Winchester Model 12 Heavy Duck
Winchester Repeating Arms Company · Shotgun · Discontinued · 1935
Also known as: Winchester Model 12 Heavy Duck Gun, Model 12 Heavy Duck, Model 12 HD
Overview
The Winchester Model 12 Heavy Duck is a pump-action shotgun, a heavyweight waterfowl variant of the celebrated Model 12 slide-action shotgun. Introduced in 1935 and chambered exclusively for the 3-inch 12-gauge magnum shell, it used an enlarged, heavier barrel and a lead-weighted stock to tame the recoil of the then-new Super-X magnum loads. Fitted with a full choke and a hammerless, bottom-ejecting takedown action, the Heavy Duck earned a reputation as one of the finest long-range waterfowl guns of its era.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3860 g (136.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1270 mm (50.00") |
| Barrel Length | 762 mm (30.00") |
| Action Type | Pump Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tubular |
| Muzzle Velocity | 400 m/s (1312 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3200 J (2360 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Chrome Molybdenum Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 12 Gauge 3 Inch Magnum · primary — also known as 12 ga 3", 12 ga Magnum, 12 bore 76mm
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Cross Bolt Safety
- Features: Takedown Design, Bottom Ejection, Full Choke, Heavy Barrel, Weighted Stock, 3 Inch Chamber
Base model
Service history
Operators
- American waterfowl hunters · adopted 1935
Production
Production years: 1935-1963
Introduced February 15, 1935 and discontinued in 1963; part of overall Model 12 production which exceeded roughly two million guns across all variants from 1912 to 1963.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Thomas Crossley Johnson
Discontinued: 1963
Notes
The heavy barrel had a larger outside diameter to add mass and offset the recoil of 3-inch Super-X magnum shells, with additional lead weight added inside the buttstock for balance. Standard barrels were 30 or 32 inches, full choke; 32-inch barrels were dropped by the late 1940s. Magazine capacity was legally plugged to two shells for waterfowl hunting under U.S. federal law.
Background
The Heavy Duck was Winchester's answer to the arrival of the 3-inch 12-gauge magnum shell, purpose-built so the extra-heavy charges of the new Super-X loads could be fired comfortably. Its combination of a beefed-up barrel, weighted stock, and tight full choke made it a legend among market and sport waterfowlers, and surviving examples are prized collector pieces today.