Local shop has a '57 model 12, 20 gauge with a factory Clect choke for $370 on consignment.
Unrestored, and probably 80%...
I am torn if I should "pull the trigger "
I really don't like the bulbous thingy at the muzzle, but had one on my old mossberg 500 20 gauge.
Worst case, I will SBS it with a stamp. ( 13" barrel)
What's Tman say? Leave unmolested, or cut to 20", or SBS?

You should probably buy it first.

whats sbs??

Short barrel stamp

I think that I should, as the only model 12 I have is a 3" heavy duck.
They are such a neat firearm, without the sear disconnect.

buy it , cut it to 18-20 inches and have it threaded and put a proper height ramp and bead on it

no stamp use that money to give it a good set of chokes and sight

I hate those "dial a ducks" too but that is "era correct" so I would buy it and leave it as is.

X2 Find another barrel and magazine tube and have a two barrel gun.

To see if it is in fact a factory choke look at the left side of the barrel to see if it has been stamped with choke nomenclature, Imp Cyl, Mod, Full. If it is, the Poly Choke or Cutts Compensator is an aftermarket add on. The true factory guns will not be marked with the choke designation. I have seen two 12ga factory Cutts guns, I own one of them, and only one 20 that sold on Gunbroker for north of $2500 and a month or so later sold again for $5000 or so. My Cutts gun is a skeet grade gun with no rib. I have never seen a factory Poly Choke gun. I have seen them cataloged. If it is a "57 with a solid rib and a beaver tail fore arm it's possibly a Deluxe Field. They were cataloged from '54 to '59 as a way to sell off the last of the solid rib barrels. If I remember correctly the were offered in all 4 gauges any choke any barrel length. Even if it is a "made up" gun I would probably grab it especially a 20. I have a 20 solid rib that I bought with a poly for $400. You pointed it at a target right in front of you and it threw the pattern over there some where. So aside from that it was butt ugly. I had it taken off and a Cutts put on. It was buggered to begin with but a whole lot less with the Cutts. Now it patterns way better and where it's supposed to. It is my favorite do anything I want gun. Small game, skeet, clays, it does it all. The only choke I use in it is a spreader, good for in your face to 35 plus yards. Again for $370 I would grab it. I have a couple dozen Model 12's.

A two barrel set is a nice idea but it's a lot more complicated than just getting a barrel and magazine tube. There are a whole bunch of other parts that are needed plus most likely some machine work involved. The barrel needs to be fitted and the chamber ring inside the receiver needs to match up to both chambers, that's the machine work. Heck a 20ga barrel alone would set you back more than the $370 asking price. I have a factory 2 barrel set. The original gun is a 30 inch full choke plain barrel made in 1919. The gun was sent back to Winchester in 1935 or later and fitted with a 26 inch WS-1 (Winchester Skeet 1) plain barrel. I know it was 1935 or after because WS-1 didn't exist until 1935. Both barrel assemblies and the receiver have matching serial numbers.

Thanks for that information Paul. I've got a 20 with some kind of adjustable choke on it. I'll have to dig it out sometime and look at the barrel markings. My dad was second owner and he said the guy he bought it from ordered it that way new so I'm interested to figure out if it really is factory.

My grandpa bought a full set of Model 12's new back in the day. 12 16 and 20. All three came with the adjustable choke on them. Grandpa shortly after bought full choke barrels for all three. We still have the complete set with the complete set of spare barrels. Finding a spare barrel for a 20 gauge is probably less than likely but they do exist. Just an fyi. I dislike the adjustable choke on them and never did like the way they patterned.

Dude, a full set would include a 28ga. A very rare and expensive bird in this day in age. I have one, a solid rib skeet gun that is brand new in the box, having all the paper work, hang tags and the original bill of sale from Arthur's Hardware in Orchard Park, NY. I'm the second owner. It has never been put together. I've had it for 50 plus years. Once a year around my birthday I get it out of the safe and give it a light wipe down with a light gun oil, wrap back up in the fish paper, back in the box, and back in the safe. Some day I'll work up the nerve to put it together and maybe shoot it. I'll have to find some vintage paper skeet loads to put through it first.

If your "spare barrels" are in fact complete barrel assemblies and not just barrels you do have something special.

Paul,
That is like marrying a Nun! Go shoot it.

Paul... do you consider having a 42 a necessary part of that full collection?

Coop, as part of a Winchester collection, absolutely. But not as part of a Model 12 collection no. 42's have the same basic outline but are a different external and internal appearance. To access the internals of the Model 12 you remove the trigger assembly. Then with a minor amount of dancing around all the internals come out. The Model 42, the side plate on the right side of the receiver must be removed to access the guts. I don't own one yet so I haven't been inside one. I am looking for one or more. The first one needs to be the right one. A 28 inch solid rib skeet would be perfect with a 26 inch coming in second. I have had a few 410's in my past. The first was a 28 inch Winchester 101 skeet. The second was a Remington 11-48 skeet. It surprisingly kicked like a mule which surprised the stars out of me. The third was an SKB 600 28 inch full and full. It turned out to be the best of the three on the skeet field which proved to me, at least in my mind, that there isn't enough difference in 410 chokes to worry about. I also don't feel you miss a target because you have too much choke. You miss because you didn't put the muzzle in the right place and keep it moving.

A side note. If any of you guys are thinking of getting a 28ga Model 12, be very very careful. There are a number of "made up" 28's floating around. There is at least one on GunBroker right now. These guns started out as 16 or 20 gauge guns. 16's, 20's, and 28's are the same frame size. The 12 is larger. The best way to check on this is to first make sure the serial numbers on the receiver and barrel extension match, then remove the stock and look at the underside of the tang attached to the rear of the frame that the stock bolt goes into. It will be stamped with the numbers 16, 20, or 28 corresponding to what the gun was originally built as. There's some unscrupulous characters out there. I don't get it myself. Can't really be worth the effort. The cost of the parts to me would not be worth the effort. Another thing is if you are looking at buying ANY Model 12 with a rib and want a "factory original" gun make sure the proof marks are there and in the correct orientation. Plain barrel guns the proof marks are always top dead center on the frame and barrel. Vent rib guns will both be to the left side of top dead center and on solid rib guns the frame mark will be top dead center and the barrel mark will be to the left side of the rib. If there are no proof marks it's an after market job and not factory original. Though I will admit there are some factory or reproduction proof punches floating around. I'm not 100% sure but I don't think that Winchester would also put a rib on a gun that had Simmon's stamped on it. A lot like Chevy putting a Ford tailgate on a pickup.

Thanks... bunch of stuff I
didn't know.

I've got a model 12 16 gauge trap at the gun store on consignment to sell. It is not matching numbers though. I also put a 1957 12 gauge on consignment in the same store. I still have a 16 gauge and a 12 gauge in the safe though. I like me some model 12's.

One of the good parts about model 12's is parts are pretty easy to come by. Not as easy as they were, but they can be found.