My Winchester Model 1912

R

rlee

Inactive
This is the shotgun I learned to shoot with. It was my Grandfather's at the time, willed to me on his passing. I've taken all sorts of small game with it over the years; rabbits, squirrels, quail, grouse, and pheasants. It is still one of my favorite guns but it has been put up for many years now. I currently hunt w/ a Browning A model that was my Father's shotgun also willed to me on his passing.

The 1912 was still a good shooting gun when it was put away and I got it out today, disassembled and cleaned it thoroughly and found myself wanting to renew my relationship w/ this old piece. It is still tight w/ a smooth action but as you can see it has seen better days. The blue is gone, the stock is burnt and scratched, and the action is heavily wore. The foregrip and trigger mechanism are still in excellent shape and nothing else is broken just worn. The SN is 163590 which dates it to 1918.

Here's the rub. I don't see me ever selling this gun and I would like to hunt w/ it again. I'm sure it would handle whatever I shot through it but field abuse would likely continue to deteriorate it at an advanced rate due to its lack of blue and age of components. Can it be restored? If restored, will it still be the same or will it mostly be a whole new gun?
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Nice shotgun!

I have one just like it built in 1914. Yours looks like it has more blue left than mine. I had to replace the ejector on mine and the crumbling rubber recoil pad someone put on it decades ago. Mine is still as tight and solid as the day it was made. I've only had it a year and a half and don't know it's history before me. I've put hundreds of rounds through it already and am confident it could go on for another hundred years. It's become a new favorite. Don't ever reblue yours, rlee; just clean it now and then. Rust spots can generally be cleaned up with fine steel wool. Don't take a buffing wheel to it. Don't try to get any pitting sanded out. I actually like how the buttstock looks for the most part. However, it looks as though it is stained by excessive gun oil where it is joined to the receiver. If it were mine, I would remove the buttstock and rub it down with fine steel wool, up and down, following the grain direction; making no attempt to remove the dings an deep scratches. Then, with a natural bristle brush I would scrub the oil-stained areas with acetone, (outdoors, no smoking!), to get as much oil out of it as practical. Then, after wiping it all down with acetone, I would brush it liberally with teakwood oil and stand it in the corner to dry for several hours. Later I would rub it down with a cloth and more teakwood oil and let it dry again. Then repeat the rubdown a couple more times and call it good. You'll end up with a nice piece of wood that preserves the dings and scratches that are part of it's character in a tasteful way. If the butt-plate is original, keep it that way and only use a slip-on recoil pad if needed. I got one of those Tru-glow, snap-on front sights that goes on and off without tools and doesn't alter the gun to help me learn and when I feel more confident I may dispense with it altogether. Mine is 12 gauge, full choke; no steel shot for this baby! What's yours? Yours might be worth 3 or 4 hundred bucks; but it's priceless to you. You can never sell it. Go shoot the daylights out of it! Clean and repeat!
 
Just shoot it, it has been used pretty extensively and is in no way a collectible piece. Use lower powered shells like Game Loads, these shotguns were designed for BP and a steady diet of heavy 12 ga loads will loosen it up in no time. As far as the wood, pathfinder45's suggestion is good, only I would not use acetone unless I positively could not avoid it. You can degrease it with acetone, soak it in mineral spirits, scrub it with alcohol, you will never get all the oil out of the wood. Actually, stripping the wood with Citristrip then scrubbing with Dawn will remove a lot of the oil, then use tung oil or TruOil to refinish the wood. Be careful when removing the stock, make sure you get the screwdriver blade into the slot in the drawbolt or you will bust out the side of the stock and be looking for a new piece of wood. If you choose to replace the stock, you can get replacement stocks from Numrich pretty cheap.
 
Greetings rlee, and welcome aboard

First, a safety note: You didn't mention the gauge of your Model 1912. The first ones were in 20-ga followed by the introduction of the 12 and 16-ga guns. If you have a 16-ga gun, then there's the possibility that it doesn't have the chamber depth necessary to accommodate modern shells.

