Will this polish out?

One of my sons novice friends shows up at the dove lease with a really nice Benelli Super Nova to hunt dove.
This guy is a rifle shooter and pistol shooter/owner.
Well, since he was a shotgun novice I asked him to show me how many shells he could stuff in his shotgun. Yep. Five.
Can't use it tomorrow, I said. It's illegal for migratory birds. And, he had no idea what a 'plug' is.
I had my Winchester O/U in 20 gauge for me, but, I always bring two shotguns and the right ammo to support them.
I loaned him my 1959 Winchester Model 12 in 12 gauge.

Mid morning of the first day hunting we meet in the pasture and he shows me a picture on his cell phone. Damn. That's my gun. Damn.
He said he didn't know what happened. I said, "I do". You stoved the barrel into the dirt somehow and then fired the next round. Seconds after I made that grand proclamation he proceeds to reenact his movement for picking up a spent shell or a bird. Bam. I had him dead to rights on my assessment of his screw up. I knew it, he knew it. BUSTED.

He will be good for whatever direction I take on getting it rectified.

Just Poop.

I got a 3/8" inch piece of dowel at the Walmart and cut it to length. He now knows what a shotgun 'plug' is.
He is lucky I put it in his shotgun.

bdGreen

Ugh, I'm sorry to see that. That was a fine looking Winchester, and Model 12s are near and dear to my heart.

Isn't that a wide open Choke?

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I am the Majority
How about u

Oh man, that is sad to see. As the old saying goes "no good deed goes unpunished".
Hopefully he will make it right... somehow.

May not be cheap , but one CAN find a barrel. That's still sad.

Send that kid to a hunter safety course. Successful completion should be required before he goes back into the field with you or your son.

You're much more Patient that i am
my True Response
both to the Individual
and on this Forum
would quickly get me Banned

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Compact 9mm Just my $0.02

I have three sawed off Winchester shot guns, one mod 97, 2 mod 12's all got shortened before I knew them, but they have made great truck guns, I always have them with me and like using them.

Cut that barrel down to 18.5 inches, drill and tap for a new bead, call it done.

Get out the pipe cutter. Looks like you have a new home defense shot gun!

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

Let him pay to have Briley install a set of their internal chokes. Won't be original, but would make a very versatile gun. Sorry for your loss, hope you can make a little lemonade from the lemons he gave you. Good luck and good hunting! (doves and barrels)

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PTLAPTA!

I decided that if I put one of my guns in someone else's hands, or if I invite someone to bring their guns to my range, I am not shooting until I'm dang sure they can operate safely. Claims of previous experience must be proved out before I step away.

Sorry to see that damage, but it could have been worse.
Good luck with the repair.

Based on a modified 'Blunderbuss' design.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

What a beautiful shotgun, at least it was. A grim reminder what carelessness costs sometimes.

If I had a 12 and .410 I would have the set.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

I called it a Blunderbuss, but, no one with me knew what that is.

I guess it could be a 'CYL +++'.

bdGreen

You knew he needed a plug the day before? Expensive lesson.

I second the Briley tube solution. Could also go Polychoke.
They work

Or the full riot gun treatment

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War Eagle! '10 BCS & '13 SEC

I have been perusing Briley's offerings.

Checking out other options also.

I am inclined to have Poly-Choke cut and thread the barrel internally to accept flush chokes and/or their Poly-Choke II that will screw into the threaded barrel. Could get the best of both worlds.
I am waiting for a response from them to guide me on pricing and all that they offer.

What I haven't stated thus far is that this Winchester Model 12 was a gift from my brother-in-law.

I haven't told him yet.

I haven't sent him pictures until I can do a 'before and after' photo session.

bdGreen

I knew he needed the plug the night before.

Too late to drive back to Abilene from where we were.

We were thirty miles from town on a cattle ranch with no resources to correct 'his' problem.
We got his gun fixed as soon as the opportunity arose.
I loaned him my gun so he could shoot the early morning hunt.

bdGreen

Your deed was admirable. No question. I REALLY hate that it happened. It's a beautiful model 12 and I love classic shotguns.

It's hard to have an extra plug handy for those 3.5" chambered guns. They have longer mag tubes.

Might have sent him into the woods to find a stick to either whittle himself a plug or whip him with. Maybe just to point at the birds and say "bang!"

I'm really sorry you have to bear the weight of this lesson

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War Eagle! '10 BCS & '13 SEC

Yikes!!! That's UGLY

His name didn't happen to be Moe, Larry, or Curly, was it?

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Can open, worms everywhere.

Not saying YOU did wrong there BD, but before I'd have handed MY Mdl 12 to a rookie I would have introduced him to the closest tree and the fine art of whittling!! Let him blow up his Benelli, they still make those!

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James L. "Jim" Rhiner

Sorry for your loss,,
I'd cut it to 26" if it's salvagable to that length and re-install a correct bead.
WInchester offered that bbl length in the M12 and the M97 w/ CYL choke as the 'Brush Gun' in their catalogs and price sheets.
The choke markings won't be correct but the gun will be forever handy for hunting and skeet shooting.
I've used my M97 Brush Gun made from a damaged 30" bbl'd cast off for many years & thousands of rounds and it handles very nicely.

I'm not a fan of choke tubes,,I see them as gadgets, But plenty of people love them, A cut bbl and internal choke tubes fitted would be a good combination for someone who likes the flexability.

