model 12

B

BurnoutNova

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i know theres tons of info on these guns, but i cant seem to find everything in one spot.

my grandpa passed away recently, and left me and my dad his guns. one of them was a very nice model 12. i know he bought it around 1957, and my dad always remembers shooting it as a kid, he must have liked it, because he bought a marlin 120 in highschool and i guess there very similar.

whats the basic history of the model 12? how would you date one? is there somthing on the serial number? he also had a few other old winchester, is there a way to dat them? a model 52 .22 target rifle, model 70 .270 with a weaver KV scope, and a model 62A .22 pump...all older than 63 im told?



thanks, zach
 
The Model 12 was introduced in 1912. To this day, many folks regard it as "The Perfect Repeater". Working life is measured in generations, not years.

There are ways of dating them, but I can't help there.

All the guns you cite are excellent. 52s are often still used in smallbore competition, the 62 is just plain fun as a plinking and small game rifle, and the Model 70 is one terrific hunting rifle. Your Grandad had excellent taste.

A couple things on the 12....

First,it has no disconnector, so if the action is closed on a live round while the trigger is pressed, it will fire. Some folks like this to do some truly fast shooting, I regard it more hazard than help.

12s made before 1926 have the old 2 9/16" chamber and are not suited for modern ammo. This is correctable.

I'd not use non toxic shot in these.

If it's a Full Choke, it's choked VERY tightly for modern ammo.

Like all older firearms, it should be inspected by a good smith before use.

If it passes inspection, go shoot it. That would make your grandfather happy, and 12s are marvelous pump guns.....
 
Just a couple small points, Dave...

1) According to Brister, the trigger issue was fixed at some point, I just don't know what year the cut-off was.

2) I've got an original condition Model 12 from 1922 which has 2 3/4" chambers, so 1926 isn't a guideline written in stone.
 
I have a friend who recieved a Model 12 from his grandfather recently and we've been trying to find some information on it since. One thing that keeps eluding us is whether he'd be able to use the gun for deer hunting (the main reason he got the gun). We've both been told by different sources that he can use it and he can't use it. One person suggested that if he could get a smooth bore barrel for it, then he'd be able to use it. Anyone have any insight on this? Also, does anyone know if a smoothbore, non-choked barrel is available for this gun?

Thanks in advance.
 
beardking - What kind of barrel is on it currently? Does it have a Polychoke (the bulbous adjustable choke on the end of the barrel)?
 
Unfortunately, my friend and I live a few states apart from each other, so I haven't had a chance to look at the gun in person. I do believe that it's just the standard factory imprved (?) choke barrel.
 
Without knowing the exact kind of barrel, it's hard to say. I've not heard of any M12s that didn't have a smoothbore barrel.

I'll tell you the issues I know some about:

1) If it has a Polychoke, I wouldn't use slugs. The Polychoke is an adjustable choke device that is readily apparent on the end of the barrel. It operates via a constrictor ring and "petals" at the end of the barrel. I have heard of those petals getting damaged when firing slugs.

2) Many (if not most) of the M12s I've run across (I own 2) are Full choke. While slugs can be used with Full choke, it's usually not ideal, and I've read a couple accounts of the barrel getting a bulge after shooting slugs.

3) As Dave mentioned, if it is an older gun, it may suffer from a short chamber, which means that even 2 3/4" slugs would be unsafe to shoot.

Now, if I had your friend's gun, and it proved to have a 2 3/4" chamber, and it had a fixed choke (no more than Modified) I wouldn't have any qualms about shooting slugs.

To be on the safe side, I would recommend that your friend bring the gun to a competent gunsmith to be checked out. At that time, he could find out for certain about the chamber length and also if the barrel/choke combo is appropriate for slug use.
 
Thanks for the help guys. I'm going to tell my friend to stick to his original plan of checking with a gunsmith before doing anything with it.
 
The gun Beardking is refering to is mine. It is a 1924-6 model 12. It has a nickle-steel MOD barrel (not Polychoke). It is definitely a smoothbore. I also know that my grandfather shot 2 3/4" rounds through it, so that's not a problem. The gun is definitely in working condition. I am just concerned about using slugs in it.

Thanks.
 
I've shot slugs through my 16 gauge Winchester Model 12. It has a Poly-Choke on it, and I've had no problems with it and slugs.
 
claikens - Given the information you've provided... If it were mine and I had the need to, I'd shoot slugs in it. If you have any doubt, then check with a gunsmith.
 
All Winchester Model 12's in 12 gauge were chambered for 2.75" shells. It's the early 20 gauge guns that were chambered for 2.5" shells and after 1925, 2.75" shells were standard for the 20 guage.

Early 16 gauge guns had two and nine-sixteenth's inch chambers but in 1927 and thereafter 2.75" chambers were standard
 
i went to a few gun shops today, looking at a few model 12's, and it seems like the one i have must be more uncommon than i thought. on the barrel it says winchester superx and super speed 3 inch... and all the ones at the shops had the 2 3/4 chamber.

are the 3" model 12's hard to find? i was thinking about getting another one, just because i like them so much...and i would prefer not to shooth the one i have, just so nothing happens to it. it seems like they were all around 300$ for decent ones. if i get a shotgun, it might as well have a 3" chamber, so i'll probly look for one of those.
 
Dealers were advised in 1935 that the M12 would be available with three inch chambers in the Heavy Duck Gun Model. In 1963 production of the three inch Duck Gun was discontinued. The Duck Guns had 30" barrels as standard length.

Early magnum guns were marked:
2 3/4 and 3 IN. Chamb

Later magnums were marked:
For Super Speed and Super X 3IN
 
Check out the "Harley Nolden's Institute for Firearms Research". If you post the serial number (or at least most of it if you don't want the whole thing on a public forum), they can give you an idea. It's what I did with one of mine.
 
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