I used to do a lot of hunting with Remington and Browning Autos. However, I remember having issues with them, especially in cold weather conditions (issues with ejections).

Have any of you experienced issues with similar issues with the newer model gas-operated guns? I would like to find a gun that shoots 3 1/2" 12 Ga and also be reliable with lighter loads.

I am back into waterfowl hunting and I am looking at different inertia and gas models.

Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by Jason P:
I used to do a lot of hunting with Remington and Browning Autos. However, I remember having issues with them, especially in cold weather conditions (issues with ejections).

Have any of you experienced issues with similar issues with the newer model gas-operated guns? I would like to find a gun that shoots 3 1/2" 12 Ga and also be reliable with lighter loads.

I am back into waterfowl hunting and I am looking at different inertia and gas models.

Thanks

In recent years I have had some experience with both gas operated and inertia operated shotguns, the cheaper variety I should add.
I recall early years of waterfowl hunting where the Browning A5 autos (long recoil) were the popular shotgun and suffered from ejection issues. They relied on the correct lubrication of the magazine tube and of course the correct setup, for the cartridges being used, of the brake band on the tube.

The modern gas operated gun seems to work reliably for a range of cartridges but does need to have the gas piston and under barrel cylinder kept clean on a timely basis. This depends on ammo being used, some burns very clean while others are quite dirty so the cleaning interval needs to match.

I have found that ATF oil is a good lubricant for the piston and cylinder as it does not burn or varnish.

The inertia guns do not grime up as the gases are not released from the barrel however they can still give ejection issues and I think this is to do with how the gun is being held.
The inertia system does not work if the gun is held off the shoulder, likewise they will not work if the butt is held against a solid object such as the ground or a wall etc. Hence the inertia operated gun is not used by police or military (or so I have read).

One of my sons uses an inertia operated 12G and it does fail to eject on occasion. It seems that where the gun has not been shouldered firmly, e.g. an unexpected fast shot taken or a high overhead shot, is when the issue occurs. There is no other explanation as he is using the same factory ammo his other brothers and I use in our gas guns and I also use in my U/O gun where I would quickly notice inconsistencies in ammo if there were any.

Maybe the more expensive inertia guns are more reliable, most have recoil reducing systems for shooting the heavy shells and maybe this helps the recoil system work better.

I use a Stouger M3500.Stoeger is owned by Benelli and uses its Montefeltro action. I’ve fired thousands of light 2 3/4” field loads for dove and quail as well as dozens of 3 1/2” magnums for waterfowl and turkeys. Never bothered to clean it much and never had it jam. It was about 1/3 the cost of a Benelli SBE. Lower overall quality I guess but gets the job done. Came with a recoil reducer to insert in the stock and stock shims to adjust the fit. Never bothered with them.

I have a first addition SBE if kept clean it is 99% trouble free.
My Beretta A400 Extreme Unico "2 3/4" and 3 1/2" 2 3/4" has been 100% I clean it at the end of each waterfowl season. The Benelli is easier to clean with less moving parts. The Beretta has softer recoil with the kickoff system. Both are excellent.

Thank you guys.

Funny story about my shotgun experience. In 1983, I turned 12. That was the age (back then) when you could legally hunt birds in Utah. My dad gave me his Remington model 1100 that he received as a gift, from his dad. My dad told that when he received it, my Grandma was mad and wondered why everyone else in the family shot browning A-5's and my dad got a remington!

As a dumb kid I never thought about cleaning it much and whenever it got cold (it gets extremely cold here), it would not work well. I finally started wrapping a towel or something similar around the action to try and keep it warm . I still have the gun, rarely use it, but I will never sell it.

It looks as if the new gas operated guns work well. I am going to look at the models suggested and hopefully find something for next season.

quote:

My dad told that when he received it, my Grandma was mad and wondered why everyone else in the family shot browning A-5's and my dad got a remington!

Damn, Jason, your dad was born into the wrong Utah family! All of my family shot Auto-5's. All of my dad's relatives also shot Auto-5's. It was part of our DNA-you shot an Auto-5. When I turned 13, my dad took me to Zinick's Sporting Goods store in downtown Salt Lake City, where I picked out the Auto-5 that I wanted from 5 brand new ones laying out in open boxes on the counter. Zinick's also threw in a new gun case and 5 boxes of Winchester Super-X shells for free. Cost for a brand new Auto-5 was $180. I earned half of that during that summer and dad paid the other half. By the way, I never, ever had my Auto-5 freeze up or not work and I hunted ducks and geese all over Utah, and even late year pheasants, in some of the coldest, nastiest weather known. Same with everyone else in the family with Auto-5's. Some of my dad's relatives were not as maintenance conscious with theirs as we were, but they banged away with them. As long as you kept them clean, lightly oiled and had the rings set for the right shotgun shells (low or high base), those Belgium made shotguns worked just like John Browning had intended. God Bless John Browning. At 71, I still have and shoot my Auto-5, my Grandfather's, and my father's. They all still function perfectly today, although they do show some normal wear. P.S. I also own other gas operated semi-autos.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:

quote:

My dad told that when he received it, my Grandma was mad and wondered why everyone else in the family shot browning A-5's and my dad got a remington!

