Seminauto. Oppinions please

[BigUglyMan]

I own a Benelli SBE2. Smooth and not a single failure

They're pretty much the yardstick we measure everything else by.

That said, after years of shooting a semi auto for waterfowl, I found last fall that I hit as many birds, with fewer shots, at longer distances, using my Dad's old Model 21 (choked full and full) and Tungsten Matrix shot as compared with my 3.5" steel-chucking auto. And I did it with fewer shells to boot. So I wonder, if there really a good reason to ram away with an auto instead of a fine old double?

 

[dilly]

That being said, my go to hunting gun and occasional trap gun is a Browning Auto-5 Magnum (1969). There is no better semiauto shotgun out there today. Absolute reliability, but surprisingly in a 100+ year old design...are the new semis better?...I hunted with a guy with a very nice new Bgun...guess who shot more birds?

another pretty bold statement....so, every person (except one) I have ever known to have an auto five has fiddled and fked with it while it jammed and failed to feed non stop and then turned around and said it is the most reliable gun they have even owned and it never jams. I swear auto 5 owners are delusional.

In MY OPINION the Beretta AL 391 A 400 line of guns, whether 3" or 3.5 are among the best gas guns. Benelli is tops for inertia.

 

[the spank]

if you want to own and see the internals of the best semi ever made buy a super x-1
cheers

you got that right!!! Amen!!

 

[linderhof]

To the OP...buy the gun that fits you best. That will be the one you shoot best and will enjoy the most

Best answer so far. If you can't hit what you're shooting at doesn't matter which brand you own. I'm a fan of inertia guns as I prefer the spent gases to be sent down range and not inside the gun. Mine has never jammed on light target loads or heavy hunting loads. I have owned an 11-87, auto 5, Beretta 391, Benelli ultra lite and now own have a SBE2. Can't see me needing another semi.

 

[Pariegh]

Yep, it is very important to try them on for size before you buy. Most higher end semi's should work well so go find what fits best.

I have an SX3 and it is fantastic. High end performance with middle of the road pricing, so if you are like me and the shotgun will practically live in a swamp all fall, you can be confident it will go "bang" every time with whatever you put in it, and you won't feel so bad about it getting scratched, banged, wet, and muddy as you might if you had a $2500 Beretta that's a thing of beauty that needs to be treated like the queen it is. Something to think about anyways.

 

[Claybuster]

another pretty bold statement....so, every person (except one) I have ever known to have an auto five has fiddled and fked with it while it jammed and failed to feed non stop and then turned around and said it is the most reliable gun they have even owned and it never jams. I swear auto 5 owners are delusional.

Some Auto 5 owners do seem a bit off their rockers at times. It's part of the "John Browning is a God" myth propagated by the American gun industry that some gullible shooters embrace with enthusiasm. Why else would anyone recommend a gun with an overly-complex, antiquated design that hasn't been made in over 20 years when there are far better options available?

 

[3macs1]

Some Auto 5 owners do seem a bit off their rockers at times. It's part of the "John Browning is a God" myth propagated by the American gun industry that some gullible shooters embrace with enthusiasm. Why else would anyone recommend a gun with an overly-complex, antiquated design that hasn't been made in over 20 years when there are far better options available?

Hate the auto 5 always have but smart enough to know where today's firearm industry would be if not for John Browning being on this earth
Myth you say Please.
Who has followed him since his death in 1926 that could even wipe the sweat from his brow or made any significant impact In the firearm industry
Name just one please
He was Way way ahead of his time and I could not even imagine what we would have seen for firearms if he lived with today's tools for design and manufacturing.
I suggest you read this book you may learn something. I know I sure did
www.browning.com/products/shooting-...n-m-browning-american-gunmaker-biography.html
Enough said
Cheers

 

[Claybuster]

Hate the auto 5 always have but smart enough to know where today's firearm industry would be if not for John Browning being on this earth
Myth you say Please.
Who has followed him since his death in 1926 that could even wipe the sweat from his brow or made any significant impact In the firearm industry
Name just one please
He was Way way ahead of his time and I could not even imagine what we would have seen for firearms if he lived with today's tools for design and manufacturing.
I suggest you read this book you may learn something. I know I sure did
www.browning.com/products/shooting-...n-m-browning-american-gunmaker-biography.html
Enough said
Cheers

With inventors it doesn't matter who came after but who came before and who was around at the same time. In Browning's era there were other firearms designers and inventors who were arguably better. Browning's ground-breaking achievements were the tilt-barrel locking system and telescoping bolt which are still in use today. Many of the other Browning designs however were incremental advancements on work pioneered by others.

Browning did not invent the lever action rifle. Colt, Spencer and Henry preceded him. The first pump action firearm was patented by a Brit in 1854. Mannlicher, not Browning, developed the first semi-automatic. The Browning Superposed was a rework of an action designed by Anson and Deely except for the forend design which is an answer to a question that no one had asked.

Browning was also not responsible for the first machine guns. When Hiram Maxim was demonstrating the first functioning belt-fed machine gun to the British Army in 1885 John Moses Browning was making single-shot rifles for Winchester. Maxim also developed patents for gas and recoil-operated firearms before Browning.

Seen in the context of the era and free from the blinders of American propaganda, Browning's achievements were certainly considerable however there were many others equally if not more innovative working in the field at the time who do not receive the same recognition.

 

[3macs1]

With inventors it doesn't matter who came after but who came before and who was around at the same time. In Browning's era there were other firearms designers and inventors who were arguably better. Browning's ground-breaking achievements were the tilt-barrel locking system and telescoping bolt which are still in use today. Many of the other Browning designs however were incremental advancements on work pioneered by others.

