Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting Franchi affinity 3 turkey - 12 or 20?

I like my franchi affinity shotguns and debating on getting a dedicated turkey model.
Currently own 3 affinity and affinty 3's.
My affinity 28inch 12 gauge is my duck beater and general use. Not factory drilled & tapped.

I have a affinity 3 in 12 gauge 28 inch that I have a Burris FF3 and that's my default turkey gun because of the red dot.

A 20 gauge 26 inch Affinity 3 with a BFF3 was added when I had shoulder issues one year. Yet to take a turkey with it though.

So I am contemplating getting the turkey model with cerakote, pistol grip, and 24 inch barrel that would fit into blind usage on rainy days. The black ones rust easily so the cerakote is tempting.

The question of gauge...
I don't like the 12 gauge recoil, but its more versatile for winter predator hunting too.
My current 20 gauge hasn't taken a turkey yet and a new pistol grip gun would be turkey only.
The black 20 is 26 inch so a 24 inch isn't that much of a blind advantage.


A black 12 or 20 gauge would go down the road if I bought a new pistol grip version.

What would you guys buy if you're a 55 year old guy with no shoulder issues, but this may be your forever gun too.

Or do I quit buying shotguns and learn to love what I have since they are bought and paid for and there is minimal advantage to a pistol grip shotgun?

I'm not a fan of 20 gauges for turkey hunting or pistol grips on shotguns.

Thanks Luther.

One vote for the "love what ya got"


I was looking at the weights of my proposed guns...
Turkey 12 Pistol... 7.4 pound
black 12 - 6.9 pounds
turkey 20 - 6.7 pounds
black 20 - 6 pound

That may weigh in if my hunting area wasn't so limited by private land trespassing. Not much carrying compared to guys in the mountains & big forest lands

Look in the shotgun reloading section here on the fire. Guys are reporting some fantastic results using 20ga TSS shot Predator loads and, of course, TSS turkey shell results here. Don't reload? There's commercially available shells too, but pretty pricey.

I've had a couple 12ga Benelli's with their pistol grip stock, not a fan of those, just couldn't get comfortable with them for whatever reason. But the little 20ga 870 I now use has a Blackhawk adjustable stock with a pistol grip that is, to me, very comfortable and easy to use.

There's a couple big gun stores around me where you can rent just about any gun to try it out, just need to supply your own factory ammo while on their range with it.

You're looking at some nice guns, don't think you can go wrong with whatever selection you make.

Anytime is a great time to buy another gun! Lol!

Pretty much it, in a nutshell. Yep.

All about what floats YOUR boat.

I was never a fan of the grip stocks. But that's just me. 20 gauge........3" 12 gauge......... 3.5" 12 gauge......... To any responsible distance there's not a nickel's worth of difference between 'em if set up right. The nickel's worth comes in where you can feed the 12's lead shot. But the 20 will need a heavy alloy shot to run with the 12's at 40+ yards.

Don't worry about what others say, if you like it use it.

The 12 gauge version seems to be the best choice because I will keep the 20 gauge base franchi for a lightweight grouse gun that can always pull turkey duty.

I don't care for installing & removing red dots on the alum receiver guns and the hassle of sighting them in.

Yoder... I hunt a mix of federal land that keeps me in non-lead shot use, but I think your correct on 12 gauge and lead. I wish I could use Win long beard instead of hevi shot or TSS on most of my hunting spots.

Still debating....

I was/am not a fan of taking a red dot on an off either. That is the reason I made the decision to have a dedicated turkey shotgun.

Curious... what do you run as a dedicated gun? or guns as many have here.

Same.

Once I put a dot on a gun, it stays there. A dedicated turkey gun is born. We basically have no small game. But if we did, I have several shotguns that could get that nod.

I have a Wby 459 20 ga with a Holosun 507 sight shooting TSS. I also have a Remington 870 20 ga with a Burris FF3 also shooting TSS.
Way back, I guess I had about 6 or 8 "turkey guns", but thought that was kind of dumb so I sold off and now only have 2.

When Benelli first sold the pistol gripped stocks on turkey guns I thought boy that looks cOOl... then when I handled one first thing I noticed is the safety has to be snapped or pushed off...click.

I like to take my safety off silently a thumb and finger on each side....next to impossible to do on a pistol grip shotgun stock with a rear trigger guard mounted safety.

I have owned a few Benellis tactical shotguns with pistol grips....I took one to the skeet field one day and found for me it was next ro impossible to hit a skeet target with that type stock.

Fairy dust sized shot....I don't follow the pied pipers and their theories on small shot been there and done that a few years with heavy shot.

Good point on the safety operation and I'll go to a store and try one out to see how it feels.

I recall mossberg came out with pistol grip stocks for their 500's and that had to be the worst safety ergonomics. Some guns seem right when your standing there, and then you sit down in the turkey blind or deer stand and realize it doesn't work well.


Your opinion on tss has been noted many times.

Thanks for the input.

HD

I thought all the Mossbergs had top safeties....I only owned one an 835 when they first came out had it for a very short time....couldn't deal with the rattling forearm or the kick.

The Mossberg safety location I have owned or seen have all been on the back of the receiver. I like that location a lot and wish others would follow suit.
Easy to see and your hand is already in the right place to push it on or off.

Mossbergs have the top tang safety that really was a thumb reach on their pistol grip versions.
The safety is very high on the receiver. Yes they rattle.

I preferred my Browning BPS shotgun because the top tang safety was farther back and more ergonomic like a OU shotgun. I think bps are no longer made.

But the BPS triggers are very heavy compared to my franchi's.