Winchester Model 12 12 Gauge 20” 2 3/4″ Chamber Riot Pump Shotgun 1961 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1,157.00
LSB# 250613SH006
Make: Winchester
Model: Model 12
Serial Number: 1861051
Year of Manufacture: 1961
Gauge: 12GA, 2 ¾” Chamber
Action Type: Pump Action
Barrel Length: 20”
Choke: Cylinder Choke, Fixed
Markings: The left side of the barrel is stamped “WINCHESTER / TRADE MARK / MADE IN U.S.A. / MODEL-12—12 GA.—2 ¾ CHAM.- / -WINCHESTER PROOF STEEL- / RIOT”. The base of the receiver and magazine are both marked with the serial number. The top of the receiver has a Winchester WP proof.
Sights / Optics: There is a brass bead at the muzzle.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two piece wood with semi-pistol grip, fluted straight comb, Winchester hard rubber buttplate, and 14-groove pump handle. The stock shows scattered scratches and pressure marks. There is handling wear. There are no cracks. There is a small chip in the bottom edge of the pistol grip. The LOP measures 14” from the front of the trigger to the rear of the buttplate. The stock rates a Fine Plus condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright. There is no erosion. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 9/10.
Overall Condition: This shotgun retains about 90% of its metal finish. The finish shows operational wear on the action bars and mag tube and operational wear elsewhere. The screw heads are sharp to tool marked with serviceable slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this shotgun rates at a Fine Plus condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We have not fired this shotgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: The Winchester Model 12 gauge shotgun is an icon (some might say the icon) in the Winchester line. You know a gun was designed and built right when over two million copies were produced over a 60-plus year span. It is a highly regarded pump-action firearm celebrated for its ruggedness, adaptability, and reliability. This writer remembers one afield in the hands of his own grandfather with great nostalgia.
This gun is a riot gun. 20,000 units of the Model 12 Riot Gun (or M12) were purchased for use in World War I. More than 68,000 Model 12s were purchased by the US military in World War II — the majority of them “trench guns” with heat shield and bayonet lug. Those same trench guns were still in use during the Korean Conflict. Even though production of the Model 12 ended in 1964, it was still in use during the Vietnam Conflict. Later versions purchased by the U.S. military lacked the heat shield and bayonet and were used in both the Korean and Vietnam conflicts.
This workhorse of a shotgun has been used for decades by both military and civilian law enforcement agencies. It would be a fine collector’s piece for a Winchester aficionado or would still be a great short-range defense gun that it was designed to be. -C.B.
