Some other things I've noticed about this gun: The bolt face is tapered down to the 28-gauge dimension over most of the top-half of the bolt, and the shell-lifter has pronounced "lip" on the ejection port side of the cradle. Neither modification looks to be easy to do or poorly done. Combine that with the clearly factory modified magazine tube and I'd have to say that I'm overcoming my earlier doubts about this gun. I now believe that this is indeed, an authentic "first year" 28-gauge Model 12. Fairly plain, and with some warts, but not a fake.