gun_nut2,

Welcome to the board. Glad to see that you are a shotgun fan like me and some others on here.

Grandpa Shotguns
 

Well, All of you youngsters call those old pumps and semi-autos "Grandpa guns". I am a hair older and my Grandpa taught me to shoot with his guns, which were L.C.Smith side-by-sides.
He had me shoot the old twist gun with low base shells and light loads. It also had a set of hammers and he felt I was safer with those (even if he didn't know the gun might blow up). I still have the old gun, but his hammerless "Elsie" got away, but I do have a really tight and clean hammerless like he had. I try to let it take a couple of birds each year. It shoots really tight for just modified and full but I attribute that to modern shells. Some friends refer to it as "Old Grinder".:)

Fabs will attest that I almost exclusively shoot my 1951 Remington 870 wingmaster and shoot it quite well. I may not be 100% as accurate with it as some of these guys with the $$$$ guns but I always have just as much fun on the trap/skeet/sporting clays range, and I almost always bring home my limit is whatever I hunt with it.

Also have a 1953 870 Wingmaster that I picked up with a handful of other guns.

Also have a Winchester model 12 in 16 guage but the ejector on that doesnt' work all the time and it will hang onto the shells and jam more than just occasionally. I have seriously thought about selling that gun to someone that would fix it and use it but I have never ever sold any of my guns before and it just seems wrong to sell it.

have an 11-87 in the gun safe that almost never gets used. I have a bad habit of trying to pump it after I shoot and it throws me off target....LOL (true story)

Yep, I can attest to DaMadman using some pretty old 870's and using them well.

DaMadman, you should just take that 16 gauge to a gunsmith and get it fixed. That would be a pretty fun gun to shoot. Granted, the shells aren't easily available, but it would still be fun.

GRANDPA Shotguns
 

To DaMadman, Is your model 12 marked 2 3/4" on the barrel. You know that the early ones in 16 gauge were 2 9/16" chambers. If it isn't marked 2 3/4" on the barrel, or on the receiver by the serial number, it may be the early, short chamber!:(