REALLY confused now.

[blutch]

Still looking to purchase my first shotgun. I'd like to purchase used if possible.

I want to shoot skeet and maybe upland bird hunt.. maybe ducks too. So, I've decided on semi-auto and must have removable chokes. Can't afford an expensive Beretta or Benelli.

1. Guy at the club who specializes in shooting sports and teaching them recommended the Beretta Urika and then when I said I couldn't swing that, a Remington 1100 or 11-87.

2. Went to Bass Pro today and checked out a new 11-87. Guys behind the counter say that they are notorious for jamming in the heat of battle. Plus, the brand new gun was already showing some rust on the metal because the finish wasn't very good...

3. They showed me and recommended a Benelli 3901 which is Benelli's entry-level semi-auto. They said it was more reliable and better made. Cheaper too.

4. They also recommended a new Weatherby which was even cheaper and looked really good to me. Also a good entry level gun according to the experts there.

They said the "gas chamber system" on the remington is "outdated" and not as reliable as newer designs.

People on the forum here recommend the Remingtons all the time. The guys at the counter said those 20 year old Remingtons that don't have removable chokes can be real dogs.

Just trying to figure it all out.

B

 

[redmax51]

2. Went to Bass Pro today and checked out a new 11-87. Guys behind the counter say that they are notorious for jamming in the heat of battle. Plus, the brand new gun was already showing some rust on the metal because the finish wasn't very good...



B

This guy is full of crap,buy a 1100 and go shooting.I have 2,12 ga. with Rem-Choke barrel and a lightweight 20 ga.Love both.Look for a clean 1100 for $300-$325 and buy a Rem Choke barrel and you can do it all.

 

[blutch]

No one has been able to tell me the diff between the 1100 and the 11-87 other than they discontinued the 1100 for awhile.

 

[mr ed]

The Benelli ,Beretta and Weatherby are all brand name companies. But these are all fairly new models who haven't stood the test of time.
The Remington 1100 has been out for 50 years. Like the Browning A-5 the 1100 has had all the bugs worked out. I don't have much expierence with the 11-87 but its been out long enough to get the kinks out.

I wonder who makes the Weatherby shotgun? All the past models of Weatherby shotguns (1970's-90's) have been pretty much junk.

As far as the rusty finish. I doubt the clerks at Bass pro have a clue about wiping the gun down with a oily gun rag after each customer has handled it.
Last time I was in the one in Broken Arrow most of the guns were looking shop worn.

Originally the idea behind the 11-87 was that it was supposed to be a gun that you could load a light skeet load, an average field load and a magnum in it in any order and it would shoot them all with no adjustments to the gun. That way you could have 1 gun for all shotgunning instead of 2-3 guns. the barrels were made thicker to accomedate the choke tubes.

 

[blutch]

Thank you Wilber! :-)

B

 

[Shadowrider]

Pick up a nice used 1100 with a 2 3/4" chamber. You can buy different length barrels all day long and practically all of them in the last 20 years or so are made with screw-in Remchokes.

For Trap, Skeet, and most bird hunting they are almost the standard for which all other autos are judged. At least in budget grade field guns. I bet the aforementioned Browning Auto 5 is the only one to have surpassed the 1100 in sales and that's just because it's alot older. But it is truly a great recoil operated design, probably the best shotgun ever. They just work and so do the 1100s.

You should be able to find a decent 1100 with nice wood for $350 or probably less.

 

[mr ed]

You know I'll bet those same "salesmen" will tell you the colt 1911's design is old and outdated too.

 

[ez bake]

No one has been able to tell me the diff between the 1100 and the 11-87 other than they discontinued the 1100 for awhile.

The 11-87 is basically an 1100 with a compensating gas system. It can expel excess gas that would otherwise batter the gun when shooting 3" loads or heavy magnum 2 3/4" loads. The 1100 standard is not capable of expelling the gas and will be battered if using heavy magnum loads, it is also chambered for 2 3/4" only.

Early 11-87s had some reliability issues, but I want to say that Remington has since resolved them. However, these issues and the fact that it was being compared to the 1100 (One of the classics) left it with a bad rep for reliability.

Remington's widespread QC probs haven't helped.

 

[blutch]

You should be able to find a decent 1100 with nice wood for $350 or probably less.

I've been looking for 2 weeks plus and haven't come across one nearly that cheap. Plus, there seem to be a lot of variations to them. I guess I need a 26" barrel or loner for skeet and birds, right? What about ribbed barrel?

Thanks to everyone for the help.

B

 

[Shadowrider]

I've been looking for 2 weeks plus and haven't come across one nearly that cheap. Plus, there seem to be a lot of variations to them. I guess I need a 26" barrel or loner for skeet and birds, right? What about ribbed barrel?

Thanks to everyone for the help.

B

Here's one that looks like it went close to that. I might have been a tad low in my post.

http://www.okshooters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92522&highlight=1100&page=1

As for the ribbed barrel, I much, much, much prefer them. They just seem to easier to shoot for some reason especially if it has the smaller bead in the middle of the rib. They are not mandatory, but probably more common.