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October 12, 2025
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Has anyone ever seen a safety like this ? It is on a gun I am using for parts and I have never seen a safety like this one before the one on my other model 12s are the push button style with the red line. 
February 17, 2026
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I have never seen anything like that.
July 9, 2026
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Yes, that’s an early Model 12 safety. Winchester used this style on some of the earlier guns before switching to the more common cross-bolt push-button safety with the red indicator. It’s not something you see very often, which is why it catches people’s attention. If you can post the serial number or approximate year of manufacture, that would help determine exactly when Winchester used this variation
October 12, 2025
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Barryf448 said
Yes, that’s an early Model 12 safety. Winchester used this style on some of the earlier guns before switching to the more common cross-bolt push-button safety with the red indicator. It’s not something you see very often, which is why it catches people’s attention. If you can post the serial number or approximate year of manufacture, that would help determine exactly when Winchester used this variation
Serial number is 173216 and it is a 16 gauge
March 31, 2009
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I didn’t find a picture or mention of it in Dave Rifle’s Model 12 book? Serial #1, 40, 44 and 42,360 do not have it? 173,216 is a 1918 shotgun.
October 12, 2025
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Chuck said
I didn’t find a picture or mention of it in Dave Rifle’s Model 12 book? Serial #1, 40, 44 and 42,360 do not have it? 173,216 is a 1918 shotgun.
I have another model 12 16 gauge that doesn’t have it it is serial number 236977
January 5, 2026
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Looks like a home made safety like the Crowe safety. All of my model 12 guns have Crowe safety and they really easy to use.
December 25, 2016
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I don’t think for a minute that safety is original Winchester. Really common to find M12’s with an aftermarket safety installed at some time in the distant past. Don’t think I have not seen a big head safety quite that big headed before. The darn thing has a swelled head. It is after all mounted on the finest pump shotgun ever built.
Easy peasey to swap an original back in if desired.
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