Agree- I own and shoot 7 Model 12's-- dating from 1921 to 1949 in Mfg. About the only one I seldom shoot now-a-days in the 1948 era Pigeon Grade M12 Trap-- old milled style rib- feather crotch walnut stock- 30" Full. Back when I had a fair average at 16 yards, it got used weekly, maybe except in the Winter-- I even shot a round of "Full choked Skeet" with it and got a 22/25-- when I hit a clay at skeet range, it looked like a can of pepper exploding-
By the way- we "invented Full Choke Skeet" just for fun- exceptions from std. skeet- we didn't use station 8- instead we shot a set of doubles from no. 4 station- and back then, you shot all single first, then went around again to shoot doubles at 1 & 2 pegs, ditto 7 & 8 pegs-- this was waaay before SC came along.
But I have sensed, at area gun shows, a real softness in the Model 12 market here in the Midwest. Cabela's, and wisely so, will NOT buy any repeating shotguns, even pigeon grade M12's, regardless of gauge, if they have Cutts or Poly-chokes, even if factory installed. IMO, they are real "dogs" on the market today--most likely due to the usuage of screw-in choke tube systems--
