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November 7, 2015
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Today is my 60th birthday so I thought it was appropriate to dig out some old shotguns for a day on the trap range. There’s something about shooting a 103 year old Model 12 Black Diamond that puts a birthday, even a milestone one, in perspective. I even drug out the “new” Y-Model 12 Trap for a round of handicap trap. I don’t generally keep score but on my last round with the Black Diamond I think I missed three but the guy I was shooting with thought it was two. Ran out of time before I made it over to the skeet field with my 1897. Maybe tomorrow!
Mike
ETA Pic!
Happy B’day Mike. Glad you spent the day enjoying what you like to do. I will hit that mile stone in August and retire in December.
Best,
Erin
Happy Birthday Mike. What a great way to spend a milestone birthday. Thanks for sharing pictures of your nice Winchester shotguns.
Al
November 7, 2015
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Funny story about the ca 1977 “Y” Model 12. I was developing a flinch shooting the old Black Diamond several rounds with no recoil pad so I shot a round of singles with the “Y”. It’s a slick gun and I enjoy shooting it now and then; love the way it smokes a target.
Anyway, about midway through the round I felt a flinch coming on, recovered and rode the bird out about 35 yards in front of the house before breaking it. An old buddy was shooting after me and took notice. A few birds later he rode one a ways and missed. We do this now and then to aggravate each other. On my last station I decided I’d ride another one a ways just for shiggles and busted it about two feet off the ground in front of the 50 yard stake. For you non trapshooters that’s 65 yards from the firing point. My buddy was speechless, everyone else in the squad saw it and had a good laugh. Poor guy took 3-4 minutes before he could compose himself enough to call for his bird. After the round someone asked me what load I used; it was an Estate one ounce load of number 8 shot. Poor guy with his Kolar shotgun and pet loads from his Spolar loader couldn’t believe I’d pulled off that shot with an old pump Winchester and $5.50/box skeet loads.
Somewhere in heaven an old trapshooter was laughing his butt off!
There’s magic in those old Winchesters. 
Mike
Nice story Mike. I used to take my 1897 to the trap range just to see the look on some of the shooters faces. You know the ones with the 3K+ guns especially set up for trap. Normally I shot one of my hunting semi autos just to stay in practice. I don’t think I ever busted 25 in a row. Once I shot with a bunch of guys shooting from the back line. They let me stand 2 lines closer. Boy do things move fast at that range.
November 7, 2015
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Thanks, Chuck. It’s a lot funnier if you know every guy in the squad is a better shooter than I, even when I shoot my Browning 725 Trap. No shortage of Krieghoffs, Kolars and Perazzis at this club but my Citori’s are better guns than I am a shooter. The guys like it when I dig out my old Winchesters and somebody generally wants to shoot a round with one. I always enjoy seeing the grins on their faces. Some were around when the Model 12’s and 870’s ruled the trap fields. One of the guys saw my Y Model 12 a few years ago and fell in love. I let him shoot it and next thing you know he buys one almost as nice and sends it out for custom wood. Now it’s almost as pretty as mine but he won’t shoot it, even with the release trigger he had made.
I used to have a better picture of the Y-Model but we all know how those things can disappear.
Mike
November 7, 2015
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Couldn’t go to Cody so my old M12 Black Diamond went to the range. No flinch issues today! As poorly as this gun fits me I sure like the way it shoots, maybe someday I’ll remember that slip-on recoil pad. Love the way that full choke powders clay birds!
Mike
November 7, 2015
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Took my Y-model 12 to the club today. Official purpose was to test my “real” trap gun after a trip to the gunsmith but the Model 12 was determined to show what she was made of! Had the club pretty much to myself, wind was almost calm. Nothing breaks a bird like a Winchester Trap Gun!
Mike
Very nice, Mike. I like to shoot skeet and, not long ago, took my model 12, 20 ga., to the range (my normal skeet gun is a Browning Citori with Kolar sub tubes). I wish I had a dollar for every time I forgot to pump….
Technically, the glass is always full; half liquid, half air....
WACA #10293
November 7, 2015
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rwsem said
Very nice, Mike. I like to shoot skeet and, not long ago, took my model 12, 20 ga., to the range (my normal skeet gun is a Browning Citori with Kolar sub tubes). I wish I had a dollar for every time I forgot to pump….
Thanks, Ron. I missed a chance at a nice enough Model 12 Skeet in 20 ga. awhile back but something about that 25” barrel gave me pause. I was probably wrong but something about that shotgun seemed amiss. On the rack next to it was a pretty sweet Citori XS in 20 ga. and it has become my go-to Skeet gun. I normally shoot a Citori for all the clay bird games I play but now and then I shoot a pump and I’ve forgotten to work the action quite a few times. I try to keep in practice with my social equipment by shooting a round of Skeet with a Winchester riot gun 3-4 times a year. Someday I’ll find another Model 12 Skeet.
Mike
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TXGunNut said
Funny story about the ca 1977 “Y” Model 12. I was developing a flinch shooting the old Black Diamond several rounds with no recoil pad so I shot a round of singles with the “Y”. It’s a slick gun and I enjoy shooting it now and then; love the way it smokes a target.Anyway, about midway through the round I felt a flinch coming on, recovered and rode the bird out about 35 yards in front of the house before breaking it. An old buddy was shooting after me and took notice. A few birds later he rode one a ways and missed. We do this now and then to aggravate each other. On my last station I decided I’d ride another one a ways just for shiggles and busted it about two feet off the ground in front of the 50 yard stake. For you non trapshooters that’s 65 yards from the firing point. My buddy was speechless, everyone else in the squad saw it and had a good laugh. Poor guy took 3-4 minutes before he could compose himself enough to call for his bird. After the round someone asked me what load I used; it was an Estate one ounce load of number 8 shot. Poor guy with his Kolar shotgun and pet loads from his Spolar loader couldn’t believe I’d pulled off that shot with an old pump Winchester and $5.50/box skeet loads.
Somewhere in heaven an old trapshooter was laughing his butt off!
There’s magic in those old Winchesters.
Mike
Mike – that was a fun story. And you’re right about the magic 
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