Hobby Sports

A few days ago I brought my Merkel Model 8 to Ivory Beads to remove the stupid HiViz bead that the previous owner had put on. For years Ive been wanting to change it back to a brass bead but Ive been too lazy to do so. Well Ive finally done it and have now received it back. While at Ivory Beads I had them check the chokes as I was uncertain exactly how the barrels were choked. From the patterning boards I always knew that they were choked very tight. I had thought that they were Full/Full. Jerry checked them and let me know they are actually Full/ X-Full.

Now that I have the bead "fixed" Im debating whether or not to open the chokes up. As this is basically my duck/chukar gun Ive always liked a tighter choke for this type of shooting but these chokes are a bit much. Although I have never vaporized any of my birds I have taken with the M8, even on the occasions that I took this gun out for quail, I think its time to open them up. IC/Mod may be appropriate but Im hesitant to do so as my Merkel 147SL and 47E are already choked in that configuration. I thought perhaps even opening it up to Cyl/SKT but Im not quite sure as this gun is rarely used for quail.

The other day a friend of mine purchased a Winchester M42 (essentially a M12 in .410), he asked me over the phone how to take it down. Rather than try to explain it over the phone I decided to post it here to make easier on the both of us. This is not instructions for a full disassembly but a simple takedown.

Push the pin on the magazine tube out.

Now extend the pin all the way out.

Now using the extended pin push the pin the other direction. Rotating the tube counter clockwise.

Push the pin upwards thereby extending the tube until it stops.

Extend the forend fully forward to maximum extension.

Grab the entire barrel assembly and rotate it counter clockwise 90 degress and remove.

A taken down M12.

To reasemble reverse the order and make sure your arrows are in aligment when your finished.