Personally, I wouldn't buy one. In fact, I didn't. When a teenager, like I was at the time, can easily determine that compared to the Model 37 or the 870 the 1200 was inferior, you shouldn't want one. Heck, I probably would have bought a Mossberg 500 before buying the 1200. But, having said all that, if you find the model you're looking for buy it, to fill in your collection. Nothing says you have to actually shoot it.

 

the 1300 is the 3" version of the 1200.
i've shot a literal ton [or two] of shot through both and they keep on ticking, only smoother.
get one with the wood furniture.

IMO the 870's are junk and their magnum version is even worse.
maybe an old school wingmaster would be okay... maybe,,, if i had to.

 

I had a Wingmaster for decades. It was my first shotgun, but I gave it to my oldest son. Never failed.

Express are another story. Have two and I still have them because my Dad gave them to me. But both had issues with FTE, shells getting stuck under the bolt, etc. Haven't used them in years. Have better guns to use.

I'll get a 1200 if I can get it cheap. Don't want to spend too much on something inferior of what I already have.

 

I've had a 1200 for some time, around 40 years as I recall. It's never not functioned but as noted, does only have a 2 3/4" chamber. Mine has the early Winchoke and the barrel is considerably thicker than todays barrels with screw in chokes. For that reason, it's not a quick handling gun but a good smooth swing. The rotary bolt locks directly into the barrel so it's a very strong design. It also is pretty easy to pump as ejection is started by the recoil.

Downsides? The barrel is some sort of nickel steel or something that doesn't take touch up blue well. The original stock finish is nothing to write home about but I've refinished the butt stock and the wood is pretty decent. The checkering is impressed, not cut but gives an adequate grip. So, bottom line is it's very functional but not necessarily going to win any beauty contests.

 

I've had a 1200 for some time, around 40 years as I recall. It's never not functioned but as noted, does only have a 2 3/4" chamber. Mine has the early Winchoke and the barrel is considerably thicker than todays barrels with screw in chokes. For that reason, it's not a quick handling gun but a good smooth swing. The rotary bolt locks directly into the barrel so it's a very strong design. It also is pretty easy to pump as ejection is started by the recoil.

Downsides? The barrel is some sort of nickel steel or something that doesn't take touch up blue well. The original stock finish is nothing to write home about but I've refinished the butt stock and the wood is pretty decent. The checkering is impressed, not cut but gives an adequate grip. So, bottom line is it's very functional but not necessarily going to win any beauty contests.

Read that it has some plastic parts, and are prone to break. That true?

Although I don't think I'll shot it much anyway... Have many shotguns that are better than that one. Just want to take it hunting every now and then.

 

I had a 1300 defender in the 90s-2000s. The safety was so far forward, I traded it in.

 

they have a plastic magazine throat, easily replaced but its there and has a history of breaking.. In all honesty the two Ive fooled with, worked on one of them(owners fault) have been in service a long time.. Thats just two of them though

 

My first repeater was a used Winchester 1200 that I bought off a neighbor when I was 14. It paled in comparison to my dad’s Ithaca 37 and my brother’s Wingmaster. The wood was crap, the action rough but danged if it didn’t shoot every time I needed it to. Once I got the nerve to take out the trigger group, I found the reason it ran so tough and repaired it. It’s a wonder those guns didn’t wear out faster. I traded it in on a 20 ga Ithaca straight up a few years later. Couldn’t have been happier.

 

I am 69 yo. I had a LC Smith SxS at age 11. I got a Win 1200 16ga at 15yo and shot a ton of shells. Doves, quail, and ducks every weekend of their seasons on the 3 family farms and friend's farms. Got a Win 1200 12ga at age 18, and a 870 Wingmaster 12ga 3in mag at age 21. The LC Smith and 870 were the best shotguns I owned and I still have the LC Smith and a Browning Liege, along with newer guns. Like a fool I sold the 870. I will say that the Win 1200 16ga was more than worth the price. I cannot tell you how many doves I killed with it, but was used every weekend in dove season for nearly 20 years. I shot ducks with both. I sold the 12ga Win to help get the 870 and and a Browning Liege O/U. But I used the Win 12ga to shoot ducks in Chesapeake Bay in the rain, sleet, and snow on a group trip with 18 other hunters. Only my Win 1200, two friends Rem Wingmaster 870, and two Browning A5 worked 100%. A bunch of gas semi-autos froze up.

