[Slater]

What exactly is the difference between the Winchester 1200 and 1300?

[HSMITH]

Boy, it is darn near everything. The 1200 is a semi-decent shotgun, intended for the casual owner and limited shooting/hunting. Not what I would call a heavy duty affair at all. For casual/light usage they are fine, much like the Mossberg 500. The 1300 is a heavy duty shotgun intended for frequent use and tougher duty. It would be more comparable to the Mossberg 590 or 835 and the Remington 870.

If you want a shotgun to play with a couple times a year the 1200 will do fine. If you want a shotgun that you can pound on for a lifetime the 1300 is a much better choice. Of course the 1300 is going to cost more....