Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Remington 1187 or Franchi Affinity

Does anyone have any experience with these 2 shotguns in a 20 gauge? If so which do you prefer?
Do the newer Franchi's (Affinity models) have the recoil that Franchi's used to be known for? A youth will be using it from time to time.

The franchi hands down. Much much better gun

I'm a big Remington fan but ill agree with the Franchi

You didn't say what you're using it for exactly, but in this day and age there is absolutely no way I'm carrying a shotgun with a steel receiver when something in aluminum is available.

Affinity. No question. Ten out of ten times

Want to set up a 20 gauge for turkey hunting....Will be using 3 inch heavy loads.

That may change my choice to the Remington simply because I'm a fan of turkey guns having red dots and I don't think the franchi is D&T.

It's a horse a piece though I lean toward the Remington as I am extremely familiar with them, any possible breakage is easily repaired, and there are plenty of options available for them. The Affinity is a nice gun from a reputable manufacturer and would be a good choice too.

I have not heard of a Franchi having any more recoil than any other similar firearm. Recoil is a matter of gun weight, shot charge weight, and velocity. Gun manufacturer has no part in the equation. Stock dimensions determine gun fit and how the recoil is transmitted to the shooter and this is peculiar to the individual and again has nothing to do with the manufacturer.

Okay, well then you can completely ignore what I said above LOL. Unless it's a real long hump to get where you're going.

Operational mechanism affects recoil too. An intertis gun is going to kick harder than a gas gun

Franchi affinity 3 20 gauge is an excellent choice. Long response so hang with me...

My older franchi affinity12 gauge never misses a beat and I use it as a trap team loaner and it runs when fellow trap team members 1187s are jamming. Its never failed in the duck blind either.

I liked it so much that I bought a 12 ga Affinity 3 and a 20 gauge affinity 3 for turkey guns and keep the older one for ducks & loaner.

The newer affinity3s are drilled and tapped and you can either use a weaver 93A mount ( and shorten the front screws) or buy a Sumtoy mount for $50. I just bought a sumtoy mount to try, but I know I will like it because it will mount my burris FF3 much lower.

I'll admit the 20 gauge wasnt ejecting light shells well, but I had not broke it in with heavier loads on the trap field either. Thats where the 12 gauge behaved better. The 20 has no issues with 3 inch shell ejection.

The best part of the franchis... they have much better triggers than my all my other shotguns until I get to my citori 725.

Zero hesitation on using a franchi for a general purpose and turkey gun

If the Franchi is D&T...forget the 1187

1187 will kick less. Franchi will be brutal and will want upgrade to avoid Benelli click, even though it is a more reliable gun overall.

If you want forty yard performance and light recoil with factory loads, investigate .410 TSS loads from Browning.

"Benelli click" is a figment of your imagination. It's not a condition caused by design failure. It's caused completely by ooeator error



The franchi is a far superior gun to anything Remington has ever designed and built

I’d opt for the 1187 due to it being gas operated. It will likely be easier to handle and more fun for a kid. Not a fan of the inertia guns for kids or myself.

An inertia gun and a gas gun are not similar other than being semiautomatics. Compare a gas gun with another gas gun or an inertia with an inertia and one with a like system and one won't see a difference in recoil due to mechanism.

Well no schit... Geezus. Do wesr captain fugging obvious pajammas to bed too?

Ive never had an issue with the benelli click on any of my franchi's and its an operator error issue. Weve noticed its from people sliding the bolt back to see if a shell is in there.

As far as recoil...
a gas gun will ideally kick less and they tend to be really heavy.

But they would be no worst than any of the light 870 youth pump guns people pimp out for turkey. The franchi comes with sling studs, drilled and tapped, and a better trigger in a package around 6 pounds so its a nice place for a light turkey gun.

One word. Benelli.

I would watch youtube videos on how to strip and clean the guns to help you decide too.

You will be stripping that 1187 4X more often though....

If I were insistent on buying a gas gun there is 3 choices I'd consider. Browning silver, Winchester sx3 and Beretta a 400

Don't be ridiculous. It can happen just setting it down against a tree. I've done it with a Franchi. Upgrade the gun with a heavier spring and it won't happen. It's not worth spouting nonsense over when you can easily and cheaply prevent it.

No rotary bolt heads. Those won't always seat all the way without help if you're trying to be quiet about it. You want an older Beretta. I'm wondering if you've ever actually used any of these guns.

Do you really think releasing a bolt makes that much noise, I'm wondering if you ever spend time in the woods. Not once have I used the bolt release or gross motor skills to chamber a round and close the bolt, has it ever cost me game. The entire theory that it does is beyond rediculous


I probably spend more time with shotguns of all kinds in a year than you have in your life. Currently my rotation of waterfowl guns includes aN a391 Extrema2, a Benelli SBE2 an M2 Benelli 20 Ga. And a New A5 stalker and A Gold lite 10

I have used an SX3, and A400 Extreme(much prefer the handling of the Extrema2).

My upland gun choices include an old 1100SF, a Growing Gold hunter, a Benelli Ultralight,

Shall I continue with my clays guns? There is A Benelli pro sport that doesn't get used much, but it's a Benelli. The A400 multi target, an old Winchester 1400, an even older SX1 and a Growing Maxus Sporting that is unfired and in the box simply because I don't know if I want to keep it or not

If you're putting a gun down hard enough to knock it out of battery you're not simply "setting" it. Benelli click is completely caused by the operator. My SBE2 has probably close to 6000 rounds through it almost all of that 3 and 3.5 inch Steel. The only time it has ever come out of battery is when I've done it by easing the bolt back to check to see if there was a shell in the chamber. That gun lives in swamps, boats and blinds of all kinds it's never even heard of gentiel treatment

2 Benelli Autos, I have never experienced this "Benelli Click". Getting back on subject I would take the affinity every day of the week over the Remington 11-87. I think highly of Remington autos but I think Benellis are in another class. I like the design of the affinity and the fact it is missing a recoil spring in the buttstock. Nice and light.

The Rem will kick less

After that, they are all capable of filling your needs.

My '71 vintage 1100 is fed a couple cases of shells, every year. Never had a problem. But, I'm biased. Having 6 1100s; magnum 12, 16, 20, Lt20, 28, and .410.