Why no 1301 20 gauge

[Dov]

Health issues have made me lot more sensitive to recoil, but gf's 20 gauge 11-87 with 3" No 2 buckshot is more comfortable to shoot than my 12 gauge 11-87 with any standard 9 pellet OO buck or 16 pellet No 1 buck I've tried. Haven't got a vent rib barrel yet so don't trust low recoil buck in it, it cycles low recoil buckshot and they are real light in recoil but it cycles very sluggishly with factory slug barrel and low recoil buck so I don't trust it.

Honestly with her 20 gauge 11-87 we can't tell difference in recoil between 2.75" No 3 buck loads and 3" No 2 buck loads, we've loaded gun for each other with mix of the sells and can't tell them apart by feel YMMV and I'm sure a pump or double would feel the difference.

All the regular Foster Slugs feel the same to each other, I've got a box or two of the 1 oz Brenneke for her 20 gauge but haven't got around to trying those yet.

[Toonces]

I put in a Like for Navin Johnson's and Borderland's posts not because I like them, but because I think they are unfortunately right.

My wife is shooting my 1301 Comp Pro for occasional sporting clays because it recoils way less than her 20 Gauge 686 O/U (softer shooting and better fit with Aridus/Magpul stock). Using that level of recoil as a goal to set weight, a 20 Gauge 1301 would be delightfully trim compared to the 12 Gauge. The same as all of Beretta's other 20 Gauge guns. The 20 Gauge A400s/A300s feel noticeably lighter and look noticeably smaller than their 12 Gauge counterparts. A lot of manly men can't fathom that some people (mainly women/young people) find their favorite guns heavy.

Maybe a 20 Gauge 1301 is a bridge too far, but how about a 20 Gauge A300UP? I'd be a buyer of a 20 Gauge 1301.

[mmc45414]

A 20 gauge Brenneke has better sectional density than the 12 gauge Brenneke equivalent, and recoils like .308 out of an AR10. If Beretta made a 1301 in 20, I would be all over it.

You want a light weight, autoloading, reliable 45/70, and I approve this message
I am probably committed to 12g, but mainly because I reload. I shoot a great many 3/4oz loads for skeet, and just am setting up to do some 1-1/2oz loads for multi-gun, but I probably like my 20ga guns better.

If you look at trends, we have gone from .45 to .40 to 9mm in pistols, from .38 and .357 to .32 and .22 LR in small revolvers, and from .308 to 5.56 in carbines.

More and more I am gravitating to 357 over 44.

[Lost River]

I maybe have this old 1100 LT20 Mag....




You can literally shoot the thing with one hand. It is silly how little recoil a 20 gauge auto has.


I got this when I was 16 years old for Christmas with a longer, full vent rib 3" mag barrel.

Later I ordered 2 & 3/4" barrel and had it chopped to 18.5" for goofing off shooting rabbits, and whatever else needed shot.

I used to teach gun/CCW classes in college and this was one of the guns I would recommend for women for in their homes. They loved shooting it compared to the 12 gauge 870s their husbands would buy them.

It is brutal on jackrabbits!

[Totem Polar]

I’m with @GJM. One of the few guns that I truly, truly regret parting with is my old 1100 LT-20 with the mag extension that did HD duty for a while. The idea of Federal FC 20 and a gun like that gets my tail wagging.

[flyrodr]

I'd be all over a 1301 in 20 gauge.

[HCM]

I hear you, but when your focus is solely on making money, you usually don't make much of it. When you focus on making great products, and anticipating trends, you can do really well.

The 1301 is lightweight compared to most twelve gauge shotguns, but significantly thicker and heavier than my 20 gauge Benelli M2, dedicated slug launcher. Since I hike with a shotgun in my hand, thinner and lighter is a good thing. I was just discussing this with Darryl B, and he and Mel love their twenty gauge Beretta shotguns, and love the concept of a 1301 in 20. Since Beretta already has an A400 in 20, I can't imagine development costs would be that high.

A better handling, reliable shotgun that delivers fight stopping buck and Brenneke slugs, and is more fun to shoot, might have more appeal than you think.

I don’t see tactical 20 gauge shotguns being a trend.

The 20 doesn’t really do anything that a low recoil 12 gauge round can’t do.

And this is one of those things that sounds great to PF but doesn’t translate to a wider audience.

[MickAK]

I hear you, but when your focus is solely on making money, you usually don't make much of it. When you focus on making great products, and anticipating trends, you can do really well.

The 1301 is lightweight compared to most twelve gauge shotguns, but significantly thicker and heavier than my 20 gauge Benelli M2, dedicated slug launcher. Since I hike with a shotgun in my hand, thinner and lighter is a good thing. I was just discussing this with Darryl B, and he and Mel love their twenty gauge Beretta shotguns, and love the concept of a 1301 in 20. Since Beretta already has an A400 in 20, I can't imagine development costs would be that high.

A better handling, reliable shotgun that delivers fight stopping buck and Brenneke slugs, and is more fun to shoot, might have more appeal than you think.

This.

I think the perception of lighter recoil and easier handling for smaller framed people/women is a bigger draw than the actual reduction of recoil and increased ease.

A 'His and Hers' 12 & 20 GA package would probably sell well and I hope they pursue it.

[GJM]

This.

I think the perception of lighter recoil and easier handling for smaller framed people/women is a bigger draw than the actual reduction of recoil and increased ease.

A 'His and Hers' 12 & 20 GA package would probably sell well and I hope they pursue it.

I don't think it is just perception -- a 20 gauge can be made into a trimmer, lighter shotgun that is easier to carry, hold, especially with one hand, and do manipulations with. I went to a lot of trouble to put together this 20 gauge Benelli M2. I put it aside because it didn't have a red dot, but I should probably put a S1 on it and carry it.

My 1301 with LTT treatment is 8.5 pounds loaded with accessories. That gets old quickly carrying it in your hands.

[Elwin]

114026[/ATTACH]

Thread drift, I've seen this pic before and always meant to ask what in the world that rear sight is.

Non-drift, I think a quality 20ga defensive auto is a great idea if there really is a viable load for it (and it doesn't go away). I've broken a lot of clays and killed a lot of birds with a 20ga Beretta, and it is definitely an entirely different animal than a 12ga one. With comparable birdshot loads, recoil is similar, but the 12 is just so much more gun both in terms of weight and girth. With the right loads available, I could see that all transferring over to defensive use.