Winchester Model 1200
Winchester Repeating Arms Company · Shotgun · Discontinued · 1964
Also known as: Winchester 1200, M1200, Winchester 1200 Riot Gun, Winchester 1200 Defender
Overview
The Winchester Model 1200 is an American pump-action shotgun designed by T.C. Johnson and a team of Winchester engineers as a more modern and less expensive replacement for the long-running Model 12. Introduced in 1964 for sporting use, it employs a rotating bolt locking into a barrel extension within a lightweight aluminum-alloy receiver, and was the first Winchester shotgun to offer the Winchoke interchangeable choke system. A militarized riot-gun variant, the M1200, was fielded in small numbers by U.S. forces during the Vietnam War with a perforated steel heat shield and a bayonet mount for the M1917 bayonet.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2950 g (104.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1010 mm (39.76") |
| Barrel Length | 508 mm (20.00") |
| Action Type | Pump Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 4 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tubular |
| Muzzle Velocity | 400 m/s (1312 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2560 J (1888 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 40 m (44 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Frame Material | Aluminum |
| Slide Material | Aluminum |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 12 Gauge · primary — also known as 12GA, 12 Bore
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Cross Bolt Safety
- Features: Rotating Bolt, Winchoke Choke System, Aluminum Receiver, Interchangeable Barrels, Heat Shield Military Variant, Bayonet Lug Military Variant
Variants
- Winchester Model 1300 — Improved Successor
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · adopted 1968 · as M1200
- United States Marine Corps · adopted 1968
Conflicts
- Vietnam War (1955-1975)
Production
Production years: 1964-1983
Replaced in 1983 by the slightly improved Winchester Model 1300; only small numbers of the military M1200 variant were procured in 1968-1969
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: T.C. Johnson
Discontinued: 1983
Notes
The military M1200 used a 20-inch (508 mm) barrel chambered for 2.75-inch shells and was limited to a four-round magazine because the bayonet band and heat shield precluded the extended magazine tubes offered on civilian models.
Background
The Model 1200 was Winchester's bid to undercut rising production costs of the labor-intensive Model 12, trading machined steel for a cast aluminum receiver and a rotating-bolt action; its trench-gun derivative briefly served U.S. Special Forces and Army units in Vietnam.