The Winchester Model 12

Above, picking up the Winchester Model 12 at Loeffler's Guns Etc.

The Winchester Model 12 shotgun first caught my attention in the Facebook Winchester groups. I was reading raves from different members on how they loved shooting it. 

Another reason why it caught my attention was that people were saying it worked great while trap and skeet shooting. I went trap shooting last year while visiting friends in Lake Havasu, Arizona. I bought a Remington 870 Express 12-gauge while there. However, its shorter barrel didn't seem suited for trap shooting when I tried it later. I had better results with a borrowed shotgun with a much longer barrel during a previous shoot.

As the Model 12 has a 30-inch barrel, it seemed to be better suited for trap shooting than the Remington. I still like the Remington. I found a Winchester Model 12 12-gauge made in 1919 for sale at Guns.com at a reasonable price and bought it. I had it sent to Loeffler's Guns Etc. in Grants, New Mexico. I shot it a couple of weeks ago and I found it as enjoyable to shoot as did the posters at Facebook. It was quite accurate as it hit what I aimed at (an old campaign lawn sign). Not bad for an antique made 105 years ago!

Above, my little Winchester collection. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Truth About Guns website posted a review of the Winchester Model 12. 

It begins with:

Oliver Winchester’s legacy won’t ever be tied to a specific gun. The Winchester Repeating Arms Company is one of multiple legacies and successes throughout its century and a half of production. They started life as a lever-action rifle company and won the West. They transitioned to one of the premier shotgun companies at the turn of the 20th century and ended as a bolt gun company. We are going to cling to the second legacy and focus on shotguns, specifically the Model 12.

I initially thought about doing an Obscure Object of Desire article, but what’s obscure about the Model 12? TTAG tends to write and review new guns, but why not step back and appreciate a classic? Almost two million model 12s were produced, so they aren’t uncommon these days. You’ll pay a pretty penny for a Model 12 that is in good shape, but if the condition is a bit ratty, they can be had for a reasonable price. A ratty Model 12 is still better than any Freedom Group 870 you might find on the used market. 

The Model 12 – The Perfect Repeater

The first successful pump-action shotgun was the Winchester M1897. This gun is legendary, and the Model 12 often lives in its shadow. However, the Model 12 is the superior shotgun. The M1897 was great but a bit complicated and fragile, and the exposed hammer and guts out of the bottom design weren’t the best. The Model 12 took the 1897 and fixed some of its flaws. The gun became known as the “Perfect Repeater.”  

Production of the gun began in 1912. Winchester was creative and innovative with its guns, but its naming conventions were a bit boring. Production lasted until 1964, with occasional special runs of the guns.  

Winchester enclosed the hammer, beefed up the forend and built a refined gun. It’s smooth as silk and was originally built to supplement the 97. Winchester released the guns in 20 gauge at first. They didn’t want to compete with their own 1897. However, in 1913, they dedicated to releasing 12- and 16-gauge variants. A .410 variant was never produced, but the Model 42 was a scaled-down Model 12 for the .410 crowd.

 To read more, go here.