Polychoke on Winchester model 12

searcher5

November 10, 2002 12:53

I am looking at a pair of pre-64(1953 & 1928) model 12 Winchesters in 12 ga. One is in Very good condition with 85% of it's finish, extra bright bore & good wood. No rust or pits. The other is in good condition with about 60% blue remaining, no rust or pits, good wood & also an extra bright bore.Both plain bbl. The kicker is that someone has installed poly-chokes on both of these. It seems to be a very good installation, but still is an alteration. My question is, how much do you feel that this would take away from the value of the guns? Your opinion is appreciated. Thanks in advance, Dan

If it ain't broke-it ain't ours!!!

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  nord

  November 10, 2002 14:28

  It makes both guns nothing more than an everyday shooters. Perhaps worth a bit more than a similar Remington because of thw Winchester logo, but not much.
  
  Nord

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  wundudnee

  November 10, 2002 15:12

  nord is right, but if you are looking for an excellent shooter you can't go wrong with the model 12. The poly chokes work well, even if they are homely. I think you could get a gunsmith to install a screw in choke system if you wanted it to be pretty. They won't ever be collectors.
  
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  Old? First you forget names; then you forget faces; then you forget to pull your zipper up; then you forget to pull your zipper down.

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  rsnyder55

  November 10, 2002 23:09

  Weren't Polychokes a factory option on the model 12's? I may be wrong, but I think I remember reading it somewhere.

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  nord

  November 11, 2002 02:54

  It doesn't matter if the polychoke was factory installed or not... Unless you can document the fact. By the time you've gone through that procedure (unless you happen to have the original paperwork), you'll have spent more than the gun is worth.
  
  M-12's are good guns. They're respected the world over. Polychokes tend to be not much loved, though they seem to work and the marriage of the two translates into a very good gun, BUT WITH A POLYCHOKE.
  
  Those last few words make the gun a shooter.
  
  Nord

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  wundudnee

  November 11, 2002 04:26

  Winchester farmed out a lot of their custom work to companys like Simmons. Simmons was an authorized Winchester repair facility. They installed ribs and chokes on a lot of new stuff. I think the predominate dial a duck choke installed on them was the Cutts compensator. Which without a doubt was the ugliest of them all.
  
  ....................
  Old? First you forget names; then you forget faces; then you forget to pull your zipper up; then you forget to pull your zipper down.

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  RemingtonII

  November 11, 2002 05:04

  If you take Blue Book values on Model 12 you should reduce the value of the gun by 50 per cent, with a Cutts or Poly.
  
  However, I wonder if a person shouldn't look at the whole idea of collecting, when you consider guns like the Winchester Model 12. Don't get me wrong, there are certainly collectible Model 12 shotguns, but, for the most part, what many people consider collectible are just as common as dirt. When they make over 1 million of a model, it gets damn tough to attain collector status.
  
  There is nothing wrong with being a collector for the profit (money) potential, and, then, a person would deal in truly collectible, expensive, Model 12 guns.
  
  However, I think the fun in collecting is to collect something that is special to you, without regard to the money.
  
  One of the nicest collections of shotguns I have ever seen was a small collection of shotguns with Poly and Cutts chokes. Why not collect Winchester Model 12 with poly chokes?
  
  Not to rant on about collecting, but I have always liked the attitude surrounding Winchester Model 21, where they try to pass the gun to the next generation nicer than they received it. Rebluing the gun, and other alterations are part of the history that goes along with the gun (written document) to demonstrate the love that the gun received during its history, and many of these guns are working guns.
  
  Anyway, go out there and collect those Model 12s with Poly chokes. Nothing finer than a ribbed barrel Model 12 with one of those vented compensators sticking out the front (Poly). One bad dog, indeed.

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  rick_reno

  November 11, 2002 06:19

  Poly Chokes were offered in the Winchester custom shop inventory from 1939 to 1956. A few were fitted at the factory. There are essentially no records for M12 production available - so don't waste time or money trying to figure out how it left the factory. The Cutts compensator was the most popular choke, next was the Poly Choke and then the Weaver (rare). None of these were that popular. Guns that had the chokes installed at the factory usually have the step or shoulder at the muzzle and do not have choke markings. Guns with chokes installed have gone up and down in value - years ago they were looked upon as the poor cousins in the M12 lineup - these days they take very little away from the value of the gun and in some instances might add substantial value (Weaver choke).

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