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The Model 37-12 Gauge Pump Action, also known simply as the 37-12, was a 12 gauge, 4-round, pump-action shotgun manufactured by Henjin-Garcia.
In 2137, the 37-12 was used by many residents aboard Sevastopol Station, especially when a Xenomorph Drone was birthed aboard the station. Notably, Amanda Ripley, who got hers from a corpse, used a 37-12 aboard the station. The shotgun is capable of temporarily stunning the alien when shot at giving the player a very small window of opportunity to escape
Behind the scenes[]
The design of the Model 37-12 Gauge Pump Action is primarily based on the SWATriplex-18, an obscure prototype 12 gauge semi-automatic combat shotgun that was designed in the late 1970s by John W. Winter. The shotgun was never mass-produced because Consortium W, the company which was supposed to manufacture the weapon, pulled out after only a few prototypes were built and Winter was never able to attract anyone else to manufacture his shotgun.[1]
While Alien: Isolation is mainly based on Alien, many small details, including some of the shotgun's design, take inspiration from Aliens. The "vents" on the front of the barrel are clearly inspired by the Pulse Rifle's barrel vents and the section of the 37-12 with the pump handle is inspired by the Pulse Rifle's grenade launcher, which used the handguard and slide action sleeve of a Franchi SPAS-12 in its construction (for the film props).
Additionally, like the flamethrower in the game, the pistol grip of the 37-12 appears to have been slightly based on the grip of the Rexim-Favor-based laser pistol seen briefly in Alien. In fact, the laser pistol was apparently originally going to be usable in the game, being featured in numerous pieces of concept art, but it only appears in a drawing of Marshal Waits in the final version.
The low 4-round capacity of the 37-12 seems strange, especially considering that it features dual underbarrel tube magazines. However, Ripley is never seen performing an action to switch between the tubes during reload animations, so it is possible she simply only ever loads one of the them.
Trivia[]
- The "Model 37" in the shotgun's name is possibly a reference to the Ithaca Model 37, one of which was carried by Corporal Hicks in Aliens. This seems even more likely given the 37-12's design takes inspiration from other weapons featured in Aliens.