Rem. Model 12 Magazine Tube

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Dustman47
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2015 9:22 am

Rem. Model 12 Magazine Tube

Post by Dustman47 »

Finding it necessary to replace the outer magazine tube on a "fixer" Model 12 that was given to me I was stumped as to how to remove the original tube. It has an obvious set screw between the action arm and the base of the tube, which I removed. What is not obvious and took a good bit of searching to find out is that the tube is also threaded into the action arm. I'm not sure why it was necessary to do both but in this action design the entire magazine tube assembly and action arm moves with the pump action. Threading was extra security that the magazine tube would stay put.

My next problem was unscrewing the old tube without further damaging it or the action arm. The tube is much thicker than the fixed tubes on other pump .22 rifles but can still be damaged with too aggressive methods. I tried all the usual methods of freeing it to unscrew but just could not get enough grip with anything, un-damaging, to unscrew it. Knowing that the wood grip covers all this section of the tube and action arm I centered and drilled 5/32" hole through the tube about a 1/2" from the beginning of the action arm. That hole size just fit a hardy screw driver shaft I had with a nice handle. I squirted a little penetrating oil on the seam between the tube and action arm for good measure although it had been sitting in it for a day or so. Inserting the screw drive shaft all the way through the tube I wriggled it back and forth a bit until I felt it break free. Then, in a method like turning a tap wrench, I slowly turned it back and forth, all the time unscrewing it until it un-threaded freely with no damage to the threads. This method will result in two small holes in the outer magazine tube but they will not interfere with the inner tube and will not show once the wood handle is back in place. The holes drill should be not larger than necessary to get something small and still through the tube with some leverage.
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