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WTB a 12ga semi-auto for next dove season. Tried a Rem 11-87 a few years ago and never could get it to cycle the light dove loads. Is there a semi-auto that will RELIABLY cycle these loads? I usually shoot Winchester AA ammo with 1 1/8 oz. of #7 1/2 shot. Thanks...Jon | ||
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Try a Beretta, been using various models of their semi-autos for about 20 years now with no problems. Their lower priced model, the 3901, is a good deal and will function 7/8oz. handloads to 2oz. 3" magnums with no problems I've seen yet. | |||
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I love my Beretta 390. It cycles everything I've ever tried in it. The 391 is even better. | |||
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The 3901 is the same gun with a rounded receiver, I bought one for waterfowling with a synthetic stock for about $550 on Gunbroker. Takes the same chokes as my other Berettas so I can use my pricey extended tubes in it. Gotta get one in 20 ga. next just because my 303 20 ga. needs a mate.  | |||
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I had narrowed the choices down to Benelli and Beretta but now Beretta it will be! Time to begin shopping. Thank you for your comments. Jon | |||
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FWIW, I have had a very good run with my 303 in 20g. A great little shotgun. Good luck with yours. There is no spoon. | |||
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Jon, You can't go wrong with a beretta or a benelli, but I would choose a beretta. I think you will be pleased with one. What model are you considering? | |||
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I was going to buy a Benelli but after hearing so many complaints of cycleing problems with light loads I decided to go with the Beretta. I've pretty much decided on the model 3901 (AL391) Urika, or Urika 2 if I can find one. I prefer "real" wood and a couple of the Urika's I've seen have very nice stocks. Now I'm looking for a place to buy one (outside of California) at a good price. I can save a few $ buying out-of-state and having my gun club's FFL holder handle the transaction. Any dealer recommendations appriciated. | |||
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Just poke around at Gunboker.com, plenty of Berettas there. Beretta AL 391's on Gunbroker | |||
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My favorite semi-auto shotgun is the Browning A5 but I suppose it is considered rather archaic by today's standards. NRA Life Member, Band of Bubbas Charter Member, PGCA, DRSS. Shoot & hunt with vintage classics. | |||
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Jon, try www.shotgunbroker.com . The Postons run a good business and will more than likely have what you want. Good luck! | |||
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The old reliable Remington 1100 is hard to beat. I've seen them go tens of thousands of rounds without a malfunction, on the skeet range. They also point very well for me. I get one in (as a gunsmith) once in a while, but 95% of the time, it just needs cleaning or a new o-ring. Also very easy on the shoulder & cheap to buy. Berettas are good too. A little harder for the owners to work on, but are pretty trouble free. The Benellis are well made guns but recoil is objectionable to me as it is with the Browning a-5. I also never liked that big hump on the A-5's  .I use an 1100 for sporting clays and probably have 10,000 rounds through it without a malfunction. It even shoots the 7/8 oz low recoil loads fine. "You can lead a horticulture, ... but you can't make 'er think" Florida Gardener | |||
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Thanks to everyone for the leads...will start making phone calls today. Greg... my last try with an autoloading shotgun was a Remington 11-87 about 10 years ago. It went to the local Remington authorized gunsmith several times but no one could get to cycle dove loads and I finally gave up and sold it. Maybe the older Mod. 1100 was a better design? Anyway, now I'm (maybe wrongly) leery of Remington autoloaders and don't want to risk another bad experience. | |||
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Always go with your instincts. Auto shotguns, like computers & mules, will sense your apprehension and deliberately cause you grief  . My brother is that way. I can shoot an auto all day with no problems, hand it to him & it will immediately malfunction. He shoots pumps because of this That said, there are probably more 1100's & 11-87's out there working every day than any other auto & I get very few of them in for work. (I like the 1100's better) On the other hand, I get a bunch of Beretta, Browning, Winchester and even a few Benellis and of course all the low end stuff. "You can lead a horticulture, ... but you can't make 'er think" Florida Gardener | |||
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I don't have any experience with mules but I sure agree with you about computers. Like you're brother I went to a pump and an o/u. It will be interesting to see what happens with my second try with a semi-auto. The smith that worked on the 11-87 accused me of not holding the gun firmly enough against my shoulder. He fired two magazines full of light 12ga loads holding the buttstock against a bench and it cycled fine...whatever that proves. Since I've not yet ordered the Beretta can you describe some of the problems you've seen with the A390, A391 semi-auto's? Hope they're not problems cycleing light loads. | |||
