Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

Winchester Model 12--20 gauge, WS-1--value

QUAIL HUNTER O1
A friend of mine is looking for a WS-1 or IC in 20 gauge, with a Simmons rib and he wants to know what he should have to pay to get one. Assume that there is field grade wood in 95% condition and that the blueing is close to 98%, since it would need to be reblued with a Simmons rib put on it. Assume gun manufactured from early 1950 to end of production.

Any ideas what he should pay for it?
0

Comments

6 comments

Date Votes
  • Bert H.
    Hello Quail...

    Not necessarily true that it would have to be reblued just because it has a Simmon Vent Rib on it. That said, a Model 12 20 gauge with those specific features and in that nice of condition is NOT going to be cheap[:0]. I would guess that he would be looking at about $1500 (or more). That combo is not going to be very easy to find.

    Bert H.

    Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!
    0
  • bobski
    if its a skeet gun, its a skeet gun. if its a field gun, its a field gun. ws-1 means winchester skeet #1 choke. the skeet gun has more bells and whisltes on it. the field gun is less fancy and straighter grain wood. if he wants to see mine, email me and i will point out details for him.

    former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, former navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction. NRA certified instructor.
    0
  • snickers
    Is this turning into one of those "You show me your and I'll show you mine" deals?

    MONEY TALKS mine says good-bye
    0
  • only winchesters
    Well hello quailhunter, was just about ready to email you. The "Judge" and I just went over this. Since I have some inside info, that the others don't have. I'm going to keep quiet and just watch. Regards Dave
    0
  • Bert H.
    quote:Originally posted by only winchesters
    Well hello quailhunter, was just about ready to email you. The "Judge" and I just went over this. Since I have some inside info, that the others don't have. I'm going to keep quiet and just watch. Regards Dave


    Dave... that is not very informative[;)] How about sharing with the rest of us?

    Are you going to attend the Reno show this weekend? If so, please stop by and chat with me a bit (I am sharing a table with my good friend Bill Austin).

    Bert H.

    Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!
    0
  • only winchesters
    Good morning all! Sorry Bert, I just didn't think it was fair to the rest of you. Anyway what we have here based on the serial number I was given, is a very late 1963, or early 1964 gun, basically a "parts clean-up gun. It was originally a plain barrel gun, with a WS-1 barrel, and standard field grade stocks. At some point it was sent to Simmons for a rib installation. ( What I haven't heard from James is the style of rib posts, Oval or Donut post, as I told James a standard rib cost about $350, and the donut post cost about $400, Today from Simmons). As I explained to James a Md 12 has several values, as a shooter grade, a collectable grade, and as a parts gun.

    Now most Md 12s that have had a Simmons rib added no longer have any collector interest, with the exception, of the 28 ga. along with plain barrel Skeet guns in 20 and 16 ga. Simply because the Skeet barrel in 16 or 20ga. just isn't that common, especially in 16 ga. Now the addition of a Simmons rib does not increase the value of these guns, but it certainly doesn't drop the the value such as a 12 ga with a Full choke.

    For those who don't know when Simmons puts a rib on they reblue the entire gun, in addition to the vent rib, the receiver is machinced for a receiver ramp.

    So what I had to go on was the gun was in about 92% condition, with the Simmons rib, field grade stocks. So IMO the gun is simply a nice shooter grade, and on the current market could go for as little as $450 to maybe as high as $750. I also told James as a "parts gun" meaning if it was torn down and sold off in parts, you could expect to get around $700-$900 for the parts. The WS-1 barrel alone is the key driver here.

    As time goes on, and more and more Md 12s wear out, torn down for parts, and simply become non useable do to neglect and abuse, (rusted and pitted along with modifications such as a rib or choke device, prices will continue to rise, on originals and ones that have just had a Simmons rib installed. Although Winchester made about 2026000 of these guns both pre and post 64, about 10 years ago I read that about a third of them are already gone, and what I've seen since then on the parts market, the rate of them being torn down and sold off as parts hasn't slowed any, but actually has increased. I would be really surprised if there is really more than 1200000 left today. How many of those that are left that are still orignal is hard to say.

    How's that Bert?

    Regards Dave

    Also for those who don't know, Imp/Mod, Cyl, Imp/Cyl, WS-1, and WS-2 barrels are the least common barrels in a Md 12, the exception of course is the riot barrel in 20 or 22 inch in Cyl, those are still easy to find.
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity