Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns What a dummy.....

...am I. Hunted all my shotgunning life with an 870, originally for an intentional safety buffer as a loan hunter.
I noticed in the last couple of seasons I had been consistently short-shucking the gun, don’t know why. I had never had any true interest in semi-auto’s. But, while sitting on a log last Squirrel hunt, I seriously began considering one. I looked at my 870 & mused, “if only I could have this exact gun in semi-auto!?” Imagine how ignorant I felt when it finally occurred to me, in 2016, that an 1100 was under my nose the whole time.

Admittedly, I always appreciated my 870’s to the point of never even considering anything else. Once I decided on the switch I purchased three 1100’s well broken in. And, an NIB 1965 Browning Auto 5, Light Twelve.

Though, I love my new smoke poles, each one now reminds me of my foolishness.

Try a Benelli Montefeltro and get back to me

Or a Beretta A400, or a Winchester SX4, or the Remington Versa Max. All of them over an 1100. Especially a well broken in 1100. Shoot them a lot and you will understand.

The SX4 is better than all of them, but unlikely to become as popular as Beretta or Benelli.

If you have to shoot Rem, then the VersaMax beats the 1100 for reliability and maintenance. Like a rented mule as Mike Lang would say.

Remington came out with the VersaMax for a reason; it wasn’t because the 1100 still ruled the semi auto world. However, the Versa is a pig, and Remington has been left behind in the semi auto market for so long, even the Versa doesn’t look like it can bring them back. And it is a good semi-auto.

Should have stayed with the 870, or a 12 or 37.

The 1100 has been sucking hind tit in the reliable, low maintenance semi-auto offerings for at least 2 decades, but best of luck.

SX3 or SX4. V3 or Versamax . Whatever fits you best.

Benelli M2...

yep

^^^This^^^

No other auto has won as much as the 1100, they just work.
They are the Best Buy in auto loading scatter guns period. Look for an older one, there everywhere, zero disappointments

I know you are an 1100 guy and was waiting for you to sign in. 😀

Over the long haul you may be right, however in the most recent 15 years at least, Beretta semis have taken home most of the trophies and money when it comes to semi-autos.

Man, you don't play around!
I like that, in a gun owner/buyer.

Semi-auto shotguns begin and end with the Beretta 390, IMHO.

That said, the 1100 is a shotgun that a LOT of folks shoot well. Remington hit on a lot of key fundamentals when they designed it. I have seen rookies in the dove field fall in love with them. From a shootability standpoint, I believe they deserve the cult following that they enjoy.

No doubt the 1100 points well and because of their weight, they kicked little. The Super X1 was another great shotgun. Simple design that worked with almost any shell. I still have three of them. However, they were a pain to maintain and unless you changed out the magazine tube to stainless, it would rust or burn easily. Then the trigger needed a pin preened or it could break from recoil. Ribs were known to come loose on early examples. Bob Bumgart from Wisconsin and Steve Fisher from Florida were the two that kept the SuperX1 tradition going with their alterations.

Stock options and designs of both of them are lacking compared to the newer semi offerings.

Both the SuperX and the 1100, have been surpassed by more modern designs that require less maintenance and are more reliable. Although the SuperX1 was extremely reliable, it can’t hang with the new semis.

I certainly wish the SuperX1 had been produced in a lighter weight 20Ga field model. However, the current Beratta A400 20Ga would have been its superior.

Get yourself a Belgium made sweet sixteen and just forget about it !

I'd pay extra for an 1100 before buying an A5 on a steal.

The 1100 points better, kicks less, doesn't have the barrel jumping around and isn't as ugly.

There are people that hunt dogs with short tails, to each their own, I'm an o/u sort of guy, but when it comes to autos a real sweet sixteen is about as close to perfect as has ever been built, the 1100 on the skeet field is in its happy place, but that is its only place.

You were doing good until the last 17 words.

I think the 1100 and SX1 are great guns and very reliable when maintained properly and that is the kicker. These older designs require more work up front to become reliable as well as care to stay running reliably than more modern designs. One can easily go several thousand rounds without cleaning on a modern semiauto which was not often possible with the older designs. One may say a gun needs to be cleaned after every use but it is not always possible to do so at a large shoot, especially if one flew in and was limited as to gear to bring.

The A-5 is a reliable gun and has the distinction of being used to win the first NSCA championship. I don't think Remington can say the same regarding any of their guns. Browning may have other wins with semiautos but Berettas will be found much more frequently.

The A-5's recoil can be severe if the rings are not set correctly and one does not use the style of shooting common in the late part of the 19th and early 20th Century but if done correctly, recoil can be pretty tame. The noise associated with the mechanism IS disconcerting but it is good practice towards learning to ignore the spring noise on an AR-15 and vice versa.

I am a fan of the A-5 but would (and do) pick a more modern Beretta for use today. I have had great luck with the Berettas I have owned since the mid-1990s. It is what I chose for my girlfriend, later wife, even though I could buy Brownings at factory cost at the time.

Many are of the opinion to avoid a thorough clean of Beretta SA’s until they start malfunctioning. They are of the opinion they function most reliably when a little dirty. Had an A400 that I would shoot 3-4K with only an outside wipe. It rarely hiccuped.

My wife's 390 and later 391 was cleaned after the state shoot and again after the hunting season. The first was for after season maintenance while the second was to deal with any debris and dampness picked up while hunting. My wife did 3000+ registered targets plus a like amount for league, practice, and hunting. When the gun would begin to slow down and not kick empties as far as it used to, a shot of some CLP into the receiver and a drop or two into the bolt handle hole would get things moving properly.