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Beretta. I've shot them for 32 years and they shoot & shoot & shoot. Outstanding gun. LDK Gray Ghost Hunting Safaris http://grayghostsafaris.com Phone: 615-860-4333 Email: hunts@grayghostsafaris.com NRA Benefactor DSC Professional Member SCI Member RMEF Life Member NWTF Guardian Life Sponsor NAHC Life Member Rowland Ward - SCI Scorer Took the wife the Eastern Cape for her first hunt: http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6881000262 Hunting in the Stormberg, Winterberg and Hankey Mountains of the Eastern Cape 2018 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4801073142 Hunting the Eastern Cape, RSA May 22nd - June 15th 2007 http://forums.accuratereloadin...=810104007#810104007 16 Days in Zimbabwe: Leopard, plains game, fowl and more: http://forums.accuratereloadin...=212108409#212108409 Natal: Rhino, Croc, Nyala, Bushbuck and more http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6341092311 Recent hunt in the Eastern Cape, August 2010: Pics added http://forums.accuratereloadin...261039941#9261039941 10 days in the Stormberg Mountains http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7781081322 Back in the Stormberg Mountains with friends: May-June 2017 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6001078232 "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading" - Thomas Jefferson Every morning the Zebra wakes up knowing it must outrun the fastest Lion if it wants to stay alive. Every morning the Lion wakes up knowing it must outrun the slowest Zebra or it will starve. It makes no difference if you are a Zebra or a Lion; when the Sun comes up in Africa, you must wake up running...... "If you're being chased by a Lion, you don't have to be faster than the Lion, you just have to be faster than the person next to you." | |||
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Greg (brayhaven) Hard to find a better quote, thanks, LDK
Gray Ghost Hunting Safaris http://grayghostsafaris.com Phone: 615-860-4333 Email: hunts@grayghostsafaris.com NRA Benefactor DSC Professional Member SCI Member RMEF Life Member NWTF Guardian Life Sponsor NAHC Life Member Rowland Ward - SCI Scorer Took the wife the Eastern Cape for her first hunt: http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6881000262 Hunting in the Stormberg, Winterberg and Hankey Mountains of the Eastern Cape 2018 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/4801073142 Hunting the Eastern Cape, RSA May 22nd - June 15th 2007 http://forums.accuratereloadin...=810104007#810104007 16 Days in Zimbabwe: Leopard, plains game, fowl and more: http://forums.accuratereloadin...=212108409#212108409 Natal: Rhino, Croc, Nyala, Bushbuck and more http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6341092311 Recent hunt in the Eastern Cape, August 2010: Pics added http://forums.accuratereloadin...261039941#9261039941 10 days in the Stormberg Mountains http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/7781081322 Back in the Stormberg Mountains with friends: May-June 2017 http://forums.accuratereloadin...6321043/m/6001078232 "Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading" - Thomas Jefferson Every morning the Zebra wakes up knowing it must outrun the fastest Lion if it wants to stay alive. Every morning the Lion wakes up knowing it must outrun the slowest Zebra or it will starve. It makes no difference if you are a Zebra or a Lion; when the Sun comes up in Africa, you must wake up running...... "If you're being chased by a Lion, you don't have to be faster than the Lion, you just have to be faster than the person next to you." | |||
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Most of them are related to cleaning. They seem to be more sensitive to fouling than the Remingtons. Have replaced a few (lost) operating handles & various internal parts. I like steel recievers better than aluminum. If you keep it clean, it should be fine with light loads. "You can lead a horticulture, ... but you can't make 'er think" Florida Gardener | |||
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I bought a Browning Gold Series a couple years ago and never used it in the field until last fall on a Georgia quail hunt where we killed 2510 quail in 4 days. I shot probably between 300-400 rounds a day (including trap in the evenings at the lighted gun range) for 2 days and never had a problem with my gun cycling the cheap rounds. We were shooting Estes light target loads. Man are those things dirty too! Granted the gun needed cleaning every night but it certainly passed the 'test' in my opinion. From there I went directly to the Okla. panhandle for a weekend pheasant/quail hunt. I would say I put between 800-1000 rounds through that gun in a 4 days period and had absolutely no problems at all, which even includes not the first sign of a sore shoulder. Graybird "Make no mistake, it's not revenge he's after ... it's the reckoning." | |||
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I had a Remington Wing-master in 12ga when I was young about 30 years ago some A-Hole stole it. I replaced it with a used Browning A5 12ga and another A-Hole stole that one. Later my father bought me a new Browning A5 Light twelve I have had it since. A couple of years ago I bought a Jap Browning A5 3" Mag in 20ga like my fathers except his is Belgium made. I don’t understand all of the problems some of you have with light loads feeding. If you set the rings correctly it will work flawlessly. Best of luck on your choice if I may make a suggestion get a limb-saver recoil put on what ever shot gun you settle on. The hard plastic but plate on both the A5’s had to go. Swede --------------------------------------------------------- NRA Life Member | |||
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I rent daily berettas a390 ,browning silver camo,and i have very few problems with them ,you must remember that we shoot a media of 1000 shells each day.Juan www.huntinginargentina.com.ar FULL PROFESSIONAL MEMBER OF IPHA INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL HUNTERS ASOCIATION . DSC PROFESSIONAL MEMBER DRSS--SCI NRA IDPA IPSC-FAT -argentine shooting federation cred number2- | |||
