Advise on semi auto shotgun

[mark-hunter]

Question:

Semiauto shotgun, 4-5 cartridge capacity, changable barrels, 12GA, can be 12/76, or 12/89.
Barrels:
- smooth bore with changeable chokes
- rifled barrel for slugs

Inertial or gas operated.

What shotgun would you recommend?

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Randy Wakeman writes a lot on shotguns and his favorite for the past few years has been the Fabarm L4S. Actually, he likes his 40 year Browning B80 a lot too. I have a Beretta 303, which is essentially the same gun as the B80 and it has been a great gun for me for 35 years.

RANDY WAKEMAN OUTDOORS: Shotguns & Wingshooting

Randy Wakeman Outdoors is the independent resource for candid, hard-hitting firearms information, evaluations, and opinions.

randywakeman.com

 

[thriller]

I am a huge fan of the beretta a400. I have not managed to destroy it yet, about 5 years so, that's something.

 

[Scrumbag]

Hi Marko,

Are you sure your want a rifled barrel? They are really designed to be shot with sabot type slugs that aren't so easy to get here in Europe. If you have a source for them, great!

Winchester I think are still selling their SX3 "Big Game Combo" which is a multichoke barrel and a rifled slug barrel with a cantilevered scope mount (piece of rail that comes back over the receiver). The Maxus you can get the same options I think.

Winchester International - Products - SHOTGUNS - SEMI-AUTO - A-WSX3COMBOWS

SX3 BIG GAME COMBO

en.winchesterint.com

Something that might be worth checking is the bore size if you want to shoot slugs in your smooth bore barrel. I think FN (Browning and Winchester) back bore their barrels so they are a bit wider than standard 12 bore barrels. Randy Wakeman is of the view that this is not good for slug accuracy but some say this is rather over stated. If someone has any experience I'd be really keen to hear more.

Chamberwise, there are also those that say slugs in 3.5" (89mm) chambered guns don't do so well. I shoot Brenneke type slugs in my 3.5" Benelli pump action fine

Best wishes,

Scrummy

 

[mark-hunter]

Are you sure your want a rifled barrel? They are really designed to be shot with sabot type slugs that aren't so easy to get here in Europe. If you have a source for them, great!

Yes. Every local gun shop in my area has a choice of few brands for sabot slugs.

So to achieve versatility, best would be exchangeable barrels: rifled bbl as one,
and smooth bore as another with exchangeable chokes, together with one rifled choke, just in case.

Another question is if such semi auto is chambered in 12/76 or 12/89, would it be reliable by using 12/70 cartridges? In that case which system is considered as more reliable - inertial system or gas opearation?

 

[Scrumbag]

That's great stuff! Clearly you guys are ahead of Francen then!

My Dad has a a couple of guns which are 12 /89 chambered (He mainly uses them for duck and goose shooting)

12/70 isn't a problem with a decent payload. However, my dad reckons if the cartridges are a bit short that can cause feeding problems due to not staying in alignment through being released from the magazine and being lifted. (Tried some 65mm Gamebore 30 gramme number 5 loads - certainly enough shot weight and powder / speed to cycle the action but struggled to go into battery quite often).

Scrummy

 

[Beretta391]

Hard to beat a Berreta a400 extreme for hunting!!

 

[Professor Mawla]

Question:

Semiauto shotgun, 4-5 cartridge capacity, changable barrels, 12GA, can be 12/76, or 12/89.
Barrels:
- smooth bore with changeable chokes
- rifled barrel for slugs

Inertial or gas operated.

What shotgun would you recommend?

@mark-hunter
I should highly recommend the Fabrique Nationale Browning A-5 .

