View Single Post
Old October 27, 2008, 12:34 PM   #5
ebutler462
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 16, 2007
Location: NC
Posts: 437
Since you don't care for gas guns, try a Franchi 48. It is a very old design that has proven very reliable since 1948. It is very light, even in 12 gauge. BTW, they quit making the 12 gauge due to the inertia driven guns being the current fad and not enough 12 gauges were being sold to justify their continued manufacture. However, excellent used 48s can be had for less than $500. It is the number one gun in my collection that I will never part with.

Most of the inertia driven guns are extremely expensive and just aren't worth the extra cost. IMO, no semi is worth $1000. A good gun can be found that is much less expensive and just as reliable. You are really just buying a name. I have a couple of inertia driven guns so I know of what I speak. I bought over a 5 year period two of the Stoeger 2000s at a price of around $400 each. They are clones of their higher priced cousins and have given me faultless service. They are made by Stoeger SA of Istanbul and have the same basic action as the big dollar brands without the bells and whistles. One of the New Model 2000s may be what you need to try. The new models have higher vent ribs and are made with CNC tooling for precision. They need a bit of break-in but after the initial break-in, they seem to go on and on forever and need very little cleaning. They are actually easier to clean since the recoil spring is around the magazine tube instead of in the stock.

If you need adjusting shims, the 2000 is not for you. The Franchi I-12 is a good choice. It has the same action as the 2000, but has a prettier exterior and has a shim kit. It cost twice as much as the 2000, around $800.

I have never had a FTF or FTC with the 2000s. They cycle anything you feed them. The manual suggests nothing less than 1 1/8 oz but I shoot 7/8 oz regularly with no problem.

There are higher priced guns but nothing, IMHO, compares with the Franchi 48. It is light, reliable, and is good for just about any shooting need. when our church has its annual clay shooting day and feed, I alternate between the 48 and the 2000. They both go bang every time and if I do my part, the clay bird dies.
ebutler462 is offline  
 
Page generated in 0.04579 seconds with 8 queries