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Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1356 Location: Western WA

The M37 is in top form with both barrels MOD and Skeet. So if I’m going to contend in skeet (tough crowd, our club champ just shot a registered 4x100 in 12,20,28, & .410, first ever in WA), I will need to brush up my act.

Here’s the question: Being weaned on a M12 and still a relative novice with the M37, I occasionally have a slip up where the first shell of a pair fails to feed out of the magazine. My method is to load two in the magazine, then cycle the action and chamber round 1. Except sometimes the first round hangs up in the magazine - because I short cycle it thanks to my lazy M12 habits, and then the ugly CLICK on the first bird.

In a skeet match, this would be awful. So now I wonder if I should load ONE in the magazine, chamber it, verify the magazine is empty, then load the second round into the magazine.

How do the experts here operate the M37?

TIA
B.

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1914 Location: Central ND

I don't know about being an expert with the Model 37, but I always chamber the first round from the magazine, engage the safety and then put the second round in the magazine.

Joined: 24 Jul 2016 Posts: 553 Location: Ohio

I hold the gun upside down with bolt open. Drop the shell on the carrier push the carrier down and slide the shell in the chamber with the end of my thumb. Easy as loading any side port once you get used to it.

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1356 Location: Western WA

Wirehair, thanks, I like your method, very basic and positive like M12 manual feed mode. Will totally eliminate the empty chamber error. A bit snug with a glove, but after a some repetition I’ll get it down pat.

B.

Member Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1267 Location: Nebraska

I do as Wirehair, push the carrier down with the shell and close the action. Slide the second shell into the magazine and turn the gun right side up.

Joined: 03 Feb 2014 Posts: 45 Location: Middle Tennessee

I load the first into the chamber from the bottom. Done by moving the slide 3/4 inch or so forward, then thumb the shell into the chamber. Close the slide, slip the next into the magazine. You will get a feel, pretty quickly actually, of how far to close it to get the lifters out of the way. Don’t know if that is doable with gloves, never tried.