Semi-auto shotgun

[neomedic]

Thinking about a semi-auto shotgun

What does everyone think about the Remington 11-87?

And I know Benelli makes one that has semi-auto and pump action. Forgot the model? Any other makers or model that has both? What do you guys think of having both actions? Or is it more reliable to just stick with one action?

Would love a Benelli M4, but bit out of my price range.

thanks.

[hcbr]

It's the Benelli M3 for the semi/pump shotgun.

as for the remington 11-87, it's a solid semi auto.

Any advice, i'd recommend the best one that suites you and feels the most natural/comfortable.

Other considerations: Mossberg 930 spx, Winchester sx3, stoeger 2000

hopes that helps!

[mrkam]

Also, what is going to be your purpose for it?

Hunting? HD?

[neomedic]

It would be for HD. And maybe shotgun classes for HD purposes.

[mrkam]

I was looking into semi's for HD just for fun, too. hcbr's suggestions are good.

Mossberg 930's (not necessarily SPX, they come in a lot of tactical configurations) are great and affordable.

Of course, Remington Tactical 11-87's, or Tactical 1100's are a little more, but again, great guns.

Reportedly, Stoeger 2000's and 3500's are vastly underrated and great for the price; those come in a few tactical models.

The Benelli M3 is awesome, and a few pop up on the marketplace every now and then for ~1000.

I'm not sure about a Winchester SX3, they seem to only come with long hunting barrels.

Another one that sort of caught my eye was a Mossberg SA-20. Pretty much all you need (a 20 gauge will still do plenty of damage), comes with ghost ring sights, a pistol grip stock or sporter, some rails on the front for flashlights, and lightweight (I think around 5 pounds as opposed to the 930's 7.5) for easy maneuverability.

[3GunFunShooter]

For a semi auto for HD, check out the FN SLP, Mossberg is coming out with a 930 set up for 3 gun, which is a perfect for HD, 8+1. Mossberg should be out very soon. 14 pages on this gun over at the Brian Enos forums. Of course the Benelli M2 is a good choice with some modifications, 21" Barrel and mag tube extension. Also the M4 is an excellent choice. Remingtons have their issues. Some of the ones coming out in the past few years just do not hold up to hard use. (3 gun use that is, which is the proving ground for what works and dosen't) I am waiting to see how Remington's Versa Max pans out. So far no tactical set up. I ran and 1100 Competition Master for 7 years, good for 3 years then alot of issues with reliability, feeding, ejecting.
If you really want a reliable shotgun, the Salient Benelli M2 is a great choice, nothing better out there, but it is very pricey.

[Sicarius]

What is your budget first off? I am sure we steer you towards a good semi auto in your price point.
A great all around semi auto is always going to be a Remy 1100. You really can't go wrong with it. It is a proven design and there is a limitless ammount of parts out there for it. It can be configured for any sport.
I would personally go with a 1100 over a 1187 but thats just me.
Kevin

[21SF]

Go get your hands on them and see what you like, I was dead set on a Mossberg SPX, until i heald one. Cheap *** plastic crap.

[mrkam]

Yeah, forgot to mention that. Try to hold every single one, just to see the overall feel.

[akamaru]

I think the 1187 is a decent gun for under 500. The problem my buddy had was it got dirty after a year of continuous use and made it jam a lot until he cleaned it. Now he cleans it annually.
Another guy in our group that shoots more uses a 1100. You can pick those up for under 400-450 used if not less. I've seen them for 350 at times. It's a great gun and he never had to clean it and never had any problems with it. He's had it so far for about 10 years. This doesn't mean that you don't need to clean it every so often, but this is just an idea of the difference in my experience. It's a great reliable gun with LOTS of mods from barrels, rails, stocks, sites and mag extensions.
The benelli m4, which i think is the one your talking about is a 1.2k gun and retains their value well. I do agree that there is more heft to it. As for construction, I have yet to see any superiority in durability as I'm just your average shooter, which i bet you are too. If you are a cop, I would invest in a quality weapon like this that you can depend your life on. If your just a weekend shooter, I'd rather go with the 1100 due to it's custom option to fit you and in expensive start up.
Hope this helps.

