Here's something for you guys!!! It's defiantly new to me but I recently purchased a Winchester model 12 20 gauge that has a ventilated rib with a 30inch!! Yes 30inch full choke barrel. I never saw a 30 inch barrel on a 20 ga model 12. I am wanting to know the rarity of these an maybe a value an possibly of how many were made. All original wood no cracks an bluing at 85-90%
Don't know how rare but I've never seen one. Super cool gun I bet. If you can post some pics. I'd like to see it.
Got any photos???? Be nice to see!!!
I can take some pics tonight. Is it easy to upload to this site from a cell phone?
All I use is my iPhone. Load Into something like photobucket. Then post photo bucket link.
The early Model 12's could be ordered with different length barrels. What is surprising to me is the ventilated rib. The older ones only had solid ribs. Yes, that seems rare.
I'll bet that it was specially ordered by a trap shooter, perhaps a slightly built female. There is a compact little woman over in Las Cruces that shoots one just like that.
Factory rib? Money Maker, Simons? Checkered or plain wood?
I handled a M-12 20 gauge 30 inch field gun plain barrel field gun many years ago. I had a 28 inch 20 gauge with a Simmons vent rib at the time and had no use for it.
The 30 inch 20 gauge is a rare one as is the Winchester model 101 20 gauge with 30 inch barrels that were built in Japan.
Doc
Easy to tell if its a factory rib by proof mark location
It does have a Simmons rib on it.
Pm sent to you Doctor encore
I was thinking just now, and the only Model 12 20 gauge I have handled was stamped SKEET on the barrel. Gun was very well used but not abused.
Any more thoughts about this gun an value
Any more thoughts about this gun an value
Photos of gun and proof marks?
No factory vent ribs before 1954. That is only the starting point in determining value or originality. If your gun is post 1954, you should continue your research to determine whether the rib is factory or not. If the rib is not factory, the value of the gun to a collector is much less than when the gun was original.
One has to be extremely careful in buying/trading model 12's. Since most all of the records of many Winchester guns was destroyed, there is not easy to verify.
I have a couple model 12 20 gauges that have solid ribs with the correct proof marks in the correct place that are not original as the barrels were originally plain.
Not too many blocks from where I live is a fellow that buys model 70's and upgrades them with original 70 barrels. He has done this for years, never divulging that the gun is not original.
Anytime you are buying winchesters, beware.
Updated info on this little gun. I had a guy contact me today in reguards to the gun I purchased. It seems he was interested in buying the gun but didn't commit an I got it instead. He wanted to repurchase it from me but I told him it's a keeper to me. He also told me that he had know the guy for years that previously owned it an the gun started its life with a solid rib an had Simmons put a vent rib on it. It was the same deal with the extra barrel as well so this gun came out with 2 barrels both with solid ribs.
My pics of the Winchester model 12 20 gauge 30 inch full choke with vent rib
Simmons did install vent ribs on Model 12's for Winchester. I can't recall if the Simmons installed ribs had the Simmons marking.
When Simmons closed ( byout form Jerry's Sport Center) they had a wharehouse full of Winchester barrels, stocks, ribs along with parts.
Doc
My first shotgun was a Winchester Model 12 20 guage with a 21 inch full choke barrel. I used it for everything....squirrels, rabbits, quail, doves, and even killed a deer with it, although it was not an accurate slug gun. It was my only shotgun for a good many years while I was growing up, and for a few years after I was married. It finally just wore out and wouldn't function properly, even after a gunsmith had worked it over. I sure loved that little gun, and it's one of those I wish I had back.
Never got the Model 12 fever...but if you waved a 42 in front of me...
Had a couple vent rib 42's but sold them
Pics just click photobucket link