Reliable Semi 12 Gauge

DiMP

DiMP

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I have recently been discovering the fun of trap shooting. I have been shooting (and having pretty good luck) using my 870 Wingmaster. I have been slowly improving and, somehow, on Sunday I shot 21/25 clays. I would love to try the doubles, but it isn't really feasible with a pump action. I know nothing about semi-auto shotguns and wonder if there is any that you would recommend I stay away from? I prefer to stick to a field gun like my 870, with the mindset that if I can hit clays, I can bring it out for ducks at next year's hunting season. That in mind, I really don't have the cash to go spend over a thousand bucks on a gun either. I keep surfing the EE but, as I said, without knowing anything about semi's I'm just kinda picture-looking. Thanks for the insight!
 
So many semi's out there my only advice is spend close to 1000. Don't cheap out. They cheap semi's just cut in the duck blind. I prefer an sx3. But there are alot of guns from browning, beretta and winchester that are worth looking at. Not a fan of remington but it may be ok for you. Buy once and buy quality.
 
I bought an older Remington 11-58 Sportsman a few years back. Never skips a beat, with any load. I have two barrels for it, a 25" skeet barrel and a 28" modified. Total investment was 350 bucks and shes a real beaut. Nicely engraved receiver and gorgeous wood too.
 
Best $ value today Winchester sx3 the older Remington's are fine but the gas metering system is finicky & the guns are prone to malfunctions . I know guys will jump all over me for my comments but the difference is I did Remington's warranty work for many yrs and seen a lot of guns there experience is with there personal guns which may been fine on a individual basics but the big picture is a little different . The new Beretta 300 would also be a good candidate
 
Beretta is on top of the semi-auto trap pile these days. Their self cleaning gas system is really quite incredible. They really seem to have dialed in the right sensitivity for competition shooting in a gun that can go all day and the felt recoil us incredible for such a light gun. The lighter loads used in trap often mean if everything isnt perfectly clean you can get rounds failing to chamber. One guy at my club claims to have gone 10,000 rounds without a jam. He got the model with the digital counter.

But they are a little more pricey. Remington 1100s, though notorious for being sensitive to cold, were the go to gas operated auto loaders for quite some time and can be gotten for significantly less, especially if you are willing to buy used. Its been ten years since I shot one, but I remember it impressed me the way the piston reduced the felt recoil.
 
Lever38 said:
...especially if you are willing to buy used.
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I think this is the route I am leaning towards. Like I said, it is a bit of a wish for a new gun, but not a "need"


cyclops666 said:
Here's an old vid of a Baikal mp 153, pretty tough gun, not very pretty but they are cheap.
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I don't think it looks too bad. I clean my guns after every shooting venture, but I do love reliability


pbonura said:
So many semi's out there my only advice is spend close to 1000. Don't cheap out. They cheap semi's just cut in the duck blind. I prefer an sx3. But there are alot of guns from browning, beretta and winchester that are worth looking at. Not a fan of remington but it may be ok for you. Buy once and buy quality.
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Words to live by. This is why I ask for opinions from people who have experience. I have 5 different pump shotguns, and other than the wife's Auto-5 she inherited (and likes to keep as a safe queen) I don't have much in the way of semi-auto experience.


Thanks for all the insight!
 
I've come across an Ithaca 900 in EE for good price/condition. Any experience?
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/foru...mod-12-more-pics-price-drop-shipping-included

EDIT:
Spending some time on Google tells me there was 2 models out there of this gun. The 900 (like listed) and the XL900. The latter is gas operated while the 900 was recoil operated. I can only suppose that a gas-operated would be preferable for my shoulder after a full day of clay shooting than the recoil operated, yes?
 
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Any semi can be picky on ammo as they get dirty with some more then others, ive got a sa08 and works nicely, i can still pump just as fast with my mossburg500 and kinda prefer it as a reliabe gun in a pump then a semi
 
I have a remington versa max i got new for this season which has about a thousand skeet loads through it as well a few hundred waterfowl loads, never a hiccup besides some bad ammo misfiring.
 
Hey DiMP, a buddy of mine is selling a near-mint Browning A500 (Belgian made) with only a handful of rounds through it.... he's asking $650.00 with a hard case. If I could swing it, I'd be all over it myself but I can't right now.
 
Ive put about 3000 rounds through my weatherby sa-08 and have only had 3 malfunctions. All with Winchester white box walmart special of coarse. Federal bulk ammo has never me.
 
Again, as with any shotgun ... fit is the main key to success. All semis must be kept clean, especially, if you want to shoot doubles. The ones that I see fail on the line, most often shooting doubles are semis and there are not many folks that I shoot with, shooting doubles with semis. Whichever one you buy, be prepared to purchase some spare parts.

IMHO, the best value is an 1100, because of sheer volume, millions. I prefer the Winchester Super X-1. I have a couple of them. I think the best one out there of the newer, and of course, more expensive, are the 391 series Berettas.
 
Bennlli, Beretta, Browning, remington Versa max , all will do fine, Seems the problem is to find a field gun that will cycle light loads, Any of these will do it ans I am sure there are others
 
OP - who said using a pump for doubles trap is a no go ? I do it, and love it. It is sooooo nice to stand next to the guys with $17 000 shotguns (o/u, mind you) and be right there with them when it comes to birds broke. It's not nice to stand next to the guy with a semi that seems to hit you in the head with the ejected shell while shooting doubles. (you have to remove the shell catcher while shooting doubles, and some semis shoot the empties all over the place) If you want a challenge, and one that may actually make you a better shot with the gun you use in the field, use your pump for doubles trap. As always, with any gun you're going to shoot a couple hundred shots through in one day, it better fit you, or you'll feel it.
 
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