The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Need some advice for a shotgun for my fiance

BigJimP · March 24, 2014, 01:29 PM

Yes, a gas operated semi-auto ...will probably be your best bet. You need to find the right combination of length, weight, barrel length to suit her. What suits her will depend on how long her arms are and how much upper body strength she has ...
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Browning....makes an entry level priced gun / in their Silver series of gas operated 12ga and 20ga models...

Silver Hunter model is versatile ...and a good buy / in my area, they sell new for around $ 900 - $1,000.

http://www.browning.com/products/cat...id=011&tid=350

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Beretta is another choice on gas operated semi-autos...

this is one of their more affordable guns....

http://www.berettausa.com/products/b...c-12ga-28-mc3/
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Stay away from fixed breech guns ...like pumps and Over Unders...they will increase the felt recoil significantly. Weight is your friend in terms of reducing recoil...and while the 7/8 oz of shot is the traditional load for a 20ga...there are a lot of 12ga loads around in 7/8 oz as well ...and keep the shells at 1200 fps or less...look for light recoil ( 1150 fps as an example)...and she'll be fine. 1 lb difference in terms of weight of the gun - with a given shell - will reduce the recoil about 15%...( so adding a pound to a gun / picking a 12ga over a 20ga - if you can use the same shell ( same charge weight, same velocity ) like 7/8 oz at 1200 fps...in a 12ga that weighs a pound more than a 20ga will give you about 15% less recoil for that same shell ( you can't shoot a 20ga shell in a 12ga / but you can shoot the same charge weight /same velocity ). A lot of us, on our 12ga guns have even gone down to 3/4 oz of shot at 1200 fps ..( like a typical 28ga load )...especially if we reload for the 12ga.

If you go with a used gun ....make sure it has changeable screw in chokes ...so its versatile.

There are a lot of 20ga used guns out there....Remington 11-87's, Remington 1100's, some of the older Beretta models...but you need to know what you're buying so you can inspect and maybe repair ....

In the semi-auto gas gun world....at a reasonable price...I'd stick with either Browning or Beretta / both will give you a lot of gun for the money. A lot of the other entry level priced guns...have very mixed reviews...some are ok / some aren't --- and you can't tell by looking at them.

I'd also stay away from Benelli --- they're all Inertia guns / but unless you can afford to go with a model that is a synthetic stock and it has the "Comfort Tech" system in it, like the Super Sport model, in a 20ga ( they retail for about $ 1,900 in my area )...or unless you find a used one ...its not your best option. They are fine guns ..they're light /shoot clean / very reliable...( I have the SuperSport in both 12ga and 20ga -- and my younger teenage grandkids(boys and girls) like shooting them / 20ga is about 6.2 lbs.../ 12ga with a 30" barrel is about 7.2 lbs...)...but unless you find a used one / $2K is probably too much for a first gun.

March 24, 2014, 01:29 PM	#16
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Yes, a gas operated semi-auto ...will probably be your best bet. You need to find the right combination of length, weight, barrel length to suit her. What suits her will depend on how long her arms are and how much upper body strength she has ... ---------------- Browning....makes an entry level priced gun / in their Silver series of gas operated 12ga and 20ga models... Silver Hunter model is versatile ...and a good buy / in my area, they sell new for around $ 900 - $1,000. http://www.browning.com/products/cat...id=011&tid=350 ------------ Beretta is another choice on gas operated semi-autos... this is one of their more affordable guns.... http://www.berettausa.com/products/b...c-12ga-28-mc3/ ------------ Stay away from fixed breech guns ...like pumps and Over Unders...they will increase the felt recoil significantly. Weight is your friend in terms of reducing recoil...and while the 7/8 oz of shot is the traditional load for a 20ga...there are a lot of 12ga loads around in 7/8 oz as well ...and keep the shells at 1200 fps or less...look for light recoil ( 1150 fps as an example)...and she'll be fine. 1 lb difference in terms of weight of the gun - with a given shell - will reduce the recoil about 15%...( so adding a pound to a gun / picking a 12ga over a 20ga - if you can use the same shell ( same charge weight, same velocity ) like 7/8 oz at 1200 fps...in a 12ga that weighs a pound more than a 20ga will give you about 15% less recoil for that same shell ( you can't shoot a 20ga shell in a 12ga / but you can shoot the same charge weight /same velocity ). A lot of us, on our 12ga guns have even gone down to 3/4 oz of shot at 1200 fps ..( like a typical 28ga load )...especially if we reload for the 12ga. If you go with a used gun ....make sure it has changeable screw in chokes ...so its versatile. There are a lot of 20ga used guns out there....Remington 11-87's, Remington 1100's, some of the older Beretta models...but you need to know what you're buying so you can inspect and maybe repair .... In the semi-auto gas gun world....at a reasonable price...I'd stick with either Browning or Beretta / both will give you a lot of gun for the money. A lot of the other entry level priced guns...have very mixed reviews...some are ok / some aren't --- and you can't tell by looking at them. I'd also stay away from Benelli --- they're all Inertia guns / but unless you can afford to go with a model that is a synthetic stock and it has the "Comfort Tech" system in it, like the Super Sport model, in a 20ga ( they retail for about $ 1,900 in my area )...or unless you find a used one ...its not your best option. They are fine guns ..they're light /shoot clean / very reliable...( I have the SuperSport in both 12ga and 20ga -- and my younger teenage grandkids(boys and girls) like shooting them / 20ga is about 6.2 lbs.../ 12ga with a 30" barrel is about 7.2 lbs...)...but unless you find a used one / $2K is probably too much for a first gun.