Any Win Model 12 copies?

No. Likely a combination of factors...chiefly the relative abundance of originals still available and the lack of any market demand for a copy that most likely wouldn't/couldn't match the fit and finish of Winchester's examples.

There is a shotgun presently offered by Rock Island which does somewhat resemble the Model 25 (a shorter-lived solid-frame alternative to the Model 12) but on closer inspection does not appear to be a clone.

Too expensive to make. That's what killed the original, that and less expensive guns that were just as reliable from the competition.

if some company did geared up to make a md 12 winchester, how many people would pay 1000.00 for one? the new md 94 win,s go for close to that and the new ithaca 37,s too. the win md 12,s were a fine hand fitted shotgun at a good price for the hunter for many decades, but to make a new copy today would not be cost effence. if you want one go on the hunt for a nice used field grade, 20-16-12 ga md 12 field grades can be had for 300-500 dollars. only the higher grades and the 28ga brings big bucks. i own five model 12 win,s and only the 20ga cost 500.00. eastbank.

The Model 12 Winchester was and is the finest pump gun ever made.
As has been mentioned it would be cost prohibitive to produce today. Compare a M12 with a quality modern pump gun like an 870. Look at the number of machined vs pressed parts. I would venture a guess that the cost to produce a M12 receiver would be as much or more than the cost to produce a complete 870.
The lack of an interchangeable barrel would be another strike against it.

Marlin made the 120 for a while and it was similar in look and function. Winchester/Browning made some small gauge versions a few years back. But no, no one can duplicate that fine shotgun for a price someone would pay. I've been having fun with an early 50s Skeet gun some dingbat grafted a cutts on, virtually ruining the value of the WS1 barrel. Shoots great and the scoring kids at the club ask, "what is that thing?" I just tell them it is what their granddads shot skeeters with.
BTW, it was only $325 two years ago when I bought it.

I've got an original that was made back in 1931 with the plain barrel. I paid $150.00 for it about 10 years ago but some ding dong put a recoil pad on it that didn't fit, and the stock was really dinged up. Meanwhile I refinished the stock with the reddish colored stain very similar to the original, removed the dings etc. and cut and fitted a new recoil pad. The bluing on it wasn't too bad so I just used WD40 and fine steel wool and polished it out really well. I did note the receiver had turned a purplish patina, but I kind of liked that appearance so I didn't do anything else to it other than shoot it. My son asked me if that was a replica Model 12 or the original thing, made me quite proud to tell him it is the real McCoy, just prettied up a bit.

Grayrock said:

Thanks, guys. That is what I thought, just wanted verification. I knew this erudite club would have the answer.

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Buddy what part of Texas are in you in? The LGS where I was just at had three different model 12s, even had one where the blueing was all but gone, but there was no rust at all either , they wanted 219 for it.

Good little stoppers. Did God's work on Iwo Jima and other "isles of paradise" during The War.

On top of being very expensive to produce, as noted, they've got some issues you don't find on designs that remain in production, like for one thing the quirky magazine loading...

The Winchester Model 12 and the Ithaca 37 are nirvana for the "machined parts" crowd.

Grayrock said:

Has anyone seen a clone of this shotgun?

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Yes, Google Savage Model 28, hint.

Grayrock said:

Hill country

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I am to, in Boerne there is a place called Bear Arms,that's where I saw them they had some good prices on other guns there to.

ah, the savage md 28. it has top push type safety like the mossberg of today. eastbank.

replacement barrels had to find, single action arm, parts hard to find and may need hand fitted and hard to tear down to pieces, i would pit my 14 year old grandson tearing a md. 870 down and replacing its firing pin to a grown man doing the same with a md 12. don,t laugh untill you have done it. now after all that the md 12 is a american icon in the shotgun world and well deserves the title. eastbank.

Browning model 12, from the 80's, Japanese made, better than the originals, except that it was not an original.

This is a not so good pic of a Model 12 12 ga. I inherited from my Dad. Examining it closely I can't find anything that I would consider a short cut or cheap. IMO it is a work of art. All machined flawlessly. I also have a 16 ga. also inherited from an Uncle.
The Model 12 was expensive to make being all machined. I think Winchester thought every one that wanted one had one. In 1964 an 870 and Ithaca 37 were about $100 as was the Model 12. The added quality of Winchester manufacturing cost cause them not to be able to compete.

DDDWho said:

IMO it is a work of art.

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Ain't that the truth.

Thanks. One of my school projects...it was pretty rough when I picked it up.

When purchasing my latest Model 12, I picked from a rack of about a dozen of them at the gunshop. All were pitted, no bluing left on most of the metal parts, the stocks bang up with no finish left, and they all looked like they were used hard and put up wet. But, on every one of them their actions were smooth as silk functioning flawlessly. They built them right and time and abuse proves it. Heck, even the English praised the Model 12.

Today, no one is building it.