I just got home from a week fishing in Glacier Bay NP, at the mouth of the Alsek River. There are seventeen fishing camps there. At the 4th of July party I asked. Fifteen of them had 870's and the other two had M12's. All 12 gauge. We had bear in sight daily, and several within 50-60 feet of my 4-wheeler riding around.

Rich

My experience on this began in the late '50s and is still continuing.

If it's hunting we're talking, the 870 is tops. The Model 12 is runner up. And the Model 37 brings up the rear.

If it's trap, the Model 12 is the name of the game. No close second there.

That's in U.S. pumps. The foreign makes I'll leave for you guys to weigh in on.