I have a M12 in 16 that has been sand blasted and reblued. Tight gun not many rounds through it. Factory stock and forearm. I have a nickle WS1 (solid rib) barrel for it (barrel only, no entension).

I am thinking I want to collect up the parts I need to build a complete front end, rust blue them, buff and rust blue the receiver and make a grouse gun out of it.

I have a pair of full choke solid rib 16s with full chokes so I really don't need to keep the functional front end for the gun. I could mount the barrel with the front end parts the gun has now.

To me it just seems like a more decent and moral thing to do to gather up the missing parts and make a second functional front end even though I know the gun won't be that special or even likely to return the money that goes into it.

Thoughts?

Sounds like a good plan to me since you are fortunate to have the spare parts to accomplish your goal, create an excellent grouse/bird gun(16ga) and a Model 12 to boot!! Converting the M12 to suit your purposes is the goal and only thing that would not be "moral" is to sell it. 12's are a fine shotgun and putting it to work on grouse is indeed a noble pursuit. I now have two 12'a, two Traps and a Skeet in the works. Good luck.

Sounds like a good plan to me.
I did that with a Model 12 in 20 gage about 10 years ago. It is one stellar shotgun now, with high grade wood, and a Simmons rib.

Don

Lots and lots of Model 12s on the gun racks at the sporting goods dealers these days, and for cheap prices too. I think (I don't know for sure) because one shouldn't shoot steel shot in them. I wonder how long lead shot will be legal to shoot at all.

Just a couple thoughts...I assume your 16 is a 2 3/4" gun? You may be aware that chambering these guns has to be done from the muzzle, requiring special tools (to line up the ring with chamber)

Duane

Help me to understand this. Why not drive a reamer from the breech? Who makes the tooling to drive from the front?

It has been a while, but I have used a LFC reamer to extend short 16g M12 chambers to 2 3/4. I think it was from Pacific tool. Maybe not the "right" way, but it seemed to work.

Roger

What tooling Duane is speaking about is the Factory Heading reamer ( headspace in the chamber ring ), the factory blend in reamer, blends in the Chamber ring to the rear body taper.

These are pulled from the muzzle with a long handle. I think the only one left who makes them are JGS.
They are not cheap, as they were $250 in 1974 when we bought our 12 gauge set..

You will never be able to replace the Chamber ring with out this special heading reamer to set headspace.
And dang near immposible to blend in the body with out the other reamer.

James Wisner
Custom Metalsmith

Thanks, I think I understand that. The forcing cone reamer I have doesn't touch the breech, so setting the headspace isn't an issue. I have never taken a casting of the chamber after doing this with a forcing cone reamer, so I can't say for sure what the dimensions of the last 3/16th are. I have a simple shop made 2 3/4" long gauge and I ream until it will drop in. I can understand the need for that muzzle set up if I were cutting a new chamber, not for lengthening an existing one.

It has been a long time since I did this, I don't even know for sure if I can still find my 16 g reamer! These days people seem to feel their old model 12s are rare and shouldn't be touched!

Thanks again!!!

quote:

Posted 20 March 2009 19:54 Hide Post
Just a couple thoughts...I assume your 16 is a 2 3/4" gun? You may be aware that chambering these guns has to be done from the muzzle, requiring special tools (to line up the ring with chamber)

Duane,

Yeah, I know the drill. I have five M12s, two 12s and 3 16s. The new barrel is a straight cylinder job so shooting steel is not a problem. I wouldn't shoot steel in the others. I've shot M12s for 50 years and love them. That's why I am willing to spend the money to get the parts and have them assembled.

It will take some scrounging to find a barrel extension but If I buy a front end with a potato on the end of the barrel or a whole gun with a potato I can make a nice one out of it.

Dave

Miles 58...great shotguns...my dad bought me a 20 ga at about age 12...good luck!

Duane,

I have owned and shot birds with 12s, 16s, one 28 and one .410 but I have never owned or shot a 20 gauge model 12. I have never even borrowed a 20 to fire. I guess that there just isn't enough difference between a 16 and a 20 M12 that I ever got there. I don't rightly know for sure.

My grouse gun of the last 25 years or so has been a knob grip pigeon grade 101-20, so I have nothing against 20s.

I think I will do this reconstruction and finish out my grouse hunting days with a M12. I have a gorgeous piece of wood that's 1/2 sapwood and all burl for a M12. Checkered rosewood butt plate.

Dave