Mikey . . .The shell cutoff is what maintains the shells in the magazine until needed. . The shell cutoff must be installed correctly to function correctly. .
This is the procedure that works for me:
- gun empty with action closed, safety on
- gun horizontal bottom up
- remove rear trigger screw and slide out the trigger assembly (assy)
- hold the gun steady and remove the shell cutoff
- clean the round hole the shell cutoff pivots in
- clean moon shaped slot in receiver where the front of the shell cutoff slips into
To replace the shell cutoff correctly, tilt the gun slightly to the right, and slide the curved front of the cutoff into the female slot in the receiver, at the magazine tube, while you place the cutoff pivot post into the recess hole in the frame.
Maintain holding the gun horizontal with bottom up and tilted slightly to the right, in order to keep the shell cutoff from falling out, and slide the trigger assy back in place. . It's important to make certain the bolt is in battery and hasn't slipped out of the receiver notch. . If it has, press the bolt forward and back into battery. Replace the trigger screw. . Check to make certain the front of the shell cutoff is in the curved slot of the frame or it won't function correctly. .
Also, Model 12's show some of the shell case head sticking out of the magazine tube. . This is normal. . To empty the magazine, press up on the shell carrier and the shells should come out into your hand. . No need to run them through the action to unload the magazine.