Any 12 gauge Model 12 with the special order 32" barrel carries a bit of a premium over the more common 30" tube. More M12's in 12 gauge in field guns had 30" full choked plain barrels than any other available combination from 1914 through 1964. Not sure if that carries over with the Model 1897, but it may well be. In the Depression era, the Model 12 field gun sold for $10.00 than the Model 97 field gun-- a drop from the pre- 1930 pricing for both these great repeaters. One theory for the great popularity back in those pre-WW2 years of the 30" full over the 28" barrels offered by WRA- farmer thrift- you got 2" more steel with the 30" barreled M12 or M97 than you got with a 28" barrel, for the same price. I have a 1949 era 3" Magnum Model 12 gauge with a 32" full choked barrel with solid rib-both the 32" barrel and the solid rib make it worth a bit more than my other 3" Magnum M12- made in 1939 with the std. 30" plain barrel full choke. Go figure the market on that, hey??
