Fox Collectors

I really favor shooting Winchester Model 12’s for sporting clays and especially like the infrequently seen 12 ga/32” guns. With the length of the receiver and the barrel, the sighting plane is about like shooting a 35+ inch double gun or over/under. Yeah I know we’re told to point a shotgun, don’t aim it.

I have one M12/32” with a Simmons Vent Rib that’s my favorite target gun and I do very well with her. I’ve probably put 8,000 rounds thru that gun without a hiccup. So about three weeks ago I saw another Model 12 on Gunbroker with Simmons vent rib and custom stock with cheekpiece. No barrel length shown in the advert and I wrote to the seller Dealer asking for the length. He replies “it’s about 31-1/2” and might have been shortened”. Obviously he’s not familiar with Model 12’s and just measured the outside of the barrel from muzzle to front edge of the receiver. That means the barrel is 32” to include its back end and two-piece chamber that’s in the receiver. I sweated out the GB auction and got the Winny at a pretty good price; and today I shot her seriously for score. She’s a Nickel Steel gun made in the 1920’s. That cheekpiece sure feels right when shouldering the gun and I did my all time best ever on the 100 bird course at Rock Mountain here in PA. And that was mostly with mild 7/8 ounce reloads at about 1140 speed. Her Full choke sure smokes the clays!

frank

Yes ---Frank model 12`s rule the roost.

Congratulations, Frank!

I've got a "new" barrel for the gun my parents gave me on my 16th b'day, a 12 ga. Rem 1100. The "new" barrel is a 34" Remington trap barrel. I'm anxious to try it out on clays. I understand how much longer a barrel looks when it's on a pump or semi-automatic. Tight chokes rule!!!!!

Wow Stan, that 34" barrel sounds good! You may have a learning curve but please let us know how it works out . frank

Will do, Frank. I won't "sully" the forum with a pic of a 1100, however.

It may come in handy, because I also have a "new" long range waterfowler with which to get through the learning curve, and it also has a 36" barrel. It's a Sarasqueta Zephyr Honker, a single barreled sidelock beast chambered for 3 1/2" 10 ga. loads. Maybe the different sight picture and feel of the 34" barrel will "carry over" somewhat.

Edited to correct barrel length.

Nice Stan, I have its' stable mate. The Zephyr Honker SXS 10 gauge.

It really throws a great pattern with Bismuth.

Both sound like great waterfowlers. Roger, I didn't run into you at the Vintagers and don't know if you were there; one vendor had about 6 boxes of 10-gauge BCC 3-1/2" shells as you pictured on his table at something like $25./box negotiable I'm sure. frank

Frank,

I was not at the Vintagers. I had just gotten back from bear hunting and had other obligations.

Thanks though, good to know they are still out there but definitely hard to find. I have about 15 boxes on the shelf and a pile of loose ones in my pit bag so I'm pretty well stocked up. I also have a flat or two of Steel for my Browning Gold Ten.

What I need are empty RST short ten hulls for reloading for my short ten Francotte and W&C Scott hammer.

I'm hoping to get the time to pattern the big 10 after corn harvest winds down but before peanut harvest starts. I had to have it threaded for a choke tube as the original choke had been honed out to about .020", AIR, and would have been useless to me for my intended purpose. I have been offered the opportunity to try all the manufacturer's available constrictions to find which give the tightest, finest long range patterns. He's got them going down to XXX Full, so it will be interesting to see how we end up. Hope I don't run out of bismuth shells before I find which constriction I like best for long range work.

Best to all, Stan

Stan, you may find that your Honker has a 36" barrel, the length at which they were cataloged, the length of my Honker.

I remember now that you are absolutely right. It was standing beside the 1100 with the 34" barrel and it slipped my mind that the reason they were about the same length is the longer action of the 1100.

Thanks for the correction, Bill.

Frank initiated this post to talk about his dandy 32” Model12. As is often the case, we got off topic. A few contributors mentioned their long barreled shotguns, so I might as well jump on the bandwagon. Here is a ridiculous gun that my dad thought would be good for hunting deer in Michigan’s shotgun zone. It’s a Marlin, 12 ga., 36” barrel, bolt action, goose gun. He added a scope for shooting slugs. In the December 2007 issue of Field & Stream, they listed the 50 best shotguns of all time. They also listed the 5 worst shotguns of all time. Would you like to guess which list this gun was on?

I’m feeling nostalgic this morning. Jeff's latest post on his Dad's bolt action Marlin took me back to happy days of my youth when almost all the young guys hunted for small game after school and on Saturdays. Most of our Fathers were busy earning a living and often extra work on Saturdays, no Sunday hunting in PA and besides it was the Lord's day, and usually the guys had Dad's shotgun, the only one in the house. Mostly single barrels and a few hardware store double-guns. Two of my friends came out with their Dad’s and older brother’s bolt action shotguns and with that third shell available they were "Kings of our Hill" so to speak. I know Bolt shotguns aren't held in high regard by modern day and more affluent hunters but compared to a single barrel they were the nuts. frank

Same thing here Frank on that nostalgic thing.

I bought my first shotgun, a J. C. Higgins 16 gauge bolt action when I was a freshman in high school back in 1951. Paid $20.00 for it and I still have it.

I loaned it to my older bother because he was using a long bow with cedar arrows to hunt rabbits. I didn't need it because I got my first double, an Ithaca Lefever Nitro Special in 12 gauge. Paid 20 bucks for that one too.

I eventually found him and me a 410 side by side double for hunting those cottontails. I got my J. C. Higgins back after my brother passed 12 years ago. His DNA is well written on that 16.

Yeah, kinda nostalgic.

Bill

Frank, getting back to your original post. Love that 32” Model 12 w/ the custom wood!! Very nice!!

Jeff, every time I’m at a show and see one of those Marlin Goose guns I am tempted to grab it as I think it would be fun to hunt Spring gobblers with one. If I find a pristine condition one it may just come home with me!!!