 

[mark-hunter]

@Professor Mawla
Does it have option for exchangeable barrels?
(the point is to have option of rifled slug barrel and smooth bore with exchangeable chokes)

 

[375Fox]

Benelli Super black eagle is best hunting shotgun you will find. It has slug barrel option too. If you drop in mud it will still shoot. I like my beretta A400 but it’s a poor hunting shotgun, if you drop in mud it will not shoot (I know too well). The benelli is recoil operated but biggest design advantage over Beretta is barrel and top of receiver comes off together as one piece then you flip bolt out and have access to everything easily. Flush mud out with starting fluid (or water if need to). Beretta is gas operated, barrel pulls out of top of receiver, receiver stays as one intact piece. You press on extractor to open a tight tolerance key hole to pull little bolt out to right then you can slide whole bolt out, but never have easy access to inside of receiver. I had a small stone get wedged in a400 and lost my morning of duck hunting trying to get it out, this wouldn’t happen with benelli because access is easy. You have to clean the A400 at least every 100 shots or will start jamming, the benelli will fire all season without cleaning once. I mistakenly sold my benelli to my brother because beretta fits me better. The amount of abuse duck and goose hunting he puts it through and still shoots is almost unbelievable. It only gets cleaned at end of season and dried out at end of day. I’ve never put my beretta through that much abuse and still run into issues especially if I don’t keep it clean.

 

[roverandbrew]

Highly recommend a Benelli Super Black Eagle

 

[CJW]

@Professor Mawla
Does it have option for exchangeable barrels?
(the point is to have option of rifled slug barrel and smooth bore with exchangeable chokes)

They had a slug barrel option but not sure if they had a rifled slug barrel.

If you're willing to buy used I love my Browning Gold Hunter. Recoil is very tame with the gas system and even 3" magnums and slugs are no problem. I've put many many boxes of cheap shells through it without cleaning or a stumble. I have a rifled slug barrel for it and it shoots. Accuracy is there for 150+ yd shots.

 

[CJW]

Benelli Super black eagle is best hunting shotgun you will find.

Many people have given them up due to a variety of reasons, one of which is recoil. I would advise anyone interested in one to shoot before you buy.

 

[YancyW]

I know far less about shotguns than rifles, but I use SBEII for all my hunting. It has never been anything other an than flawless for me, that includes many snow goose hunts where it really gets used hard.

 

[chashardy]

I have the Beretta A400 Extreme Plus and love it. Shoots great, easy to handle, almost no recoil.

 

[375Fox]

Many people have given them up due to a variety of reasons, one of which is recoil. I would advise anyone interested in one to shoot before you buy.

I see no difference between a SBE2 with recoil chevrons and my A400 with kick off with hunting loads. I haven’t met anyone who stopped using one because of recoil or reliability. My A400 is a better fit for me but benelli SBE is much more reliable.

 

[CJW]

I see no difference between a SBE2 with recoil chevrons and my A400 with kick off with hunting loads. I haven’t met anyone who stopped using one because of recoil or reliability. My A400 is a better fit for me but benelli SBE is much more reliable.

I'm glad you liked yours.

Another option for a semi auto if you like inertia driven is a Franchi at half the price of a Benelli and they have a slug barrel option. Heck they're probably made in the same factory.

Lots of choices out there for shotguns but like 375Fox said, even though he loved his Benelli he shoots a Beretta because of fit. Personally I've never liked the fit of Beretta's and much prefer the fit of a Benelli or Franchi. I would go shoulder a bunch, shoot some if possible, see what's comfortable and go from there.

 

[sgt_zim]

I had a Benelli Montefeltro years ago. Best shotgun I've ever owned. Wish I still had it.

 

[Professor Mawla]

@Professor Mawla
Does it have option for exchangeable barrels?
(the point is to have option of rifled slug barrel and smooth bore with exchangeable chokes)

@mark-hunter
You can always fire Brenekke or foster style slugs through the cylinder choke . The Browning A-5 High Grade Hunter is one of the finest ( and oldest ) semi automatic shotguns on the market .

 

[Nevada Mike]

I shoot double barreled shotguns, but I have always felt that the old Winchester Super-X model 1 was the best semi-automatic shotgun generally available. The Cosmi semi auto is a extremely well made shotgun, but not generally available.