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View Full Version : Shotguns I've hated...


Dave McC
February 22, 2000, 02:27 PM
Tho, hated might be a tad strong....

Howzabout a thread on shotguns we don't like? Everyone knows I'm an unabashed 870 fan, but maybe what you don't know is...

Don't like Browning A-5s. They're exceptionally strong,durable,reliable and all the other things I like. Big fan of John Moses Browning's approach to design,too. But I just can't hit with them.Tried a couple, shot one extensively, and owned a Rem Model 11 for a while. Can't hit with them...

Don't care much for S&W shotguns. We had some in the early 80s,and they worked mostly OK when clean, but tower weapons get dirty just sitting there. A FTF in a S&W 3000 would leave a preacher cussin'.

Even though I started out with a H&R single bbl,don't care much for them. A goose load in a 16 ga, 5 1/2 lb single bbl will build a flinch in nano seconds.

AM positively virulent towards the old High Standard pumps,and the company's warranty policy on same. Closest thing to a lemon I've ever had in a domestic shotgun. Sold it to someone I didn't like.
And that same company's bullpup shotgun was a real mess.

Oh,yes, the Striker/Streetsweeper job. Answer to a non existent question,IMO.Same with any shotgun with just a PG, no stock.

How about you?

Dr.Rob
February 22, 2000, 05:25 PM
Dave you KNOW I love my savage Rifles.. but I got cussed mad at a savage shotgun (borrowed) for a grouse hunt that dad and I about broke over a tree. We were in good timber flushing with our springer spaniels when (whoop whoop whoop) 3 big blue grouse go right over us as the dogs flush... i swing and fire a shot and i miss the follow up because my dad is cursing a blue streak. ( I though he was hurt or something) The SAFETY LEVER FELL OFF the shotgun.. so you could not disengage it. He SWEARS he could have bagged 2. Not life threatening but it ruined our hunt. Like I said it was borrowed so the NEXT weekend in the field dad and I BOTH carried 870's.

The worst part of this was the guy we borrowed the 20 guage pump savage from had been keeping it as his HD gun. I think he had it repaired and sold it to some other poor soul. I HOPE the gun was fixed.. but talk about a failure at the WORST possible moment.

Dr.Rob

plateshooter
February 22, 2000, 06:21 PM
I would have to say the Savage 20 ga pump I had that everytime I pulled it up to shoot it, the slide button would release, and the slide would unlock. Second would be the 37 Ithica pump I had. It would Double feed and completely jam up the gun, had to remove the barrel to clear it. When it did function properly, I couldn't hit well with it.

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Good shootin to ya
Plateshooter

Gunslinger
February 22, 2000, 06:23 PM
Winchester pumps!!! I've never owned one but have used several as duty shotgun. Every one I have ever used would "hang" briefly when trying to cycle the next round. I'd feel more comfortable armed with a pocket of rocks after that first shot. I've always perferred pumps, even for hunting. I've never experienced this with the Mossberg 500, my favorite, nor the Remington 870. Although like Dave's experience with A-5 I can't hit anything with an 870.
On the other hand I can't seem to miss with the, now discontinued, Browning 2000.

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Gunslinger

We live in a time in which attitudes and deeds once respected as courageous and honorable are now scorned as being antiquated and subversive.

Correia
February 22, 2000, 07:52 PM
An old Mossberg 500 20 gauge. (made mid 1970's I think). I can't hit a dang thing with it. Safety once fell off, was fixed. Recently broke the action bar (single bar). I don't know why, I'm used to pump guns but I constantly short stroke this one.

However, my wife loves this gun, and uses it to shoot clay pigeons. It works just fine for her. Guess a lot of it is just opinion huh?

K80Geoff
February 22, 2000, 08:49 PM
Remington Peerless O/U. My first double gun purchase. Paid almost list price for it, felt because it said Remington it would be a quality gun. What a dog!. Triggers malfunction just when you are in the middle of a shoot. Top lever is way to the left after one year of moderate shooting (this is a sure sign of excessive wear in the locking mechanism). The gun shot so high I had to add over an inch to the recoil pad to get it to shoot flat. Bottom barrel rings when it is shot after the top barrel. Can't get a second set of barrels made for it. And it has been discontinued!

