The whole story is that I also have a Winchester Model 12 16ga, made in 1915 according to the s/n. It was handed down to me but I never used it because it's chambered for short shells (2 1/2 or 2 9/16) and I had no idea how to find them years ago. Now I've discovered they are available online. I'm giving him the gun and the shells as a birthday gift. He has several taxidermy mounts, so I'm pretty sure he will add them to his display. It's easy to find the value of the gun and an empty shell box, but I couldn't find vintage shells, except for some priced individually. I wouldn't be surprised if the box of shells would sell for more than the gun if you found the right buyer.
Thanks for the info.
Don't underestimate the value of the Model 12. That's a great gift, particularly if it is a piece of family history. I hope they have many children for the gun to continue being valued.
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