Not fishing but thought you guys could help. I have been an over under guy for many years but my son for some reason wants a 12 automatic for his 18th birthday/Christmas. I have seen/had too many bad experiences with Bennelli. What is a good 12 auto other than Bennelli these days?
Haven’t been in the market for a few decades, but back then it was hard to beat a Remington 1100.
If you’re lucky enough to be fishing, you’re lucky enough.
take a look at the Beretta. lots of people speak very highly of them.
Remington 1100 or 1187 is always a sure bet.
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I have owned both and have never had an issue with the Benelli other than shooting light loads. The Benelli is a recoil operated system, while the Beretta is a gas operated system. A gas opearted gun usually functions more reliably, but is more tedious to clean. IMHO.
19’ Sea-Pro CC
“Swagger Wagon”
Yamaha 115 - 2 stroke
14’ CMF Skiff
25 Johnson - 2 stroke
14’ Heritage Redfish
“There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.”
Ernest Hemingway
I love my Stoeger, didn’t have to shell out the bones like I would have for a Benelli but it is made under the same umbrella. Recoil instead of gas and shoots in any condition. I just moved to over/under myself, but i find myself reaching for the Stoeger quite often.
I have a browing gold and an old browing light 12, love both of those except for the gold wont eject winchester shells after a shot? Not sure why. Ive also shot a new beretta unico 12 ga and LOVED it. hardly kicks at all and has a fast ejection speed
beretta 390/3901.great auto for money.as reliable as my 870 and softer shooting.
Last time I bought one and if I was shelling out the $$$ today… Benelli
“Temptation may lean on the doorbell… opportunity may only knock once”
Beretta 391, I have a 20ga & 12ga and love them. Also you can’t go wrong with a Remington 1100.
You can always make money but you cant make time.
BG-
We take Beretta 391’s to Canada every year and try to wear em out. Best automatic 12ga period. They don’t jamb, require minimal cleaning, and last and last and last. (Most lodges down in Argentina use 391’s as loaner guns- they shoot 1000+ rounds a day at doves, and never have a problem…) Just my 2 cents, but you can’t go wrong with a Beretta.
Can’t go wrong with a Remington 1100.
Gotcha Covered,
Lee Strickland
Strickland Marine Insurance Agency, Inc.
https://stricklandmarine.net
843-795-1000 / 800-446-1862
Browning or Remington
What kind of problems did you have with the Benelli ?
A spoiled rotten BOYKIN SPANIEL lives with me
browning gold or silver hunter or a remington 1187
I bought a beretta just before going down to Argentina for a dove hunt. Best purchase I ever made. We shot over 2,000 rounds a day for 3 days straight and the gun never jammed. Cleaning is easy as well. Even though it is gas operated, the Beretta system with the piston (they have some other term for it, but it looks like a piston to me) works great.
When you can put 2,000 rounds repeatedly through the gun with 0 jams or hangs, it is a winner. The one I have is also light and easy to carry.
I will echo what somebody above said, the loaner guns at the lodge, were all Berettas.
My 2 cents.
I currently have 2 Beretta AL391 shotguns in .12 Ga. They are the target models designed for trap/skeet/sporting clays. In fact, I bought them to shoot sporting clays with. Average weekend is 500-1000/day rounds with no malfunctions. And the gas system does not beat you to death. My 15 year old shoots with me and can handle the gun for 500 rounds with no complaints about recoil. Just lifting the 30" barreled gun repetively is his only complaint. I have noticed that there are very few 30" guns being sold around here. The Browning Gold Sporting is also a great choice in a gas-operated gun. I won one at a shoot and put many thousans of rounds through it with no malfunctions. I traded it for another Beretta, so I could use the same chokes. Depends on the amount of shooting that will be done. There is nothing wrong with a Remington 1100 or 1187. They just can’t take the thousands of rounds that a competition gun can take.
19’ Sea-Pro CC
“Swagger Wagon”
Yamaha 115 - 2 stroke
14’ CMF Skiff
25 Johnson - 2 stroke
14’ Heritage Redfish
“There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.”
Ernest Hemingway
Texas, Have you ever had a problem with your browning gold not shooting winchester shells? Mine will shoot everything but a winchester. It shoots them but not ejects
Big Gaddy, are you looking for new or used? $500, $1000, $1500, or to the moon? High and dry or crawling through the swamp?
I like to buy old and cheap myself, but from everything I’ve read, the main utility models of any of the big brands in the $1200-1700 range will reliably shoot light to heavy loads these days, from 2.75 target to 3.5 mortar rounds. As a general rule, I’d stay away from any that claim some newfangled fancy way to improve what already works so well and stick with any of the designs that have been refined over the years. Gas, inertia, whatever.
For what it’s worth (not much, believe me) I happen to like Browning. But, like you, I prefer fixed breech too.
Beretta 391 sounds strong, what’s the price tag on a new one?
The prob w/ Bennelli SBE is twofold, its so light you don’t swing through as well as with a heavier gun, its also not real rugged as th 3rd shot with a 3.5" hi-power turkey load the receiver handle sheared clean off from the recoil. A friend suffered the same problem. Also, have heard many reports of shells getting stuck in the barrel not ejecting.
I’d like the gun to be down and dirty, wet and crawling, and I can go new or used but would like to keep the investment below $1400. Usually for hunting and fishing equipment I go the bargain route, but this time I’d like a name that will hold or increase its value.
3901 is a plain version of 391.next gen gas system of 390.[improved?] hard to improve something that doesn’t quit.around $600.but a 3in gun.if you need 3 1/2,look at A400.shoots anything softly…my next duck,everything gun.