Winchester Model 12 with 36-inch barrel

[KellyinAvon]

I came across a Model 12 (made in 1949 by the serial number) at an auction today. I was kind of shocked when I got it home and figured out that it has a 36-inch barrel. It looks like a heavy duck, but it has a 2 3/4 chamber opposed to a 3 inch. From what I could come up with using Google Fu a few folks will admit this weapon exists, most will not. Anybody ever seen one of these?

 

[jinks]

I would examine the barrel for Winchester factory markings. If the barrel is a factory Winchester marked 36" barrel your Model 12 may be a special order shotgun. A factory letter from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West will confirm the original configuration of the Model 12. The factory letters cost $70 and if it is a special order shotgun the shotgun may be much more valuable.

Factory Letter Order Form - Buffalo Bill Center of the West

 

[KellyinAvon]

I would examine the barrel for Winchester factory markings. If the barrel is a factory Winchester marked 36" barrel your Model 12 may be a special order shotgun. A factory letter from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West will confirm the original configuration of the Model 12. The factory letters cost $70 and if it is a special order shotgun the shotgun may be much more valuable.

Factory Letter Order Form - Buffalo Bill Center of the West

Thanks Jinks, I'll try this route. Worst case I end up getting a 28 inch replacement barrel for a Model 12. Best case I've got a rare find. Probably somewhere in between.

 

[KellyinAvon]

Follow-up: Model 12s don't have the factory records that some models do. Mine is definitely a special order, but no way to determine how many of these were made. The number of 36 inch barrels produced is also a mystery. Not sure why someone would order a Model 12 Heavy Duck in this configuration, but somebody did.

 

[jinks]

Not sure why someone would order a Model 12 Heavy Duck in this configuration, but somebody did.

It was probably used for still board or meat shoots.

Rules Of The Game - for turkey, target, card, block, still, board shoots

 

[ChrisK1977]

Sounds like a turkey shooting gun

 

[kb66]

My understanding is that if the barrel says Winchester AND had a "W" on top of a "P" in an oval, this means Winchester Proofed and was stamped on OEM barrels at the time of manufacture. If the barrel just says Winchester but does not have the WP in an oval, then it is a Winchester barrel but not an OEM part and would have been put on the shotgun as an aftermarket add-on.

 

[KellyinAvon]

My understanding is that if the barrel says Winchester AND had a "W" on top of a "P" in an oval, this means Winchester Proofed and was stamped on OEM barrels at the time of manufacture. If the barrel just says Winchester but does not have the WP in an oval, then it is a Winchester barrel but not an OEM part and would have been put on the shotgun as an aftermarket add-on.

Mine has the WP oval. I talked to Dan out in Cody, WY (nice guy) and we went through the barrel markings. He said a P with the oval horizontal means it was a mail-order. Mine is a special order Heavy Duck. There's no way of knowing how many Heavy Ducks were produced, let alone how many 36 inch barrels. I do know Heavy Duck is possibly only 1% of the Model 12s. I got me a Safe Queen!!

 

[TJ Kackowski]

8< 8< SNIP 8< 8< SNIP
I got me a Safe Queen!!

Now, that's just sad to read ... what you have is an awesome shotgun that needs to be used as intended ... to hunt or at the very least to bust some clay. If you have any still board / turkey / meat shoots near by this shotgun will bring home the prizes. Get out and put that bad boy to work.

 

[thegeez]

nice find-you are doing the right thing by putting in the safe-it is a true collector