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I'd try to find a used Beretta 390.

Beretta a300

Some guys really liking those Retay SA, I know the LGS selling more of those than anything else.

One more. Weatherby SA-08

The best one is the one that pulls up the best for you ( fit and balance), for me that is the Benelli M2
It’s like it’s part of me, it’s creepy how fast I can kill something with it.

Then it comes down to mechanics and quality of the gun itself.

Yep. A used Beretta 390 for the easy win.

Beretta - Used 390 (no I'm not giving mine up) or A300 (not giving up my A400 either).

Original Browning A5 Light Twelve, if you can live without 3” shells. Hand engraving and checkering, French walnut stock. Nothing else points as well for me. After foolishly selling my original when someone waved a bunch of cash at me, I picked up another one and had tubes installed by Briley in its 30” barrel. It requires adjusting the friction rings when changing from light to heavy loads or vice-versa, but that’s a minor quibble. The quality is something usually associated with double guns.

Been shooting clays with it this year, something new for me. Almost no one else is familiar with those at the range, and the way it feeds itself when you stuff a shell in the magazine with the bolt open is a minor marvel to them.

Hard to beat a Belgium A-5 IMO. They just don’t build them like that anymore. Last you a lifetime, plus.

I'm with Charlie and Wilkes--the Beretta 390 is tough to beat if you can find one.

For an out of the ordinary recommendation, I also had a great experience with an H&R Excell Auto. Picked one up for $225 at a pawnshop when I was a poor student in 2006. It gave me almost ten years of flawless use before I parked it in the safe. Still gets occasional use as a loaner.

The Browning B80 is another reliable shooter that can be found for a reasonable price, if you don't mind a wood stock.

+3, or wherever it’s at.

Picked up a used 390 Silver Mallard some years back for a song. It’s a smooth running gun that doesn’t seem to care what you run through it. If I had to pick a nit, it’s maybe a tad on the chunky side.

My other favorite auto!

If I had to buy one today, it would be a Beretta A300.

Yamamoto Auto Pointer (clone of Browning Auto 5) I have had for over forty years, great gun.

Winchester Super-X. My Super-X 3 has been stellar.

i was a Benelli guy for years. Ive used my SBE2 as a canoe paddle, a walking stick in the swamp, and an ice breaker. it is still banging away.

I found a hell of a deal on a new A5 this year and have pretty much retired the SBE2 to snow goose duty

Yet another for a 390. And I'm a Browning fan!

And there is nothing wrong with things just a tad bit chunky!

Has anyone tried the Retay line up ?
They’re supposed to be a great gun for the money

I looked at Retry but what I found was mixed reviews so I passed.

Franchi Affinity fits me well and has been very dependable. Probably go M2 as second choice.

I love my Benelli M2, its fit, the way it pulls up and points. I couldnt agree more with your words.

M2 for me in both 12 and 20. Great shotguns.

My A-5’s don’t collect much dust. But, I prefer them for upland bird instead of waterfowl.

🦫

Beretta a300 outlander, mine has run perfectly for several years now.

My friends who are avid waterfowlers keep Stoeger M3000's around as loaners for guests...admit that they are functionally the same as their guns that cost much more.

Browning A-5 , but they are not normally found at bargain prices . I sold the ones I had when they started bringing over $900 for average looking ones . The only auto I kept was my Remington Sportsman 48 I have had so long I don't even remember buying it . Never regretted owning it though , never had the first issue with it . Have owned them in several gauges and they all worked just fine . I kept the 16 and let the others go since I seldom shoot automatics anymore . Last one I bought I gave $250 for , shot it about 10 years and made $25 on it when I sold it . For the money it would be hard to buy a better shotgun than the Sportsman 48 , you could probably buy one in each gauge for what a Beretta cost ..

Have something approaching 10,000 rounds through a Win Super X2.

Everything from light clays loads to 3.5 inchers as fast as I could squeeze the trigger in a snow goose hunt.

