There was a nice looking 30" round-post vent rib HD on GI last year, as I recall it was listed for something like $2250. The rib was proper. I don't remember if it had a checkered stock or not, but it languished there for a while and finally went away. Nevertheless they are quite rare and one data point doesn't mean much. With 85% condition and the replacement pad it's not quite a high condition collector gun, and many prefer a solid rib for vintage waterfowl hunting. You'll want to be sure the wood is proper Winchester and not replacements. Sorry I can't come up with a realistic high/low sale value without seeing pics and verifying the tech specs. Just a WAG, 1000 to 1800 or so, again depending on condition and originality.

Dave Riffle has a picture of the "Round Post Donut Base" rib on a 3-inch Heavy Duck gun on page 239 of his book.

Heavy duck
 

So-ooooooo what are your opinions on this???
Have a 1940 HD 32 IN. Plain barrel .032 choke all original, Has seen plenty of use.

I Have seen these peoples work and it looks damn good to me. They guarantee the gun to shoot 60x40 stacking the beads. I am giving this option a lot of thought. I Have always liked the looks of the Donut Post Rib. At my age the money here is not the issue. Maybe just one good day on the River working on long range pigeons (Heavy loads) is the issue. Or possibly a fast passing Duck. What say you???

Click on this link (((Click on Home))) to see Ribs
http://www.eubanksgunsmithing.com/gunsmithing.html

David,
Roger Eubanks put a rib on a Model 12 field grade for me in about 1989. I put trap wood on it and have shot thousands of trap targets with it (including a 97 at the CA STATE Trap Handicap in 1990). Roger's work is excellent. Fred

While studying and quietly collecting good Model 12's over many years I've seen plenty of M-12's with aftermarket ribs whether Simmons or others, that languished on the sale sites. Also 60/40 sounds fine for clays but many want hunting guns to shoot flat or nearly so.

In the condition described and without any issues let's say your HD might currently sell for $700-800. If you put $500. + shipping into it for the rib and rebluing, and without additional expense for better or longer wood, you might end up with a gun that's worth about the same $700-800. That's as the market values them nowadays, maybe even less for a quick sale. Plus, you've lost all the memories of past hunts. Of course reworked Model 12's can be excellent guns and I have a couple of them I enjoy shooting, but they aren't collectors and wouldn't sell at even close to the value of originals in similar gauge/configuration. All this is JMO of course.

frank

Question,
Post #1 and #12 are both Pre War but have different forearms. Which one is correct? Or are they both correct?
-Brett

Answer,
I mistakenly thought the first post was referred to as Pre war. I have the same flat bottom forearm on my 1951 32" solid rib gun and felt it wasn't original to my gun.
-Brett

I had a model 12 heavy duck gun with a solid rib. I used it from time to time for geese in Virginia. It was a grand old gun and I wish I still had it. I also had an old 20 bore made in the first year of production. It had nickel steel barrels with 25" full choke. I believe this was the first configuration of the model 12. I've always wondered why they the gun was introduced in 20 bore.

I have a 16 gauge Model 12 that I don't use enough.

Another Model 12 on the clays course. This one a 1948 Trap Grade, 30-incher with solid matted rib. It's so nice to be able to shoot 100 (relatively) cheap commercial 12-gauge shells for vintage sporting and without having to crank up the MEC.

Well, after shooting the M-12's almost exclusively for sporting clays over a few months now, I'll be getting back in gear with the S x S's in prep for the Northeast at Hausmann's in June.

Well, thanks in part to this post, I have just acquired a Heavy Duck. Not in as good a condition as some of the others but original pad, 3 inch chambers and 32 inch barrels. Looking forward to shooting it.