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Old November 25, 2008, 07:26 AM   #1
sig-9
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What to buy?

I am looking to get a shot gun to use for Tap & Skeet. Just getting into it.
The gun that has been sugested to me is the Beretta AL391 Sporting 12ga. as a good autoloader.

Is the Beretta AL391 a good way to go?
Is the AL391 dependable?
or do I save a few bucks & go for a Charles Daly O/U?
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Old November 25, 2008, 08:36 AM   #2
Dave McC
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Get the 391. It's rapidly becoming a legend.

Also, in case you decide shotgunning is not your thing, the 391 will keep way more value than any Daly.

I see rental 391s used for hundreds of rounds each week. They run dirty, they run wet, they run with cheap off brand ammo.

The 391 also has that shim kit, which means you can tailor the fit easily. Some prefit pads are out there that will adjust the LOP also.

If I ever go to an auto for general sporting use, it'd be a 391.
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Old November 25, 2008, 11:27 AM   #3
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The Beretta 391 is a much more versatile gun than the Daly. I'm not a fan of Daly's guns.

If you want to save your money for an O/U - then look over the Beretta or Browning lineup. One of the most versatile O/U's is Browning XS Skeet or their XS Special with paralell adjustable combs - but that's more gun than you need to see if you like this pastime.

Personally, I prefer the Benelli semi-autos like the Super Sport - but if I wanted a gas operated semi-auto I would look seriously at the Beretta.

You're just getting into clay target sports - Beretta 391 will let you get your feet wet without investing too much / and its a gun easily sold on the used market / or buy a good used one to start with.
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Old November 28, 2008, 01:35 AM   #4
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Quote:
Dave McC:
If I ever go to an auto for general sporting use, it'd be a 391.

BigJimP:
You're just getting into clay target sports - Beretta 391 will let you get your feet wet without investing too much / and its a gun easily sold on the used market / or buy a good used one to start with.
+1
Charles Daly is a firearms importer, the company started in the 19th century and comes and goes as different folks acquire the rights to the name. Daly guns are not generally held in high esteem by T & S shooters.
Beretta is one of the world's oldest companies, it has been owned by the same family making firearms for almost five hundred years. The Beretta 391 is a good choice as a intro gun for the shotgun sports. If you get serious about one of the specific shotgun sports, you might consider a Beretta comp O/U.
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Old November 28, 2008, 02:51 AM   #5
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From the concrete with factory loads they seem to hold up well but if you start moving back and start shooting speed through them they have a tendency to start making trips to the gunsmith and the turn around time is not that great. We had three of these in two differnt groups of shooters that I shot with. My buddies gun went back twice the first year, once or twice the second before it was traded off. The other 391 went back twice the first year berfore it was traded. They did not have factory loads going through them though. On the other hand we have a gentleman that does not get off the sixteen and only uses light loads. No problems from his.
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Old November 28, 2008, 09:14 AM   #6
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+1 (or is it +2) what Jim and Zippy say.

Not to put too fine a point on it but the 391 is a classic and will be with you for a long time. Stripping and assembly is something you WILL learn if you own it. With close shopping you can find a used 391 for a fair price. You will, also, be able to make a fair assessment if you like clay games without a ton of money spent.

Jim toots the horn for the Benelli Supersport. It very, very nice. It is very easy to strip/assemble because of its simpler mechanism. However, do not be surprised by its amazing sticker price.

