I bought a Model 12 20 gauge on GB yesterday. 26" barrel with mod. choke for $640. Approx. 90% overall original condition for a 1940 model. Was this a good price or over the top??? Thanks!

Was it an original Win. model 12 or one of the Win/Browning Miroku mdl. 12's. That would a be a fair price for one of the newer Miroku's. Then older ones I see at gun shows for around $100 less.
Saying that I have an original with a 28" modified bbl. Its a great dove gun. Still not a bad price if you really wanted it.

__________________
S&W Accumulator

I think you got it for a good price. The 20 gauge Model 12's I've seen at public auctions lately have sold for $100 to $150 more that you paid for yours. the 20 gauge guns will sell for more than the 12 gauge in equal condition. Mine is a 1958 production 28" full choke that is near mint. When the clerk told me $600, I was amazed but not so much that I couldn't blurt out "it's mine!" Hope that you will enjoy yours as much as I do mine.

I picked up an all original Winchester model 12 in 20 gauge on
GB a couple of years ago for around $650. It was made in 1938
and is choked full with about 90% finish. It shoots great, and
shows quality in craftsmanship. I understand they didn't make
many model 12's in 20 gauge as they made in 12 gauge.

2 identical Model 12's in 2 different gun shops can be drastically different in pricing. Two years ago at the same LGS I bought 2 in 12 gauge, a well used one for $200'ish and a 90% 1946 3" for $250. I sold the 3" the other day for way more than double of what I paid. I kept old well used for a knock around gun.

I was in another LGS last week, they had a plain 1928 12 gauge, $795. It was 75% at best.

A few years ago I used to see 20 gauge's on a regular basis but do not anymore. Some one on the forum schooled me a few months back, I thought $500 was too high for a M-12 in 20. I went looking for one and could not find any....

It so hard to judge a price without seeing the gun. If it is a true 90% un-fiddled with gun I would say in my area the price would be maybe a touch high for a plain barreled gun but not by much. If it has vent rib it was a decent buy. If has a solid rib it was a very good buy.

Photos would really help,

__________________
Bill Bates

That about sums it up...it also depends a lot on the condition. The malady of the Model 12 was the single action bar. On the end of it is a small oval shaped tab that is what drives the bolt up to lock it into battery. If this tab is not kept greased properly it will wear. When it wears enough the bolt wont get locked completely and the gun will blow itself open. This requires either a new action bar or the tab welded up and fitted. A very simple test you can do to see how much wear you have is to pump the empty gun so it is in battery but on an empty chamber of course. Reach under the loading port on the bottom of the receiver and push upwards on the shell carrier. Note if the bolt moves upwards too and note how much. If it is in perfect shape the bolt will not move. If this is the case you can thank your lucky stars and then get some good grade grease on it asap. If it has the normal wear it might move say 1/8"...not bad, I would again grease it and enjoy the gun. If it moves close to or about 1/4" you will need to address this issue soon if the gun isn't blowing itself open already.
Model 12's do a curious thing as pump guns go...when you load the magazine tube you will note that the carrier actually is the shell stop. You will see the last shell hanging out of the mag tube and setting on the carrier. This looks funny to someone that has never messed with a 12 but it is correct.
The solid rib guns are desirable because of the labor that went into that type barrel. It was milled out of a solid bar. In fact, not many folks know it, but the original pre-64 Model 12's had the distinction of not only being the first truly successful hammerless repeating shotgun in America, but being totally machined out of all solid bar stock steel...no castings, no stampings, and of course no MIM.
It could be said that the 870 Wingmaster was the gun that killed Winchester with it's cheaper yet superior design. Couple that with Winchesters then refusal to move to modern manufacturing processes, that might have saved the Model 12, and ultimately the company as a whole.

I have my grandfather's 1958 Model 12, fixed the tab bolt that tends to fall out on the end of the magazine carrier. The bolt has a metal clip that snaps into it and thanks to the interwebz I found a guy that sourced the part. Mine is a Model 12 16 guage and kicks like a mule deer. I would think it is around a 800 +/- 50 buck gun.

I did some clay shooting with it a while back and it runs great, just did not shoot much 16 gauge through it since they are hard to find and expensive. The Model 12 is a bench mark shotgun, around the best made ever and is a must have for hunters/ sportsman.

some of the solid ribs on model 12's & the model 42 (410 pumps) pumps are lead soldered on... some are silver soldered......... it took an extremely skilled craftsman to correctly solder either one on the barrel of a model 12 or 42.......... When Ernie Simmons developed his vent rib....... for years Winchester had Simmons solder everyone of those on barrels..... before Ernie taught them how to do it & he accepted royalties for the vent ribs.

We're down to owning one Win model 12 riot gun, about 98% & one old Win mod 42 skeet, plain barrel about 98% too.... my wife thought I paid too much for both of them years ago..... $650.00 each tax included.

Model 12s in 20-gauge are more scarce than the ones in 12-gauge. If it's a true 90% and the stock and forend look really good, I'd say yes, that is a good price. The Model 12 has often been referred to as "the perfect repeater", and it's undoubtedly one of the most popular shotguns...if not the most popular...of all time. I predict you'll love it.

This is just a plain barreled gun. Looks to be an all-original factory gun to me. I almost bought it for $600, but someone put in a bid near the end so I had to give a little more. The seller said he bought it at auction and had owned it 5 years. He said he looked it over good before bidding so we'll see how all this turns out.

You decide. Model 12 was an intricate design that cost more to build than other pumps of the period. Of all the pumps produced in that period it would be my choice. If it's a Winchester it will hold it's value. You did fine on the price.

__________________
That's just somebody talkin.

I did receive this shotgun the other day. It had a couple flaws that the seller did not disclose. However, I think he probably missed them when going over the gun. He told me I could return it for a full refund or he would send me a money order for $100 if I wanted to keep the gun. I think he was more than fair in this deal. I'm going to keep it as the defects are not that big of a deal.

rchall;

Congrats. I've had a few and the one with the worst finish was the tightest and seemed to shoot the best. I should have kept it or any of the 20's I had.

You've reignited my "need" or want of one. I've been looking. Found an over polished re-blued with refinished wood for $795 in a local pawn shop. But all their prices are inflated, and new guns are up top 50 bucks more than the LGS for the same model.

model70hunter,
Those 20's can be hard to find. I have 2 right now, both are 1940 manufacture. I bought one years ago from an old fellow I knew, he gave me a real good deal on it so I couldn't pass it up. You will never lose money on those 20's, IMHO. The one in that pawn shop I think might be overpriced because it's been refinished.You'll have to decide, though. I wouldn't pay that much for one that was redone.

I picked up a Winchester / Browning model 12, 20 ga. with 26 " mod. this summer. I've really enjoyed shooting sporting clays with it. Don't regret the money I spent on it at all..
If I came across one in 90% cond. for that price ,, I'd probably have another one..