Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns 20 ga semi-auto recommendations????

I have shot my Beretta 391 Sporting model over 150,000 rounds.

1100's with a little rattle can! Happiest girls in the dove field!!!!





Or you could do a little LW 28ga 870 with rattle can finesse.







DMc : )

Can't not notice the trigger fingers ;-)

Itchy I'd say. Best have your insurance paid up.

DMc : )

if you can find one for sale don't turn down a Franchi 720. light as a feather and soft on the shoulder.

at 5ft 10 i imagine she is big enough to manage a full sized 20ga semi auto in the used semis the 1100 Remington is a obvious option reliable and easy to maintain, the 720 franchi are a good buy too, not as popular as some other Italian gas Autos and you might find one at a good price.
If you are in the market for a gun something she will always want to keep forever, its pretty much a one horse race where semi autos are concerned lightness ease of handling nice to carry the Franchi 48AL 20ga is the gun to go for, nothing gets near to it in handling and opperation they function thousands of rounds without any issues the Browning A5 20ga is not as well balanced or are its Remington and savage counterparts.
The Franchi 48 al has it for me .
One other semi auto 20 worth looking for is the Browning B80 reliability is second to none, and its a nicer better ballanced gun than its cousin the Beretta 301 and 302s which do feel distinctly front heavy and lame compared to the B80 which had a little more thought put into the gun fit and balance.
Your Tri star Mossberg SA20 is not a bad idea in new guns , these cheaper modern semi autos from the far east are getting their act together now Legacy with the Escorts and Wetherby Sa series guns are no joke they are basic but work fine for the money.

Remington just re-released their new "economy" Model 1100 with a retail of only $499.00. 12 or 20ga, 28" barrel, black synthetic stocks and Matt black finished metal. You ought to be able to buy one new when Academy runs their Dove Season Sale flyer for around $450.
And Remington has some big rebates going right now on new shotguns, too. Don't think you can buy a "better" new 12 or 20 ga at that price, IMO. I'll probably buy one for a spare or loaner for the Ranch.

A nearby large sporting goods store has the Escort LSI 20 with regular price at $390. I haven't found any reviews on them. Does anyone know if they are any good?

Another gun I saw on-line is the Stoeger m3020. It's inertia driven. The few reviews I found seem good. I can't find any in stock but online prices seem to be right around $500.

Thanks for your help!

Spot on.

My grandson and I both shoot them often and have other choices. But, for upland game hunting these are excellent and carry 5 shots where legal.

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/652217328
http://www.gunbroker.com/item/674248429

To be honest at that price and with a rebate its a done deal in my opinion i would get the New 1100.

I looked at a youth 20 ga 11-87 today and I think it's too heavy.

I found an old Remington that looks like the auto 5 in 20 ga but it has a fixed full choke. Price was $480. It seemed ok but I don't want to mess with opening up the choke. It was an interesting gun and if I had the spare $ I'd probably by it to play around with.

I also found a Beretta 3901 in 12 ga. It was decent and price was reasonable I think. I definitely want to stick with 20 ga but it was good to see one in 12 ga. I'll keep an eye out for one!

I handled the CZ semi-auto in 12 ga and I didn't like it. I don't know how to describe what I didn't like but I won't consider it in 20. It was marked Huglu so I'll skip those!

The search continues!

That model 11 is a nice shotgun last her her lifetime if its good order and wont lose any money whatsoever they are just steadily creping up holding its own with inflation, and add to this a joy to use.
if you are too heavy on the Remington 1187 1100 the Model 11 although slightly lighter is no super lightweight, if you are in to a 20 in that model 11 kind of weight area, but new cheap and multichoke i would go with a Hatsan escort, adjustable for stock length and multi chokes, not a high grade gun by any means but they do function well are simple and low maintenance just a o ring to keep an eye on like 1100s no problem.
We have an escort here had it years been good all the kids had it as starter gun.
Dont be put off by the plain finish they are good for a low budget tool.

find a Franchi 720 or older 620 and enjoy. light as a feather and the gas system is light on the shoulder. you should be able to have one for well under 700.00 and closer to 550.00
i love my Beretta Urika 2 and if you could find one in 20 ga i think you will be most pleased. but it will go north of 700.00

The Mossberg SA20 and the Tristar Viper G2 are both "copies" of the Beretta 300 series, but newly made and well-made.

You won't go wrong with either one, but the Tristar is the pick of the litter right now due to a great warranty and aggressive customer service.

The search continues...

Today she used my friends 686 20 ga today for a round of trap. One of the senior guys coached her and she did good, but I could see near the end she was feeling the weight of the gun. I think it weighs 6.5 lbs.

She definitely likes the semi-auto better and I could understand that.

Keep the recommendations coming!

Thanks!

The Wby SA-08 is essentially the same. That's why these guns work, good design copied and built well.

I don't think you could beat either the new 1100 Express or the Wby SA-08 in that $500 price range for a brand new gun. Both work extremely well, but the Wby DEFINATLEY "prettier". For a young lady, I'd let her choose the one that feels and handles the best to her. Neither would be a wrong choice. Kids usually appreciate it better if they get a say in the decision, IMO.

And for the money, I'd take either one of those every day and twice on Sunday over a Mossberg or Stoger.

The Weatherby SA-08 is made by the same people in the same factory as the Mossberg SA-20/Tristar Viper G2. All three are essentially the same gun.

Mossberg/Tristar are exactly identical, just different labels.

Weatherby nearly so, but has a differently-shaped trigger guard (irrelevant) and a plastic sleeve single action bar, whereas the other two have a nicely-machined metal two action bar sleeve. The Weatherby uses a two separate valve system which must be changed for light vs. heavy loads, while the other two use a very simple self-compensating gas system with nothing to swap similar to the Beretta 300 series.

Tristar offers the most variety/options in the Viper G2 lineup, has the best warranty, and the most responsive customer service. They will also sell parts much cheaper than the other two, and those same parts can be used interchangeably to fix the other two brands when needed.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say Tristar has the "best warranty". Their web page says they will repair/replace for ONE YEAR from date of purchase to the original owner only. They will provide you with parts (no labor) for 4 years.

Doesn't sound too impressive to me - but when you say they have the most responsive customer service, that carries some weight. Poor customer service can lose even the most dedicated user of any product.

I did not know that DD. Good points if that's the case and the price point is cheaper too. I was just going by the friends I know that have the Weatherby's and love em. I know they are light and trim and swing well and seem to have very low recoil. I'm old school and still think the new 1100 is a bargain. Mainly because that's what I grew up shooting and never had one fail me.

Personally I finally sprung for a new Benelli Silver Ultralight 20 ga auto this year. I just hope like heck I can hit a bird with it.