Do anything shotgun with barrel options?

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HoLeChit

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I’m wanting to buy another shotgun. Haven’t had one in a few years, sold my 870 a while back. I’m at a bit of a loss on what is good anymore, so I could use some opinions.

I want something I can take out and shoot upland game/skeet with, but have the flexibility of swapping out barrels to run a 18” HD barrel or a slug/buckshot oriented setup for deer, hogs, or whatever. I figure 12ga is gonna be what I want, I can get a sweet 28ga for upland game one day, but not now. I would also like it to be semi auto. Suggestions? I don’t mind old or used, and I would like to stay away from newer Remington. I would love to pick up a Winchester SX3/4, but I’m trying to keep my cost under $1k, and $450ish for extra barrels is downright painful.

I was considering a mossberg 930 (I think that’s right?), and I also saw legacy imports has a semi auto “pointer” that looks pretty nice.
Thoughts?
 

SPDguns

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Get another 870.....!!!

Or, there's a Versamax in the classifieds. I'ts a little high but he might take less, it's been there a while. I built my Versamax and liked it so much I sold my FN and Benelli. A 21" barrel for the VMax is about $350.
 

HoLeChit

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Get a used Benelli M1 for around $600 and an extra barrel is around $300 last I looked.

You won't find a better shotgun at that price.

I’ll have to give it a look.

Versamax is heavy

yeah, I don’t want heavy that’s for sure.

Get another 870.....!!!

Or, there's a Versamax in the classifieds. I'ts a little high but he might take less, it's been there a while. I built my Versamax and liked it so much I sold my FN and Benelli. A 21" barrel for the VMax is about $350.

if I can find an old 870 I would get it. My last 870 wouldn’t extract rounds, I had to do a lot of cleanup and still had to mortar strike it every 2-300 rounds.
 

Shadowrider

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I haven't priced them lately but a Benelli Vinci is a helluva good gun too. A used 24" might be in your price range but that extra barrel thing is tough. You should be able to find a used M1, M2 or Vinci if you are patient.

My other suggestion would be the older Browning Auto-5. You could pick up two of them for a little north of of your price point and they are as reliable as the sun coming up in the east if you run full power ammo. Find a beater with a poly-choke to cut the barrel down on. I got this one, a 1955 model, for $300 +tax out of a pawn shop and yes, it was beat to hell and back.

IMG_5962.jpg
 

farmer17

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I bought a used Remington 1187 auto in unfired condition for under $400 from H&H Gun Range and it has a beautiful walnut stock and I have put thousands of rounds through it trap shooting and hunting with 100% reliability. For what a barrel costs you can buy a Mossberg Maverick or any used 12 gauge pump with a short barrel for HD, I actually prefer a 20 gauge youth model 870 because it is plenty powerful enough and is light enough to shoot with one hand while opening doors. If you don't want a Remington, Weatherby makes a nice auto for under $500 and Beretta is even better for about $800, but there are a lot of inexpensive autos on the market I would stay away from.
 

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