Approximate age of Winchester 1200

[mick53]

Hey,

I've got a Winchester 1200, serial # L779XXX and I'm curious as to it's approximate age. I've already checked around. The records are not to be had anywhere.

I think it is black as opposed to blue or else it's the darkest blue I've ever seen.

Barrel stamp says it was made in New Haven. It's a 12ga made for 2 3/4" shells.

The grip cap is not the red W type, nor is it a black W. It is black but has some kind of scrolling on it and it attracts a magnet.

It has a black Winchester recoil pad on it that says "Winchester Repeating Arms" inside a circle on the base.

The barrel has been chopped I think (but if it was chopped it was a great job) and it measures exactly 19 1/8" inches when removed from the receiver.

There is no "US" marking under the serial number on the barrel. And it has the "WP" proof mark on it.

When the trigger group is removed from the receiver there is a stamp visible that says "2100 on it."


Thanks.

 

[Hunterdad]

Call Winchester. They can usually give you an idea when it was made.

 

[rcmodel]

Winchester doesn't know either.

See this about that:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=654946&highlight=winchester+1200+serial+number

rc

 

[Hunterdad]

I called Winchester to find out when mine was made and they were able to tell me.

 

[rcmodel]

Worth a call then..

I had just always understood there were no records available from that time period as the ATF took the factory records when the USRA company folded.

rc

 

[PapaG]

Made after 1963. Google and see when the 1300 was introduced....that would have been when the 1200 was discontinued. As there is little or no collector value the year of manufacture would not be that big a deal. The 1300 was brought out in '83, so yours was in that twenty year window.

 

[mick53]

rcmodel has it right. The winchester historian told me the records were sent to the ATF and unobtainable.

I was hoping I might get lucky and find someone who had the same configuration 1200 and remember when they bought it so I could come up with at least an approximate age for the shotgun.

I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

[Hunterdad]

Well, your gun sounds a lot like mine, only mine is a 20ga and was made in 1972

 

[MAKster]

The Winchester 1200 was made from 1964-1983.