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LOT 431
Outstanding U.S. Contract Winchester Model 12 Trench Gun with Scarce
Transitional Blued
and Parkerized
Finish - Serial
no. 1033989, 12 gauge, 20 inch bbl., blue/parkerized finish, varnished walnut stock. This
U.S. contract Winchester Model 12 Trench Gun was manufactured c. 1944. This shotgun has the rare combination of blued and parkerized components
and was manufactured during the brief transitional period before Model 12 Trench Guns were fully parkerized. The
receiver has the late finish with prominent milling marks found on parkerized Model 12 Trench Guns. The receiver, trigger guard, barrel and six hole handguard/bayonet
lug all have the Winchester wartime parkerized finish. The action slide bar, magazine tube, action slide tube and sleeve, trigger, safety, slide lock, lower sling swivel and screws have the Winchester commercial blue finish found on Model 12 Trench Guns below serial number 103000. The bolt is bright. The forearm and stock are straight grain
American walnut with the commercial varnished finish used on most blued Winchester Model 12 Trench Guns; late production parkerized Model 12 Trench Guns usually had a military style oil finish on the stock and forearm. The stock has a black, checkered, hard rubber buttplate embossed with the Winchester Repeating Arms logo. The right side of the receiver is stamped “U.S.” followed by the Ordnance “Shell & Flame” insignia below the ejection port. A “Shell & Flame” insignia is also stamped on the top of the barrel. The left side of the stock is stamped with the Ordnance “G.H.D.” final inspection mark enclosed in a rectangle above a small Ordnance Corps escutcheon. The left side of the barrel is roll-stamped with the two-line Winchester legend which is partially covered by the handguard followed by “-WINCHESTER-/-TRADE MARK-” in two lines and “MODEL 12-12 GA.-2 3/4 CHAM./CYL.”. The underside of the barrel is stamped with the date of manufacturer “44”. The oval Winchester “W/P” proof mark
is stamped on the top of the barrel and receiver. The left side of the bayonet lug is stamped with the Winchester “W” code. The serial number is stamped across the bottom of the receiver ahead of the
loading port and on the bottom of the receiver extension. The shotgun is fitted with a post-war web sling marked: “MRT 5/53”.
CONDITION: Excellent. All original and retains 97% plus of the original combination blue and parkerized finish. Finish loss is limited to some very minor cycling wear on the action slide bar. The receiver,
trigger guard, receiver extension, barrel and handguard retain 98% of the original gray-green parkerized finish. All of the markings are extremely crisp. The stock and forearm are both excellent and retain
97% of the original varnish. The Ordnance inspection marks on the left side of the stock are perfect. Wear is limited to a few scattered and very minor storage marks primarily on the left side of the stock between the sling swivel and the buttplate. This is an outstanding example of a U.S. Model 12 Trench Gun with rare transitional blue/parkerized finish, that would be a stand-out piece in the most advanced collection of U.S. small arms.
Estimate: 9,500 - 16,000
Excellent World War II U.S. Johnson Automatics Model
1941 Semi-Automatic Rifle with Bayonet - Serial no.
B1490, 30-06 Springfield cal., 22 inch round bbl., parkerized
finish, walnut stock. Originally up for consideration by the Netherlands Purchasing Commission as a
service weapon for colonial troops in the Dutch East Indies, a large order for the Johnson Rifle was placed
in 1940, but the Japanese invasion of the East Indies prevented delivery. These rifles were not able to gain interest
for adoption by the U.S. Army, who favored the M1 Garand, but a small amount of them were subsequently used by the U.S.M.C.
Marine Raider and Parachute Battalions in the early Makin Island, Guadalcanal and Tulagi Island hopping campaigns in the Pacific. One source reports
approximately 21,400 Johnson semi-automatic rifles in total were manufactured, and approximately 750 were procured by the U.S. Marine Corps (Canfield’s book). These rifles employed
several unique features such as the rotary magazine which allows reloading at any time, and a recoiling barrel that has the ability to be easily removed from the rifle by hand for takedown, which allows the rifle to be stowed in a parachute jump bag. The rear, right side of the receiver is marked “CRANSTON/ARMS/CO.” in a triangle below a small five-pointed Dutch star as commonly seen on Johnson rifles, and the top of the receiver is marked “CAL. 30-’06 SEMI-AUTO./”JOHNSON AUTOMATICS”/MODEL OF 1941/MADE IN PROVIDENCE, R.I., U.S.A.” above the serial number with U.S. and foreign patent date markings to the rear. The barrel locking bushing has the correct markings of “30- 06” and “41” for the year on the front flat. Blade front and 1,000 meter rear sight. The serial number “B1490” is on top of the receiver and the bolt is numbered “C4096” (it was standard for numbered components on Johnson rifles to not match). It has a two-piece walnut stock and forend. Includes bayonet with brown leather scabbard, M1907 brown leather sling, and a printed copy of the online American Rifleman article “The Model of 1941 Johnson Rifle in Marine Service” by Bruce Canfield.
CONDITION: Excellent, retains 95% original parkerized finish with a few areas of light spotting. Stock is very fine with some light handling marks, a small scuff at the front left of the forend, a small crack ahead of the top left of the buttplate, and defined edges. Mechanically excellent. Included bayonet and scabbard are both excellent.
Estimate: 9,000 - 13,000
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LOT 432