Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Model 12 Field Grade value

I have a Winchester Model 12 field grade, 12 gauge, plain barrel, made in 1957-58 time frame.
28" barrel, mod. choked, bluing and wood finish very good, but not perfect- this shotgun was used by my father and myself when I was a teenager.

I have kept it for years, and not used it, but I no longer need it taking up space in my gun safe.

Any idea of its sales value? The values in Gun Trader, etc. books suggest somewhere in the $500-600 range, in its present condition. Does this sound in the ballpark?

thanks.

Pictures?

Blue Book shows $550 at 95%.

DF

They are great guns but ice cold. 350 - 400 is market if it’s a nice one

Prices depends much on the local area, some guns are desired more in some areas than others. For example, your gun would probably be more desirable in an area that was popular for hunting open country upland birds like pheasants or prairie chickens than someplace like Maine or Michigan's Upper Peninsula where these birds are few and ruffed grouse are most sought after or someplace that big game hunting dominated the fall. That is if you plan on selling locally- over the Internet would open the market up.

That said, going off personal experience of the "very good but not perfect" description, I would look at prices more in the 80% area for value at the highest. In comparison, a new, unfired gun with the box and hang tags would be 98% at best with the same gun without box and tags running in the 90% to maybe 95% range if a good day. Subtract/add the local desirability and that should get you in the ball park. Around here, that would mean a selling price of $500 at the top end given enough time- $550 if you hit "The One" who had to have that particular gun and features. More realistic would be $450-475 for a relatively quick sale. The liabilities besides signs of use are the plain barrel, fixed choke, and distrust some will have of it being steel shot compatible. It's hard to compete with a Rem 870, Mossberg 500, et al that is all the above and retails $100 less.

been one local(Wisconsin) here for last couple months,1948 gun,almost mint for $550,no takers as of last week

Very good, but not perfect. That can mean dam near spotless to some, or the opposite end of the spectrum to others. I would be interested in seeing pictures.

Here 12Gauges stay on the shelf for a long time. Even ones that are really clean and are priced more than fair. 12Gauges are on the heavy side compared to most modern offerings and to most of the younger generation, pump shotguns are clumped together with stick shift cars.

Here you may get a bite at $500 if it has been used and clean, if not, then $250-$300. I've bought a couple well used 16's for $250 and they are a steal at that price.

I still like them! Great field guns. Though not as much as I like my Benelli M1 Super 90's.

Bighorn,

Around south TX, most Model 12 "plain jane" shotguns that ACTUALLY "change owners" for 250-300.oo. = The "better grades", NOT surprisingly sell for considerable more.
(The "asking price" is MEANINGLESS, if nobody is willing to pay it. = One LGS here has a similar Model 12 that they are asking 400.oo plus tax for & though numerous people have looked at it, in more than a year, with NO TAKERS.)

Btw, I'm seeking a similar "plain jane" Model 37 Ithaca of that sort, to cut-down into a more handy length.. - I'm a left-handed guy.

yours, tex

I'm a Model 12 fan. What's a Benelli? Oh, now I remember, that semi with the 4inch pad added for the needed LOP.

(I had to laugh at the MR 28 thread. They didn't understand you can carry a small house on your back and the 28 barely has enough room for your lunch.)

I got a new spacer on it now. It's black so it blends in with the stock now. I need to get my other one a custom wood stock one of these days. I am thinking from Jim Greenwood.

He had a big fire in his shop last summer. A lot of high end shotguns were destroyed.

Oh man! I like his work