Tom D

The serial number indicates 1978 or slightly later production. Real Mark 1s were made in 1969.

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I now see in the documents where the bid shotguns had a parkerized finish.

ordnance, do you think the parkerized finish is original? All of the High Standards I have seen had a blue finish. A blued K-1200 advertised as one of the USAF experimental guns sold at the Rock Island Auction back in April 2015. It had a two digit number with a letter suffix on the left rear of the receiver and a different two digit number with a letter on the left side of the buttstock. It also had a modified bayonet adaptor/heat shield on it to take the shorter type bayonet. The adaptor was a plum color like a Stevens (or one of the repro Stevens) and a polished blue heat shield. The rear sling swivel looked like the one screw type rather than a two screw inletted one. It did not have any US markings. It sold for over $8,000.

According to the Winchester Polishing Room serialization records, It's actually an early 1942 shotgun.

bmarvin said: "When did the US stop using flaming bomb ordnance mark? I'd think it was before that High Standard was born." You are pretty much correct. The use of the Ordnance bomb mark ceased well before High Standard began developing shotguns for law enforcement and the Military in the early 1960s. The only High Standard shotguns that I have heard that were used by the Military were some of the Model 120s by dog handlers during the Vietnam War. And I don't believe they had bayonet adaptors/heat shields.

There were some early WW2 Model 12s that were marked like your shotgun with only the large "U.S." on the left side of the receiver. They also usually have the WB and Ordnance mark on the stock. These usually fall into the low 900,xxx serial number range. Does your shotgun have an Ordnance bomb on top of the barrel near the receiver? And what is the serial number of your gun?

As TSMGguy said, the barrels on Model 12 trench guns do not have the taper like the commercial barrels have. As a result, when the military converted Model 12 riot guns to trench gun configuration they put a sleeve on the muzzle end of the barrel to make the bayonet adaptor fit properly. I've also seen shims used to try and make the adaptor fit properly.

The few that I have seen had serial numbers on the barrel. But I can't say for sure that they all did. Is the barrel marked "Model 10-R"? And is the barrel martially marked?

That price is actually about what some other Model 12 parked trench guns have sold for lately. Did you see the boxed Model 12 parked trench gun that sold at RIA on May 14, 2021 (Lot #472)? It sold for $40,250, including the buyer's premium. The link is below: WWII U.S. Army Contract Winchester Model 12 Trench Shotgun | Rock Island Auction

There's a bunch of commercial 97 trench guns in the serial number range of the subject gun (i.e., 882,xxx). Many were sent to Oregon for prison use and were sold off in the early 1990s.

I think you did well. The 520 appears to be a solid example for a decent price. And I think you paid a fair price for the Model 31 riot too. If the Model 31 was in excellent condition it probably would of sold for two or three times that amount. It's an early one with only the ordnance mark on the stock. I've got the same gun with a serial number a few hundred higher than yours.

Can you post any photos of your acquisitions? The Rem 31 riot is not too common.

The parked Model 12 trench (Lot 1443) hammer price was $16,000. With the Buyer's premium, $18,400. The ones that surprised me were the Model 1897 trench gun that sold for $17,250 including the Buyer's premium (Lot 3471), the Remington Model 11 riot gun that hammered at $10,000 (Lot 3498), and the Stevens 620 trench gun that went for $10,925 (Lot 444).

The best way to date a Winchester firearm is by using the Winchester Polishing Room serialization records. Those records show when the serial number was applied to the gun's receiver. Any Model 97 with a serial number in the 931xxx range had the serial number applied in 1942, probably around May to June 1942. Even the WWII 97s can be accurately dated using those records. I have trench gun s/n 931939 that had the serial number applied on June 29, 1942.

The Pugsley Collection trench gun would certainly have been assembled by Winchester.