As you stated good maintenance is the key to any firearm.You take care of it and it will take care of you.The majority of gun problems are from lack of maintenance,then comes gun design. No gun is perfect in design. Some are better than others. The win.model 12 was a real liked shotgun,and got its following from trap shooter in the early 1900,s and the following carried into the field,especially water fowl hunting.When they worked they worked great,but they had flaws also.Look at it this way,when you have fewer moving parts,then is less chance for malfunction.Glad your happy with your win.and im sure you will have many pjleasurable daays in the field with it! vangunsmith