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I just received my new Remington 105 CTI 26" today, I haven't shot it yet but I will tomorrow  Last year for Dove season I bought a new 11-87 SPS and after about 20 rounds it turned into a high dollar single shot. I think it needs a good cleaning as I did not clean it before the shoot. If this new CTI works as good as I'm hoping I'll let somebody else clean it, the new owner | |||
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Look for a used Winchester Super X1. They will cycle anything it seems. They were a very high dollar gun when they were made and can be found for a real bargain price. | |||
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I am a fan of the Browning "hump back". Some years back I purchased a very short barrel from Hastings. The barrel has screw in chokes and a vent rib, the Browning A-5 got even better with the shorter barrel. It has been used for skeet and grouse hunting. It's a classic. Stinger | |||
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Owning a Beretta 391 and Benelli SBEII and an M1, I would recommend any of them. The 391 requires more cleaning but they all perform flawlessly. Actually the only auto that I've seen fail is a 3.5" 11-87 that would not eject target loads. Other than that though every auto I've seen on the skeet field has performed pretty well, so I can't imagine that many would give you problems with dove loads. I shoot 1oz loads at 1040fps in the SBEII and M1 without too much issue. The big think with Benelli's is to run the action pretty dry since any excess oil will severely impact it's ability to cycle "really" light loads. BTW, I would not consider a dove load a light load. | |||
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I have 2 Rem. 1100 and a Rem. 11-87 3 1/2 inch. Any 3 or 3 1/2 inch Remington Auto will not handle the lighter loads reliably. I use a 2 3/4 incg chambered barrel for the Quail and Dove loads and switch barrels for the 3 or 3 1/2 inch shells. Hawkeye47 | |||
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Get an autoloader chambered for 2 3/4" loads only like the 1100 Remington or the Super X1. And learn to hold the thing right. If you limp wrist and limp shoulder one you can induce malfunctions with light loads. How you get any shotgun to malfunction with 1 1/8" oz AAs is a mystery to me. For proof of performance check out the well known skeet shooter D. Lee Braun. Last time I read he had shot over 400,000 rounds in registered skeet matches. All the photos show him shooting an 1100 Remington. | |||
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beretta AL 391,gold mallard is the the best,regards ur 3 greatest hunts r ur first ur last and ur next | |||
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I have a 391 and a SBE II and I cannot miss with the SBE. It shoots everything and points VERY well. I wish I could shoot trap with my BT-10 as well. 1 vote here for the SBE | |||
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Been duck hunting with the same 1100 since 1974. Cost me 159.95. Replaced a couple of O rings and that's it. For ducks I used heavy magnum reloads Win 571/1 1/2 oz. of lead shot in theold days. We would shoot several thousand rounds at blackbirds for practice with light loads and they always chambered fine. I have a couple more, all are theold style. just gave one to my son. I was telling him who might end up with what rifles I have and he said "I don't care as long as I get those 1100's!" So I said just take this new one and he was tickled to death. Those new ones are quite purty to me. Merg | |||
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Beretta 391 all the way. I use everything from light skeet through heavy turkey loads and it digests everything flawlessly! I really like the way you can set up the pitch and cast for a perfect mount! | |||
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I've been using my A5 Sweet Sixteen this year so far- light-swings real easy and just pounds them doves! The 12 ga Mag A5 is pretty heavy and I have to reload special for it to cycle dove loads-24 gr of Unique 1 1/8 works every time as they are not made to shoot light loads! One shot One Kill | |||
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Benelli does not recommend loads under 1 1/8th oz. but mine eats light hand loads just fine. It is a Benelli Super Sport w/30" barrel. My SBE has never had a problem, but the light weight does have an affect after several hundred rounds, so the gas guns might be better depending on the purpose. I love the Super Sport and have no recoil regrets with this gun. I also shoot two Remington 1100's in 20 and 28 gauge. O-rings were the only problems in the past. Good Luck | |||
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Beretta a390 i have ten of them and never failed over the years day after day of shooting.Juan www.huntinginargentina.com.ar FULL PROFESSIONAL MEMBER OF IPHA INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL HUNTERS ASOCIATION . DSC PROFESSIONAL MEMBER DRSS--SCI NRA IDPA IPSC-FAT -argentine shooting federation cred number2- | |||
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I have a pair of Benelli 20's and a Benelli 12...all are the Super 90 Montefeltro series and semi auto. They go to Argentina and Paraguay and they kill lots of birds!! No problems and I have sold a bunch of them too. In semi autos you best stick with Beretta or Benelli for the long run of hot bbl. shooting. All of them will work fine if you don't shoot a whole bunch and if you will clean them faithfully. If you are going to shoot a thousand rounds a day (easy to do in Argentina) then you best use a Beretta or Benelli. I also own a semi auto Remington 1100 Light wt. 20 and a Smith and Wesson 1000 12 ga. they work too but still not the gun to depend on for a hot bbl. shoot out. If you take your Rem 1100 you best take a spare rubber O ring along just in case or you might find yourself shooting a single shot semi auto! $2 worth of prevention. You can borrow money but you can not borrow time. Go hunting with your family. | |||
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