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Am I recalling correctly that it has been stated that Ventilated Ribbed Model 12s that were factory installed are very rare.
Or have I also read that none of the Ventilated Ribbed Model 12 are factory and was done by an outside source?
What is supposed to be the whole picture regarding Ventilated Ribbed barrels on the Model 12 and/or Model 97?
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
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A factory vent rib on a Model 12 was a very expensive option. The first rib Winchester offered, and there best was the two pinned milled rib. To have this option added to your Model 12 would most likely double your cost. The Winchester Special rib (first the donut style, and then the Round Post Style) were first available in 1954. Not as expensive as the Milled Two Pinned Style, but still costly. For example you could buy a Model 12 Heavy Duck Gun for around $100.00 in the late 1950s. If you wanted the shotgun with the Special Vent Rib, you would have to come up to around $160.00! So, the cost would have be prohibitive for many shooters. As far as being rare a TrapGrade with a Factory Vent Rib is often times found for sale. A Heavy Duck Model 12 with a factory Vent Rib is seldom found. Winchester offered four Factory Vent Rib Styles for the Model 12. Three of them are listed above. The fourth the Three pinned style was available in 1961.
So just for my clarity and understanding, When was the first type of Vented Rib offered by the factory? And what style was the first style offered?
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
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Maverick said
So just for my clarity and understanding, When was the first type of Vented Rib offered by the factory? And what style was the first style offered?Sincerely,
Maverick
Winchester first offered a “Special Ventilated Rib” in the year 1919.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
The Two Pinned milled rib was the first style. This was very expensive to manufacture. The next style vent rib, available in 1954 was the Donut style Special vent rib.
Bert H. said
Winchester first offered a “Special Ventilated Rib” in the year 1919.
Interesting. I came across a grainy photograph of Henry Brewer shooting a vented rib Model 12. It is from the March 12th, 1920 issue of the Winchester Record Magazine.
It would be interested to know what the story was or what happened to Brewer’s Model 12. Was it a random sales model he grabbed and used for the company’s annual salesman’s shoot? Was it special made for Brewer’s personnel use? I figured it must of been a new product or somewhat novel for it to have been shown in the company’s magazine. Just wish there was more detail about it other than a simple grainy photo.
Looks like Brewer has good form and that it was a cold shoot that day. The gentleman behind Brewer is shooting a Model 97, but its barrel seems plain jane.
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
I have just one Model 12 in my collection (inherited from my grandfather). It is an October 1926 production “pre Heavy Duck Gun” with a 32-inch Solid Ribbed Full choke barrel. I personally much prefer the Solid Rib versus a Vent Rib barrel.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Burt, That is very nice Model 12 that you received from your Grandfather. A lot of folks don’t know that the Heavy Duck Model 12 was designed for a load of either 1 3/8 ounce shot or 1 5/8 ounce shot. Last Week my Son, and I patterned a Heavy Duck Model 12 at 40 yards. With the 1 3/8 ounce 4 shot hand load it patterned nicely. When we tried the 2 ounce 4 shot Turkey load, well not very good. I seemed that the heavier load just blew the pattern.
Bo Rich said
Burt, That is very nice Model 12 that you received from your Grandfather. A lot of folks don’t know that the Heavy Duck Model 12 was designed for a load of either 1 3/8 ounce shot or 1 5/8 ounce shot. Last Week my Son, and I patterned a Heavy Duck Model 12 at 40 yards. With the 1 3/8 ounce 4 shot hand load it patterned nicely. When we tried the 2 ounce 4 shot Turkey load, well not very good. I seemed that the heavier load just blew the pattern.
When I received the gun (back in the early 1990s) I did not realize that it was a special order gun. I have only shot it a few times in the 30-years that I have owned it, but it does shoot a very nice (tight) pattern with factory No. 4 shot loads. I remember shooting it in the 1970s at clay pigeons (informal Trap shooting), and breaking them as far out as 50-yds. It absolutely powdered them (when I could hit them) @ 25-yards.
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Bert and others, the Heavy Duck patterned so well that many were rebuilt into custom trap guns back when the model 12 tended to be the most common gun on the line! My buddy has one so made for him from way back, special high vent rib and all that get up, plus custom wood. He is beginning to think of selling one of these days, if he doesn’t pass first. Time is catching many of us. Tim
November 7, 2015
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tim tomlinson said
Bert and others, the Heavy Duck patterned so well that many were rebuilt into custom trap guns back when the model 12 tended to be the most common gun on the line! My buddy has one so made for him from way back, special high vent rib and all that get up, plus custom wood. He is beginning to think of selling one of these days, if he doesn’t pass first. Time is catching many of us. Tim
Live bird and Helice/ZZ bird shooters still like the balance and weight of the Heavy Duck Model 12. The plastic birds and live birds must be knocked down within a defined area to score and they generally shoot very heavy loads to improve their chances of a bird landing in the scoring area.
Mike
November 7, 2015
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Bert H. said
Bo Rich said
Burt, That is very nice Model 12 that you received from your Grandfather. A lot of folks don’t know that the Heavy Duck Model 12 was designed for a load of either 1 3/8 ounce shot or 1 5/8 ounce shot. Last Week my Son, and I patterned a Heavy Duck Model 12 at 40 yards. With the 1 3/8 ounce 4 shot hand load it patterned nicely. When we tried the 2 ounce 4 shot Turkey load, well not very good. I seemed that the heavier load just blew the pattern.
When I received the gun (back in the early 1990s) I did not realize that it was a special order gun. I have only shot it a few times in the 30-years that I have owned it, but it does shoot a very nice (tight) pattern with factory No. 4 shot loads. I remember shooting it in the 1970s at clay pigeons (informal Trap shooting), and breaking them as far out as 50-yds. It absolutely powdered them (when I could hit them) @ 25-yards.
My Model 12 Trap (Full choke) is pretty awesome at making birds go from together to a black cloud…when I do my part. It will break birds all the way to the stake if I can make myself hold under it. Hard to beat a fixed-choke Winchester, IMHO.
Mike
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