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Posted: 10/17/2009 12:42:17 AM EDT
| So, workin on the few 870s I've got and keeping my eye out in the used racks for other old 870s, I keep running across old used Winchester Model 12 shotguns. The old man has a bunch of them and loves em. I do like em; seem super smooth and kinda "old school." Not too tacticool though. Anyone else have em? Love em? Shoot em? |
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Excellent firearms. Well made and smooth as glass.
No accessories for them. Parts a real bitch to find but they rarely break. You can modify one if you really wanted to. The costs would be more than a new gun so why bother? I'd buy one in a second if the price was right. |
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I have a 1950 ish Model 12. It was an old air force issue gun. My dad bought it when he was in the AF in the 60's for like $10 or $15 bucks.
Mine is a flat greenish color with the original walnut. I had mine rebuilt, new springs, etc for about $100 a few years ago. Shoots like a dream. I use it for dove, clays, etc. I would never get rid of it. |
| Not looking to tacticool one out, just always see the 870s and 500/590s (as well as others) on different forums, but never Model 12s. I've come across a few different Model 12s in the past month or so for right around $200 each; at that price they're not in the best condition (Last one didn't have a butt plate and had a big ole Cutts comp hangin off the front end, finish is pretty much gone, but the action ...the action was smooth as glass (as already mentioned). A "real" trenchgun is big money (for me at least), but something like the one described above wouldn't be hurt by cutting the barrel and a fresh parkerizing job; thinking it would really give it a fresh new lease on life. Wouldn't be looking for a side-saddle, flash light or to be running 3-inch mags through it, just a good base for a fun project... make for a good, fun shooter. |
| Yeah, they're big money but the Model 12s are some NICE shotguns that pre-date the "McNext" bang them out mentality you see in firearms production today. Craftsmanship was actually valued and the Model 12 represents this line of thinking very well IMHO. My dad still has one on the farm and I keep looking for a decent riot version for a good price to add to the collection. No, no side saddles, lights, lasers, pistol grips or plastics but a simple wood stock and short barrel is all I would ever want for a Model 12 riot gun. Well, maybe the heat shield and sling if I could ever come across a trench gun. |
| I have been told they were popular with gangsters because the barrel and mag tube come off as one assembly. So they would load the magazine and put basically a grenade pin in the breach end of the mag tube to keep the shells in and store it in a briefcase until needed. Then just put the two halves together, pull the pin and rack it. I could see that being a neat covert truck gun option if you wanted to..... |
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Quoted:
I have been told they were popular with gangsters because the barrel and mag tube come off as one assembly. So they would load the magazine and put basically a grenade pin in the breach end of the mag tube to keep the shells in and store it in a briefcase until needed. Then just put the two halves together, pull the pin and rack it. I could see that being a neat covert truck gun option if you wanted to..... Just where would that hole be in in the breach end of the mag tube be? Don't belive anything gangsters tell you ,EVER! Bob 
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| The M12 is not a first choice for a defensive shotgun because reloading is a bit awkward. The design has the shells under a fair amount of spring pressure resting on top of the lifter. Reloads can result in the shell being dropped and indexing the shell in the loading gate is that much more awkward as well. It's not a horrible situation but it's not ideal either. They are very stout guns (particularly the stocks and mountings, this gun seems made for the vertical butt stoke) but the smooth feeding everyone always mentions is really only average in my experience. A good 870 is almost certainly a better choice. Unless you want to play Eliot Ness, then you'll need a snappy hat, too. |
I have a Model 12 that was given to me by my grandfather. I ran the serial number through a Winchester site and found it was made in 1922. The bluing is almost totally worn off the receiver. It originally had full length fixed choke barrel. Sometime in the 1960's Grandpa stuck it in the snow by accident just before he took a shot at a pheasant. The result was a bit ugly, he didn't get hurt but he blew up the end of the barrel. He then put a Cutts choke device on it which was really crappy looking. I cut it to 18 1/2 inches, got rid of the Cutts and it now sits in the corner right next to my bed..... It is still tight and has the smoothest action..... and it's a piece of my family's history... They don't make them like that anymore. 
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