Model 12

How long to cut it?

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Blkhrt13 said:
Well folks she is a twenty incher now. I didn’t want to leave it twenty two because it was too close to the crack.
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20" on a pump gun has the sighting radius similar to a 26" barreled O/U or SxS due to the length of the receiver on the pump. I prefer shotguns of that length vs. longer-barreled ones. I have 4 with barrels between 18.25" and 19.75", and a couple at 26". The 18.25" Auto 5 is probably my favorite of all to take out for general purpose use.
 
PapaG said:
Shot a lot of small steel shot through our 870s made in the early 70s while hunting doves. Found out that our full and mod chokes lost us more birds than the imp cyls. I’ve recently been chastised for saying that by a well known gun writer but my boys and I doubled our take bu going more open on choke(and we are darn good shots). Example: one of many, on a really good day, fifteen of the thirty birds we shot were hit hard enough to tumble but recovered to fly off. Another day, lost only two of twenty eight using same shells. Day one, mod choke. Day two, imp cyl. Lots more data but we are convinced our guns prefer more open for steel.
Bottom line, though, is to chime in on the danger of using steel. None of our sixties/seventies Remingtons have suffered damage from steel, sizes six to eight. All fixed choke. One choke tube on another barrel did crack but it was a cheap aftermarket tube.
I won’t put steel through my fc model 12, my 3200, or BT (74).
Lots of fact and fiction out there.
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You and I have both been around long enough to know experience is better than "book knowledge" when it comes to such things. We know steel shot doesn't deform like lead, and that too tight of choke will first blow out the pattern, and even tighter could blow out the barrel. My Dad and I shot steel (#4 on up, on ducks) through full choked in our 1100 and 870, respectively, the first year until we patterned them and saw for ourselves how bad they blew the patterns out. My Dad had the barrel of his 1100 let out to Mod. , and I bought a 28" Mod barrel for my 870.
Shooting smaller shot decreases the potential for a burst barrel, but still will blow out the pattern. Step up from #8's to #2's, a blown barrel is much more likely, even with choke tubes, as Armored Farmer's pics show. I worked at a gun shop when steel was mandated, and saw many a barrel come in to get opened up in choke, and a few burst ones, almost all from shooting larger shot, #2 up through BBB.
 
If you can afford it, cut it to 22” and have choke tubes Installed. It would be a nice upland game gun, slug gun, and a HD option. The 2 inches will balance and swing a bit better. Alternatively seek out a used barrel online.
My Grandfather was a skeet shooter with a case full of trophies. His favorite shotgun was a Mod 12 12 ga with a short barrel and a Cutts compensator with a skeet choke.
 
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tactikel said:
If you can afford it, cut it to 22” and have choke tubes Installed. It would be a nice upland game gun, slug gun, and a HD option. The 2 inches will balance and swing a bit better. Alternatively seek out a used barrel online.
My Grandfather was a skeet shooter with a case full of trophies. His favorite shotgun was a Mod 12 12 ga with a short barrel and a Cutts compensator with a skeet choke.
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She is already at twenty.
 
The Happy Kaboomer said:
So true.........Shucking a pump in time of need for 2 legged critters is .........PURE TV BS.
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I agree. If I have to wrack it they either won’t hear it do to the ringing in their ears or the elevator doors closing. Ain’t no telling if they going up or down but they can’t stay here. If it’s hard to understand folks that don’t leave one in the head.
 
entropy said:
You and I have both been around long enough to know experience is better than "book knowledge" when it comes to such things. We know steel shot doesn't deform like lead, and that too tight of choke will first blow out the pattern, and even tighter could blow out the barrel. My Dad and I shot steel (#4 on up, on ducks) through full choked in our 1100 and 870, respectively, the first year until we patterned them and saw for ourselves how bad they blew the patterns out. My Dad had the barrel of his 1100 let out to Mod. , and I bought a 28" Mod barrel for my 870.
Shooting smaller shot decreases the potential for a burst barrel, but still will blow out the pattern. Step up from #8's to #2's, a blown barrel is much more likely, even with choke tubes, as Armored Farmer's pics show. I worked at a gun shop when steel was mandated, and saw many a barrel come in to get opened up in choke, and a few burst ones, almost all from shooting larger shot, #2 up through BBB.
Click to expand...
I killed a lot of ducks with #2 and #4 steel shot. IC if over decoys and working well, M for the steel shot equivalent of F with lead. Basic rule of thumb is steel shoots one choke tighter than lead. Never put a steel load downrange through F based on reading.
 
entropy said:
You and I have both been around long enough to know experience is better than "book knowledge" when it comes to such things. We know steel shot doesn't deform like lead, and that too tight of choke will first blow out the pattern, and even tighter could blow out the barrel. My Dad and I shot steel (#4 on up, on ducks) through full choked in our 1100 and 870, respectively, the first year until we patterned them and saw for ourselves how bad they blew the patterns out. My Dad had the barrel of his 1100 let out to Mod. , and I bought a 28" Mod barrel for my 870.
Shooting smaller shot decreases the potential for a burst barrel, but still will blow out the pattern. Step up from #8's to #2's, a blown barrel is much more likely, even with choke tubes, as Armored Farmer's pics show. I worked at a gun shop when steel was mandated, and saw many a barrel come in to get opened up in choke, and a few burst ones, almost all from shooting larger shot, #2 up through BBB.
Click to expand...
I sold a ton of those crappy S&W 916 pumps in 20 GA when the 12s had to use steel. Gave us credits toward 29s, 27s and 28s during the Bangor Punta debacle and "related merchandise" requirements to get your dealer price on Smiths. Early to late 70s.
 
This mid 60’s colt pump shotgun was made a blue gun ( non lethal) buy cutting its choke off for bean bags. We bought it really cheap and replaced the poorly painted wood with good wood. And a gunsmith put on the savage cutts compensator/choke. Now it’s any choke we want to dial in. The barrel was 18”, now 22” with the choke/compensator. I remember it kicking my son pretty bad with 3” so the slip on pad is welcomed.
 

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D.B. Cooper said:
That might be true, but I've never heard of that until now. In any event, there's no way I'm shooting steel anything in my father's and grandfather's 1950s and 1930s era Winchesters. No way.

Then again, as I just put those words down, I realize that I basically never shoot them anymore, either, so it's a loss either way.
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Briley

Briley claims they can put chokes in old guns so they tolerate steel.
 
Scribner said:
Briley

Briley claims they can put chokes in old guns so they tolerate steel.
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Yeah, I've heard of them. But that requires modification of the gun. There's no way I'm modifying a vintage, pre-64 Winchester-especially one from the 1930s.
 
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