Winchester Model 1912s and subsequent Model 12s a renowned for their smooth operating and sweet shooting. As you are aware, you have several options: Preserve the gun (prevent further damage and replace only those parts necessary to keep it running), Restore to it's original condition, or Upgrade to include such modern field improvements like a vent rib and screw-in chokes.

When I first read your posting, Simmons was the first firm that came to mind. They were the folks who were sub-contracted to work for the higher grade M-12s by the Winchester factory 60+ years ago. Model 1912s are nothing new to them. You may not wish to take advantage of their internet special, but it couldn't hurt to touch bases with them no matter what you decide to do with your family Model 1912.
 
Its a 12 ga full choke, 2 3/4 chamber. The last year it was shot it had high brass (CA mountain squirrels and grouse) and magnums (pheasant) shot through it w/ no problem. I live in OK now so it will never see another magnum round anyway, just low brass for the Bob Whites. Simmons is in Olathe, KS which is near a friend I go 4 wheeling with so I'll take it w/ me next time I go and talk to them and make a decision then. Thanks for all the info.
 
smokeless

the model twelve was designed for smokeless powder and is probably stronger than any current shotgun on the market.
 
rlee said:
Simmons is in Olathe, KS… I'll take it w/ me next time I go and talk to them and make a decision then.
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A wise choice!
If you decide to have them do some work, perhaps you could post some before and after pics.
 
I agree with Birdshot.

I have some vintage ammo that's stouter than the 2-3/4" loads they sell these days. The gun can handle it. We probably shouldn't use steel shot though.
 
The model 12's were designed for smokeless powder and is perfectly fine with any modern ammo. The model 12 is one of the strongest actions ever built in a shotgun. Most all manufacturer proof their guns with a "BLUE PILL LOAD aka PROOF LOAD" that are loaded to 10-20% above standard SAMMI specs. The model 12 was tested at 330% higher pressure than the heaviest factory load (see Madis book THE WINCHESTER MODEL TWELVE page 24). These guns have been called THE PERFECT REPEATER and THE GREATEST HAMMERLESS REPEATING SHOTGUN EVER BUILT. No plastic, stamped tin parts or investment castings of potmetal was ever used. The guns were built by skilled craftsmen of milled steel and walnut. They were made to last multiply lifetimes, as yours can testify to. My personal opinion about referbishing, dont do it, you will be removing this guns history and story. Every bump, ding, and rub can tell a story. Be proud of every imperfection. Take your gun out hunting and let it laugh at the new shiny guns, knowing they will and can never accomplish what yours has. Yours still has lots of life and hunts left in it. Rejoice in it.
 
steel shot

and i agree with pathfinder. i would not use steel unless the choke has been opened up. otherwise you will damage the barrel at the point of constriction.
 
My model 12 is a 16 gauge. And I was going to have it redone but decided 2 leave it alone. It was my uncle's. I love it! You have a nice gun! Have fun with it.
 
trigger disconnect

i meant to include this info in my last post. your gun does not have a trigger disconnect. you would have discovered this on your own the first time you attempted a double or fast follow up shot. you should let off the trigger before the action locks up for the follow up shot, unless you want a second discharge immediately. later guns were modified to deal with this but yours is a very early gun. and a great gun,
 
I have one my dad bought new in 53. It's seen a lot of use in it's life and will see a lot more. It's the first shotgun I ever fired. Focus of pic was my 98 mauser but the model 12 is the one on the bottom.:D

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"let it laugh at the new shiny guns"

Well said. And did you notice that the safety and slide release are checkered steel; and that the shell lifter is milled steel, not stamped? Who does this stuff anymore? And no plastic; what's up with that? Why the whole gun is.....,is....., nothing but steel and walnut!
 
did you notice that the safety and slide release are checkered steel; and that the shell lifter is milled steel, not stamped? Who does this stuff anymore? And no plastic; what's up with that? Why the whole gun is.....,is....., nothing but steel and walnut!
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The slide release on mine is ribbed not checkered and the butt plate is plastic(no recoil pad for this baby)and the bead is brass.:D
 
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