Took a bath on this one, still have it. Keep it to remind myself NOT to read gun tests in magazines. Ask other shooters before you buy!


Geoff Ross

[This message has been edited by K80Geoff (edited February 22, 2000).]

Alex Johnson
February 22, 2000, 11:28 PM
When I saw the question about shotguns I hated that brought up unpleaseant memories about the Browning recoiless trap gun that I had a couple of years ago. While it worked fine with factory shells I couldn't make it work with my reloads. There was no leverage on the bolt to clear a stuck shell in the chamber. I had to leave the line too many times to count to push a stick down the bore and knock a stuck shell out of the chamber. I finally traded it off on a Winchester 101 and can honestly say good riddence.


Alex Johnson

Dave McC
February 23, 2000, 06:33 AM
Thanks for the replies, folks. It looks like I touched a nerve(G).

I'm a little surprised to see that Ithaca 37 listed, but I guess a lemon can turn up anywhere.

Note, there's a couple of popular shotguns no one mentioned,to my surprise.

Remington 11-48 and 11-87.

Mossberg bolt actions.

Cheap doubles that pattern the bbls to different zip codes.

Early Ruger Red Labels.

And so on...

muleshoe
February 23, 2000, 09:06 AM
Back in the mid 70's my hunting buddy had a Mossberg 500 20 ga. It seemed to know when that 2nd shot was urgently needed and wouldn't give it to him. It would work all day long shooting clay birds, but if we got into a covey of quail or needed a 2nd on pheasants or coyotes, no worky. His older brother bought one exactly like it(he wasn't too bright), it was a clone. Did the exact same thing. Unreal. I swore off Mossbergs. Evidentally by the number of Mossy 500 shooters out there they've fixed this small problem? BTW, I had an 870 and shot thousands of rounds through it, probly 90% reloads, never hung once. Some SOB stole it out of my pickup one day, I hope it blew up in his face the first time he shot it.

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bullet placement is gun control

HarryB
February 24, 2000, 07:10 AM
Dave--don't be bashing the H&R Toppers! :) That was my first shotgun--a 12g given to me by my dad. I never did develop a flinch, but boy I was sore after 100 rounds of informal clays. What was the best was seeing someone with a sub $100 gun outshoot the high dollar weapons. As for its weight, sometimes that was a nice thing when I used to trek through the woods. Maybe someday I'll have a shotgun that I'll hate, but not today...

Dave McC
February 24, 2000, 08:15 AM
Sorry, Harry. The H&R is a reliable,solid design, and the one I mentioned fed a family during the Depression in coal country Pa. It's put as much or more game on the table as any gun I've owned.

But, a 1 1/4oz high brass goose load touched off in a less than 6 lb gun with a crooked stock, fired by a 12 year old boy is not recommended. With field loads, better form, and age, it wasn't bad.And, easing through the woods in squirrel season with a pocket full of #6 loads was nice with that little 16 cradled in my hands.

Wish I still had it, but another family member who inherited it after I moved on took it to the beach one summer and neglected to oil/clean it before and after. Still mad at him about that,and it's been 20 years.

cjb
February 24, 2000, 10:34 AM
First of all...
1300 Win. love em'
500-835 Moss. like em'
101 Win. love em'
1100 Rem. love em'
870 Rem. ok I guess
The shotgun that I hated the most was one that my dad let me use when I first started hunting. I can't remember the model number. It was a Remington, bottom load and eject. Itmay have been me but I had a terrible time with that gun. Shells fell out of it and I had a hard time reloading. He still has that old gun locked away. Does model 10 Rem. sound right??? little help Remington fans....
CJB

Dave McC
February 24, 2000, 01:57 PM
There was a Model 10 Remington, but I've no personal knowledge of it,CJB.

I believe it used the same patents as the Ithaca 37 did. Ithaca had to wait for the patents to expire before they could bring out the 37.

oberkommando
February 26, 2000, 05:56 AM
All of them that are smaller than 12ga! But a .410 dble stack 30rd mag-feed select might make an exception.

Shin-Tao
February 26, 2000, 02:00 PM
oberkommando,
Such a weapon exists in the hands of Russian police. The mag doesn't hold 30 though.
Now, load that weapon with flechettes...