Completely happy/impressed.

Lots of Beretta autos too but they weren't "better" than that Winchester

A used Browning Gol/Silver/Winchester SC2/3 is a lot of shotgun for the $ right now. They’re vastly underrated. My Japanese Auto -5 Stalkers have been all over for ducks and geese for the last 25-30 years. I tried Benellis, Berettas, and Franchis….but kept having to drag out the Stalker Auto 5s to fill in for stuff that wouldn’t keep going. I’ve got a couple of Golds that give great service, 12 & 20, and a new A5 I’m wringing out now. I like how it handles, but only time/rounds will tell. If you have to buy Turkish guns, then just skip over the newer Beretta, Benelli, and Franchi stuff for a Stoeger….might as well get your moneys worth, and have honest stamping on the receiver and a decent POI.

I have seen Remington VersaMax 12 GA in the $600 range. They are very soft shooting shotguns for the money. My brother has a Beretta with the Kick Saver system in the stock which is really nice. I think he gave $1,000 for it used. You could always look at a Beretta Pintail if you don't mind just shooting 3 inch loads. I bought a Pintail used for $400 and it shoots nice, but kicks a little more than some.

I don't waterfowl hunt. I do have a Winchester SX4, Browning A5 and a Browning Maxus II, among others. The SX4 and the Maxus II are very comparable. Both are Browning-made in the same factory. Both are short-stroke gas guns. The Browning is a little more refined with a quick-load feature and a magazine cut off lever that the Winchester doesn't have. The Maxus has a center bead, the Winchester does not. The sleeve assembly on the Maxus is all steel, and it's fiber reinforced plastic and steel on the SX4. Both are equals in terms of function and shootability. The Winchester seems a little lighter. Both have chrome plated chambers and bores. The gas piston assemblies look exactly the same. The recoil pads feel like exactly the same material, except the Maxus pad is a little more roudned while the SX4's has some sharper edges. The SX4 is $700-$800 less than the Maxus. You can find SX4s for $799.

I say the SX4 is a sleeper shotgun. I've run 2 3/4" #4 and #6 through it for squirrels, 3" 00 and #5, and 3.5" 00 and #5 without a hickup. I'm looking to pick one up in 20 gauge.

^^^^

ALL Silver, Maxus, SX2/3/4 are spawned by and have almost the same gas system as the Browning Gold series. It’s why I believe the Gold series is vastly underrated. They’ve continued to refine the ergonomics, but nothing is wrong with that gas system design….unless you know you’ll never shoot cases of heavy 3-3.5” turkey/deer loads…..then you can also have the piston welded closed, so it’s more suited to super light target loads….or so I hear. I’ve not seen the need. I’ve got Gold 12 & 20s, but wouldn’t mind a SX4 20ga, as the 20s keep the speed load, and I’m used to it from all my Auto 5s. I just wish they all had slight humps…..just because I like it.;)

I love my stoeger m3500. Has never let me down in the blind or on the trap shooting line.

Subbed

Beretta 391 for me.

Just added a new Camo stock to my VersaMax this weekend. I bought my gun used and it had a painted stock on it. Never could get all the old paint off so went with this camo one for $40 off ebay. Looks better now.

Couldn’t agree more, I love my M2 waterfowl edition. If you’re on a budget and aren’t opposed to recoil operated, I’d hunt down a Benelli M1. I used one for over a decade and only one issue I can recall that was attributed to a powder coked trigger assembly in 25* temps. I learned them to keep the trigger groups clean and dry but to be fair everyone was having issues in our group that morning including a Browning Gold and Super X2. For reliability I prefer my Benelli guns that’s why I have 3 and a 20 ga inertia gun too.

Saiga!

Day in and day out, nothing will keep up with the abuse a Saiga will take. They will even beat a Timex watch.

The Weatherby Element I bought three years or so back is doing fine.

Maxxus, Browning A-5 new and old, Beretta 390.