One time I was hunting a saltmarsh pot hole in coastal SC where I live. I was alone and had walked in on clay/mud from the hidden boat about 300-400 yds away. I had the 16ga Win 1200 and was wearing chestwaders with a belt around the top. Going to retrieve the 3rd duck I walked into a small feeder creek that had filled with Pluff mud and was covered with spartina grass. I went up to my arm pits and had no bottom. I ejected the shells and used the Win 1200 as a push/pull pole sinking it in the mud up to the magazine cap dozens of times. After about 5 minutes I was gator crawling out to firmer ground. I found the duck, went to the pothole hard edge and washed the 1200 in the saltwater, shook it, loaded it, and proceeded to kill 2 more ducks. 5 ducks with 7 shots, a mud bath, washed in saltwater, and the 16ga Win 1200 kept ticking like a Timex. I will say I am glad I grew up swimming in saltwater creeks and sliding through Pluff mud. Someone without first hand knowledge may have drowned when the Full tide was in there an hour later.

 

I still have a 1200 that I bought a LONG time ago. Not one of Winchesters finest pieces by a long shot but its never given me any trouble. Hunted with it for years and for the last couple of years its kept in my truck, "just in case".
I guess Ive been lucky with shotguns. Never had a bad one as far as function goes.

 

Hquiles....you have allot of stories to read through here

The Winchester 1200 and its other variant 1300 are good serviceable guns. Yes there is some plastic parts, namely the "magazine throats" which is used to retain the mag tube. I haven't had one break, have had them out and reinstalled them myself....really No Big Deal as long as you can find replacements IF YOU NEED THEM. Personally no reason to mess with them (unless your restoring a gun) and they shouldn't get broken unless there is a serious mishap.
The riot guns were used by our military and police departments for many years and have never heard of any major reliability problems. They were no frills, low cost and reliable. Good luck in your search.

 

Had one and it was a good shotgun. Stolen along with 11 others in 1970. However, Winchester changed a lot in 1964 with the Model 70, introduced the Model 1200 and 1400 shotguns. Quality went downhill, IMO. Model 12 was too expensive to manufacture so it went to the custom shop. Trivia: My father's Sears shotgun had 1400 stamped on the trigger assembly.

 

I bought a Win 1200 in 1970 when I had trouble with my 20-gauge shotgun. I wanted a Remington 870 in 20-gauge but could not find one because it was October and most of the shotguns were already sold. So, I bought a Win 1200, and for the next 3 years I could not hit a thing with it. I had bought the shotgun without the box at a gun shop and didn't know a thing about length of pull. After the 3 years I traded it in for a deer rifle. When the dealer put it in the gun rack, he commented that it was a youth model. Here I was 6-foot 1 inch tall and had a short- stocked shotgun. So, that is my experience with Win 1200 shotguns.

 

That's what you get for buying that kid's gauge. 😉

 

I purchased a new Wingmaster around 1970. I examined both the 1200 and 870 before I chose one. If I recall the 1200 had an aluminum receiver so I passed. I still have the 870 and shoot it occasionally. I really wanted a model 12 but they had just gone out of production.

This was around the time that Winchester decided to kill itself by cutting costs and producing a lot of junk. At the same time Remington was producing some of the best shotguns and rifles in their history.

Personally, If I wanted a working shotgun that would be the last pump shotgun I would buy. JMO.

 

They do have an aluminum receiver but since the bolt lockup is directly to the barrel, that's of no consequence except the receiver doesn't rust.

 

Anyway, enough with the intro. Like I said, I collect C&R shotguns, mostly pumps. And I wanted to get at least one commercial example of every "trench" model used by the US military. I already have the Win 97, Win Model 12, Remington 10, Ithaca 37 and Stevens 520. Still need a Savage 620, Savage 77E and the Winchester 1200.

I've owned a few: it isn't a high quality gun, but in your case, does it matter? It goes with your collecting theme. The basic gun is still in production as the SXP.

 

I've had mine since the early 80's. It's been great. Super smooth pump on mine. Far smoother then my 870.

 

I used to sign out 1200’s from Rec Services at Ft Sill, OK for weekend duck hunts. They were OK. Good to borrow. Would never buy one.

 

To F*W*F I bet you would like to have a "MANS" 8-gauge for woodcock, or maybe a "MANS" 40 inch barreled 4-gauge for grouse. Now those are "MANS" guns that develop a strong back and a weak mind of which you have both. Just Saing!

