Project Shotgun - 3 years, finally finished

Spurshot · August 26, 2015

I finally got this project finished. It's a 1935 Winchester Model 12 20ga, 28" Solid Rib. I found the gun a few years ago in Seattle on a business trip. It had good metal and low wear. The finish was in rough shape, but all that mattered to me was the configuration - 20 ga , 28" solid rib, the good metal, and low wear. I offered $100 less than the asking price, the pawnshop (mostly a gun shop) accepted. We found out they couldn't sell it to me, since I'm a CA resident. I checked and my C&R FFL had expired. I asked them to hold it until my license could be renewed. They obliged. Finally, my new license came thru almost 6 months later and I had a trip up to Seattle again. I went in the shop again knowing they had to have sold it. I asked. They still had it! They brought it out and it was marked down another $100 from my offer! I counted out the dough.

In the next few months, I shot it at sporting clays and it worked flawlessly.

Later, I researched the "right guy" to refinish the metal. A shop in Indiana. Off it went. Months later it came back still stocked in the original field grade wood. I took it on a hunt. Bam! Pump.... can't pump! It locked up solid. Finally I slammed the butt on the soft dirt while holding the forend and it kicked out a shell with the brass that was badly deformed. Something in the chamber had been fouled up during the disassembly/reassembly. They made an attempt at fixing it. It was about 95%, just slightly sticky on the ejection. The shells were still pooched out a bit. I sent it back again and had the chamber re-sleeved. All is well.

Now it's a nice clays and quail gun with the .010" choke I had it bored to.

The metal was refinished by Winchester M12 experts. The wood is new from Show Me Gunstocks in MO.

Before

After

kstruckcountry · August 26, 2015

I really like the wood. How does the new blue hold up to finger grease now?

Not sure if I'd have the patience to get it redone twice!

Spurshot · August 26, 2015

It's been a couple years since the re-blue job. I've shot it at clays many times and hunted it once. The blueing seems to be as good as any hot blueing I've had on a gun.