Model 12 16 gauge Serial # 303598 nickel steel|Winchester Shotguns|Forum|Winchester Collector

Dave S said
Thanks Bert, you’re the best!
So hang it on the wall and admire it for what it is, huh?  lol. 
  

Not necessarily.  Learn to re load it.  Cut the shells to the proper length, use light loads with lead. 

I’d guess the subgauge ammunition doesn’t sell in sufficient volume to spread production and distribution costs nearly as thin as for 12 and 20.  Locally, 12 and 20 sell for the same price and are stocked at the same volume. Not the 3″ 20, though. 

The Aguila (Mexican) brand 28 stuff is popular here and patterns well in my gun. What I miss is the Winchester Super X one ounce load. Forget all the bushwa about “overbore” — my 101 28 gauge shoots it with #7 1/2 shot in flat, dense 35 yard patterns that will nail a big cock pheasant, if I do my part. Plastic shot wads, high antimony shot,  and, I think, Grex all combined make a 20 gauge out of it. Not cheap, of course, but a mighty good shell. 

Dave,  I wouldn’t be discouraged about your Model 12.  Regardless of its age, they were all soundly built.  The thing you want to do first is locate a good gunsmith to look it over, maybe disassemble it and clean it in places hard to get to, and make sure it’s safe to shoot with correct length shells. 

Do post some photos here, the more the better, so we can get an idea of what, if anything should be done about the furniture. I owned and hunted with a Model 12 sixteen gauge for a good while and the best thing about the old ones was they were not built on a12 gauge frame. A great field gun.

Whether a sixteen gauge is loaded with the old short or new long shells, it will do everything a twenty gauge can do and a fair amount of what a twelve gauge can do. In the South, the sixteen was the Queen because it is so flexible. My Dad preferred it to anything else. 

As my friends have told you, you get maximum utility with a sixteen by handloading and it is not a hard thing. In fact, with the current ammunition shortage, a lot of us that shoot 12 and 20 gauge can’t buy what the factories list but actually aren’t making right now. 

If the gun were mine and I liked it, I’d have my gunsmith clean and bless it, then locate a few boxes of the short shells to try it out. If I still liked it, I’d shop for a reloading kit and supplies. Our guys here can help with more useful information and sound advice than you can say grace over. 

Welcome to our mutual obsession. You are among friends.

Chuck said
A 1930’s vintage Model 12 in 16 ga. was my first gun.  Dad gave it to me in 1960. 
  

Lucky you. That was a handsome gift to start off with!