New to Shotguns, seeking opinion on which to buy

J

jg0001

New member
I've been a handgunner for a little while now and would like to expand my collection by adding in a shotgun and rifle. [I'll save the rifle talk for the other forum; thinking 308 Win for that.]

The choices seem overwhelming, so perhaps I should just stick with something middle-of-the-road and commonplace. As for intended use, well, I'm no hunter, so this will be mostly for range use and learning shotgunnery, unless the SHTF takes place.

I'd like it to be the following:
(1) 12 gauge (this is 'the' standard, no?)
(2) semi-auto
(3) generally black or neutral in color (i.e. not camo)
(4) I'm only likely to buy ONE of these anytime in the near future, so spending $700-$1400 is not a problem

Hell, if someone could say, "Hey, get yourself a 12ga Benelli semi, model XXX whatever", at least I'd have a starting point. When I first was looking around for a handgun, someone suggested a Sig P226, and that helped immensely in reducing my initial search (I did buy the Sig in the end... later buying others when I learned more, but never regretting the Sig).
 
Try before you buy. Ask family, friends, co-workers to let you shoot their guns (you buy the ammo), go to gun clubs or ranges that have rental guns. Handle various makes and models at your local gun stores. Get some trigger time on various makes and models if you can.

Make up your mind based on experience as well as Intarw3bz advice...

lpl (I'm hearing it's hard to find semiauto shotguns in fighting trim these days...)
 
I'm a little curious as to the auto-only desire. If you get a chance to borrow a pump, you might just find that it suits your tastes. Pumps are definately easier to take care of (no pistons or O-rings to go bad).

I concure with the Benelli. Very reliable (but not cheap). Since you don't seem to know exactly what you are going to do with it yet, I would recommend one for which various barrels are readily available. A quick barrel swap means one gun can go from HD weapon to trap shooter to goose hunter in minutes.
 
I'm trying desparately to narrow the field, hence the limitations I listed.

Which is the more common shell size, 2 3/4" or 3" (does one gun shoot both sizes)? What about length? I find it odd that it makes much difference between 26" and 28", but it seems like every shotgun is offered in those lengths. How does one decide between items which seem not all that different?

In NJ, there are no shops near me that rent guns. Also, I usually shoot at an indoor range and there are few people that I see with shotguns (usually one or two out of 30+ that show up while I'm there). I don't ever intend to hunt with it unless I had to do so to survive. I would like to be proficient in using it and since I can likely only get the wife to permit one, I would like to get something of decent quality.
 
Beretta Teknys Gold Sporting
or
Winchester SX3

Benelli's M3s have this problem cycling lighter loads so I wouldnt advise taking a Beneli to the range.
 
Most any 3 inch chamber will also reliably shoot 2 3/4 inch shells. There may be one or 2 models that do not. You will likely never shoot 3 inch unless hunting. But the ability to shoot them is always a nice additional variety.
Brent
 
I always use 3' Rottweil 36 gr loads on ducks so its more of a neccesity.

I think all Beretta AL391s, Xtrema 2 & Winchester SX3 are multipurpose shotguns that can serve any utility that you intend upon deriving from a Shotgun.

1. Sporting (Skeet/Trap)
2. Hunting
3. SD/HD

They’re pretty reliable with all kinds of ammo.
 
I personally REALLY like the Beretta AL391.

I shoot very well with a friend's.

Not to say that I can actually afford one right now...
 
My go to hunter is an all steel pump, 12 ga. Win Model 12 is a good start, if you can find one in good shape. Ithica Model 37 is also a good choice. Older Rem Model 870s were steel, but the newer ones had plastic parts in the receiver and my brother had loads of trouble from his.

These pump actions have a strong lock on the chamber and I've never had a problem shooting "heavy" field loads in them. However, dad had a pre-64 Browning semi-auto that we couldn't shoot our reloads in. It just wouldn't cycle right so he switched back to a Win Model 12 and never had a problem. YMMV
 
If you want to buy one shotgun that you can adapt to various uses as you grow into the sport you might look at a Remington 1100. This is a pretty pedestrian shotgun, but the list of aftermarket parts is incredible. Barrels and stocks for all kinds of purposes from target, turkey, water fowl...and loads of parts to turn it into a really nice HD gun with mag extensions, pistol grips stocks, 21 inch barrels with sights, accessory rails, etc. etc.

Not elegant like a Benelli, but versatile - it's a thought.....
 
You can buy a used or new-old-stock Benelli M1 Super 90 for $750-1000 on Gunbroker, and get a second barrel for about $300-350. That would give you an ultra reliable, soft recoiling, ultra fast cycling 12ga for both home defense and sporting uses. These are pretty much the gold standard for semiautomatic shoguns and don't care if you feed them 2-3/4 ultra light target loads or 3" magnums. They just work every time you pull the trigger.

A nice bonus of the inertia system is ease of cleaning. breakdown for cleaning takes all of a minute. And because it's an inertia system and not a gas system there is little cleaning that needs to be done.

The new version is the M2 but I'm still most fond of the early H&K marked Benelli M1.
 
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Since you are new to the shotgun world, I would strongly suggest a 12 ga. pump shotgun. Sure, they arent quite as "cool" as the semi-automatics, but they wont require as much maintenance vs. the semi-autos and are generally considered more reliable. Sure, pump shotguns can malfunction, but when compared to semi-auto shotguns, the odds seem to favor the pump when it comes to reliability.

In terms of make/model, I prefer the Mossberg 590 and the Benelli SuperNova Tactical when it comes to less expensive models. If you have the coin, look into the Mossberg 590 A1 or the Remington 870 Police (the only Remington I would ever consider owning). Now, my preferential recommendations are mainly dealing with "home defense" purpose shotguns (matte black finish, smoothbore or possibly IC barrels ranging from 18" to 20" and so forth) as this is usually my main consideration when buying a shotgun. In terms of "hunting specific" shotguns, I couldnt say.

Now, if you insist on the semi-auto shotgun, might I recommend (simply based on preference) the Benelli M4 ($1,500+), M2 (possibly a bit more reliable than the M4, but not quite as cool) or the Mossberg 930 SPX ($600+). As nice (and conveniently priced) as the 930 SPX is, Benelli is generally considered top-tier when it comes to semi-auto shotguns. Keep in mind that semi-auto shotguns, like semi-auto handguns, can be somewhat finicky when it comes to certain loads. The pump shotgun, generally speaking, does not seem to be nearly as encumbered by this affliction.

It all depends on what you are willing to spend and most importantly, which type (pump or semi-auto) and which brand fits your needs best. All "user recommendations" aside, you will find that, as with almost anything, each type/make/model will come with its own set of strengths and weaknesses. Try them all out or at least those you are able to get your hands on. From there, its all up to you.

Good luck!
 
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