Needing a price check on a Winchester Model 12 20 gauge shotgun I saw at a gunshow today. 28" barrel, full choke, with a solid rib. OA condition was about 85% blue and wood. Buttplate looks like it possibly might have been replaced as it looks like the one found on the later guns. Clean barrel and tight at the joint. Used, but not abused. Serial # indicates a 1950 manufacture date. Seller had a $950 tag, but he likes to haggle. Thanks for any info. from any of you that deal with Model 12's!

That is probably double—or more—what it is worth. Which is sad, no finer old shotgun. But that is way high. There are near 100% examples online in $800 range. They just don’t bring the money they use to. That is probably a $300-$400 shotgun in that condition.

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Possum—The other white meat!

Too high for around here. Even my local Cabelas - not exactly a bastion of low prices - always has a half dozen Winchester Model 12s in the used gun racks for under 5 bills.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

Same here. Great gun but way overpriced. About $400-450.

I was with a Model 12 collector at our local show today and he found a 20 gauge, modified choke on a 25" barrel with a solid rib. Made in 1914. He paid $900 and would have gone a bit higher. This dude is tight with a buck but it fit a hole in his collection. Not the same dimensions as the one you saw but.......around here, a 20 gauge with a solid rib is a lot more than a $400 gun.

Yeah, you just don't see many 20's with the SR barrel anymore. also they didn't make that many of them anyway. So, most of the time you have to pay up or move on. This guy likes to trade so maybe next show I can do some swapping if he's in a trading frame of mind???

I have all the solid ribbed gauges of Model 12's including the pricey 28ga and for what you described, anything less than $650 would be a steal. Personally, $800 would be where I would like to be. EVERYTHING must be original for that amount. If you do not know the Model 12 , it will be easy for someone who does to take advantage of you. Good solid examples of better than field grade Model 12 Winchesters are drying up. Only all original guns bring that kind of dollars." Let the buyer beware"

Frankly, if I had the money, I'd buy the Miroku repro, marked Winchester or Browning.

I've handled some, and overall quality seems as high as with original Winchester and the fine wood, engraving and gold inlays look downright spiffy.

And, yes, I'd hunt with that fancy gun.

Well, if you want a plain gun made in 1914, with that level of metallurgy...

I bought a gauge model 12 in 1963 that I still have. Probably will be the last long gun to go. Just a field grade, but my wife shot doves with it years ago.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

The only thing I could see that was questionable was the buttplate. It was one that was used on the later guns with the word Winchester in a straight line from top to bottom, not the earlier one with the Winchester logo in a circle in the middle of the plate. other than that it looked like a factory original gun. Just shows use but not abuse, which is fine with me. A non- refinished gun to me shows character and that it was used for what it was intended for. So, how much should be discounted for the replaced buttplate?? TY!

The Solid Rib feature is a key to extra value placed on the OP's inquiry.
A plain bbl Field M12 in 20ga @ 85% would be a $400 to $500 gun most places.
Add that SR bbl, and to a 20ga, and it increases the value of an otherwise plain M12.

85% condition is no where near most collectors demands. It's nice, but it puts it in the 'shooter' catagory IMO.
Don't pay premium.

The suspect replaced butt plate may be just that, or it may be a replaced butt stock w/that plate from a later M12.
It may be a repro butt plate too that was used to replace a broken orig.

A repro will have a different look to the material as they are cast out of black epoxy in most instances and small, sometimes near pin point air bubble inclusions can be seen on them. Expecially on the edges where they were fitted to the wood.

Orig butt plates were screwed down in place and the butt stock machine sanded (held by hand) lengthwise on belts. So the sanding marks (grit marks) extend right from the wood and on to the edges of the butt plate material. No high or low spots except perhaps from a bit of 70ys of some wood shrinkage.

Refitted plates, new or repro, are usually easy to spot as they are done as careful as possible so as not to touch the orig wood finish.
That leaves the plate a bit high or sometimes low if done off the gun. Grit or even file marks often go around the plate instead of with the grain/length of the wood as a factory fit would do.
Touched up wood finish around the rear edge of the stock at the butt plate is another clue to a refitted plate.

If the plate looks orig and the fit looks orig to the butt stock,,then I'd suspect a replaced buttstock w/ butt plate if the era for the plate is wrong as you think it is..

Again, originality is everything when paying bigger bucks , especially for M12's. There's a lot of them still around out there.

If you really want one and it's to be a shooter. That gun sounds like a good candidate to me.
But the price is way out there for the stated condition and possible issues away from originality that I think you are describing.
I would think the gun would be in the $600 range to sell. Maybe a bit more if someone really fell in love with it.

added..
Also check if orig,,ser#'s match on both assemblys,,no signs of a reblue on anything, T/D adj is still in it's first or second take up position and not near the end of it's usefullness, Make sure the SR is secure. It's soft soldered to the bbl and while it's not very common for them to come loose, they do on occasion.
If you can, check functioning with dummy rounds.
because yes, they do wear out and need repair some times.

I bought a 12 ga in 90%+ condition for $250, for a house gun. Cut it down and put a bayonet mount and heat shield for $200 more. Made a good faux trench gun for house defense.