The compensators were all the rage for a while right after the end of WWII if I recall correctly. Model 12 is a great old classic, and if you have access to a good generalist gunsmith, he could cut it off, thread for choke tubes and replace the bead. On the other hand keeping the compensator is preserving a relic from a different time. Shoot it, you might like it.

 

You sure that ain't a choke "pickle"?

 

The 12 is simply elegant.

Then and Now: two 20 gauge.

Made in 1926 so almost a century apart.

And my Remington Sportsman 48 with a Poly Choke.

 

Totally agree I have a 20 gauge from 1920 that I like quite a bit. I

also had a 16 gauge from 1927 but it had to go as it only had a 2-9/16" chamber and would not eject 2-3/4" shells reliably.

 

The muzzle ends are pretty thin on a model 12’s; I’d call Briley’s customer service and ask what they can accommodate on an old Winchester?!

 

If it is a factory Cutts, do not cut it off. It is likely aftermarket, but check before you cut.

Jim

 

Coincidence, but I have its little .410 Model 42 brother (#58xxx) also made in 1947.
With the solid rib barrel.
My Grandpa gave it to me in 1956.
unfortunately there are 3 or 4 little nicks & dings in the buttstock, but the blue is about 98%.
I have not fired it since 1965.

 

Really nice looking Model 42.

 

I agree, great looking shotgun and it brings back memories, I had a M12 16 ga. growing up and it handled paper hulls just fine but the switch to plastic 2 3/4" made my old M12 a wall hanger at best, it had the PolyChoke and I never could get it set reliably. I traded it off for an I can't remember gun of no consequence. I think I traded it for a 303 British in a sporterized Bishop stock. I used that 303 for a few years deer hunting and it worked just fine. My 16 ga. now is a 1963 Ithica Sweet 16 with switch barrels.26" Modified and 28" Full and a 2 3/4 inch ejection port.

 

Generally a simple mod to the forcing cone fixes the paper hull to plastic connundrum. The guns built in the era of paper had very short forcing cones. That and the change from 2-9/16 to 2-3/4 is what gave the 16 gauge such a bad rap for heavy recoil and bad patterns.

 

I wish I had known this in 69 or 70, I wouldn't have gotten rid of mine. It got to be such a PIA I just got tired of digging the hulls out of the port. I traded for a Browning 12 ga. BPS. Twice the weight and too much LOP for me.

 

Did you get it?

If you haven't gotten the answer yet- the Cutts system was usually soldered on, IIRC.

Normally, there was a threaded adapter base that would be slipped down to the proper spot and silver-soldered into place. The cage/compensator would be threaded onto it, and the choke would be threaded into the far end of the cage/compensator.

As jim said- don't cut a factory one.

Winchester made special barrels for a bit that actually had the threaded base as part of the barrel. The barrel was made with the base as part of the forged tube. This is not the most commonly found Cutts system, but they are out there- and usually say 'cutts' on the barrel near the breach.

It was a factory option, and post-purchase many had them done as well.


BTW, the barrel says 'nickle steel', it was probably added later. I believe they started doing shotgun compensators in the mid-'30s, and the Winchester Proof Steel was already the barrel material by then.


IF you got it, it was not factory and you cut it off, I'd send it off to someone to have thin-walled choke tubes installed, but use extended choke tubes so that the choke is outside the barrel for steel shot useage.

I know a guy named Orlens who lives in Massachusetts- he did this for a '37 Skeet Model 12 that had been cut down for a brush gun. It turned out fine.

If you have a Model 12 Super-X [better known as 'Heavy Duck', but Super-X and 3" is marked on barrel], they can take the win-choke tubes, if cut properly. Their barrels are thicker.

These shotguns are great, but you need to inspect the bolt/receiver lock-up area to insure there isn't so much battery going on that they are out of timing.

And, remember: they are designed for you to hold the trigger down and fire as fast as you can pump. This is not a defect, but a design characteristic. If you pull the trigger group apart, you can see that it is designed so that holding the trigger back the entire stroke keeps the hammer on the sear until the bolt goes into lock-up, then the sear is interrupted and it fires again.

Or, pull trigger/release trigger/pump, and it holds the trigger back until the next pull.

If it were a design defect, the hammer would just be following the bolt forward and igniting it.