FOR THE $$$
Do not overlook the CZ 1012.
Another one most people never even know of only academy sells it that I know of ATA Venza .. kind of a unique shotgun on how it works exactly I bought one and I've literally shot thousands and thousands of rounds through it with no issues a friend of mine bought a Beretta a400 at exactly the same time and had to work on it once shooting about the same amount of rounds as my Venza that has not been worked on

Used to be, but parts have gotten hard to find and expensive.

For the $ , I like my Remington V3 Camo. Got mine just before Remington folded.

Takes RemChoke tubes which I already had a good selection from shooting Trap with an 1100 + 870 or two, and Skeet / Sporting with their O/U 320

I’ve never really felt the need for 3-1/2”. Handles light loads through magnum 3” w/o hiccuping
Lightweight to carry, but recoil is most pleasant. My 26” swings nice with light Contour barrels

Great gas Auto , I’m Planning on getting a Waterfowl Pro for the receiver upgrades & cerakoating when RemArms gets production fully going again.

years ago I picked up a Beretta 390 12ga. Haven't used the Remington or Benelli since. The 390 is a great shotgun and I'm looking for a 20ga.

Hard to beat a 390. I have two and will never sell either one. A 390 in a 20 gauge would be a baby doll! I wonder if the A300 will ever match the notoriety of the 390.

Franchi Affinity is a close to bulletproof shotgun with the short recoil system. You can pull the bolt, clean it and the hole it came out of in an awfully short time. Had a 12ga but sold it when I found a Browning Gold Fusion I wanted. Only thing I’d change is to a 24” barrel instead of the 26” on it.

when i saw this thread I had to see what everyone thought. I have 1 auto. An AL390 gold.

I heard that the 391 has an updated gas system. I don't hunt waterfowl . Used the 390 for upland but mostly trap and Sporting Clays now a days.

Old pic.

If new...Beretta A300. Utilizes the 391 system that is very good. Right around $700 now.

I still use my old Remington 1187. It's been flawless for years.

I am a fan of the 1100/1187 system as well. Dedicated clays shooters seems to stay away from them due to high volume reliability issues. As a hunting shotgun, so think they are great shotguns. My 4-H shooters particularly like them, typically choosing them over other brands.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This.

Have a SX2 and an SX3. Both are incredible and unstoppable.

I intentionally did not clean my SX2 for the first 7 or 8 years I had it. Just wanted to see how long it would go before flubbing up. I ran everything from 7/8 oz. Walmart junkers to 3 1/2" steel and turkey loads. I got to feeling guilty and finally tore it down and cleaned it. It never DID and never HAS hiccupped. The SX3 has been, likewise, flawless. Only difference is the weight. The SX3 is lighter. Nicer to carry. Rougher on the shoulder with 3 1/2 inchers. Take your pick. But the gas system makes either of them pretty tolerable with the candlestick loads.

I agree, the SX2-SX4 series are stellar. They are no-frills, reasonably priced, and very reliable shotguns. My SX4 will cycle light loads all the way to the heaviest 3.5" without a hiccup. The SX4s are made in Browning's Portugal plant along side A5s and the Maxus guns.

The only thing "better" with the 391 gas system is it allows for a little thinner forend for those who do not like the chunky one of the 390. The 390 has an easier to clean gas system. The 391 does cycle the Winchester Featherlite Low Recoil loads without changing anything provided it has at least a 28" barrel. The 390 will do the Featherlites with a replacement spring from Cole's but will cycle my 7/8 oz reloads at 1250 fps all day long with the factory spring.

I have two 391s, one is my wife's sporting clays gun, the other is her back up though wears a slug barrel for my use. I just picked up a second 12 ga 390 as I cut down the stock on the other to fit a friend and that stock is now far too short for anyone taller than a Munchkin. The 20 ga 390 is my wife's upland gun.