To clean, use the same lube and slather it on. Shoot a couple of rounds of trap back to back and then the residue will wipe right off.The 390 piston will wipe up with a towel while the rest gets blown out with carb or break cleaner.MAKE SURE THERE IS NO AMMONIA IN THE SPRAY! Ammonia will cause spalling in aluminum. Then a few drops of CLP on moving parts finishes off the job.

I do the same for the 391 except I spray the daylights out of the gas assembly with carb cleaner after shooting it wet with CLP. With either gun I replace the recoil spring after about 5000 rounds and may be separate from cleaning.

In contrast, the 1100 and 11-87s I owned were neat freaks. The 1100s were less so than the 11-97s but they did not like to be dirty. They also individuals in that one would like to run dry, another wet, another with spray on Teflon, etc. This was not unique to Reminton, I had the same problem with Mossberg, S&W, Ithaca, and probably qnother one or two. Needing to be clean is what eventually drove me to trying Berettas as doing so with magnum lead and many steel loads was not possible. Chaff, dirt, and other field debris did not help either. I don't regret that in the least.

Benelli M1 and shoot the hell out of it! Second choice would be a very distant Beretta.

I have picked up a few used 1100s in various gauges, and invariably they needed a good cleaning. But, I don't really shoot them enough to get them very dirty again; Some folks look as if they go a couple of decades and 1,000s of rounds between cleaning their autos but I am not one of them.

As Winston Churchill said, “Seldom in doubt.”

Knew I had an Auto 5 available to me.So, I bought the 1100’s to assess them.

I always swore that if I ever did own a semi-auto, it would be an Auto 5. When I found myself in the market a couple of years ago the NIB 65 model fell into my lap. I could have purchased a Sweet Sixteen, still can, but I prefer all my shotguns to be 12 ga.

Girsan MC312.

Many years ago, as a young man, I used to enjoy the likes of Trap and Skeet, long before "Sporting Clay's" was someone's dream. I've seen and handled many fine smoothbore's over the years, and frankly I believe it all comes down to preference. If you like a particular shotgun for the way it feels, points, and reacts to your manipulation, then you'll do well with it. If you don't, then not so much.

Having said that, my Mentor, a man that started me in the Trap shooting game, and a very fine Gunsmith, looked me straight in the eye when I asked and he said for the money, it was difficult to beat a Beretta. I took his advice to heart. I'm not a wealthy man, and over the years I've struggled to fund my Gun account with enough money to buy the finer examples, but my meager stable includes the following.

My first Beretta, was a NIB White Onyx that had a "Milky Finish" so the gun dealer made me a hell of a deal on it. 12 ga, 28" tubes, and has smacked everything from doves to Huns and Roosters in between. I just like the way a stack barrel points. Wish I had found a way to buy the Silver Pigeon 20 ga. I always wanted, but as I'm getting into the twilight years of my hunting, doesn't seem likely now.

When I was spending a lot of time in the Dakotas with a good friend and hunting Pheasant on big farms, you needed a semi to keep up with the farm boys as they meant business! I purchased a well used Beretta Silver Mallard. Still have it. Used it for Birds and Sporting clays and also filled in for Predator hunting. I also had a Gold Mallard, which I foolishly sold many years ago. But it was too pretty to hunt with the Gold inlays and all.....

I also believe a man should have on truly beautiful shotgun in his life. Mine is a Beretta Silverhawk .20 ga. SxS, 28" tubes and chokes. Sweet, light pointing little double that I have carried for Grouse and Tree Rats.

I have a Benelli M2 tactical that does the heavy lifting for the Varmints, both two legged and Four. Pistol gripped, ghost ring sights, and with screw in chokes.....#4 Buck is an amazing killer to 60 yards!
Add in a beater Mossberg 500 as an all around and loner gun as well.

Last, but not least, is a Mossberg Shockwave in 12 ga. I spend a lot of time in areas frequented by snakes.....this little cannon rides in my truck all the time, ready to eliminate them at a moments notice......does quite well for it's intended purpose.

So, as I said, different guns, for different purposes. Works just fine for me....

I just snagged another one, an 1100LT in 20 ga with smooth slug barrel.

Smart!

always wanted an 1100 LT 20, I can search up a non-rifle-sighted barrel and be ready for full action mode!

What?

No love for the Franchi 48?

I shot a few over the years, many years, but never owned one until a couple of seasons ago when I was cruising Gunbroker. I have autoloaders of other flavors, but I've grown to love this very light Browning clone. It points fast and has never failed to operate properly. I like simple...fewer problems.

I've always wanted one of these. Congrats on a nice shotgun.

dang..... now I am also wanting on of those "frenchie" guns, lol
heard a lot of good about them. as I get older, lighter is better too

The only thing I enjoy more than hunting Squirrels is cleaning my shotgun squeaky clean after a hunt session. So, if my 1100's or Auto 5's are finicky I have never noticed it.


I have had several occasions when my trusted 870 action locked up hard on me during a hunt because some dirt & grit made its way into the chamber. I have seen Milo, chaff, feathers, blood, etc. in the action of the 870 & it ran just fine. I'm telling you that when the action locked I had to beat the butt against a tree trunk to make it come loose. That has happened more than once.

My first shotgun was a S&W 1500 in 1983. It was a beautiful gun but clunky for me. I soon "traded up" to an 870 Special Purpose, the first of its kind in 1991.Me & that 870 spent many hours together, Squirrels & Dove aplenty. It feels, points & reacts like you said. It is a trusted friend.

The only issue I ever had with an 1100 was one that had sat for a year or two, and I failed to wipe down the mag tube after shooting. A light coat of oil, plus some mild powder fouling, had turned into a sticky mess and turned it into a single shot.

A quick wipedown fixed the issue.

Benelli’s are nice, but 3x the price. If you can’t be bothered with a 15 second wipedown of the mag tube, then get the Benelli.