[appagohm]

For HD i think pump is the way to go, don't have to worry about any jams, but if i was going to go with a semi auto shotgun i'd go with a saiga 12. There is a gas adjuster so you can cycle rounds reliably with the right settings.

[Shrubmaster]

I have decked out 870's, 1100's, and a 11-87 SP. I say go with an 1187 as a lot of the 1100's that you find are mainly bird guns and not optimal for hardcore rounds and competition use. I. Just got an old model 11 that I'm modding for HD and comp use. The more I Play with it, the more I love it! The wood was in pretty bad shape so I was able to score it for less than $200! Just a thought.

[Dhena81]

I think the best semi is in the morning, when waking up to a custom bolt on rack I installed which has my auto shotgun and naturally its the best the Benelli M4.

Not cheap very simple in design and 100% reliable with any full power buckshot I've put through it which is around 1k now. But it can be finicky with birdshot so it's not the best all around shotgun just the best at what its intended for.

[MossbergMan]

Just held?

Go get your hands on them and see what you like, I was dead set on a Mossberg SPX, until i heald one. Cheap *** plastic crap.

The true beauty of any defensive firearm is in the function and reliability. If you didn't shoot it, your opinion on the "cheap ***** plastic crap" is just that, an opinion without much foundation. Feel (read: fit) is very important. Luckily stocks and recoil pads are replaceable.

I know there are those that perfer wood furniture on their guns and if you are one of those, then synthetic stocked guns are not for you.

My SPX works perfectly with even the Winchester Wally World birdshot. For under $600 it's a great S/A SG value. I've shot the 11-87s and owned a FNH SLP and both are good S/A SGs as well, but cost more. I have a Benelli M1-S90 and have retired it and now use the 930SPX in it's place. My Saiga12 resides out of state and can be an good buy, but they usually need some fiddling with to be as reliable as it's AK47/74 cousins. And don't get me started on magazine issues....yes, I foolishly bought Pro-mags at first.

If at all possible, try before you buy....shoot them and make an informed decision based on your personal impresssion/opinion of each (and of course any budgetary restrictions).

[21SF]

The true beauty of any defensive firearm is in the function and reliability. If you didn't shoot it, your opinion on the "cheap ***** plastic crap" is just that, an opinion without much foundation. Feel (read: fit) is very important. Luckily stocks and recoil pads are replaceable.

I know there are those that perfer wood furniture on their guns and if you are one of those, then synthetic stocked guns are not for you.

My SPX works perfectly with even the Winchester Wally World birdshot. For under $600 it's a great S/A SG value. I've shot the 11-87s and owned a FNH SLP and both are good S/A SGs as well, but cost more. I have a Benelli M1-S90 and have retired it and now use the 930SPX in it's place. My Saiga12 resides out of state and can be an good buy, but they usually need some fiddling with to be as reliable as it's AK47/74 cousins. And don't get me started on magazine issues....yes, I foolishly bought Pro-mags at first.

If at all possible, try before you buy....shoot them and make an informed decision based on your personal impresssion/opinion of each (and of course any budgetary restrictions).

Shot it, held it, couldn't pull the trigger.

The SPX, SPX PG, SPX blackwater, all over them!!!

I drove around maybe 300 miles to different stores and ranges.

They all had the same canted front sights, wiggly trigger gaurd, sloppy fore end, etc.

ALL OF THEM, NEW MODELS OLD MODELS.



If the parts on the mossberg are any indication of CHAOTE's quality, I will never be purchasing anything from them, EVER!

Seriously the stock and fore end (after thought sling mount aside) make my Remington SPS Varmint's stock look like custom mcmillan.

Trust me I WANTED to like it, I really did. What tother SA shotgun can be had for the price NONE but I rather save up for something like the M4 which is light years ahead of Mossberg.