Damn, Jason, your dad was born into the wrong Utah family! All of my family shot Auto-5's. All of my dad's relatives also shot Auto-5's. It was part of our DNA-you shot an Auto-5. When I turned 13, my dad took me to Zinick's Sporting Goods store in downtown Salt Lake City, where I picked out the Auto-5 that I wanted from 5 brand new ones laying out in open boxes on the counter. Zinick's also threw in a new gun case and 5 boxes of Winchester Super-X shells for free. Cost for a brand new Auto-5 was $180. I earned half of that during that summer and dad paid the other half. By the way, I never, ever had my Auto-5 freeze up or not work and I hunted ducks and geese all over Utah, and even late year pheasants, in some of the coldest, nastiest weather known. Same with everyone else in the family with Auto-5's. Some of my dad's relatives were not as maintenance conscious with theirs as we were, but they banged away with them. As long as you kept them clean, lightly oiled and had the rings set for the right shotgun shells (low or high base), those Belgium made shotguns worked just like John Browning had intended. God Bless John Browning. P.S. At 71, I still have and shoot my Auto-5, my Grandfather's, and my father's. They all still function perfectly today, although they do show some normal wear.

I may have worded my previous reply wrong. My Grandma was mad because my dad did not get an A-5. I guess she thought my Grandpa was cutting costs

All my family shot the old browning A-5's and if you are a native from Utah, owning is a requirement for citizenship.

My dad did give me a Browning A-5 for my birthday this year and I will certainly use it for upland game.

Love the story of the $180 buy. Wouldn't it be great to go back to the days when they would throw in a few boxes of ammo and a case?

quote:

if you are a native from Utah, owning is a requirement for citizenship.

Man, many of my friends must have been second class citizens. They shot Remington 870's and 1100's.

By the way, going up to Salt Lake City to Zinik's was always a memorable experience. The largest and most prestigious sporting goods store in Utah at that time. Utah's Abercrombie & Fitch.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:

quote:

if you are a native from Utah, owning is a requirement for citizenship.

Man, many of my friends must have been second class citizens. They shot Remington 870's and 1100's.

By the way, going up to Salt Lake City to Zinik's was always a memorable experience. The largest and most prestigious sporting goods store in Utah at that time. Utah's Abercrombie & Fitch.

Ha ha, I guess I was too

I never made it down to those stores when I was younger. Mine were Al's Sporting Goods and Sunset Sporting Goods.

So many good memories and now we have too many people and far too few places to shoot! It's too bad that I never fully realized, at the time, how good I really had it!

quote:

Man, many of my friends must have been second class citizens. They shot Remington 870's and 1100's

NOT model 12 Winchesters--they were 3rd class not 2nd class.

Agree. Our gun shop is in a heavy waterfowl hunting area. You can't go wrong with those choices. The only reasons we see those guns in is because of neglect and abuse. The Stoegers are a crap shoot. Mostly because of poor materials, not by design. The Turks seem to be challenged with proper metal hardening.

quote:

Originally posted by Lawdog:
I have a first addition SBE if kept clean it is 99% trouble free.
My Beretta A400 Extreme Unico "2 3/4" and 3 1/2" 2 3/4" has been 100% I clean it at the end of each waterfowl season. The Benelli is easier to clean with less moving parts. The Beretta has softer recoil with the kickoff system. Both are excellent.

I have a new SBE3 (3 inch). I keep my guns clean. My buddy has a Berretta A400 Extreme Plus. My Wife has a Benelli Legacy 28 and SBE3 28. They have all run amazing. Again, we keep our guns clean. I use TW2B on the rails the bolt runs in and where the barrel extensions meet the receiver.

Miltech1 is another great oil.

If one wants a Stoegoer, I suggest the Franchi Affinity. They are the same gun. However, the Affnity is made directly by Benelli with harden steel parts. The hammers on Stoegoers are not harden and do warp. Of course, one could guy a stoegoer with aftermarket parts. I have never had any issues with our Benellis.

The SBE3s gave the detent to prevent the Benelli Click. I like the feature, but my wife’s Legacy does not have that feature. The Legacy has never not been fully seated. Do not ride or ease the bolt closed which I thought was SOP.

The Stoegoer and Affinity have the action bars and springs under the fire s instead of in thd buttstock like on a Benelli. Both systems are “inertia” but different.