Unless talking about Winchester Featherlights, there should be no need to weld the piston closed. I've shot thousands of 7/8 oz Fiocchi Trainers and handloads out of three SX/2s and two Browning Gold Hunters, all with 3.5" chambering. I oz, 1180 fps target loads work fine too.

I sold my SB 1, recoil was brutal after shooting gas guns for years.

Found two Browning Gold Hunters, and shot them very well. Then I discovered the 390's and 391's which are very soft recoiling shotguns. The 20g 390 is an amazing shot gun, feels like you are shooting a pellet rifle!

Remington 11-87 hands down!

LOL….nope.

Brother owned one. Was so bad he flipped it in 5 weeks. May be a sample of 1 but it was useless and I'd never bother with one ever again. No need to.

Well I have a 1100 3inch Mag that I have had had since 1976. I hunt with friends with every brand just about and none are better than my old 1100. Just FYI. I had to replace the bolt in it as it was getting excessive headspace they only last 100,000 rounds and yes I have shot a lot of trap and skeet with it as well. Oh I paid $ 230.00 in 1976 for it.
My advice buy a Remington Beretta what ever fit you the best then put 5,000 rounds through it to get use to it.

Well, you better frame that unicorn. My group all had at least one each at one time back in the ‘80s. We couldn’t unload them fast enough to go back to Auto 5s and pumps. If it wasn’t in a climate controlled environment, they sucked.

Put 4500 rounds through that 11-87 in those 5 weeks. Wasn't about getting used to it. Was about the fact that the longest it would run was about 75 rounds and then it wouldn't. Had to strip and clean. No good for a dedicated clays gun that needs to be good for at least 250 rounds a day without attention. Tripped for a O/U and never looked back.

That’s a bummer. Our old 1100 will run way past 250 rounds before it acts up. My 4-H team shoots the heck out if that gun.

Shot a 11/87 hard for perhaps a year...Taking the trigger out to clean, one of the peened in parts would constantly come loose..When the magazine tube separated from the receiver, I gave up.

Reliable enough, yet not in the same class as the Beretta 390, 391, A300, A400, SX 2,3,4. Combined with extra cleaning required, made it old school compared to what is out there now.

Buddy of mine split the barrel of his beautiful 1100 from the muzzle back 3-4 inches one morning in the goose field. Shooting garden variety steel loads. The geese were flying exceptionally well that morning, too............. Wanna see the wind come out of a guys sails RIGHT NOW ???

I have a Remington SPR-453 (Baikal MP-153)
It cycles trap loads to turkey loads no issues. The finish sucks and the gun is heavy as hell. I had (and still do have) a 870 Wingmaster wanted an auto and my wife bought it for me as a gift. It’s not pretty or light but I shoot it really well. I’m sure a used one could be found cheap. Gunsmith told me it would last a weekend, when I lost a spring cleaning it. I’ve had it since 2008. It’s never jammed and I hunted waterfowl pretty heavy back then. Lots of dirt and ice etc.

I also have my grandfather’s A5 light 12, I’ve never shot it but going to get some Bismuth for it so I can use it Pheasant hunting.

Others I have shot include an original A5 sweet sixteen, Browning Maxus and Benelli Ethos. Those three belong to my Dad so I’ve shot trap with them a fair amount. It’s been so long since I shot the 16 I’ve forgotten what it’s like. Of the two newer ones, I liked the Ethos better.

As for me, the last shotgun I bought was an O/U and now I want another, more expensive one.

If I was buying a 12 gauge auto it would be a Benelli or Franchi affinity. If I was buying any auto, I’d buy the new A5 Sweet 16.

Since Benelli’s stolen patent ran out ;), there’s a lot of Turkish and Philippine inertia semis out that are probably built at least as well, but have straight barrels, while being considerably less expensive.

