16ga.com ~ View topic

Went to the local gun show on Saturday with precisely zero expectations based on the last several. I like to get there when the door opens before stuff starts getting picked through and what do you know, there on the first table was a 16 gauge Winchester M12. Pretty darn clean, but straight out of the 50's. I'm talking Herter's Vari-Choke with recoil reduction and matching brown rubber butt pad. After a short negotiation and the passing over of what I consider to be a VERY reasonable amount of greenbacks I was the proud owner. Total strip down over the weekend to get 70 years of crud cleaned out and she cycles like a champ. Gun works out to be a 1953 with the flat bottom forend. MOD barrel measures 27" with the choke. When they put the pad on they cut the stock and shortened the LOP just a bit but I can live with it for now. I suspect that the choke & pad were done at the same time by the local gunsmith.
Been a long time since I actually saw something interesting enough to buy at a gun show, over the years they seem to be more interested in selling beef jerky and trying to get you to sign petitions so I call this one a success.

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1310 Location: Western WA

Great find! There’s magic in those 16 ga M12s. My 16 ga endeavors started at a gun show. Was handed a lonely old 16 ga A5 and was hooked on the spot. Happily traded away a quite popular but, to my judgment, very hazardous 380 semi-auto pistol for it without a second glance. The A5 enjoyed a badly needed thorough cleansing, and remains an outstanding, albeit hundred year-old, classic 16 ga auto.

B.

Love my skeet grade model 12 in 16 gauge

I doubt I would find either of those for $275...but one can only dream

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1310 Location: Western WA

Squad mate in recent registered skeet shoot was smoking targets with a M12. The barrel looked short and I inquired if he had it shortened. Nope, it was a M12 skeet version. He made it look sooo easy to break targets. Then I noticed something odd - the hulls were flat on the ground almost the instant he shot, faster than my eye could follow it. He said he applies tension on the forearm with the left arm before the shot and the gun basically cycles itself. Evidently some exhibition shooters claim they can cycle a M12 faster than an auto. I believe it!

B.

Brew - they can be too Fast !! There isn't a let off on the trigger , so if you aren't off it when the action re-closes , BOOM - slam fire . A former Win mechanic/ smithy here in Rochester actually invented a let off for M12's , but the factory wouldn't finance a change . Probably what Browning used on their repro's .

Back in the 50's there was a guy by the name of Herb Parsons that shot a model 12 in exhibition and could do amazing things. Check out YouTube, there are vintage videos of him chucking 7 clay pigeons by hand and breaking them all with individual shots before they hit the ground.

Joined: 09 Feb 2015 Posts: 823

I got a cousin that could cycle mod 12 and you swore he only fired once. The doubles on skeet seemed to break almost same time. But guys would watch him load 2 shells and when he fired there were 2 on the ground. His shooting days are long gone but he was fast and good when he had a few shots of whiskey beforehand. In those days it was pretty common to hoist a few before and after shooting believe it or not. I could never acquire the taste of that stuff. Couldn't even drink a whole can of beer. I would dump half can out and you would have thought I committed murder.

Love me some model 12...I'm a pump guy in general but willing to admit my bias for the model 12. Still looking for that elusive solid rib gun but they are getting harder and harder to find.

Member Joined: 30 Nov 2011 Posts: 1698 Location: Minnesota

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu9-D9KqR4k
This one?

that's the one, thanks!