Home Forums Birds & Dogs Waterfowl Win. 12 "Heavy Duck" 3 inch full choke

I must have missed your post on that, since I’ve never even heard of that...until now. Maybe your terminology is off, but sounds like your saying it’s possible for the barrel (which fits INSIDE the chamber extension ring) to be bigger than the ring it fits inside? Anyhoo, I’ve never had any issue like that with M12s UNLESS parts/barrels had been replaced and mismatched to different guns.

Hh, the chamber extension ring is in the receiver , the end of the barrel butts up to it when you place the barrel assembly in the receiver and turn it to lock it up. So there is a circumferential seam about a 1/4" in frt of the bolt face, this not a problem unless someone takes the gun down and starts polishing the barrel chamber with abrasives too much. It only takes a.001 or .002" larger in the barrel chamber than the ext ring to cause the problem I was referring to. When the high brass shells are fired the brass expands out larger diameter than the chamber extension ring in the receiver this what makes for hard extraction or plain having the hulls hang up. Someone who has owned a m12 for a long time and did his cleaning from the muzzle very rarely would have this problem. But cleaning from the chamber end is a bad move. I could not feel the seam with my finger nail but the problem was still there on the last 2 m12's I bought damned if I buy another. MB

One would have to make a job of it....clean away from the breech, it sure will not happen with a patch or soft bronze brush.

I picked up a M12 heavy duck a couple years ago that the previous owner cut the poly choke off and the vent rib barrel was around 21”. I sent it to Mike Orlen (sp?) to be fitted for chokes. He had a super fast return time and I took a very nice gobbler with it that same year. I would recommend him to anyone.

Cost for Bismuth is now closer to $2 than $4 and you will save the cost of those steel loads used to finish off wounded birds.

You can take a lot of geese with a box of Kent Bismuth.

* I’m not saying it didn’t happen/or you aren’t having this issue.
However, that sounds like some jack leg, card shooter, over bore mishap. Most brass has FAR more variance than that, and most any repeater will overcome a couple of thousandths brass malformity. It’s be hard to fathom removing the steel ONLY in part of the chamber, to a point of function issue, without power tools and stones or cutters, but that’s just what I’ve seen. While I don’t consider myself an M12 ‘expert’, in 40 years of owning, tinkering with, and being around M12s, I’ve never heard of that.

As mentioned that wouldn’t have happened from routine cleaning from the chamber end. Even if one cleaned it daily. Thousands of explosions in chambers, with the head expanding and contracting against the chamber wall doesn’t cause it. Normal cleaning from the breech certainly isn’t going to.

However, have seen some of the more recent shells that don’t use brass heads stick in pumps. Have had it happen with some of the economy grade Winchester’s. Use brass head shells and it no longer happens.

Late breaking update:

I just contacted Tom Roster, the guru of no-tox loads for wing shooting, and asked him directly if I was better off shooting bismuth, opening the choke, or having a "steel safe" choke installed by Briley in this original Winchester Heavy Duck.

He said "none of the above." Just shoot steel or Hevi-shot through the factory full choke, just taking care to not use shot larger than BB or faster than 1400 fps. I was sure surprised!

Regards to all,

GC

Interesting and coming from him I have little doubt he is correct.
However, I think more than a few will be doubters.

Myself, I would take his word to be fact.

I am more versed on Auto 5s, and I’ve done the same with many Belgian, full choke guns and steel, with zero issues. Usually #3s or smaller. Good to know, though.

Tag

Remington says #1 or smaller in older pre rem choke 870 or 1100's I like my A-5 Belgians to much to ever run any size steel in them and only run it in my Jap A-5 Sweet when I have to. A friend of mine did seminars with roster for awhile and used big steel BB in his Ithaca o/u it ring bulged his bottom barrel ruining the gun you all can do whatever you like they are your guns. I might add that the full choke in a m12 duck is around .694" in constriction both mine were. They shoot 7/8 and 1 oz trap loads great but for today's ammo are really over choked. MB

I use my Model 12 Heavy. Duck for turkey hunting. It works great.

FWIW, while ‘tighter’, the M12s do have a different style of choke with longer parallel sections and other stats I don’t recall, that may mitigate some issues. Not sure

I wouldn't put thin walls in. I would shoot Bismuth. I believe Tom for sure. My guess is that the steel will just have a longer shot string. Personally I would open it up fixed IC and be done with it. That way it is good all around for any shooting I would want to do with it.

load and shoot whatever you want in it.. if it is too tight it will open to what it should be buy its self.. I have owned m 12s all my life and never had any problem with them. still have one...

Very interesting. I'd never heard this.

I have a couple of cases of No 4 buck for emergencies, and they really pattern well in the Model 12 Heavy Duck. Nothing larger recommended.
The No 4 buck is also the FBI choice in their shotguns. I have an early Model 12 riot gun from my Federal Law enforcement days and it is cyl bore-
handling all buck shot sizes. Own 5 Model 12 Winchesters, so the chance of accepting a lesser grade of pump shotgun is null and void.
Of course, nothing will outshoot my SuperFox if it flies or gobbles beyond 50 yards.

450, do you know a good source for locating Fox shotguns???

Try Boss shot shells. They are just over $1 a round and perfectly safe for your gun. I’m shooting 2 3/4” #5s in an old Ithaca 37