 

My first Win was a 12ga Sears Ted Williams 2 3/4" choked full in 73. Ugliest wood I've ever seen on a shotgun. Weird looking boxy fore end with cheesy rolled engraving. I started hunting with it in the 80's. Traded it for a 1200 with 3" chamber with a screw in chokes around the time I started hunting ducks. I hunted ducks, doves, pheasants with it 'til 2000 something. I've bought and traded several since then. The current gun is a 120. I've never had problems with them or any breakage. I think all of them I paid less than $200. each.
I met up with 870's as school guns in the AF. Real beaters. I never shot them well. I've since shot new ones and watched youth hunters struggle with them through the bad times-new guns that wouldn't eject, other QC items that should never left the factory during the teens.
The win was my one gun battery for a long time and I still prefer the safety location, still like how I don't need three hands to reassemble it after cleaning. Also like how I can slide the chamber open to safe the gun without it popping the next round out of the mag prematurely.
More recently, It sits in the safe a lot cause I'll shoot my 16 ga Ithacas whenever I get the chance.

 

My Dad bought me Win 1200 12 ga when I was 9 years old in 1964. I shot that gun at everything. Deer/ducks/doves/crows/rabbits/squirrels and other critters for the next 25 years. Never ever had a problem. Eventually sold it as I had moved on to mdl 12's and A5 Brownings.

 

Fastest pump ever brotha...
for what you probably will pay for it...
GET IT.

1200/1300's are like a between...
between a Mossberg and Remington

Mossberg's are as rough as they get. I don't mean that in a good way.
870's are much better than the Mossberg. The Winchester sits in the middle.
Not the prettiest thing but they do work well!!!
Once you get on to how the action assist works and get it to work with you it's very fast!

For as many 1200's that were used and abused over the years and they still just keep on shooting...
that says something.

 

I read a few bad comments about the Winchester 1200. Just asking before buying. Let me know about your experiences with them.

Thanks

It is extremely well-known that 1964 was the year that Winchester died. The 1200 was designed to be cheap, not good, and so it was. It failed, as did the 1300. Along with the push feed Mdl 70, the cheapened Model 94, etc. So it went with the 1400. The ghost of John Olin still screams.

 

I'm just curious. Are there ANY moderately priced guns that you speak well of?

 

One of the first guns I bought, and I still have it. You could call me a fan.

You should have no problem finding one for under $300.

 

Years back, I hunted with a farmer in South Dakota. The day that I met him, there was an uncased Winchester 1200, a Rem 700 (270), and an ax in the passenger side of his pickup.

We hunted pheasants together for years and he always carried the 1200. At one point, he did "refinish the furniture" so that it would look like "the day that it was gifted to him." I watched him shoot some (wing-tipped) birds at what I would call "extreme distances"

He's a fan. He a dumpster truck of pheasants over the years and shot it well. It was a good service gun.

(fyi.. I did win a Win 1400) at a DU banquet. I gifted it to my brother and it's still in the family. I wouldn't have purchased the 1400, but it has worked for my brother and his grandkids. Now, they're only shooting maybe two or three boxes per year.

 

Seems like people who actually owned a 1200 mostly think they a were fine. Perhaps not awesome but fine. As I mentioned before, mine is nearly 45 years old and still running fine. If you are looking to add one to a collection and the price is right then go for it.

 

WINCHESTER® Slide-Action Shotgun Models 1200, 1300, 120, and 2200; SEARS® Slide-Action Shotgun Models 200 and Ted Williams® 200; WINCHESTER Semi-Automatic Shotgun Models 1400, 1500, 140, and 2400; SEARS Semi-Automatic Shotgun Models 300 and Ted Williams 300

Olin Corporation, through its Winchester Division, is warning users of the above shotguns to follow owner's manual instructions to fully open the action before moving the safety to the "ON" position and to only use shotgun shells of 2-3/4 inch or 3 inch length.

Under certain conditions it may be possible to move the safety to the "ON" position while the shotgun's action is partially open, placing the hammer under control of the safety and not the trigger. Operating the safety in this manner is improper and contrary to the instruction manual. It has come to our attention that short length shotgun shells, including those known as "minishells", can be manually placed in the firearm's chamber while the action is partially open. With the hammer controlled by the safety and with a shotgun shell in the chamber, closing the action and moving the safety to the "OFF" position may accidentally fire the shotgun without a trigger pull. Accidental firing may result in property damage, serious personal injury or death.

 

So, using a shotgun or any other tool in a manner for which it wasn't intended is a gun /manufacturer issue?
Have you ever listened to even 50% of the nonsense you spout?

 

I have a 1200 with an 18in barrel that was cut down from the original full choke barrel. I bought it from a cop. I got it cheap because he had it in his carry bag and the receiver got all nicked up from stuff banging around in the bag. They make good protection guns. Only gotcha I know of is to keep the rotary bolt clean and oiled. It has and AR style bolt and a bolt carrier. Keep it clean and lubed. They are just as good as the old Rem 870's. 1200 and 1300 barrels will interchange.