Browning did not invent the lever action rifle. Colt, Spencer and Henry preceded him. The first pump action firearm was patented by a Brit in 1854. Mannlicher, not Browning, developed the first semi-automatic. The Browning Superposed was a rework of an action designed by Anson and Deely except for the forend design which is an answer to a question that no one had asked.

Browning was also not responsible for the first machine guns. When Hiram Maxim was demonstrating the first functioning belt-fed machine gun to the British Army in 1885 John Moses Browning was making single-shot rifles for Winchester. Maxim also developed patents for gas and recoil-operated firearms before Browning.

Seen in the context of the era and free from the blinders of American propaganda, Browning's achievements were certainly considerable however there were many others equally if not more innovative working in the field at the time who do not receive the same recognition.

LOL So you come back with one hit wonders like Maxim, Samual Colt, B Henry etc etc etc
Sorry but John Moses Browning was the most influential gun designer. Ever. Full stop
None you have mentioned have ever even come close by comparison to Brownings legacy or achievements
I say again read the book it is well worth it
Cheers

 

[KaneZoR]

Looking into getting a good semi auto. Right now the A400 Berretta seems to be high on the list. But there are many others out there as well.

In your experienced oppinions which semi would be the most reliable, long lasting , worry free all purpose gun out there. Mainly for hunting but with a round or two of trap now and then. Budget can go to a couple thousand so not looking at lower end guns.

Thank you

Go to a shop and try a benelli Vinci on for size, the look is a bit funky for some but man do they fit well and shoot the softest of any inertia gun. 100% reliablility from mine.

 

[3macs1]

Yep, it is very important to try them on for size before you buy. Most higher end semi's should work well so go find what fits best.

I have an SX3 and it is fantastic. High end performance with middle of the road pricing, so if you are like me and the shotgun will practically live in a swamp all fall, you can be confident it will go "bang" every time with whatever you put in it, and you won't feel so bad about it getting scratched, banged, wet, and muddy as you might if you had a $2500 Beretta that's a thing of beauty that needs to be treated like the queen it is. Something to think about anyways.

Agree 100% Hard to beat a x3
Cheers

 

[Pete G]

Asked this in the trap,skeet,sporting forum.....will ask again here :
In spite of the trend to Beretta, has anyone here tried the Winchester SX 3 Ultimate Sporting ? It looks good to me with the oil finished walnut and adjustable comb.
Is there any reason or evidence to suggest that it would be less reliable as a Sporting Clays gun than a Beretta 400 ? The ported barrel and fiber optic tube bead are negatives for me, but these two things would not have any effect on reliability. I am wondering why I do not see these Winchesters on my Sporting Clay travels.

 

[cath8r]

Hard to go wrong with a versamax. I seen the 'good one' on sale at canadian tire last week.

 

[contact148]

me and 2 guys I duck hunt with all have the browning maxus we all love them

love the no recoil and the way it fits me (came with a whole bunch of shims to adjust stock too) its fancier then I like but it works 3 inch chamber on mine

 

[jacpor]

I have owned a Beretta 391 for many years. Hunted with it, shot trap skeet, sporting. It has never missed a beat. Takes a little bit of effort to clean but way worth it. You can find some good used ones on EE.

 

[stubblejumper]

Asked this in the trap,skeet,sporting forum.....will ask again here :
In spite of the trend to Beretta, has anyone here tried the Winchester SX 3 Ultimate Sporting ? It looks good to me with the oil finished walnut and adjustable comb.
Is there any reason or evidence to suggest that it would be less reliable as a Sporting Clays gun than a Beretta 400 ? The ported barrel and fiber optic tube bead are negatives for me, but these two things would not have any effect on reliability. I am wondering why I do not see these Winchesters on my Sporting Clay travels.

I have never seen that model on a sporting clays field, or in mamy stores, but I have seen a lot of SX-3 shotguns being used for skeet, trap and sporting clays.Our local sporting clays field uses SX-3 shotguns for rentals, and they are very reliable for that use.

 

[Claybuster]

I have owned a Beretta 391 for many years. Hunted with it, shot trap skeet, sporting. It has never missed a beat. Takes a little bit of effort to clean but way worth it. You can find some good used ones on EE.

My favourite too but it has a few quirks most noticeably the forend cap which can seize if not loosened for storage. Anyone shopping for a used one should examine the forend cap for channel lock marks. More than one has had to be wrenched off.

 

[Pete G]

I have never seen that model on a sporting clays field, or in mamy stores, but I have seen a lot of SX-3 shotguns being used for skeet, trap and sporting clays.Our local sporting clays field uses SX-3 shotguns for rentals, and they are very reliable for that use.

Thank you stubblejumper for the confirmation of reliability. This SX 3 Ultimate Sporting gun has me interested. I normally shoot an O/U for Sporting but but would like to try this model Winchester semi if I ever have a chance. I do have a walnut/blued Beretta 390 ST which sees some clays action if I attend a shoot on a rainy day.

 

[Westward1]

Thank you stubblejumper for the confirmation of reliability. This SX 3 Ultimate Sporting gun has me interested. I normally shoot an O/U for Sporting but but would like to try this model Winchester semi if I ever have a chance. I do have a walnut/blued Beretta 390 ST which sees some clays action if I attend a shoot on a rainy day.

Unless you have a Lemon 390, you should already have a good understanding of reliability in an autoloader. It will be interesting to see how the SX-3 matches up.

 

[Pete G]

Unless you have a Lemon 390, you should already have a good understanding of reliability in an autoloader. It will be interesting to see how the SX-3 matches up.

Westward1, yes the 390 has been great, but you know how things go when a gunnut starts thinking about something "new" !!