Purchased a Model 12 for WB.  Normal operation when the gun is cocked and trigger released that the slide lock button on the left rear of the receiver retracts releasing the slide for rear movement.  In the gun I purchased that release button does not always retract leaving the slide locked so that it will not move to the rear without a little forward pressure to allow the release button to retract fully.

 

I have not broken down the gun yet to see why the release button is sticking but thought I would bring it up here for some input first.

Ka, actually your model 12 is doing what it's supposed to. In firing you will only have to retract the pump normally. Loading table check clear hold trigger down and push slide fully forward. This will drop the hammer and have it ready to go with out having to put that forward pressure on the slide when ready to use. Dusty

Yup, that's the way it is supposed to work.  The gun was designed at a time when ammunition was no where near as dependable as what we have today.  So, if the gun did not recoil normally, it would not unlock for the next round to be chambered.  This was built into the design of the gun to prevent firing a second round on top of a blocked barrel.

 

When you fire the gun with live ammunition, it will unlock as you expect it to.

 

  Dusty and August West are right on target with the explaination.  Winchester in their development of the Mod 97 and Mod 12 added a feature to prevent hang fires in the early years of shotgun cartridges.  They left the feature in place in the shotguns thru production in the late 1960's  of course 97 production ended about 1957 to 58.  The feature is spring loaded so when the action is cycled one has to push the slide forward before you can cycle the shotgun.  When I build a Mod 12 for Wild Bunch Competition I remove that feature.

 

Goatneck

So you remove the slide release button and assembly?

So you remove the slide release button and assembly?

 

That would be very unsafe.  The gun will not lock up without the slide release assembly working properly.  Please do not consider doing that to your Model 12.  No gunsmith would consider such a modification.

There is some fitting that can be off in the timing as well.

Best be have a Model 12 qualified smith have a look.

 

  NO, the slide lock release button and assembly have to remain in tack unaltered. You do not understand, there are other features in the shotgun that are modified.

I am referring to the interaction of the slide release and safety bar fitting.

There CAN be issue there.

Just sayin....