Winchester Model 12

F

fisherman66

New member
It's kinda bitter sweet when guns get passed down from aging parents. My father kept his S&W 38 and a Win Model 63 22lr (oh what a beaut), but handed down a really old Sears Long Tom and a Winchester 12. The Long Tom is a beaten down, sawed off, break action old war horse with almost no value except for sentimental. It was owned originally by my great grandfather. It was a tractor gun used to keep varmints out of the cotton. Perhaps it will hang over the fireplace.

The M12 was my late grandfather's and is in good to very good condition. The stock has some dings in it, but the metal is nicer. It's blue is worn some on the receiver and on the edges, but it's been well cared for. The metal work has slight mill marks and the lock up is tight. Compared to a 870 of more current vintage it's easy to understand how manufacturers could loose money producing milled guns in a mass produced world. I'll probably break clays with it once or twice a year in memory of my family that fired it and put the real hunting wear and tear on my 870 which isn't near as pleasing to my eye as it was a few weeks ago.

Next visit with my folks I'll see if Dad will trade the Win 63 for a 10/22. He's no sucker, but he might like to know the old rabbit gun will get sum use.
 
Nothing made these days can compare to a well broken in Winchester Model 12. Mine was made in 1953 and was given to me by my father when I was a teenager back in the late 1960s. He had several Model 12s and a Ithaca 37 that we used for dove and duck hunting in West Tennessee.
 
I've got an English stocked Model 12 in 12 gauge, with a full choke and ventilated rib that my grandfather bought in 1927 and shot trap and hunted deer with it until he passed on in the early 1960's, then my Dad got it and did the same until he passed on in 2004, now it's in my rack, next to a Model 12 that my Dad bought for me about 30 years ago that was also made in 1927. He had reblued, restocked to fit me, and a vent rib installed. It's also full choked.

My Dad and I would shoot the winter league trap shoot every Sunday all winter for 15 years, until he and Mom moved to Florida. Both of those shotguns have had who knows how many rounds through them, with no failures, no malfunctions, no breakages that were the gun's fault. They are prized possessions, because they are fine guns that fit me just right, especially mine, although my grandfather's was made for him and he and I and my father are/were built almost exactly the same, so it fits me well too. I don't like its English stock very well; after 3 or 4 rounds of trap, my shoulder is sore because it has to take all the recoil, my right hand hasn't got a good enough purchase on the straight stock to help with recoil. They are also prized for the memories and family history attached to them.
 
Not to find fault with other manufacturers, but the US military trails tested many new shotguns and only one manufacturer was able to shoot their gun 3000 times without malfuntion. A trapshooter friend of mine has a model 12 trap gun circa 1953 and is on its 3rd owner and has been shot thousands of rounds every year for 56 years and has never had a gun malfunction. Best that memory served the owners it was only taken down and cleaned a couple of time. As mentioned above it is hard to describe to the unimformed what a quality piece of machinery a Winchester model 12 is. It was hand built by craftsmen, one at a time, of milled steel and walnut. Hand fit and finished. There is no potmetal castings, plastic or stamped tin parts in a model 12. It was given a nickname years ago that it has well earned. The PERFECT REPEATER.
 
The Model 12 is a model fine of craftsmanship. I love mine. Like the OP, I just take it out a few times a year to honor the memory of my grandfather.
 
I wish mine had been .....

......handed down to me. But I had to pay for it myself.....Found it at the Portland gun show and the guys that had it were willing to dicker with me 'til it was mine for $265.00. Made in 1914, the second year of production, a 12 gauge with the blue nearly gone, 30", full choke; I was bustin' clays with it this morning. It's a marvelous piece of work; just Walnut and steel. How did they make something this fine so long ago?
 
I have 50 years behind me of perfect 870 performance. Hunted doves to deer, busted plenty of clays, even shot landfill rats by headlights. I used one to help repel boarders once, no shots fired.

Even so, the Model 12 is one heck of a gun. Lots of happy owners.

I doubt my life would have turned out differently had Pop gifted me a 12 that Christmas of 1959.

While an "Experienced" 870 is smooth as silk, even Frankenstein doesn't fall open all by itself when held vertically and the release hit.

Model 12s do it all day long. 870s get smooth, Model 12s start that way and just get better.

A shooting bud has put over 200 K rounds through a Model 12 Trap. Some minimal trouble, a smith needed 2 hours of shop time to ready it for another 100K. Same bud describes the shuck of an 870 as "Like a Model 12 with sand in it".

He's just spoiled....
 
Dave, I should have mentioned my aforementioned 870 is a reasonably current Express, not the much nicer Wingmaster.

And; the Express has performed flawlessly, but the parkerized finish, stamped parts, impressed "checkering" and other steamed lined manufactured parts/processes just look "imitation vanilla" now.

I dated the Model 12 at 1954. I love how it unlocks with forward pressure on the forearm. I wonder how much I would devalue it if I had a better recoil pad put on? That old, hard vulcanized rubber can't be comfortable with high brass loads.
 
Don't cast stones at your Express,it's built to a different paradigm.

Think of the 12 as a Saber, the Express as a machete.

As for replacing the pad, sure. Keep the old one for GPs, add a grind to fit Pachmyer Decelerator or KickEez, and shoot the thing. As long as the installer doesn't mess with the wood, you're good to go.
 
An express is a good gun to take deep in the woods. It's a good serviceable firearm.

I have a model 12 16 gauge and a 37R Ithaca 16 gauge. They are a joy to carry and shoot very well. I silgtly favor the 37R due to the solid rib.

As mentioned as long as they don't touch the wood on the model 12 you will be fine. Also remove the barrel sparingly. There is an adjusting sleeve that wears from being taken apart.
 
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