Model 12's are way cool

[Silvers]

Two 1950's Model 12's that strutted their stuff on sporting courses over the past few days. Both are Simmons VR guns. Lower gun is a new to me 20-gauge/28" with Mod choke; tried her out today at Rock Mountain and it seems I couldn't miss. Upper Winny is a 12-gauge/32" with Full choke, one of three pump guns in our squad of five shooters at the Charity shoot at Lehigh SC on Friday. Our 444 ex 500 was high score of 21 squads and that Model 12 placed 4th of 105 shooters. Love to shoot a M12 and see the raised eyebrows and looks of shooters with expensive competition o/u and gas guns.

frank

[ROMAC]

Great Guns!

And... Nice Shooting Frank!

[Jeff S]

Nice guns Frank, and once again, nice shooting.

[Stan Hoover]

Great shooting Frank, with some classic guns,
Stan

[Jim Cloninger]

The 20 is especially cool!
Jim

[snakeeater]

Nice shooting Frank. Very good looking M12s. I killed my first Ring Neck with a M12 16 bore, still have it. That was in 1952.

[vaturkey]

My uncle had a model 12 in 12 gauge and a Winchester model 1887 lever action 10 gauge. After he passed those guns disappeared from the family house located on the family farm never to be seen again. The Winchester 1887 had been owned by my great grandfather who was a doctor in the Kentucky coal mines and who had retired to the Shenandoah Valley outside of Harrisonburg Va. I used to shoot the 10 gauge squirrel hunting as my uncle would let me use it and hand me a handful of short 10 gauge paper shells (size 4) and send me off to the woods. Gun was bigger then me with 32" barrels as I was 13 at the time. I did indeed shoot a few squirrels with it. It could take the tall ones out of the trees as they say. I recall seeing a squirrel run into a leave nest to hide and I decided to shoot at the nest with hopes I might knock him out. Pulled the trigger and 2 squirrel came out of the nest and fell to the earth. My only 2 for one shot on squirrels in my entire life. Frank you brought back some good memories that I haven't thought about for more then a few years. Good shooting btw.

[Researcher]

Nothing wrong with Simmons ribbed Model 12s as shooters. Back in 1971, a buddy visiting San Diego for the All Pac Fleet Skeet Championships on the ComNavMarianas team, convinced me to go out skeet shooting with the Model 42 Skeet Gun I'd gotten out of a pawn shop in Denver the year before. That set the hook. Being too poor as a young Navy officer, I couldn't spring for real Model 12 Skeet Guns. So I took an old 12-gauge Standard Grade that was at home in Seattle, though no one ever used it to my knowledge and bought a 20-gauge Standard Grade at Stanley Andrews Sporting Goods in San Diego. Sent them both to Simmons to have the barrels whacked to 26-inch and vent ribs installed. Simmons remarked the barrel on the 20-gauge CYL, but left the 12-gauge marked FULL?!? As money became available I eventually fitted both with original Winchester Skeet wood. Before I switched to an over/under in 1977 I posted 100 straights with both.

[bbman3]

Winchester called it the perfect repeater! Bobby

[AAHESpecial]

The Heavy Duck Model 12 works exceedingly well on turkeys
that can be called into range. A Fox HE 3 inch is also a proven goose and turkey double.
I found an almost mint M-12 / 20 gauge and then let it get away from me.

[loggy]

My son Ben often hunts pheasants with my dad’s old model 12. The full choke will still stop a bird a pretty long distance. This year he will also have my 32 inch AE to take afield. It has been my “meat and potatoes “ gun for several years. With a few more birthdays I’ve found the lighter guns to be a bit more practical. It’s fun to know a bit of history on our guns. John