And Sir- you answered the question put to me in a previous post to this thread. Plus, the Browning designed Rem M17 that later became the Ithaca M37-- there is not the heavier receiver wall behind the bolt, when it is in battery, or rearward in the ejection-recocking mode- as with the M12 and the 870. That is one of many reasons I would not rely on a M37 trench or riot gun in a SHTF scenario.
My main reason for preferring a M12 over all other pumpguns extant, is that I have been shooting them for 62 plus years "hand running", and like a M-1 Garand or M-14 rifle, or a 1911-A-1 .45, I know how to field strip, shoot, reload under dark dead midnite -in the rain, snow, whatever. I don't have to think about where all the "Go-Buttons" are.
When all the piss-headed Hippies were trying to loot/destroy NG Armories, and other Stateside military installations, I was station at Quantico- and our CO passed the word that the Armory and ranges and ammo storage (including explosives) would be on a 24-7 armed patrol--we carried .45's and either M12 or the older M-97 riot issue (20" cyl bored) shotguns, many Parkerized and bearing the flaming bomb Ordnance stamp on the receiver.
I was the NCOIC on a night detail--1800 to 2400 hrs. I had to check in and out the weapons detailed above to the men on guard detail-- we carried the .45's "locked, cocked and ready to rock", but the riot shotguns carried 5 rds. in the magazine, chamber empty- if a Marine challenged an intruder, he was taught to rack a round into the chamber- but to unload his weapon after his guard detail was completed.
One of the Pfcs. was issued a WW1 surplus M97 trench gun- he racked in a round, left the hammer rearward, and came back into the duty hut and dropped it into the wood rack, muzzle up- You guessed it- the shock caused the hammer to fall- and a load of 00 buckshot went through the tin roof of the Quonset hut- also shattering a large overhead light--
Long story short- the entire Base was alerted- I told the culprit to stand fast, leave the M97 where it was, and in a heartbeat, an Officer bolted through the door, with the BN 1st. Sgt. right behind him-- I gave them a detailed description of the FUBAR, then the "Top" told me to secure and unload the weapon--
The Lt. asked "Top" how long would it take to get the roof repaired, the light fixture replaced, and a general policing of the entire facility- "Sir, Top Duall replied- with 18 years behind his hash marks, against 6 months for the "Boot Brown-Butter Bar" Lt. I can have all this squared away in 24 hours- but I have to add- it's gonna take a month of scrubbin' with them Brillo pads to get those brown stains of the cement deck"--
PS- after that, we 'shit-canned" all the M97's in the Armory- 5 maybe, if I remember- complete detail strip, we salvaged the buttstocks, forearms, magazine springs- but all receiver parts were cut up and destroyed. Hell of a note..
