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Is it sacrilegious to bubba an early model Winchester 12?

Rockrivr1

Rockrivr1

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So I have my dad's old Winchester Model 12 sitting in the safe collecting dust and I'm seriously considering converting it into a WWI Trench Gun. I have a Heat Shield/Bayo Lug that will fit it as well as the tube plug needed to mount the heat shield sitting collecting dust also. The only problem though is to make it into a real trench gun I'll have to have the barrel on the Model 12 shortened to match the heat shield. Not a big gunsmithing job, but still modifying the original shotgun. From what I can see the Winchester 12 is not really a collectors item as they seem to be pretty common. Though bubbaing a gun has always felt like a no no to me even though I'm considering this.

So what do you think. Good to go or Sacrilegious?
 
Rockrivr1 said:
So I have my dad's old Winchester Model 12 sitting in the safe collecting dust and I'm seriously considering converting it into a WWI Trench Gun. I have a Heat Shield/Bayo Lug that will fit it as well as the tube plug needed to mount the heat shield sitting collecting dust also. The only problem though is to make it into a real trench gun I'll have to have the barrel on the Model 12 shortened to match the heat shield. Not a big gunsmithing job, but still modifying the original shotgun. From what I can see the Winchester 12 is not really a collectors item as they seem to be pretty common. Though bubbaing a gun has always felt like a no no to me even though I'm considering this.

So what do you think. Good to go or Sacrilegious?
Click to expand...
1. This is very common and many shooting CAS shorten the barrels.

2. Check that the bayonet lug fits. I believe the model with the long barrel had a thinner barrel.

3. If you do it right, have a gunsmith do the work, I say go for it. It will look awesome. In the end, it is your gun to enjoy before your journey is over so do what makes you happy.

To those that complain: there are a lot of examples of Model 12 in original condition and not that many Trench guns, so a proper job, in my opinion, is not a bad thing.
 
whatluck said:
Who gives a f*** what NES thinks? It's your gun. Use a f***ing hack saw for all I care.

They made 2 million of them.
Click to expand...

I wish I could find that post when I said it was OK to sporterize a Mauser and some people flipped out like it was the last Mauser in existence. [rofl]

Many collector guns rust to sh*t because "can't touch it".
 
whatluck said:
Who gives a f*** what NES thinks? It's your gun. Use a f***ing hack saw for all I care.

They made 2 million of them.
Click to expand...
I only mentioned it as it was a family owned gun and peoples tastes change in time.
It’s no sweat off my balls in any way.

I have my grandmother’s Ted Williams 12ga without a number on it that I could find. Sure I could cut the barrel on my chop saw but then what?
I can pass it onto her only great grandson (my nephew) too.
 
Asaltweapon said:
I only mentioned it as it was a family owned gun and peoples tastes change in time.
It’s no sweat off my balls in any way.

I have my grandmother’s Ted Williams 12ga without a number on it that I could find. Sure I could cut the barrel on my chop saw but then what?
I can pass it onto her only great grandson (my nephew) too.
Click to expand...

Wasn't a jab at you, more at the kind of people who bitch when you shoot up a shitbox porche for charity.

I really like the old Sears guns. They'll never be valuable but those were some well made shotguns and single shot .22s. A testament to a post-war industrial economy that wasn't yet crippled by the EPA.
 
whatluck said:
Wasn't a jab at you, more at the kind of people who bitch when you shoot up a shitbox porche for charity.

I really like the old Sears guns. They'll never be valuable but those were some well made shotguns and single shot .22s. A testament to a post-war industrial economy that wasn't yet crippled by the EPA.
Click to expand...

If only someone else would donate a Porche and a range to shoot it up on. That was an awesome day!
 
whatluck said:
Wasn't a jab at you, more at the kind of people who bitch when you shoot up a shitbox porche for charity.

