How hard is it to change a barrel on a older winchester model 12?What about changing out the stock?Also what is the push button looking thing at the end of the shell tube?Are these barrels without the adjustable choke hard to locate now?The one on the shotgun i saw had a adjustable choke on it.I always thought that kind of barrel was bad ugly....The stock had a cheek rest ...is this a skeet gun?What year did winchester make a model 12 with cheek stock and choke like that?Any collecter value?

Blackbearhunter,
To begin with the pushbutton thing at the end of the magazine allows you to remove the barrel from the action. It is relatively simple. 1. With the gun in your left hand position near the top of the forend and the left side of the gun facing you, push the bar that is protruding toward the barrel in the oppisite direction. 2. Then pull on the extended bar until it stops and rotate it in a counter clockwise direction (when looking from the muzzle). 3. Pull up on the end of the magazine tube and it will extend approximately 4 inches. 4. Grab the forend wood and push it forward until it stops and then rotate the barrel assemby in a clockwise direction approximately 90 degrees and pull it off. Reassemble in reverse order.

You can find barrels on ebay to change it. Either in a complete configuration or just the barrel.

A new barrel needs to be installed and headspaced by a gunsmith. It is possible to have a model 12 with 2 or 3 different sets of barrels.

I do not believe that Winchester installed poly chokes on their guns as an option. A lot were done by Poly choke though. It does devalue the gun a great deal.

From what I know, Winchester did not offer a monte carlo but then they may have on special order. I have one on a pristine 20 gauge. Or rather I did, I have filed it off and am refinishing it. You can remove the stock by taking off the grip cap and removing the thru bolt that goes into the butt stock.

The collectors value is generally gone with a polychoke. I saw a pair of very nice Model 12 skeet guns with incredible wood on Gunbroker go for $850 for the pair. A skeet model 12 is a highly sought after Model 12 and these would have fetched in the $2k range each without the poly choke.

Hey customstox,Are the model 12 pumps some of the best?What pumpgun would be better?I have seen some 12s locally that were asking 900.00$.I though man that must be a collecter or something??
They really seem like quility to me but the ones i have seen i would say were made in the 50s....all were tight and minty looking...Iam just use to seeing old worn out rabbit guns when looking at used cheap pumps and didnt know they were some nice old ones still around....Think i will try to find one in 16ga. and try it out and see how it handles-they look fun.Also should a 20ga.fetch more money or cost about the same?Thanks for the help.

I grew up with a model 12 and so I am very biased. I have not followed the new guns but the model 12's have a big following and they do have a collector following. You can also get guns that are just shooters for a good price.

20's and 16's are more expensive. The high dollar one is the 28 gauge. The 410 was made as an entirely different model, the 42, but it looks very similar to a model 12.

Winchester did install a few Poly Chokes at the factory (see Madis' The Winchester Model Twelve, p. 52) but most collectors shy away from guns so equipped as it is virtually impossible to prove the factory put it there AND they are so darn ugly to boot......

Iam really just a student of these old guns and trying to learn something new.Why would anyone put those ugly poly chokes on a shotgun?I think i remember seeing them advertised in the old field& stream books and I guess you were a square if you didnt have one like all the other sports.Hey I just thought of something ,arent they sorta like a Boss-system............