Went to the range today to function check a few rifles and one shotgun (a fitting way to spend Veteran's Day IMHO). Both rifles seemed to be ready for the deer tags the boy and I both have, so I then turned my attention to the little M12 I'd brought along. This gun has a born-on date sometime during Anno Domini 1927, so it's chamber size (and more importantly it's ejection port) may or may not be friendly to 2 3/4-inch 16 gauge shells. Serial number range is just under 500K (487xxx) so who knows, right? This particular little 16 bore has been used a bit hard (about 1/2-inch of toe is missing from the stock and the butt-plate) and the finishes in general all look fairly tired, it also desperately needs a good deep cleaning. I got this gun in trade for my little 1913 M12 20 from my mother-in-law this Fall (who it happens to fit rather passably) with the understanding that after I'd given her gun the attention it so-richly deserves, I'd exchange it back for my sweet little 20-bore. As far as it's history goes, this 16 had evidently belonged to her uncle (who has long since gone to meet his maker, as even she's on the back half of her 60s now). Sadly, it seems unlikely that anybody has paid it even a smidgen of attention for the last 50-years or so, and when racking the slide or examining it closely you know it's been neglected at least for that long (and maybe longer). Upon taking possession, I quickly utilized Winchesters fabulous take-down mechanism and separated the two (now somewhat gummy) halves and looked her over more closely. Nickel steel is pretty incredible stuff and this one's no exception, meaning that while it's internals are also clearly gummed up a bit, the 28-inch barrel is both rust, pit and ding free. The wood (front and back) is a bit dry but absolutely un-cracked and all the controls work as they should (if maybe a bit slowly). I'd taken some (now-precious) 2 1/2-inch RST No. 8s along to function check it (2 3/4 inch stuff may come along later) and stoked the chamber and magazine tube with 3 shells (it's obviously been plugged), cleared the range for action, and then let her rip. Even if it doesn't fit me exactly right, 16 M12s feel just so....good. Built on 20 gauge frames and weighing in at a little over 6 to 6 1/2 lbs these guns are wonderful upland tools. Even dirty, this gun would do the job all day long if necessary.

M12 16 gauge. First gun I bought. Nice memories. Love a good pump gun.

I love your Model 12 - 16 gauge story.
I've had 12 and 20 gauge Model 12 guns, field models.
If I ever come across a Model 12 in 16 gauge with a rib barrel, I'd be hooked.

My experience has been the early 20 gauge model 1912s are far, far more tolerant of ammunition that is a bit longer than 2 1/2” then the same vintage 16 gauge versions.
I don’t think a model 1912 was ever a cheap gun, but, I see so many of them that have been neglected sinfully. My own first year 20 gauge copy came from a shirt tail Uncles farm (he was very much alive, but, needed nursing home care, I paid a little money for it to his actual heirs) and the gun had spent at least 50 years, maybe more, between two studs in the wall of his dairy barn. It was in absolutely deplorable condition. The wood has been replaced, the choke opened from full to loose modified, and the gun reblued, as I got rusty hands when I used it. It is pleasant to use, now, but checks absolutely no collector boxes.
Just as well.
Lloyd, I’d be surprised if you don’t end up with both pumps, in the not to distant future. That Browning 20 that Carol uses might be all she ever needs.

Best,
Ted

You never know Ted. I'm going to go through this unit and get it healthy, then I'm going to try to freshen it up a bit. I guess what happens after that won't really matter much. I just couldn't stand seeing it in it's present state (saw the gun in a closet several years ago and have volunteered several times since to clean it up). After she latched onto my little 20 this Fall and realized what good guns these little M12s really are, I finally got my chance.

Had my grandpaw's M12, 2 9/16 16 rechambered by Flags in Pittsburgh in the early 60's. They also supplied a rough turned stock that I installed and finished. After 60 years of killing many rabbits, grouse pheasent, ducks it still runs fine.

Bill

This Model 12 is from 1942. 16 Gauge, solid rib, 28" in full choke. As Lloyd3 said, "they just feel so good". He's right! When I saw the tag at $649.00 I said, "Ring it up". Modified would have pleased me a bit more I couldn't leave the store without it.

I stumbled into a Model 12 16ga Trap Grade with solid rib and WS2 choke. Seems like an odd and wonderful combination.

I had a solid rib 16 ga M choke at one time. Heavier than I liked carrying in the woods. Nice gun, though.

