model 12 military

DEEREHART

Hey guys what can you tell me about a Winchester model 12 stamped on the receiver US with a flaming bomb, field grade, 12 gauge, full choke,30 inch barrel, and serial 1009451. Other than the stamp on the receiver it looks just like a normal mod 12. I have been told that the military used them over a large time frame. Is there any way to determine what branch of service this one might have been attached to?

rufe-snow

Your is in the correct serial number range, for a W W II Winchester shotgun. But they also had U. S. military markings, on stock and barrel.

My WAG is that it was reworked after the war, to what you have now.

MIKE WISKEY

many military 'rod & gun' clubs bought 'civilian' weapons for club members use. that is probably what you have. at just over 1 million I 'think' that is post ww2.

hillbille

don't know how far back it goes, but when I was in the marines, we had model 12's in the armory you could borrow/ check out for the day, to hunt locally, unless this was exclusive to our base this may be what your shotgun was for.

gary wray

Yes, you have a US military marked Model 12. Many thousands of them were used during WWII for Army Air Corp gunnery training teaching budding gunners how to lead targets and such. Yours is most probably one of those....perhaps some ATE can run down the serial # and give you a time frame.

gary wray

quote:Originally posted by gary wray
Yes, you have a US military marked Model 12. Many thousands of them were used during WWII for Army Air Corp gunnery training teaching budding gunners how to lead targets and such. Yours is most probably one of those....perhaps some ATE can run down the serial # and give you a time frame.


Whoops.....apologies to Rufe as he did peg down the time frame. Further note....the gov't contracted with Win to buy over 80k of these during the War, almost equally split between Trench/Riot and field grades in trap/skeet for training with many of those going to the AACorps for training but they went to other branches also. I remember my father telling me that he trained on a hammerless shotgun when he was in OK as an Air Cadet training to be a top turrent gunner on a B26 Maurader....who knows, Roy Wray could have cradled your gun on his cheek in 1943!

Bert H.

Model 12 serial number 1009451 went through the Polishing Room on March 1st, 1943.

As others have mentioned, the U.S. Military bought standard Model 12 shotguns for training and recreation purposes.

Ambrose

It is also possible that the gun was modified with a new barrel assembly post-war. Around 1960, a lot of surplus trench guns were sold dirt cheap. I paid $42 for a like new 97 trench gun back then. The local gun club guys were buying surplus model 12 trenches, tossing the hand guard/bayonet lugs, and fitting them with Cutts compensators to get more standard barrel lengths and, of course fitting new barrels. There were huge amounts of surplus parts available in the 50's that could be bought with pocket change. I bought a set of parts that made up a .45 conversion unit for Dad's 1911 Super .38 for less than $5. Dad retired his much worn Remington model 10 in 1960 and bought an Ithaca 37 that had a replacement military butt stock with sling swivel.

DEEREHART

Thanks for the input guys. The theory I am going to stick with is it was a trainer for the ARMY AIR CORPS. It makes the best story [:D]. Looking at the fit and finish I would have to think it was not converted from a trench gun.