I really like the old Sears guns. They'll never be valuable but those were some well made shotguns and single shot .22s. A testament to a post-war industrial economy that wasn't yet crippled by the EPA.
Click to expand...
No harm and absolutely no offense was thought of.
This gun has a very free value but holds a memory to a woman who let me drive a car on the back roads from SSPlaza back to her house on the far end of Common St in Braintree at the age of about 12 after proving I could park and stay within the lines on Sunday some 50 years ago.
 
Actually I got a PM with a great idea. I'll get a beat up replacement barrel for the model 12 and then cut that one to size. I have the original barrel in case I want to convert it back for whatever reason. Pretty good idea. Model 12 barrels seem to be pretty cheap so a good option.
 
Not a gunsmith but
What would it take to put on a short heavy barrel so you would have a perfect clone and if you get sentimental you have a choice to bring it back to original
 
I wouldn't worry too much if it were me. Might see if there is enough meat on the barrel to have screw in chokes added. After all it would not be a collectors piece but could be a great shooter.
 
Is Dad still with us? Was the shotgun anything special to him? Did Dad like to tinker with his guns? The extra barrel idea is brilliant. I'd be rather sentimental about my old mans gun, but if it's something you could see him doing for the fun of it, why not? The additional barrel idea is gold Jerry, gold.
 
Cut it and build. This should be done to any shot gun that fits into the combat mod style. As far as double barrels. cut them into coach guns. I am all for this just do it.
 
If you want a model 12 trench gun, you can have one without wrecking dad's gun. Get a model 12 from Cabela's. They have a bunch for short money.
 
The original WW1 Trench Guns were Winchester 1897's and Remington Model 10's, not Winchester model 12's.

www.americanrifleman.org

An Official Journal Of The NRA | The 'Trench Gun' In World War I

During World War I American “Doughboys” went “over the top” with a fearsome, distinctly American arm—the trench shotgun.
www.americanrifleman.org www.americanrifleman.org
 
I would keep it as is and pick up a beat up Model 12 to convert into a trench gun. I have my grandfather’s sears side by side with 30 inch barrels. One of the barrels has a ding that needs to be repaired before shooting it. I’m on the fence about this, as the repair would cost more than the monetary value of the shotgun. It’s not worth much money, but it has a lot of sentimental value to me.
 
Last edited:
Rockrivr1 said:
So I have my dad's old Winchester Model 12 sitting in the safe collecting dust and I'm seriously considering converting it into a WWI Trench Gun. I have a Heat Shield/Bayo Lug that will fit it as well as the tube plug needed to mount the heat shield sitting collecting dust also. The only problem though is to make it into a real trench gun I'll have to have the barrel on the Model 12 shortened to match the heat shield. Not a big gunsmithing job, but still modifying the original shotgun. From what I can see the Winchester 12 is not really a collectors item as they seem to be pretty common. Though bubbaing a gun has always felt like a no no to me even though I'm considering this.

So what do you think. Good to go or Sacrilegious?
Click to expand...
I vote go for it. They are not that rare. Every time I check the used rack at kittery there are 10 to 12 of them on the rack in various conditions.
 
Everyone is saying that they’re not that rare, but there’s only one of them that was his dad’s

I almost always hate the idea of cutting up old stuff, and I don’t give a f*** if that makes me a Fudd or a gatekeeper or whatever.

Just sell it and buy what suits your purposes.
 
Tough call. How many 91/30's got turned into "snipah rifulz" by putting on an aftermarket remake scope and base and electron-penciling the same serial # on it? How many 98's got turned into hunting rifles? How many butchered Garlands turned into fake D's?

That said, it's a 12. Meh. But some day, someone is gonna look at it and think, "what A-hole did this to a perfectly good gun?" It's inevitable. LOL

All THAT said, I cringe when I see a vintage "pre-ban" Norinco AK that gets absolutely accessorized. There are SCORES of new AK's that you could bubba up. You had to use a gun that's worth 2-3x as much as your base model????
 

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