New project gun, model 12

[v8stang289]

Picked this up yesterday. 1959 Winchester Model 12 12gauge.
At some point the vent-ribbed barrel was shortened and an adjustable Lymanchoke was added. The gun is in decent shape, just really dirty inside.
I'm not a fan of those style chokes, so I plan to chop the barrel around 20" and install a brass bead, then thoroughly clean and lube it.
Should be a fun and handy gun, and it's hard to beat blued steel and walnut.

 

[troy fairweather]

Be good for a trench gun project.

 

[v8stang289]

Be good for a trench gun project.

I thought about doing that, but I'd probably need to source another barrel.
I think the vent rib would be in the way of the heatshield/bayonet mount

 

[v8stang289]

Broke out the hacksaw and the files, barrel is now at 19.5"
Ordered a new bead that should be here by the weekend. Then I'll drill/tap and get that installed.

 

[George P]

C choke be good for HD or garden pests

 

[I6turbo]

View attachment 995274

I like it! I prefer short barrels on pumps and semi-autos, no more than about 20" maximum. They have plenty of sight radius with that length barrel plus the long receiver. I have an Auto 5 and a Model 37 setup that way, and another Model 37 that I'm working on. I'd love to have that Model 12 in my bunch.

If it WAS mine, I'd probably take an inch or so off the stock length (if it's as long as some of the old-school pumps tended to be) and put a Kick-EEZ or Pachmayr grind-to-fit recoil pad on it. Here's my 1952 Model 37 with the barrel at 19.5" and Colonial Sporting Clays screw-in chokes, and otherwise very similar to your Model 12. After having first set up the Auto 5 with an 18.25" barrel, these guns have become the shotguns I've been shooting most, my O/U and SxS not getting out as much.

 

[entropy]

My 1960 Model 12 still sports a 30" full, I plan on keeping it that way, but I can't blame you for cutting yours down; it's that or take up Skeet.....



Seriously, you did a nice job on it. Looks good!

 

[DocRock]

Broke out the hacksaw and the files, barrel is now at 19.5"
Ordered a new bead that should be here by the weekend. Then I'll drill/tap and get that installed.

View attachment 995274

Love the old school Poly Pachmayr Lyman chokes, especially on old auto loaders. But that came out brilliantly! Looks fantastic. Nice cut, good length, looks classic.

 

[bannockburn]

I6turbo

I like it! I prefer short barrels on pumps and semi-autos, no more than about 20" maximum.

I'm pretty much the same way; if I can get a shotgun with a shorter barrel then that's the one I want.

 

[v8stang289]

Thanks everyone, I'm pleased with how the cut turned out. Not surprisingly, USPS has delayed my new bead and tap, so it looks like it'll be a few more days before I can get it finished up.

 

[entropy]

Looks even better close up! My Ithaca 37, which I bought as an evidence gun, had the barrel hacksawed to 18 1/4" so badly off square, I had to take it to the shorter limit of 18.1" to square it. I measured it 3 times, the same way the ATF measures, to be sure it had enough length to do so. I like what you did with the post at the muzzle; mine is about 1/2" back form the cut, and since it's a slide-on rib, unlike the solid one on your 12, I cut just forward of the post, and put the Spark-II just behind the post.

 

[X62503]

Thanks everyone, I'm pleased with how the cut turned out.

v8stang289, how did you make it look so nice? Did you apply a little cold blue? Looks great!

 

[v8stang289]

v8stang289, how did you make it look so nice? Did you apply a little cold blue? Looks great!

Cut it with a hacksaw, squared it and rounded the rib with varius files. Then took 320grit on an automotive sanding block to smooth the marks and everything out.
Followed that up with a couple coats of perma-blue paste after a light preheating with a pencil torch.

Honestly it turned out better than I expected haha

 

[I6turbo]

I6turbo


I'm pretty much the same way; if I can get a shotgun with a shorter barrel then that's the one I want.
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Thanks for this post. Now I don't feel so bad for cutting the barrels on my perfectly nice Auto 5 and two Model 37s.
Honestly, having the barrels shorter make the difference for me in whether I'd take them out much, or not. I really like the shorter barrels better. I've always been a 26" barrel guy for my O/U and SxS. A typical Pump or Semi-Automatic has the same length sighting plane with a 20" barrel as typical 26" O/U or SxS.

 

[I6turbo]

Thanks everyone, I'm pleased with how the cut turned out. Not surprisingly, USPS has delayed my new bead and tap, so it looks like it'll be a few more days before I can get it finished up.
View attachment 995781

That's a fine job there.

If you find that you like the gun and want to do more with it than you can do with a cylinder bore, you should consider sending the barrel to Michael Orlen for screw-in chokes. The install is very affordable, as are the chokes. My 37 (photo above) and the Auto 5 both have the Colonial Thin-wall Sporting Clays choke setup by Michael, and they work perfectly. Great patterns with various chokes, and POI is correct.

 

[bannockburn]

I6turbo

Most of the hunting I use to do was either small game (mainly rabbits), or else Upland game, and typically in heavily wooded areas where even a 26" barrel on a pump or a semi-auto could get hung up on branches and overgrowth. Definitely preferred something shorter like a 22" barrel for that and then an 18" or 20" barrel for home defense.

 

[v8stang289]

Got the bead installed. The bit deflected a bit, so the hole was .005" off center to the right. I filed a small amount off that side to "center" it back up, lol.
All in all it turned out pretty good for my first time chopping a barrel.

 

[v8stang289]

Full pic of the finished product. Ran some birdshot through it in the back yard and function is great so far. Ready to put it through its paces and do some informal clay shooting.



Also a pic of my 63 Wingmaster with a 20" cyl barrel. Shorter shotguns feel and swing so much better to me.

 

[X62503]

I have a Model 12 with a solid rib and previously added Polychoke. I would like to cut the barrel and add a brass bead. I am not a machinist, but am handy with tools. What would I need to accomplish this task? Is there a tap that cuts threads all the way to the bottom of a hole? Excellent work!

 

[v8stang289]

I have a Model 12 with a solid rib and previously added Polychoke. I would like to cut the barrel and add a brass bead. I am not a machinist, but am handy with tools. What would I need to accomplish this task? Is there a tap that cuts threads all the way to the bottom of a hole? Excellent work!

I used a hacksaw with a metal blade to cut the barrel, and several files of varius sizes to square everything up.
As far as the bead, Brownells sells shotgun sight kits, that include 2 beads, a drill bit and a bottom tap. The bottom tap is what you want to cut threads down to the bottom of the hole.
I did use a drill press and press vice to keep the barrel level/square to the bit when drilling the vent rib for the bead

 

[v8stang289]

Went out today and "patterned" the Model 12 with Federal LE 00 buck with flight control wad.
This is the result of 3 shots offhand at 15 yards. Shoot-n-c dot is 3"
Looks to me like it ought to work very well for use against 2 legged threats should the need arise

 

[PapaG]

Please give it a try with the choke. I have one of the same approximate vintage with a Cutts and it is a hoot. I average 22/25 at skeet and with the full tub can get 23/25 at trap. The looks and comments offset the ugliness.

 

[v8stang289]

Please give it a try with the choke.

Little hard to do that, since I cut it off almost 3 months ago.
I love how it handles and shoots now.