I had picked up a model 12 trench a couple of years ago but it was missing the heatshield. I found another one today that was complete and I have to tell you I'm thrilled with this one.
After I got it home I looked up the ser# to see when it was made and if reading the list correctly it was made in 1918.
It amazes me that a gun this old could be in as good condition as it is, I can only imagine that it sat in a armory more then seeing action.

P.S. please ignore my messy shop...

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A few more photos.

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Very nice! I have always liked that look.

I have a one word answer as to why it looks like it does -> National Guard

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On the Oak Savannah

Several years ago a company called Ivanhoe was selling original Model 12 trench guns with Winchester bayonets in 90% condition and better for $3,000 to $3,500 depending upon the condition. I bought a couple at the time and put them in storage. If I remember the story correctly, they been issued to National Guard units then sold to the Richmond, VA PD who had them in storage for years before selling to Ivanhoe.

I don’t believe any factory Model 12 Trench guns were mfg’d in 1918. 1942-45 saw that span of production. Like RdrBill suggested, yours is likely a riot gun originally.

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Some Might Say.

P.S. please ignore my messy shop...

A messy shop is a happy shop...makes you happy to be there doing what you do! Whatever the history of the gun, it sure looks good! Can I be the first ill-informed reader to ask anyone is this a 12 gauge? Thanks, Jeff

TE, those are my initials. I must have lost it years ago somewhere. Could you please box it up and send it back to me. Thanks much, Tom Early

I'm not in my shop at the moment so I can't check the things you suggested. One thing I can say is your correct it doesn't have the bomb following the US stamp. Bottom line though I didn't pay a huge price for it, just kinda' fell into finding it. No deception on the sellers part.

Here's a excerpt from Wikipedia on the 1912 in the WWI era I can't say how accurate their info is.

The United States armed forces used various versions of the Model 12 in World War I, World War II, Korea, and in the early part of the Vietnam War, until inventory was exhausted after the Model 12's initial production ceased in 1964. Versions of the Model 12 were type classified as the Model 12 or M12 for short. Approximately 20,000 Model 12 trench guns were purchased by the US Army in World War I, differing from the civilian version by having a shorter barrel, a perforated steel heat shield, and a M1917 bayonet adapter.

Yes 12 ga.

My state law enforcement agency received about 50-75 of the Model 12 Winchester "trench guns" in the 1990's from the military 1033 program. They were basically unfired when we got them and had WWI era long bayonets issued with them. We kept them in storage and I believe few, if any, were ever issued for use. We returned them to the state agency which administered the program about 2005 and I don't know what happened to them after that.

It is my belief that weapons transferred under the program had to be returned to the US Government or transferred to another LE agency. I know that I was told by the state agency director that weapons could not be sold to individuals and they would come to our office periodically to inspect them and verify that we still had all of them.

It would have been great if the program had allowed us to sell the shotguns at surplus as we could the military vehicles when we no longer needed them.

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Bill

Regardless of its heritage, it is a fine example of a firearm built for an intended purpose! I would be proud to own a similar example.

Good on you!

Why does it have a “3” inlaid at the base of the pistol grip?

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Possum—The other white meat!

Not a inlay, it's a painted stencil 3 just put on very heavily.

Bill you were right on your observations, the model 12 appears to be a riot to trench conversion. I don't think it's a clone or deception but a arsenal conversion. It does have the flaming bomb on the barrel but not receiver. I checked the barrel and you can clearly see where there was a sight. The heat shield is most likely a early WWII type with six rows of holes. I've spent the last 2 hrs in my shop researching these shotguns and haven't even scratched the surface. All in all I'm not disappointed I bought the shotgun and a older Chinese SKS for 600.

A few more photos one is not my shotgun but a shot of a purpose built 12 showing the difference in the magazine tubes.

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I'm thinking the bbl/mag assembly has been re-numbered to match the frame. The numbers stamped on the bbl assembly are of a different 'font' than the frame, and are much deeper imprinted.
They would have been done at the same time by the same person in the polishing room.
If my info notes are correct, and they could be entirely wrong, the first year Trench guns (1918) were all solid frame,,no TD. That was the thinking,,to have a sturdy frame set up & avoid problems when using that long bayonet.
1918 the Trench Gun was introduced by Winchester in name in it's catalogs. It was still special order to the public in 1919.
Later it was offered in the TD frame style.
Early guns were commercial blue as were the 97's.

Most were refinished in Parkerizing later on.
This frame shows polishing and refinish with the trigger guard unit and frame not joining up as one .
Parts polished separately,,or the other possibility is that the trigger guard unit was from another gun and the two were mated w/o any attempt to blend the two parts together in polishing.

IIRC,,, 1918 mfg Mod 12 should actually be marked 'Model 1912' on the bbl (if the bbl is the orig or an orig era replacement).

It was either 1919 or 1920 that the pump gun was renamed the' Model 12' and the bbl markings were changed.

Could older bbl's still in the parts bins at the time of change over still be used till they were gone and thus show up with the older marking on a 'newer' gun? I suspect so as the old adage about Winchester never throwing anything away.
I know that at first they didn't use a completely different and new roll die with the 'Model 12' designation on it. They mearly took the old roll die(s) and ground the '19' out. They will read 'Model __ 12'

At the price paid for the shotgun and an SKS, I'd say it was a very good buy. The SKS seems to be priced at about that alone these days alone.

Thanks, some of that info I've gleaned over the last couple of days with the exception of the solid vs TD info. I divinity like the old shotgun and will be on the hunt for a bayonet to match. The SKS is unfired since importation and is field stripped right and a good thing also. The firing pin was locked up from the old cosmoline and probably would have slam fired if I had tried to chamber a round. Even though it's not the thread heading I'll put up a couple of photos of the SKS.

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Model 12 and a SKS for 600... Sounds like a great deal.

I really like the short barreled shotguns. I've picked up a couple
over the years. I haven't got a Model 12 yet. Maybe one of these days..

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Andy:

Since no one else has mentioned it, I will. That TE mark on the stock is an indicator of a shotgun that was rebuilt at the Tooele, UT Army Depot. Many Model 12s received that treatment at Tooele including some riot guns that were rebuilt to trench gun configuration.

I can't say from this distance whether your example is one of those guns, but it appears consistent with the Tooele rebuilt guns.

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Charlie Flick
SWCA 729 HF 215

Thank you very much that confirms my suspicion that it is a military conversion and not some back yard hack job.