Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Opinions of Model 11 Remington

What is your opinion of the old Remington Model 11 compared to the Browning A-5? Thanks...Bill.

Nothing wrong with either...

I prefer the Browning but that is due to growing up with the A-5 as "The Gold Standard" with the Remington being more for "commoners". Mechanically/reliability speaking, both are pretty comparable and one will be well served with either.

Parts are not bad for the Remington either, they were pretty common guns so one can get them repaired easily. Numrich Arms is the place I check first for parts on obsolete guns and they generally have plenty in stock.

I think the Auto Five is a more refined gun. The embellishment on the receivers is more graceful on the A5 if that makes sense. I don't think the M11 has the speed feed feature of the later A5. Mechanically the Remington and Savage variants are the same I think. Fit, finish and features separate them.

I have a Remington Model 11 Sportsman in 12 ga. With two barrels, a 28 inch modified and a 26 inch improved cylinder. It is an excellent field gun.

I agree with you and I have hunted with Brownings most of my life and also with a few Model 11s. The Model 11s also lack the magazine cutoff but somehow, to me, the Model 11 just "feels" right in the hunting fields. I was always afraid of scratching those beautiful Brownings. The reason I posted was that I bought a very nice Model 11 a couple of days ago from Randy Shuman at a price I couldn't refuse. I think I'm trying to justify another purchase that may never be used...Thanks...Bill.

If you bought a Remington model 11 from Randy Shuman your bought a very nice condition shotgun.


Doc

Yes Sir, Randy Shuman is a straight shooter for sure! Thanks...Bill.

Yep, I forgot about the magazine cutoff. I grew up with Auto Fives and have a soft spot for them. Light Twenty, Sweet Sixteen and Light Twelve were all highly regarded names around my neck of the woods growing up.

I have a sweet 16 as well as a 20 ga model 11 well the 11 is on semi permanet loan to my brother. I have to agree with the opinions that the brownings are superior in finish . As to function there's not much difference and I have yet to see a dog or bird that was impressed by the fit and finish difference. There are some good deals out there on the model 11s if you want the humpback recoil àuto experience

The only model 11 I've seen was in Panama on base in 1980. There was a MP riding "shotgun" with the base "money" van that made the collections and drop offs.

Besides the lack of a magazine cut-off (A-5), the Model 11 only has one extractor where the A5 has two. I've only owned one A5 that I did a lot of shooting with but I've had a couple different Model 11's and a Savage 755. Have put a couple cases of shells through them and can't say there is any noticeable difference in the function.

Obviously the Remington and Savage versions were lower priced guns and lack the cosmetics and level of finish.

as guns age, wood becomes aged as well. old m11's like a5's are prone to cracked wood and grips.
the recoil buffer for the bolt inside the receiver was made of leather. it ages and becomes brittle. have a smith check it before you shoot. its held in with a rivet and if the rivet head falls off, the leather goes away. you can take it from there, if you know what i mean.
i like them. i own 3. 12/16/20. all in skeet version.

does your gun have a buttplate or pad?

The 11 and the A-5: no better shotguns made IMO. I have an A-5 magnum with a 32" barrel, a sweet sixteen and a 12 gauge model 11. No plastic, no camo. Machined metal and wood, the way a firearm is supposed to be. The A-5 is, like its been mentioned, finished nicer. They both function the same. The actions slam shut like a vault door, they function in the worst weather, they pattern bismuth perfectly with their long forcing cones. Stay away from steel shot and shoot the [bleep] out of them, they will last forever.

here are my 3.
12-16-20

all are skeet grade 1940's.

Looking forward to those pictures...

Love em. Bought a .16 on a whim for $200 and I became a groupie. Found a .20 a year later for $175.

Truly fantastic shotguns for being 75 years old.

mine was given to me by a friend of the family, when the old gent died. I used it for many years, and then passed it on to a favorite nephew. It is his 'go to' shotgun, and he has taken deer, ducks and turkey with it.
I could not think of a better person to own this fine old shotgun. 12 GA, with PolyChoke.

Mine is three years shy of 100 years old. It was bought by my wife's uncle after his return from WWI, and has sent God knows how much lead downrange. I've had to replace the mainspring and the brass recoil bushing, and it's good for another 97 years. Kind of heavy, since the receiver was milled out of a block of steel instead of stamped, but that's how things were made in 1919.