Winchester Model 12 Super Pigeon
Winchester Repeating Arms Company · Shotgun · Discontinued · 1965
Also known as: Model 12 Super Pigeon Grade, Winchester Super Pigeon
Overview
The Winchester Model 12 Super Pigeon is the top-tier, custom-shop grade of the Winchester Model 12 slide-action (pump) shotgun. Built to order through the Winchester Custom Shop from the mid-1960s, each Super Pigeon was hand-finished with elaborate engraving, gold inlays on the highest grades, a full-fancy figured American walnut stock and forearm with fine checkering, and a ventilated rib barrel. Mechanically it retained the famed hammerless, takedown Model 12 slide action designed by Thomas Crossley Johnson, prized by trap and skeet competitors for its smooth stroke, steel-forged receiver, and hand-fitted parts.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3400 g (119.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1257 mm (49.49") |
| Barrel Length | 762 mm (30.00") |
| Action Type | Pump Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Internal Hammer |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tubular |
| Muzzle Velocity | 400 m/s (1312 fps) |
| Effective Range | 40 m (44 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Fancy Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 12 Gauge · primary — also known as 12ga, 12 Bore
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Cross Bolt Safety
- Features: Ventilated Rib, Hammerless Internal Hammer, Takedown Barrel, Hand Engraving, Full Fancy Walnut Stock, Custom Shop Finish, Checkered Grip And Forearm
Variants
- Winchester Model 12 Pigeon Grade - Deluxe
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Competitive trap and skeet shooters
Production
Production years: 1965-1985
Super Pigeon Grade guns were made in small numbers to individual order via the Winchester Custom Shop; the base Model 12 (all grades, 1912-1980) exceeded 2,000,000 units
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Thomas Crossley Johnson
Discontinued: 1985
Notes
Super Pigeon guns were assembled from a special reserve of pre-1964 machined parts and finished individually in the Winchester Custom Shop; engraving grades were designated by number (e.g. No. 5), with gold-inlaid examples being the most elaborate and valuable.
Background
The Model 12 earned the nickname 'The Perfect Repeater' and was famous for its slam-fire capability, allowing a shooter to hold the trigger and fire a shell each time the action closed. The Super Pigeon Grade represented the pinnacle of that legacy, blending the workhorse slide action with the artistry of Winchester's finest engravers.