The Ithaca 37s made before 1975 had a different way of doing the same thing.

 

Did you get it?

If you haven't gotten the answer yet- the Cutts system was usually soldered on, IIRC.

Normally, there was a threaded adapter base that would be slipped down to the proper spot and silver-soldered into place. The cage/compensator would be threaded onto it, and the choke would be threaded into the far end of the cage/compensator.

As jim said- don't cut a factory one.

Winchester made special barrels for a bit that actually had the threaded base as part of the barrel. The barrel was made with the base as part of the forged tube. This is not the most commonly found Cutts system, but they are out there- and usually say 'cutts' on the barrel near the breach.

It was a factory option, and post-purchase many had them done as well.


BTW, the barrel says 'nickle steel', it was probably added later. I believe they started doing shotgun compensators in the mid-'30s, and the Winchester Proof Steel was already the barrel material by then.


IF you got it, it was not factory and you cut it off, I'd send it off to someone to have thin-walled choke tubes installed, but use extended choke tubes so that the choke is outside the barrel for steel shot useage.

I know a guy named Orlens who lives in Massachusetts- he did this for a '37 Skeet Model 12 that had been cut down for a brush gun. It turned out fine.

If you have a Model 12 Super-X [better known as 'Heavy Duck', but Super-X and 3" is marked on barrel], they can take the win-choke tubes, if cut properly. Their barrels are thicker.

These shotguns are great, but you need to inspect the bolt/receiver lock-up area to insure there isn't so much battery going on that they are out of timing.

And, remember: they are designed for you to hold the trigger down and fire as fast as you can pump. This is not a defect, but a design characteristic. If you pull the trigger group apart, you can see that it is designed so that holding the trigger back the entire stroke keeps the hammer on the sear until the bolt goes into lock-up, then the sear is interrupted and it fires again.

Or, pull trigger/release trigger/pump, and it holds the trigger back until the next pull.

If it were a design defect, the hammer would just be following the bolt forward and igniting it.

The Ithaca 37s made before 1975 had a different way of doing the same thing.

I have not gotten it yet, we will see if I get it or not. But I really appreciate your sharing the information, very interesting.

 

The adjustable chokes I played with as a kid never seemed to throw a round pattern. You could get them more constricted, or loosen them up, but they were always elliptical and ragged edged with dense spots, or areas with holes in the pattern!

 

I don't have that much experience in shot pattern, but the Cutts Compensator system could either have an adjustable choke, or multiple fixed chokes that you need to use a wrench to swap out. I have fixed skeet, modified, and full chokes for a Model 12 with this, plus an adjustable choke.

The problem with the adjustable chokes is that the 8 'fingers' that make it a choke can each be broken at the inside base, and this is something buyers need to know to look for.

Also, I would definitely NOT trust the adjustable chokes for anything other than lead shot.

I have not gotten it yet, we will see if I get it or not. But I really appreciate your sharing the information, very interesting.

Glad to help!


One last point: Cutts made both steel and aluminum Compensator cages and chokes. I wouldn't even consider trying the aluminum choke/cage setup with anything other than lead shot. In steel shot, I might try the steel fixed choke- but I'd follow the usual adjustment for fixed and steel shot: If I have steel, I'd use nothing tighter than a modified choke, as that would become like a full. And, I'd keep to steel shot sizes of 4 or smaller.

If you go to shotgun world's forum, or doublebarrel gun forum, you'll find a lot of people who say NEVER fire anything other than lead through these barrels- whether it has a Cutts choke or a fixed choke- due to the steel the barrel is made from. However, you'll also find people who will share that they've had no issues for years with steel and the fixed barrels- as long as they kept shot to 4 or smaller.


IF you can afford it and want a piece of history- they are cool and work well: as long as the bolt/receiver interface isn't battered and the foreend is snug on the receiver. The forend can be adjusted to some degree with the existing ring, or a different ring can be fitted and adjusted, to tighten up forend/receiver fit. Battered receiver/bolt requires skilled welding/fitting.
IF you can afford it as a second/third shotgun, you should have a blast with it.

As an only shotgun, I am hesitant to recommend them over a modern barrel/receiver design that works with steel shot, you can find parts for, and that you or a local gunsmith can work on. Model 12 trained gunsmiths are like Colt Python gunsmiths [original v-spring, not new coil spring]: hard to find.