I've been shooting and hunting with Benellis (M1 Super 90s and SBE2) for a long time. Today I'd buy an M2 and never look back.
I've been shooting and hunting with Benellis (M1 Super 90s and SBE2) for a long time. Today I'd buy an M2 and never look back.
"Gunfighting is a thinking man's game. So we might want to bring thinking back into it."-MDFA
Beware of my temper, and the dog that I've found...
What's your budget? In the Sub $1000 range the new choices are pretty slim given your exclusions, but the used market is decent. Quality semi auto's can easily go 150,000 rounds with nothing more than minor repairs, for all but the most serious shooters they will last several lifetimes and there's little risk in buying used.
I've been using a Beretta 3901 American for years as a beater field gun and it's been a workhorse, but the lack of a recoil pad limits it's usefulness for trap and skeet. It looks like it's been replaced in the Beretta's economy lineup by the A300 Outlander synthetic. The Outlander has a recoil pad and an adjustable LOP system, which is a bonus.
Getting past the $1200 boundary and there are a lot of great guns out there. It's really a matter of finding one that fits you.
Last edited by Paul; 02-01-2015 at 10:53 PM.
Beretta, or Benelli. Pick which one you like the best. Can't go wrong with either.
If you want to save some money and it's going to be a "relatively" low use gun, the A300 Outlander is an outstanding option.
A good solid used 391 is also a great option. I own an A400 Xtreme and use it often, but I still go back to my old 391. It's just as much, if not a little bit more gun, than the new ones.
Last edited by Crews; 02-02-2015 at 08:00 PM.
Gotta say, I'm pretty impressed with the Franchi. It's very high quality at a great price point. Ran 100 of the weakest, cheapest target loads I could find with no issues then ran a box of my preferred turkey load...no hiccups. I also left it outside overnight in the -8 12"+ of snow. Gun was frozen solid & ran just fine. Very satisfied with the gun overall.
Benelli M2 with comfortech stock
Another nod to the Franchi is the standard mag capacity. With a ghost load, you get 5 + 1 3" shells.
For hunting and SD/HD I like 22inch barrel
I had a Rem 870 turkey gun with 22 inch VR barrel. I and magazine extension so it would hold more loads.
When using extra full choke I would get nice groups at 45Y using buck shot.
I also have done a lot of rabbit and squirrel hunting using 18 inch barrels.
My friend would laugh saying I could hit at distance. but I never missed a rabbit or a squirrel thats up in a tree cutting on hickory nuts.
I'm partial to my Benelli M2 Field 21-in. But shot a 24-in. On a snow goose control hunt that was just as quick pointing. Mine has the Nordic tube on it. I got the black one and am thinking abt dipping it; can't decide if I want standard camo or something flashy for fun.
I hit better with this little auto loader than any other SG I've hunted with, BTW.
I know I'm a throwback, but in spite of owning Benelli, Remington, Mossberg, and a whole host of miscellaneous shotguns, I still prefer the old Belgian Browning Auto 5 shotguns over them all.
The come up easy and the "humpback" receiver seems to always be lined up exactly where I want.
I know they are long out of production, but if starting over, I'd buy two 12 gauge Auto 5s and call it done.