Description
Winchester Model 12 Gunsmith Complete Takedown Manual
120 pages, about 8″ x 11″, glossy soft-cover in full color. New re-print restored and digitally enhanced from a nice original. Printed on high quality 20# 97 bright acid free paper. Fully Illustrated.
Beginning just after Christmas in 1956 and continuing for the next four years, Winchester engineer A.A. Arnold produced an amazing series of gun manuals. He drew scores of drawings for each gun Winchester made at the time depicting in great detail everything an owner or gunsmith needed to know to disassemble, service and re-assemble their weapon.
Each manual took Arnold months to prepare and to the best of our knowledge the set was never mass produced. Each page is truly a masterpiece and if you own one of these guns you should have the companion book.
Some guns like the Model 42 have over 100 plates! We were loaned a set of the original drawings by a generous collector in New Hampshire and reproduce manuals for Models 37, 42, 50, 61, 63, 69a, 70, 72, 75, 88, 94, 12 and 12 Featherweight, 1200, 1300.
Manuals for Old Winchesters
Winchester Catalogs from 1875 through 1920 contained operation manuals for all guns including cutaway drawings and component parts pictures.
The Winchester Model 12 takedown manual consolidates factory service detail for a shotgun that defined pump-action reliability for most of the 20th century. Clear assembly sequences, diagrams, and part callouts make this reprint an essential reference for gunsmiths, restorers, and owners ensuring correct reassembly and parts identification across Model 12 variants.
- Step-by-step takedown and reassembly procedures for the action slide, carrier, breech bolt, trigger group, and magazine assembly.
- Schematics and labeled part numbers suited for repair, parts ordering, and accurate restorations.
- Coverage notes for common variants: Featherweight, Trap, Skeet, Guard/Riot and Trench configurations—helpful when matching parts or identifying period modifications.
- Practical gunsmith tips included in the manual: torque considerations, wear inspection points, and reassembly alignment checks that reduce rework.
- Compact manual format designed for bench use—easy to reference while performing maintenance or verifying original factory configurations.
The Model 12 earned a reputation for smooth operation and durability during more than five decades of production; this manual preserves original factory detail so technicians can confirm service layouts, measure wear tolerances, and validate period-correct repairs.
In addition to civilian applications, the Model 12 served in several U.S. military roles (riot and trench variants) with shortened barrels, heat shields, and bayonet fittings used in both world wars and later conflicts. The manual’s parts diagrams and configuration notes are therefore also valuable to historians and collectors documenting military-pattern Model 12s.
We are not affiliated with any arms or gun manufacturer.