I have been looking at Supersports for a long time. Also, I have been drinking BigJim's Koolaid for a while so that pushed me over the edge......I recently sprung for a Supersport 20........I was in the store and there it was......you don't see them in 20 often......or at least that is what I told myself.....sometimes you just close your eyes and write the check.......now if they would just start making them in small gauges.
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Old November 28, 2008, 03:10 PM   #7
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olddrum1
I'm not sure exactly what you mean by your, "start moving back and shooting speed." Trap shooters generally fall into several camps...
  • There are the shooters who think 16-yd singles are perfect for their occasional tune-up outings with their Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 field guns.
  • Many folks enjoy shooting the traditional singles, handicap and some doubles with hopes of becoming a AA / 27-yd shooter. The Beretta 391 is a good starting gun for these folks. They'll probably up-grade to a top-break as they progress.
  • Then there are the Good Ol' Boys, Pot Shooters, Boomer Blasters, or whatever you want to call them, who consider factory Heavy Trap loads a starting point. They shot their Annie Oakleys and Buddy Shoots from well behind the 27-yard pavement, and talk about how to get a pinch more Blue-Dot into their reloads. Are these are the guys who are sending their 391s to the sick gun clinic?
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Old November 28, 2008, 04:46 PM   #8
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The majority of these shells were one ounce of 7 1/2s to 9s. I could not say how fast their shells were, but they were fast. Some idea of the quanity, we shot four nights a week, Saturday and usally Sunday. A person does not have to be a boomer or blaster to develop fast loads, but yeah, that was one night a week. We had a 390, I believe that was the number, that never had any problems with this quanity of shooting.
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Old November 28, 2008, 06:36 PM   #9
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The 391 is the way to go it is dependable and you can find parts very easily incase something breakes. I dont know to much about dailies. As for the trap and skeet you could use a 7/8 ounce load or a 1 ounce load at the most. all you need is a 1200 fps to a 1250 fps that is all you will need.
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Old November 28, 2008, 06:43 PM   #10
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Get that Beretta, the O/U will get you started but you'll find yourself wanting to upgrade later anyhow. I assume you'd rather buy 1 gun than 2
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Old November 28, 2008, 07:08 PM   #11
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Waterengineer,

I know I'm a bad influence - but that Super Sport sells itself, I hope you really like it.
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Old November 28, 2008, 07:52 PM   #12
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The winner of this year's sporting clays national championship shoots a 391....if the gun wasn't totally reliable, he probably wouldn't have made it....for autos - it is THE go-to gun.........
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Old November 28, 2008, 09:35 PM   #13
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Thanks for the clarification. I like to think a 391 can digest 1-oz zingers all day long, day in and day out with no complaints other than wanting periodic cleanings.
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Old November 28, 2008, 10:02 PM   #14
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I shot in the nationals and pretty much everyone that was shooting a semi-auto was either shooting the 391 or the upgraded version. But get the urika 2 check it out youll probably like that the best. Good luck shooting skeet and trap.
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Old November 28, 2008, 10:04 PM   #15
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Oneounceload what did you place in nationals.
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Old November 30, 2008, 02:04 AM   #16
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The 391 is becoming a legend in the trap industry.
The sctp programs that i know of use them and my little brother has one that just doesn't seem to fit him yet but he still manages to pull out a well deserved score. The 391 is one of the most versatile i have used it for pheasant and quail hunting and it hasn't missed a bird yet. No one will turn out to be like the poor guy dick chaney shot with me behind this gun.

Zippy and all
EAT YOUR WAY TO AAA. LOL
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Old November 30, 2008, 03:07 PM   #17
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Supersport is great!

Jim:

Yes, the Supersport is great. I was looking at them since they came on the market - long before I "met" you.

With two girls in college I was trying to hold off. But I made the purchase anyway. Yes, the price is up there but a few years from now I will forget that.

As I said earlier........I wish we could get them in smaller gauges.......
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Old November 30, 2008, 03:29 PM   #18
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Waterengineer, I agree

and I'm glad you like your Super Sport. ( About 3 weeks ago, I just bought another 12ga, 30" barrel, used but virtually unfired - and I cleaned it and put it away for one of the kids - one of these years down the road.)

If they make a 28ga - one will probably follow me home ...( but if you let a 28ga new STS hull hit the ground - there will be 5 guys jumping on it like ravenous dogs ....).
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