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#606031 11/11/21 04:00 PM
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Lloyd3 Offline OP
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Went to the range today to function check a few rifles and one shotgun (a fitting way to spend Veteran's Day IMHO). Both rifles seemed to be ready for the deer tags the boy and I both have, so I then turned my attention to the little M12 I'd brought along. This gun has a born-on date sometime during Anno Domini 1927, so it's chamber size (and more importantly it's ejection port) may or may not be friendly to 2 3/4-inch 16 gauge shells. Serial number range is just under 500K (487xxx) so who knows, right? This particular little 16 bore has been used a bit hard (about 1/2-inch of toe is missing from the stock and the butt-plate) and the finishes in general all look fairly tired, it also desperately needs a good deep cleaning. I got this gun in trade for my little 1913 M12 20 from my mother-in-law this Fall (who it happens to fit rather passably) with the understanding that after I'd given her gun the attention it so-richly deserves, I'd exchange it back for my sweet little 20-bore. As far as it's history goes, this 16 had evidently belonged to her uncle (who has long since gone to meet his maker, as even she's on the back half of her 60s now). Sadly, it seems unlikely that anybody has paid it even a smidgen of attention for the last 50-years or so, and when racking the slide or examining it closely you know it's been neglected at least for that long (and maybe longer). Upon taking possession, I quickly utilized Winchesters fabulous take-down mechanism and separated the two (now somewhat gummy) halves and looked her over more closely. Nickel steel is pretty incredible stuff and this one's no exception, meaning that while it's internals are also clearly gummed up a bit, the 28-inch barrel is both rust, pit and ding free. The wood (front and back) is a bit dry but absolutely un-cracked and all the controls work as they should (if maybe a bit slowly). I'd taken some (now-precious) 2 1/2-inch RST No. 8s along to function check it (2 3/4 inch stuff may come along later) and stoked the chamber and magazine tube with 3 shells (it's obviously been plugged), cleared the range for action, and then let her rip. Even if it doesn't fit me exactly right, 16 M12s feel just so....good. Built on 20 gauge frames and weighing in at a little over 6 to 6 1/2 lbs these guns are wonderful upland tools. Even dirty, this gun would do the job all day long if necessary.

Last edited by Lloyd3; 11/11/21 08:55 PM.
Lloyd3 #606040 11/11/21 06:27 PM
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M12 16 gauge. First gun I bought. Nice memories. Love a good pump gun.


The world cries out for such: he is needed & needed badly- the man who can carry a message to Garcia
Lloyd3 #606044 11/11/21 07:31 PM
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I love your Model 12 - 16 gauge story.
I've had 12 and 20 gauge Model 12 guns, field models.
If I ever come across a Model 12 in 16 gauge with a rib barrel, I'd be hooked.

Lloyd3 #606045 11/11/21 07:44 PM
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My experience has been the early 20 gauge model 1912s are far, far more tolerant of ammunition that is a bit longer than 2 1/2” then the same vintage 16 gauge versions.
I don’t think a model 1912 was ever a cheap gun, but, I see so many of them that have been neglected sinfully. My own first year 20 gauge copy came from a shirt tail Uncles farm (he was very much alive, but, needed nursing home care, I paid a little money for it to his actual heirs) and the gun had spent at least 50 years, maybe more, between two studs in the wall of his dairy barn. It was in absolutely deplorable condition. The wood has been replaced, the choke opened from full to loose modified, and the gun reblued, as I got rusty hands when I used it. It is pleasant to use, now, but checks absolutely no collector boxes.
Just as well.
Lloyd, I’d be surprised if you don’t end up with both pumps, in the not to distant future. That Browning 20 that Carol uses might be all she ever needs.

Best,
Ted

Lloyd3 #606049 11/11/21 09:08 PM
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You never know Ted. I'm going to go through this unit and get it healthy, then I'm going to try to freshen it up a bit. I guess what happens after that won't really matter much. I just couldn't stand seeing it in it's present state (saw the gun in a closet several years ago and have volunteered several times since to clean it up). After she latched onto my little 20 this Fall and realized what good guns these little M12s really are, I finally got my chance.

Last edited by Lloyd3; 11/12/21 12:22 PM.
Lloyd3 #606054 11/11/21 09:36 PM
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Had my grandpaw's M12, 2 9/16 16 rechambered by Flags in Pittsburgh in the early 60's. They also supplied a rough turned stock that I installed and finished. After 60 years of killing many rabbits, grouse pheasent, ducks it still runs fine.

Bill

Lloyd3 #606055 11/11/21 10:37 PM
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This Model 12 is from 1942. 16 Gauge, solid rib, 28" in full choke. As Lloyd3 said, "they just feel so good". He's right! When I saw the tag at $649.00 I said, "Ring it up". Modified would have pleased me a bit more I couldn't leave the store without it.
[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]

Lloyd3 #606057 11/11/21 11:27 PM
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I stumbled into a Model 12 16ga Trap Grade with solid rib and WS2 choke. Seems like an odd and wonderful combination.

1 member likes this: Saskbooknut
Lloyd3 #606070 11/12/21 09:03 AM
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I had a solid rib 16 ga M choke at one time. Heavier than I liked carrying in the woods. Nice gun, though.


Socialism is almost the worst.
Lloyd3 #606087 11/12/21 11:31 AM
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I bought a heavily worn M12 in 20 with the solid rib back a few years ago as a project gun (when old pumps were worth almost nothing). It also had the factory Cutt's compensator, making it very affordable. I'd already cleaned up and cold re-blued several guns before that one so I was willing to take on such a basket-case. As bad as it looked when I got it, it turned out really great when finished. I'd even found a few different Cutt's choke tubes for it (IC, Mod and Full). The rib (w/the compensator) did look really neat but....it added a significant amount of weight. I even thinned the stock down a bit (on the butt-end) to help get the weight down but I never really warmed-up to it and finally sold it (it went really fast, should have asked more for it). The plain field guns are better balanced IMHO.

Last edited by Lloyd3; 11/12/21 11:54 AM.
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