Winchester Heat shield Markings ?

[thompsongunner]

Hello,
I was wondering if a later style WWII heat shield should be marked in any way on a winchester model 12? I have seen some with the "W" on the left side. Should they all be marked this way?

Thanks for any help. Thompsongunner

[Tom Doniphon]

As a general rule, the blued Model 12 trench guns have unmarked adaptors while the parkerized guns have "W" marked adaptors. I have seen a few blued guns with "W" marked adaptors, but most of these I suspect have had their adaptors replaced, particlarly the blued guns with lower serial numbered.

[thompsongunner]

Tom,
Thanks a lot for the reply. My gun is blued and I was wondering if it was a correct handguard because it is unmarked. It looks original and in the same overall condition of the gun. That makes me feel better! Thompsongunner

[chuckindenver]

iv seen them both marked and not marked..both would be correct

[Ironlip]

As a general rule, the blued Model 12 trench guns have unmarked adaptors while the parkerized guns have "W" marked adaptors. I have seen a few blued guns with "W" marked adaptors, but most of these I suspect have had their adaptors replaced, particlarly the blued guns with lower serial numbered.

Tom, I have always heard the same thing. Still, the very existence of the blued "W" marked handguards would suggest that some were produced at the same time as the blued Model 12's. Mine, serial no. 1018298, could be an example of a later produced Model 12 trench gun with a blued "W" marked heatshield or it could be a replacement.

The gun is in close to pristine shape and the blue on the heatshield pretty well matches the blue on the gun as I recall. The gun is not a converted riot gun or a cut down trainer.

While I seem to recall reading that the trench guns did not leave Winchester in serial number order, I would be interested in hearing from other collectors about the absence or presence of "W" markings on the heat shields of what they believe to be original trench guns with serial numbers in the general vicinity of mine.

Rick

[Tom Doniphon]

Hi Rick. Your blued Model 12 is a fairly late one, so it certainly is possible that Winchester used some W marked blue bayo adaptors on original blued trench guns. The contracts calling for marking the bayo adaptors were made in late 1943. So it would only be very late 1943 guns or perhaps 1944 made guns that would have the W marked adaptors. FWIW, I have blued M12 1019758, and the bayo adaptor is not W marked. The gun also has the late style unfluted oiled buttstock like those found on the parkerzied guns.