??? about my new winchester 1200

[Win1200]

hey guys,

new to the forum! just bought my first shotgun today and im super excited! i bought a winchester 1200 stainless steel police edition chambered for 2 3/4 and 3". its a beautiful gun and got it for just under $300 out the door. i dont know if it was a good deal as ive never even bought a gun before, but when i held it... it just felt right! however i do have a few questions about my purchase.

1) ive heard these guns are prone to rusting if not kept immaculately clean?

2) i believe the barrel is an 18" but it might be a 20" (police edition), what choke do these have? is there an interchangeable choke system for my gun? or is it just cylinder bore?

3) will steel shot mess my gun up?, ive heard steel shot and these 1200s dont mix, but i believe that gun had a 28" choked barrel?

4) is there a lot of aftermarket accessories for my gun?

5) overall, was it worth $290? it looks to be in VERY good shape.

thanks and im happy to be here on the forum!

[Dave McC]

Welcome and congrats, you've a good shotgun.

First, it's not stainless, it's plated. Not to worry, though.

My direct experience with the 1200 was with some MD DOC bought for tower use around prisons. They did not hold up under the conditions common to agency weapons. Those include abuse, neglect, poor to non existent PM, and use by Neanderthal like COs.

One part of the feed system is plastic and sometimes needs replacement. Parts are available.

All that aside, ALL the 1200s and 1300s I've seen in private hands have worked and worked and worked. The shuck is fast and smooth,triggers are decent, and they point well for me. A bit of TLC seems to do the trick.

My heart belongs to the 870 when it comes to pumps, but these are in my Top Ten.

The barrel is probably IC choke. It can be threaded for screw in chokes, but a second barrel thus set up is about the same money.

Steel shot will NOT mess up your gun, but since it's 2 3/4" shells only the possible choices are limited.

Some accessories are around, but the one essential is ammo. Burn up a few cases BEFORE buying shotgun stuff. Trust me.

$290 is not a screaming deal on this,IMO, but far from a ripoff. It should go for at least 50K rounds( and possibly much more) and a couple generations, so per use cost is quite low.

HTH....

[Win1200]

thanks your response dave, its cool to know i got a pretty good shotgun! on the reciever (i believe thats what its called) it states its chambered for 2 3/4 AND 3" shells. IC is Impoved Cylinder correct? he had it marked at $245 + taxes and DROS fee, i think its a really good deal considering i live in Ca, and its not easy to find a nice cheap gun.

[zippy13]

> Some accessories are around, but the one essential is ammo. Burn up a few cases BEFORE buying shotgun stuff. Trust me.

Outstanding advice.

Win1200,
IMHO, you shouldn't include the Sacramento taxes/fees when evaluating your "deal" -- your $245 gun is a better deal than $290. Yes, IC = Improved Cylinder.

[Win1200]

yea, $245 sounds a lot better, but im wondering... ive read that winchester 1200s accept the winchoke system, does this include the police model? and is there any real way to tell what choke my barrel has? thanks for all the help guys, much appreciated!

[zippy13]

It's unlikely your 1200 has a screw-in choke in police gun barrel. The 1200s were made before 1981, and screw-ins were an option (starting around 1970) that wasn't needed in a police gun. Typically Winchesters have a two address on the left side of the barrel followed by the Winchester trademark and the model, gauge, chamber and choke markings. Look at the muzzle, it you're not sure.

[Win1200]

image no worky... but thanks for the info, i do not have my gun right now (10 day waiting period). but as soon as i get it, ill post a thread with specs and what not in case anybody else ever needs info.

[markj]

I fixed a few 1200s, the double arms that work the pump attach to a ring that goes around the barrel, these brake off but can be fixed. Was common in the older runs in the 70s. Used to get these for under 200.00 late 70s early 80s not as good as a model 12 or the beefed up 1300. New they were less than a hundred bucks here,when first introduced 870s were better but cost a bit more.

[Sphawley]

Great gun! I have the same but mine is blued...most likely a 20inch barrel. I dont know of a whole lot of accessories. However you can get a new longer barrel for it. Thats what I did, got a nice set of interchangeable chokes.
The extra barrel and chokes cost me around $200, not bad since I really wanted it. Its hard to get 1200 barrels, but you can use a 1300 barrel it will fit perfectly! Not a bad deal I would be satisfied with the purcahse. Take care of the gun it will last far longer than what most people will tell you.

Congrats on the gun! Enjoy!

FYI your supposed to post pictures when you get a new gun!

[Win1200]

thanks for more replies, i keep hearing mixed reviews about the win1200... but i guess they wouldnt have issued them to the GIs or to LEO if they were a "crappy" gun. i pick it up on the 1st and ill be sure to post pics then!

does anyone have some good links for barrels/ accessories etc.?

[ET.]

Man that sounds like a really nice gun. You will have to post pictures when you get posession of the gun.

[markj]

they were a "crappy" gun.

Early models were built, later models built on the cheap. I had several of these, some had 30 in and full choke fixed. Got them real cheap in the early 80s, got my 1300 shortly after they started making them, got the walnut wood etc so it is a little nicer than the birch stock models.

My Uncle still has his 1200.