Gas operated or inertia?

[Grouse Man]

The reputed problem with the Benelli guns is that if you bump the buttstock (before firing) the bolt sometimes will move back just enough to just go CLICK when you pull the trigger. It has nothing to do with how you hold the gun when you fire it.

"Maintenance" for a gas gun is a once-a-year cleaning. They can go hundreds if not thousands of rounds without cleaning - look at the clays shooters. How you clean it, and what lube you use, is probably more important.

Amen on the A-5. But I also agree that gas guns do shoot the softest.

 

[12magnum]

gas systems can go along way without cleaning at the trap and skeet club because of consistent shooting. if your duck hunting in december and you haven't cleaned it since opening day, you may be in for a surprise when you fire a shot. a lot depends on the individual gun. i have a remington 1100 thats been a good gun 35 years old, but it HAS to be cleaned regularly to cycle properly. one other often overlooked element in cleaning especially as the gun gets older, is the action spring in the stock. the link hits this spring with such force it sucks crud up into the action spring tube. over time it builds up, rust starts and the spring won't compress into the tube far enough. the result is no ejected empty shell and no feed of the next one. it will not cycle. inertia systems are not nearly as pron to not cycling because of dirt, crud or over lube.

 

[fantastic_damage]

inertia driven, more reliable, a lot faster. put it this way, you are looking at an M2 - nice gun.

if you wanna go all the way, Benelli Super Black Eagle II with comfortech.
28' barrel

i know, its 2000 dollars, but if you wanna buy just one gun, its worth your while. yes its fast and all that other stuff, but honestly, its not gonna jam up that easily, use rem dri-lube. and make sure when you pick up - you get all the grease out of the receiver - as long as its cleaned properly, you will do fine. and besides, your only other alternative is really a beretta xtrema II - but for a 100 dollars more, you can go with the benelli which has a lower mass weight, criobarrel, inertia driven technology, and comfortech, which takes less of a toll on your shoulders if you are poppin off 3.5's - first thing people seem to do with a semi is lube the crap out of it, best advice is use a rem action cleaner, get all the gunk outta the reciever (after shooting or hunting) - wipe it out, then use a dri-lube, you'll notice a difference

 

[fantastic_damage]

Hi, I'm looking for a good semi-auto for waterfowl, but I'm wondering how the gas operated gun do well in rain and swamp. I know inertia driven gun like M2 or I-12 are reliable even in water, but I really like the new SX3 from winchester and I was wondering if I could have problem cycling in hard weather condition like heavy rain and sand from field.

Also, any opinion on winchester semi-auto? Does it have O-ring to replace?
any review of different semi auto available are welcome,
BTW I just need 3'' chamber

SX3 is a lotta hype, i shot that along with the benelli and the xtremaII - i was in love with the SX3 until i shot it, the only thing it has got going for it is 'Active Valve' system, which is like a porting for the receiver, and honestly, from shooting it, its not nearly as good as the benelli -

understanding i just gave you only one opinion - we (i work at a gun store) took the SX3, Benelli SBEII, and the Xtrema II - to a range after work one day, and pretty much everyone said the same thing. i really loved that SX3 but after shooting it, i didnt see what the hype was all about. haha.

 

[Hi-Standard]

Inertia gun will jam if it is not shouldered properly.

Most semis shooting light loads would have trouble cycling if not shouldered properly. I have a couple of 1100's. One in 3" and the other in 2 3/4". The 2 3/4" inch will cycle any 2 3/4" load no matter how I hold the gun, because there is enough gas pressure due to the extra gas port to slam that bolt back. The 3" will cycle 2 3/4" field loads if I hold it tight to my shoulder. If I hold her at my side, she will not cycle the 2 3/4" loads. All semi's owe some of there actions to inertia to some small degree. With gas, once the op rods break the bolt lock up, especially shooting light loads, a lot of the bolt cycling is done by the recoil of the spent casing. In handgun terms, this is called limp wristing. I have seen semi handguns cycle beautifully with one shooter, and fail to cycle the same loads with another shooter who was limp wristing.

 

[fantastic_damage]

i think someone said something about the 'bolt' not going back all the way on an inertia, heres another thing. when you assemble the gun - benelli's are a ridiculously tight fit, make sure you slide the barrel in very tight until you hear a little 'click', it sounds obvious, but i had a guy who put the barrel in, it looked perfectly fine, and he had the same troubles - i took the gun, pushed a bit harder on the barrel, and it clicked, noticing then there was a little slack.....maybe it might help. (the guy never came back with any more problems). hope it helps.

 

[ben hunchak]

I don't like to think that i am a cheapskate but, I bought a "like new" Browning auto 5 for $200, made in Belgium. It is 2 3/4" and i reamed out the full choke to about IC for steel shot and it has become my "go to gun" for ducks, and i have 6 or 7 shotguns to choose from!!! i use a 3" Mag. sxs for geese and steel shot only. I have had good luck this year with steel shot(last year I used bismuth), I keep my shots within 40 yds and any I miss are my fault not the gun or ammo!

 

[fantastic_damage]

I don't like to think that i am a cheapskate but, I bought a "like new" Browning auto 5 for $200, made in Belgium. It is 2 3/4" and i reamed out the full choke to about IC for steel shot and it has become my "go to gun" for ducks, and i have 6 or 7 shotguns to choose from!!! i use a 3" Mag. sxs for geese and steel shot only. I have had good luck this year with steel shot(last year I used bismuth), I keep my shots within 40 yds and any I miss are my fault not the gun or ammo!

Auto 5's are classic, all steel receivers, and they are built tough! if you got it for 200 dollars, thats a steal. bismuth is pretty nice, even tungsten matrix - both obviously cost a lot, but still good nonetheless. steel can be good too, just as long as you choose the proper weight, most people only look at speed when choosing, but they should pay attention to the weight of the shot. a 1 1/4 oz 1450 fps shot is a much better choice than lets say a 1550 1 1/8 oz. problem with steel is that sure you can get it heavier, its just not that malleable - haha.