EAA Girsan MC-312. Works great and saves a lot of money.

https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/rifleman-review-eaa-girsan-mc312-shotgun/

I'm putting my MC312 through its paces this fall. Did well on both geese and ducks recently. Points where I look and has been feeding 2-3/4" and 3" waterfowl shells just fine. Hopefully that will be enough of the recommended break in for target loads next summer. Price can't be beat at $400 Canadian. Quality is excellent. (Why am I thinking I should buy another at that price? )

yep

I agree, and I have owned or own most all the popular semi-autos, and now I have 3 versions of the Winchester SX-3. They are nothing sexy to look at, but just keep working and never a failure with them, in my experience.

Not you^^^, but….

It cracks me up how some of the folks that love the Super X2/3 guns, turn around and badmouth the BGH….when the SX2/3 is just a BGH in a lower price point version. BOTH are just as reliable/durable. ;)…but they’ve often not owned BOTH, just the SX.

Beretta A300. Built to be in the field.

Just bought a Weatherby Element in MO Camo and it ran fine this past week. Crazy how so many shotguns use a similar bolt set up. My Benelli Super 90, VersaMax and now Weatherby all look to be the same set up.

Remington 11-48 or Sportsman 48 .

Love the Super X2, can get them at reasonable prices now that they are no longer made, sometimes!

Benelli M1 Super 90

Family wanted to sleep in this morning. So I went out by myself.

Took longer to put the decoys out than to shoot the limit of birds with the Beretta A300

Roger that!

What all species are hanging there?

There's some semi-autos for $140 on Buds.com. None of the high dollar ones will touch those on a value basis.

3 Green wings and 3 ringnecks. Missed my shots on a couple mallards.

Wife’s family’s “tank”, over 20 acres of water when it’s full. I usually hunt it this week of Christmas, or have the last 4 or 5 years anyway. Never gets touched any other time. Has been good for mallards, green wings, blue wings, gadwall, ringnecks, wigeon, hooded merganser, and I’m sure some other species I’m not thinking of.

Baikal MP153 right after the Obama ban was announced. Less than $300.00 including shipping from Bud's. Ugly but built like a tank and 0 malfunctions since new.

Bought a 11-87 Premier soon after they came out, disappointed.

Awesome. My in-laws got me a lot of great wingshooting in South Dakota before they passed on. I never appreciated it until it was gone.

I’ve been impressed with the new model A5 I’ve been trying out for a couple of seasons, to try to keep my rarified Auto-5 Stalkers from taking too much more abuse. The new A5 has been flawless after salt/fresh, rainy, LA coastal marsh use and sub-freezing around here. I probably am far less careful with it than I am with my Stalkers these days. It spends time sitting in water in the bottom of pirogues, getting deluged with rain, sticky delta mud, and sucking up millfoil and marsh weeds/gunk. At most it only gets hosed off and hung upside down, with the occasional squirt of oil or spray of eezox, until after the season. None of the SBEs I owned or was around would have functioned through half of that….they were exceedingly vulnerable to trash, temps, and the right amount of lube. Sure, the design is a good design, but execution/little details seem to make a big difference with inertia guns….very low mass in moving parts requires more spring force/balance in the system to handle adversity, it seems.

Others love them, but after delta mud and rice stubble dust, I went back to the old, faithful Stalkers.

HRd to beat a Rem 11-87 Special Purpose. You just need to keep ok a spare gas tube ring..

….and a spare op rod and block, a spare extractor, a heater, a gallon of rust proof, 3-4 springs, a lifter, and 3 more 11-87s to cannibalize…..or just one of damn near ANYTHING else.

You need to figure out if you want gas or inertia. I like inertia for the ease of cleaning. I can clean my Benelli in five minutes. Cleaning a gas gun takes much longer. If you choose inertia, go with Benelli. That's all I've shot for the last 20 years. I prefer the Montefeltro because I don't like the raised rib that is on the M2. I have a Montefeltro in 12 and one in 20. If you choose gas, the Beretta is a no brainer. Best gas gun I have ever shot hands down.

I would not own another Winchester. If you gave me a Winchester, I would sale it before I ever shot it. That way when the buyer ask me how it shoots, I can say I don't know I haven't shot it.