Looking for a shotgun for my wife...

I

ibdecent

New member
Hello,

I'm looking to buy a semi auto 12 ga. shotgun for my wife. it will be used for duck and geese. I have a benelli nova for her, but it's a bit long. I'd like to spend about $500. Plan on selling the nova. The problem is, It's near impossible to find a gun that fits her! She's 5'3" and everything is too long. I was really looking into a mossy 930, but I can't find a replacement stock for it, I emailed mossberg about it, still waiting for a reply. She likes my dad's sbeII but I can't afford nor justify spending $1500 on a shotgun. I looked at a stoeger, but again no replacement stocks. There's the tristar viper youth, but i'm kind of scared of them, simply because I've never really heard of them. There's also a charles daly at the local gander for $250, but I've heard bad things about them. I cant really see buying a gun and ruining a good stock without having a backup, in case I ever wantt o sell. Every one we tried from remmy's to winnies to mossies and others have been too long. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Brandon
 
Shotgun fit is critical- you're wise to try and get a proper fit for her.

It's hard to shorten up a Mossberg 930 much, because the bolt return tube comes back almost to the recoil pad in the stock. A good gas operated semiauto is your best bet. A good used Remington 1100 should do OK, she should be able to get the job done with 2 3/4" loads but there are some 3" 1100s out there if you're willing to look for one. And a wood-stocked 1100 is little problem to get shortened enough to fit most anyone- the design still has a bolt return tube in the stock, but it doesn't go nearly as far back as the Mossberg 930.

For a short while Remington made a less expensive version of the 1100 called the Sportsman 12 Auto. Those turn up from time to time, and are usually good deals- worth looking for anyway.

Spring for a premium recoil pad too, it'll really help. Tell whoever is grinding the pad to fit that it's for your wife.

lpl
 
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There are lots of gunsmiths that will shorten a stock for you. If she wants a 12 gauge, then you are going to have to budget for doing that.

Youth/Lady model guns all tend to be 20 gauge shotguns. If she is OK with shooting 3 inch mag 20 gauge loads for waterfowl, then you could get such a shotgun, and not have to make any changes to it.

The best new semiautomatic shotgun in your price range would be the Weatherby SA-08, which is quite a nice gun. Here is a link to an informational video:

http://www.weatherby.com/videogallery?video=training-sa&type=flv&autoplay=1


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Check the Beretta 3901 RL Target - 12ga, reduced length buttstock, light recoiling semi-auto, adjustable comb, adjustable LOP w/spacers, shoots up to 3" shells. This is the gun my wife bought for herself. We (she) paid $875.00 out the door brand new.
 
why not just get the nova stock cut to fit?
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The nova's but pad is not held on by screws, but rather a lip in the stock and a groove in the pad.
she also wants a semi-auto and twelve gauge only.
yes, a limbsaver will be in the picture to. she can handle the recoil fine, but I want to make it as comfortable as possible to help her become a better shot so she will enjoy hunting even more, after all, if momma's happy, you're happy.
 
then look at the Beretta's and Rmingtons.....they're both gas guns and will have less "felt" recoil.....and since they're probably heavier, they'll also have less actual recoil
 
I would say search out a used-but-like new Berretta 390/391/3901. I saw an LNIB 390 20 ga at a pawnshop for $389, a smokin' deal. Cabellas often has like-new trade-ins.

Also a Franchi would work if you can find it. Yes, I know, she wants a 12 ga, for her frame I think a 20 ga AL48 would fit, though it is a recoil op'ed gunn

Tri-Star sells SA guns in the price range.

www.jaquas.com

Has a Browning Gold, $600, used. A couple of Verona field guns for $400, $250. A Beretta 390 Gold, $550, very good deal; you better buy it before I do!

Have some fun, browse Jaquas for a spell.

Oh, that B 390 Gold has 24 inch barrel. Looks like it might be a winner.

http://www.jaquas.com/gunlist/Search.asp#116386
 
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Is that how recoil works?
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Yes, it is

the heaviest gun shooting the lightest load equals the lightest recoil - simple laws of physics on that - add in a gas gun, and the "felt" recoil also appears to be less
 
The shells being equal will produce the exact same actual recoil so that silly law... "Equal and opposite reaction" is just temporarily manipulated by the additional weight or addition of a shock absorbing system...
Who sez us rednecks can't sound smart now and then?:D
Brent
 
I've always worked under the premise that the heavier gun recoils slower so the recoil reduction is felt, not actual.
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There is a difference between ACTUAL and FELT, or PERCEIVED recoil....HEAVY gun plus LIGHT load equal LESS recoil......adding a gas-action gun will reduce felt or perceived. newton's laws are still applicable today.

Here ya go:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recoil
 
While I may be wrong, I feel that you have it backwards (or wiki does)... The gas system actually uses some of the cubic inches of hot propelling gasses to activate the action. So it seems to me that that would actually reduce the actual recoil as it has expended some of the energy in the gasses.
But who are we do pick nits... :rolleyes:
Brent
 
Wiki has it right. Conservation of energy - the recoil is the same in a 2lb gun with the same barrel length and cartridge as a 10lb gun; all things equal. What's not the same is the FELT recoil. But yer right Brent; nits in the ointment and pickin flys ain't helping wife get a comfortable shotgun.
 
recoil is a factor of velocity, mass of ejecta and weight - by the time that the ejecta exits the barrel, then the action opens and lets it operate - this results in a longer (by milliseconds) push from the gun.

Take a 6# gun and a 9# gun - fire the same shell - 6# gun recoil is much greater

Take two equal weight guns except one is a gas gun - the gas gun will have the same exact amount of recoil, but will feel less because the gas action spreads the recoil out over a longer period of time

NOW
Take a heavy O/U and a little lighter gas gun....Actual is one thing, felt is another - that is up to each individual - you'll find many who will say a 7-1/2# gas gun recoils less than a 9# O/U - isn't so, but FELT recoil might seem that way
 
ri-Star sells SA guns in the price range.

www.jaquas.com

Has a Browning Gold, $600, used. A couple of Verona field guns for $400, $250. A Beretta 390 Gold, $550, very good deal; you better buy it before I do!
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I'm not impressed at all with those other shotguns, but that $600 Browning Gold looks like it is brand new. It looks downright gorgeous from the photos, and would be a real good buy.

The bluing on the shotgun still looks perfect:

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And the wood on the stock is absolutely beautiful:

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A gunsmith could easily shorten that gun's wood stock, and put any recoil pad that you wanted on it.

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