The 1012 uses a gas-less inertia operating system. Instead of redirecting gas from the barrel to run the action, the 1012 uses a spring within the bolt to store energy during the shotguns recoil, spending this energy a split second later to rotate and unlock the twin lugs from the barrel extension and withdraw the spent shell. The major advantage of an inertia system is the less stringent maintenance schedule. Unlike gas guns that need periodic cleaning of the piston and magazine tube, the 1012s needs are vastly fewer. During our testing, we pushed 1012s to 5,000 rounds without a drop of oil or cleaning of any sort, while experiencing zero parts breakage or malfunctions. In normal field use, the occasional cleaning and oiling should be more than enough.