Winchester Model 12 "US and Bomb" marked-1947

[Tom Doniphon]

Hello RMF. The serial number of your shotgun is in the same range as the last few thousand Model 12 trench guns manufactured for the Military during WWII. They were made in late 1943 or early 1944. So your shotgun was likely made in that time frame, not in 1947. All of these trench guns had a factory parkerized finish.

From your photos, it appears that your shotgun has been refinished. The serial numbers do not look crisp. And on an original blue finish there would be burnishing around the Winchester proof marks found on top of the barrel and receiver. The fact that there is no Military Ordnance bomb mark on top of the barrel means it was either buffed off when the gun was refnished, or the barrel could be a replacement. The forearm also looks like a later type.

Do you know the date of the barrel? It should be marked on the underside near the receiver.

FWIW, that's the highest US marked serial numbered Model 12 I can recall seeing.