By the time of American involvement in World War 2, the Model 12 was slightly altered to feature a simpler heat shield containing four rows of holes but was more or less the same weapon. A further 80,000 examples were ordered when America went to war in December of 1941 and they quickly found homes in all branches of the US military once again - though its value was heightened in the Pacific by US Marines who favored it in jungle warfare. There proved an appreciation in its use for close-quarters combat where personnel were charged with clearing out enemy tunnels, choke points, rocky mountain overlooks and thick jungle settings from fanatical and stubborn Japanese defenders. As such, weapons like shotguns and submachine guns were held in great respect in this theater of war, particularly if utterly reliable under the abuses of combat which many American-made shotguns were. The 12-guage slug held more than enough in stopping the average man either charging the operator or unwilling to give up his position. Beyond the base shooting model and the militarized trench gun models, Winchester also delivered "Riot Gun" versions with shorter barrels (sans bayonet mounting and heat shield) for security duty at American bases and ports. Still others were purchased by the US military for training aerial gunners in the fine art of downing enemy aircraft in budget.
Successful exposure of the Model 12 in World War 2 no doubt opened its use to further combat in the upcoming Korean War (1950-1953) as many remained in circulation after World War 2. In fact, many World War 2-era weapons saw extended combat service in this fashion and the Model 12 proved no different. US personnel still relied on the inherent firepower of their tried-and-true shotguns when coming up close to North Korean and Chinese enemies and Model 12 rarely disappointed if at all. It was only by the time of the Vietnam War that stocks of Model 12s were becoming depleted in the US military inventory and the high production and procurement costs of the Model 12 made it susceptible to budgetary constraints to which the Winchester product eventually superseded by the competing product lines in the same role. It was only cost that ultimately slowed the Model 12 down.
The Model 12 line was further expanded by Winchester to include all manner of civilian/sporting market forms including skeet shooters, trap shooters and various special edition/high standard finish models. In all, some 2,000,000 Model 12 shotguns were completed until official production ceased in 1963. Special models were continually released up until 2006 and a 28-guage model eventually joined the family line. Barrel lengths offered throughout her production life included 20-, 26-, 28-, 30- and 32-inches
The Winchester Model 1912/Model 12 came to be known as the "Perfect Repeater" due to its smooth, reliable action.
Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.