Thanks for the tips…

I will likely choose between a Browning, Beretta, or Benelli auto.

I just finished a limit of Geese on the last weekend of the season. It was ranking sideways.

My SBE3 looked like it had been dunked in a river. Run like a Singer Sawing Machine.

I break it down at home and blow everything out with a small air compressor with needle like attachment. I also use the TW25 grease on the choke tune and threads in the barrel.

The Winchester SP series is the same action as the Browning Silver. The Win just does not look as cool and is 300-400 dollars cheaper.

You want the valve and piston cleaned and dry in gas guns.

The Berretta A400 series tries to be self cleaning. It has an extra collar that scrapes out residue as it fires.

The Beretta A400 Kicks system really does eliminate recoil.

I have a Beretta A400 Xtrema that I bought new in 2012. Mine is the wood version with a 28" barrel, and no kickoff. It shoots the 3 1/2 inch shells. It has been 100% reliable down to -19 degrees F, which is the coldest I've hunted with it. I like to clean it, so I don't let it get too dirty, but I've never had a jam or a feeding problem. Even on upland hunts when cattail fuzz gets in the chamber. I've also used it on the range and put several hundred rounds through it at a time, with never an issue. It's a killer from the uplands to the goose pit, and it will reach out there with good Carlson extended chokes. I love this shotgun.

I also have a newer Benelli Ultralight Performance Shop--Upland. It's a pound lighter than the Beretta. It's an inertia gun. It weighs 6 lbs empty. Only a 3" chamber. Ported barrel. It's a kicker. It will thump you with 3" loads. Again, no issues in the cold or in the uplands. I haven't taken it waterfowling because it is LOUD with the ports and I don't wanna be a bad blind-mate with an extra loud gun. This year was my first year with it, and I like it. It's a joy to carry all day on an upland hunt.

quote:

Originally posted by bakerb:
I have a Beretta A400 Xtrema that I bought new in 2012. Mine is the wood version with a 28" barrel, and no kickoff. It shoots the 3 1/2 inch shells. It has been 100% reliable down to -19 degrees F, which is the coldest I've hunted with it. I like to clean it, so I don't let it get too dirty, but I've never had a jam or a feeding problem. Even on upland hunts when cattail fuzz gets in the chamber. I've also used it on the range and put several hundred rounds through it at a time, with never an issue. It's a killer from the uplands to the goose pit, and it will reach out there with good Carlson extended chokes. I love this shotgun.

I also have a newer Benelli Ultralight Performance Shop--Upland. It's a pound lighter than the Beretta. It's an inertia gun. It weighs 6 lbs empty. Only a 3" chamber. Ported barrel. It's a kicker. It will thump you with 3" loads. Again, no issues in the cold or in the uplands. I haven't taken it waterfowling because it is LOUD with the ports and I don't wanna be a bad blind-mate with an extra loud gun. This year was my first year with it, and I like it. It's a joy to carry all day on an upland hunt.

Sorry for the late reply as I just noticed it.

The cold weather experience helps!

I already have tinnitus and the loud inertia gun might not be a fit.

I’m really going to look at the Beretta. I plan to do a few duck and goose hunts this fall.

Thanks

I don't think you can go wrong with a Beretta. I like the Benelli's too, but that gas system on the Beretta definitely helps with recoil.

I checked my notes from my last pheasant hunt last year, and I think the coldest day I hunted with the Benelli was -3 F. Again, even with the cold and the cattail fuzz floating around, no ejection issues at all.

quote:

Originally posted by bakerb:
I don't think you can go wrong with a Beretta. I like the Benelli's too, but that gas system on the Beretta definitely helps with recoil.

I checked my notes from my last pheasant hunt last year, and I think the coldest day I hunted with the Benelli was -3 F. Again, even with the cold and the cattail fuzz floating around, no ejection issues at all.

That is good to know. I have spent the last 20 or more years hunting big game and Africa. Before that, I was always out bird hunting. Last year, I decided to give it a go and forgot how much fun it was and also, how much cheaper it was!

I guess that gives me a good excuse for a new shotgun

I am still shooting the 11-48 Remington autoloader I got for Christmas in 1968. I have never had any operation problems with it even in knee deep snow. My other go to shotgun is an 11-87 that will take 3 inch shells and I have an extra rifled slug barrel and scope. Again, never an issue. I don't need/ want a 3.5 inch 12 as I have an SP-10.

Well, I decided, to totally change course and decided to order a Winchester SX4 Hybrid 3 1/2 hybrid.

I’m going on a Nebraska goose hunt in a fe w. Oaths and I asked my guide what he liked. He thought most were good but really liked the Winchester. After doing some research, it really looked like a great option.

Gas operated and 1/2 the price of the big three. Looking forward to trying it out.