[britthunter]

I am having a hard time deciding on which shotgun to purchuse maybe you fine ppl here can assist me. My concern is that the I-12 will not cycle light loads when i just want to throw some lead in the air at some clays. I am planning on putting some heavy loads throw it for a break in period. But there will be days where i want to see how fast i can shoot out my mag. with light loads. I know with the 912 i can flip that thing around to throw those light loads out but i am just so confused. please help!!!

 

[Worc]

The one 912 that I do have experince with would cycle 1oz field loads. Most comments that I have come across here and other places say the same thing. The I-12 is pretty new and not too many people own them yet to give detailed reviews. I would bet that the I-12 would cycle 1oz field loads once broken in. The five 3" Inertia operated guns in my group all cycle 1oz field loads just fine.

The 912 is very easy to clean. The I-12 may be the easiest of all semi ayuto's to clean. The 912 will more than likely have less felt recoil. The 912 is gas operated which most tend to feel less recoil with than other operating systems. The 912 also weighs about 1/4lb more than the I-12. I have not held the I-12 yet, but I would bet it has a smaller feel than the big feeling 912.
For all around use I would lean towards the I-12 and the 912 for more waterfowling and turkey work.

 

[CrusherT]

Well, britthunter, I'm one of those few people Worc refers to that have an I-12. I put maybe 500 rounds through it so far and haven't had a problem with any 1 oz loads. Of the 300 or so 1 oz loads that I have used, all but about 50 of them have been game Remington or Winchester game loads, usually 1oz of shot with a 3 or 3 1/4 dram equiv. However, I have run about 50 rounds of Gamebore (English ammo) 1oz/28gr loads and didn't have a problem with my I-12 cycling them.

Although my experience is limited, I would bet you'll be OK with 1oz loads as long as you shoot something with a pretty good velocity to it and not something designed for "low recoil".

 

[britthunter]

It looks like my wife went and ordered me an I-12 which i am glad cause i went and looked at the 912 and i like the lighter weight. what do u sudgest i shoot through it to break it in? How many loads should i shoot through it before i try some walmart 100rds cheap stuff. or should i never shoot that cheap? sorry i am new to a semi always had a pump. what kind of cleaning should right out of the box?

 

[Worc]

I like to break in a new semi auto with 100 to 200 rounds of heavier field loads. After that clean it and lightly lube. You should be able to shoot the cheap 1oz loads after that. Just remember that some shells and autos don't get along. If you find on particular shell that does not work in you gun that does not mean that all shells with the same specs won't.

 

[CrusherT]

Britthunter, the Wal-mart Federal loads would be considered heavy, I think. They are 3 dram equiv, 1 1/8oz loads. Worc may have other suggestions.

That said, I've found that my I-12 doesn't always work reliably with the Federal loads available in the 100 round packs @ Wal-mart, but it appears to be due to inconsistent crimping of the Federal shells and not the ammo itself. It puzzled me at first because my I-12 blew through several hundred rounds of 1oz loads, both game and target, but when I tried these Federal 1 1/8oz loads, the shell feeding from the magazine would not always feed all the way onto the carrier.

Someone else on the board posted a picture of the crimps on these shells in response to a question I posted. One crimp was nice and rounded and the other bulging at the end. However, with these Federal shells, if I hit the carrier release button and manually feed the round onto the carrier, it works flawlessly, so I know the ammo is stout enough to function the action, it's just that a bad crimp can cause feeding problems. Mind you that I do this while shooting clays, so I only have to worry about 2 rounds and manually feeding the next round isn't a big deal.

Just thought I'd post this in case you run into it.

 

[Worc]

I would use at least 1 1/8oz with 3 1/4 drams for the break in. This is a great time to do pattern work as well. If you are using it for waterfowling. Try out your favorite loads to see how it patterns. These big loads will be great for the break in and you will learn what loads your gun and chokes like. It's like getting two birds on one shot or something like that.