made from investment castings and stamped parts any day. In my entire collection, there are precious few "modern" guns, and most of those come from the custom shop, where they're still made by the classic methods.
ETA: If the lack of cheap non-tox loads is what's holding you back, hunt upland birds instead. You'll get more exercise and a ruffed grouse or a pheasant tastes better than the best mallard I've ever eaten, IMHO.
M12shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- East St. Paul, mb
Model 12 was "mass produced" for all intents and puposes. It was hand assembled though and parts were matched on a best fit basis. It for a mass produced gun, was about as close to hand made quality one could expect. Winchester produce some amazing guns other than the M12 shotgun as well. Try handling a 61, 63, 70...or even "cheapo" single shots to name a few. Not hard to see why they went broke...even more so if you happen to have any kind of mechanical background. Oh and yes...I too love blued steel and nice wood. If I couldn't shoot guns of this nature I would not shoot at all!
No plastic in my gunlockers.
No plastic in my gunlockers.
It is a nice Model 12 Ben the value part of your statement is only partially correct it is a Herter's Build from the 60's which there are many of i have a nice one 28''mod with the herter's full length rib i shot ten's of 000's of 16yrd targets with it they didn't know any better when they got pulverized.Back to the Remington Model 31 I also had a T.C. Trap shot it very well interesting thing about it was it was the first shotgun I ever found that had the oversize bore it measured 740'' I also had a Skeet 31 got the pair from the same fellow the only problem with it was inconstant feeding .