I bought a heavily worn M12 in 20 with the solid rib back a few years ago as a project gun (when old pumps were worth almost nothing). It also had the factory Cutt's compensator, making it very affordable. I'd already cleaned up and cold re-blued several guns before that one so I was willing to take on such a basket-case. As bad as it looked when I got it, it turned out really great when finished. I'd even found a few different Cutt's choke tubes for it (IC, Mod and Full). The rib (w/the compensator) did look really neat but....it added a significant amount of weight. I even thinned the stock down a bit (on the butt-end) to help get the weight down but I never really warmed-up to it and finally sold it (it went really fast, should have asked more for it). The plain field guns are better balanced IMHO.

I've had three M12s over the years. I had factory CYL 20 ga. that I foolishly tarted up with a Simmons rib and then sold it. Then there was the Featherweight. Currently I have this 1959 16 ga. Mod. Fine dove gun but choked on Herter's shells on a snipe hunt year before last. Works fine with RGLs. This photo of it and Abby was taken too long ago on a great January morning dove hunt in the cold wind. Only 4 guns showed up and we had a fast and furious hour and a half of doves. A memorable hunt.
Gil

The 1925 Winchester Catalog 83, states the 16-gauge is made for 2 9/16-inch shells and the 20-gauge for 2 1/2-inch shells. I have a Winchester booklet, The Game, the Gun, The Ammunition, Form No. 980, which I can't find a date on, that states "The 20-gauge Model 12 is now chambered to handle standard 2 3/4 inch shells." From the 1922 Winchester pocket catalog through this booklet the Model 97 is listed as 12-gauge only. The big July 1931 Winchester catalog shows both the 16- and 20-gauge Model 12s chambered for 2 3/4 inch shells, and the 16-gauge Model 97 back, now made for 2 3/4 inch shells.

I too have a 16-gauge Model 12 story. When I arrived in the DC area in September 1975, I had Model 12s in everything but 16-gauge. I pretty quickly hooked up with a local restaurateur who had three great English Setters for some good Southern Maryland and Eastern Shore Quail hunting. I pretty quickly realized he played fast and loose with property lines, so to take my 20-gauge Skeet Gun out of harms way, I picked up a 1953 vintage Model 12 16-gauge 26-inch, Imp, Cyl. well worn but not abused, at Clark Bros. for $165 out the door. Things went well for about five years, then my friend hooked up with his big chested bar tender and his wife got the setters in the divorce!! Didn't shoot a Quail in Maryland after that.

My oldest M12is a 12 gauge field grade 28" solid rib mod. choke nickel steel barrel. Then my late Father's first repeating shotgun, a 20 gauge M12 28 inch solid rib mod. choke- given to him on July 17t1931- this has the 2&3/4"" marked chamber and Winchester Proof Steel. Never owned a 16 gauge M12, or for that matter, M97 either. I don't think you can ever wear out a M12, even citing the abuse and neglect some of the other members of the forum detailed in this thread-- Never have owned a M12 with: (Cutts Comp.) , (Poly-Choke) or 32" long barrel. I only own a M12 in the "pipsqueaky" 28 gauge- a 1939 field grade with solid rib 26" barrel mod. choke-- because a buddy owed me some $ on a Super Bowl bet, and he was short of liquid assets. Shot it once, shells are too damn expensive, as compared to the 20 gauge gun I shoot. At present, I have no interest in parting with it, however. When you see all the counterfeited M 12 28 gauges for sale by hucksters and con men now-a-days, a genuine M12 28 gauge is worth hanging on to, as are all "un-boogered up" M12's. If I really wanted one, I'd consider buying the Browning Japanese made version, at least you know that it is not "The Real Mcoy"--

Rarest Model I can think of-- shortly after WRA introduced the 3" Mag "Heavy Duck" gun, in the "Golden era" of the Custom Shop, you could send a std. 12 gauge 2&3/4" chambered field gun back to them and they would re-chamber it for you to take the 3" shell- that, friends and neighbours, is a solid testament to the strength of the M12 action and the metallurgy of the AISI 4140 nickel-chrome-moly alloy forged steel WRA used in that era for "The Perfect Repeater"-- I only have one 12 Gauge M12 I might semi-consider as "rare"-a Pigeon Grade Trap gun made in 1947- 30" barrel with the older style milled rib, duckbilled rib extension, sandblasted receiver top, MC stock with red solid pad, but the "rarity" comes from it being choked Imp. Mod. instead of the usual Full choke. The "Steinway" of repeating Trap shotguns, IMO. Not for sale either. RWTF