Pump shotguns- Who is manufacturing the best?

Joined
Sep 9, 2012
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Good call sending your M12 to Art’s, probably no place knows them better these days.

Now that the BPS is discontinued if I had to buy a new pump gun an Ithaca would probably be my only consideration.

But before doing that I’d be much more likely to hunt down an old Ithaca, a Remington M31 or M17, or another M12. If you wanted another M12 the late production Miroku M12s are super nice and probably your best chance at finding a new or nearly new gun.
The Miroku built 20 & 28 ga M12 repros are nice, very well built shotguns. I’ve owned one of each ga, one called Winchester and the other Browning. Only things I hold against them is weight and barrel lengths at 26” only. The 20 ga weighed about a 1/2 pound more than my 1935 M12 solid rib, weighing in at over 6#14oz and got sold. The 28 ga is even heavier at 7#2oz. Still have it and enjoy shooting clay targets occasionally with it.

The actions are very slick, but trigger pull is a tad heavy at over 6#s on them, but crisp.

I’d find an original in 20 ga with a 28” modified choke, either solid rib or plain barrel if I was looking. 16 ga is great but there is not really anything but hunting ammo readily available for them, and non tox is very scarce. No issue if you reload.
 
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