Getting a replacement bbl is another option,,they are around with some looking. But then you have to find a 'smith that can pull the old bbl from the recv'r extension and replace it with the new one.
It takes a special wrench and a bbl vise to do it. Trying any other way (like with a big cresent wrench!) will result in the recv'r extension being deformed.
The recv'r extension has the matching frame ser# on the bottom of it. You want to keep that.
If you buy a complete bbl w/ forend (pump) assembly,,it'll have it's own recv'r extension w/ the ser# on it from what ever gun it came off of,,and no guarantee to fit either.
Yes the old # can be removed and the matching ser# remarked in it's place. The area is very thin. So either make a backer plug to avoid deforming and have matching font stamps so the job looks professional,,or hand engrave the # to match. The latter avoids any deformation probl. Then you're looking at a touch up re-blue too.
Money, money,,

The complete assemblys can be pricey too.

Just some thoughts and options,,

This is a gift from Jesus Christ!

Cut that baby down! Used to have an old 20" riot model Model 12. That thing was NICE and great to shoot! Cut to 20" for the classic look, or 18.5" to get shorter but not look as classy.

I would demand / expect that he replaces the barrel. Period.

Whatever you decide to do, cut off that "blooming end", drill a hole in it, string a strip of leather thru it for a necklace and give it to him as a reminder of his dumb arse attack. Tell him to wear it proudly

If you decide to go to Cutts, I have a box full. Lyman chokes as well.
I personally would source a new barrel, and cut the tulip back to minimum.
Jim

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Halfway and one more step

Oh my! That's all I can think of saying.( because I'm currently ding free)
AND, I will take your advice.

I think it is Modified.

Elmer Fudd was fond of those...

I have twice owned modest M-12 collections. Yes there are other shotguns, but a M-12 they ain't.

He perhaps mistook you for me, the picture via text would give him a running head start if he heard you screaming things like mortician.

I currently have 2, sold all the rest after retirement. I found a complete 1917-18 front half marked cylinder. After I fixed the problems and fit it I now have the long original full choke bbl and a riot set up for night duty.

I vote get a 2nd front half with the original bbl, cut this one to 18.5 or 20".

Also, you can see where the tear stopped, but how far down is the damage? Perhaps magnaflux it?

A complete front half will cost a few buck more than a complete gun it seems. I ran a cross mine at a small gun show.

William Shakespeare = "Neither a borrower nor a lender be,
For loan oft loses both itself and friend".....

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There's nowt so queer as folk

I have seen that happen before too.

I have used a pencil for a plug in an emergency.

I hate that it happened period, but I really hate that it happened to a classic gun that was gifted to you! Did he offer to make restitution?

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

Yep, these are the knucklehead responsible:


But they were really deadly using this type of firearm:

He will be good for any direction I take on making it 'right'.

bdGreen

I have lent out firearms a couple of times. I will never do it again. You were generous. Based on my experience, I would have let him sit in the truck until the shoot was over.

ONLY SOLUTION:
Locate and purchase the exact type barrel he blew up and have him reimburse you the total cost.

(Hope your Mother doesn't find out that you loaned a firearm to an idiot)

Echo that. You are a patient man. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

Hate that happened, but I have several times cut a stick for a plug in the field.
He should pay for a new barrel and charge him minimum $25.00 for installation.

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Some men, you just can't reach

I am not a nice old man. I would select the most expensive option and quote him that price.

I'd also cut the blown-up barrel to whatever length struck my fancy, have it professionally crowned, and soak him for that as well.

He has it coming. And hey, I said I'm not nice.

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Oh well, what the hell.

It needs to be replaced with an identical original barrel in like condition.

Price should be no object... to the owner.

The culprit is on his own. He might need to sell some stuff to cover the cost...

In college I loaned a friend my seven shot Ithaca 37 DSPS for a trap and skeet class. I got it back with no unauthorized modifications.

He said it was quite the conversation piece. He didn't do too well with it, but the instructor did.

Before you give up looking, my son has a 12 gauge full choke barrel I gave him a while back. I gave him my dad's M12 in 12 gauge, but the idea was to get the new barrel (not new, but new to me) modified for turkey shooting. I couldn't find the sleeve needed to fit it the receiver. If all else fails, PM me and I'll see if he'll give it up. He has no use for it, except his dad (me) gave it to him. Next time I talk to him, I'll ask him about it.b

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Dick Burg

Thank you Dick for the consideration. I will keep that in mind.

It's a funny thing.
I lost my Model 12 years ago to my son. Oh, he still has it. I just ain't getting that one back.
Then I got this one from my brother-in-law. So, all was good.
Chances are pretty good that I will carry it down to Briley and have them do their magic on the existing barrel.

bdGreen

Rather than loan a shotgun, I would take them to Academy and show them the fine selection of Yildiz shotguns.

I quit loaning my things out because I have had enough of getting my things back broken. Many times I haven't even been told they damaged my things. They can go buy their own or tough jerky.

I used to get a lot of old shotguns when I had a shop.
I've been impressed with the improvised plugs I've seen.
Dowels, for sure.
I often wondered if some had been done after getting in the field.
I've seen regular wooden pencils, one flat carpenter's pencil, ballpoint pens, and the bic "Stick" pens.
Necessity- the mother of invention.

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Regards,
Lee Jarrett

I would, too -- but I'd also cut that barrel down, and then I'd have me a darned nice switch-barrel alley sweeper/field gun.

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Pisgah

That is a shame. Just a flat out shame. I hate it, and I hate that it happened to you. Here is hoping you can find a replacement barrel, if that is what you decide to do.

Have a gunsmith saw it off to the legal length, put on a set of sights and turn it into a home defense gun?

Or, find a new barrel?

From now on, I suggest taking a 3rd shotgun along for the "guest." A single shot New England Firearms type.