1100 questions?

Moe · January 3, 2001, 11:11 PM

I owned an 1187 28" sps. I loved the gun. Used it in duck blind, for IPSC, and upland. I have since give up duck hunting and now just do the upland hunting (ruff grouse and rabbits), and IPSC. I sold the gun looking for something lighter. I have looked at Remington stats and it states that an 1100 synthetic 28" is 7 lbs and that an 11/87 sps 28" that I had and stretched my arms off carrying over through the woods is 8 1/4 lbs. Wow. Thats a savings of over a pound. (Question 1)Is it true I could have a gun like my old one that is a manageable weight for the woods? I realize they are only 2 3/4" but who cares. It's not like bunnies are wearing helmets! I only used 3" shells on ducks anyway. (Question 2)Is the 1100 reliable with all shell loads? (Question 3)Will the 4, or mag dram, buck or slug loads damage or cause extra wear to the gun because it does not have the gas regulating thingamajig to vent excess gas?
A friend says it will and he says his gunsmith told him you need to flip the forward gas ring around to save the gun wear!(Question 4) Is he or his gunsmith a little miss informed?

Thank you
Moe

Dave McC · January 4, 2001, 07:45 AM

1100s have a good rep among clay gamers, who put more shells through a shotgun in a year than most hunters will in a lifetime.

For heavy loads, the friction ring has to be reversed, to the ebst of my knowledge, like the A-5s, the old Remington 11s, etc.

It's a good shotgun, tho by upland standards, still no lightweight.

I might pick up one for clay games, if money allows...

Intel6 · January 4, 2001, 09:54 AM

Did you 11-87 SPS have a wooden stock? I have a feeling that is what made the difference between the two. The synthetic stocks are hollow so they are lighter than that dense wood Rem puts on its SG's.

I have both an 1100 and an 11-87 and they are almost identical except for the gas system. If you had one of each of the same model, 28" barrel with synthetic stocks, I can't see them having much difference?

If you are looking for an all around SG like you had before I would go with the 11-87 again.

Moe · January 4, 2001, 11:52 AM

Thanks for the help guys. To answer some of your questions. Yes The 11/87 I had was synthetic. I compared it to a wood 30" 11/87 my friend had and mine was heavier. I was questioning the remington sales cataloge for it's accuracy as it states the weight of my old 11/87 as 8 1/4 lbs and the 1100 synthetic as 7 lbs. A dealer cataloge here in Canada called S.I.R. states it is 7 1/2 lbs however.
If the weights are almost the same I might as well buy another 11/87 sps in a 26"
One more thing my gun must be synthetic.

Thanks and keep the comments comming
Moe

Cat · January 5, 2001, 12:19 AM

Let me start out by saying "I love 1100's".
I've had three 1100's and one 11-87. I sold the 11-87 because I made a bunch of money doing so and I had no need to shoot 3" shells.
I use my 1100's for everything, but mostly pins and steel with slugs, and buck shot. I don't shoot too many light loads anymore. My older 1100 has thousands of target loads through it prior to me acquiring it from a Sporting Clays shooter. I restocked it with synthetic furniture, had it refinished, added an extended magazine and a side saddle. It definitely kicks butt.
The newer one was bought as a spare. It is the synthetic model. That's the way I like them and it was only $400 NIB at a gun show two years ago.
These are capable of beating the Benelli Boys when I do my part.
Neither gun is worn out yet. I had the O-ring replaced on the older one when I had it refinished about five years ago. That's the only o-ring I've ever replaced on an 1100 and I've owned three of them plus the 11-87. Others don't seem to have that luck, but I clean the o-ring carefully occasionally. About every 250 rounds.
Like I said, I love 1100's.
I believe that the 1100 is real close to the 11-87 in weight.
Neil Casper

[Edited by Cat on 01-05-2001 at 11:29 AM]

huntsman · January 5, 2001, 06:06 PM

Hey cat ,did you cut the barrel down ? just using cyl bore ? what shell capacity do you get with tube extention ? I thought about buying a used 1100 and set it up like you decribed for a HD gun I like the idea of using an auto over a pump but it seems just about everyone chooses an 870 for this type gun.

Moe · January 5, 2001, 10:49 PM

Thanks Cat for the response. A funny request here, Intel6 and Cat could you possibly weigh your 1100s for me.

Thanks.

Moe

Cat · January 6, 2001, 12:17 AM

The old 1100 had a 26" Imp. Cyl. Vent Ribbed barrel. I had a 'smith cut it to legal minimum and bore & thread it for Win Choke tubes. I mostly use the Imp. Cyl. tube.

The Choate extension holds seven rounds. A buddy has the same setup but uses a ten round extension. It looks silly sticking out past the barrel, but it works fine.

The antique baby scales I have say 8.2 pounds. The Large body scales say 8 pounds even. Since the baby scales haven't been used since my daughter was born and she's 27 now, I'd bet it's off a little. With the barrel shortened, mag extended and sidesaddle added I believe the 8 pound figure to be correct.

By the way, I've never heard of changing the gas rings around on an 1100. That doesn't mean it won't work, just that in the hills of northern Ohio that trick hasn't been tried yet.

Neil Casper

huntsman · January 6, 2001, 11:50 AM

Cat,I see your a fellow Buckeye,I'm in Northeast Ohio.You mentioned shooting pins & steel is this some sort of competition or just fun shoot ?

Moe · January 6, 2001, 12:47 PM

Thanks Cat. Sounds like the shortning of the barrel probably offsets the weight of the mag extension so the stock 1100 sysnthetic with a 28" would be around 8lbs.

Not the big weight saving I was hoping for over the 11/87.

Now I must decide if the 3" chamber of the 11/87 is worth the extra $232.00 Canadian.

One more question Cat. With all your 1100 experience do you see excessive wear/parts breakage using high brass loads of bird shot, buck, or slugs?

Thanks again.
Moe

Cat · January 7, 2001, 01:57 AM

huntsman,
I shoot at the Ohio Practical Shooters matches at Copley, Ohio near Akron. At least twice a year they have a three gun match and sometimes a shootgun side match during their monthly IDPA matches.

Also, at the Beaver Creek Sportsmans Club near South Amherst, Ohio, we have about 4 or 5 informal shotgun matches per year.

At OPS they usually shoot shotshells at steel. At BCSC it's shot and slugs on cardboard only.

I used to shoot handgun, shotgun and .22 rifle at pins in Milan, Ohio, at the Firearms Unlimited Rifle and Pistol range before they were closed down in court by the neighbors. Lord, I loved shooting pins with a 12 gauge!

Ohio's premier shotgun match is shot at the Ashland Lake Gun Club near West Salem, Ohio. At the end of July every year for the past 20 years they put on "The Francis Marion Memorial Shotgun Match". It's named after the "Swamp Fox" of Revolutionary War fame, the guy the movie "The Patriot" is about.
They alternate each year between an urban assault type course and a cross-country-through-the-swamp jungle lane shoot. If you survive you are a winner! They also have pin shoots with pistol and shotgun, occasionally.

Hope to see you at one of these. I'm the bearded old fat guy with the 1100.

Moe,
I don't know what to compare the wear too. I don't think my guns are excessively worn, but the older one definitely shows wear. It has had thousands of rounds through it. It still works fine.
Neil

January 4, 2001, 09:54 AM	#3
Intel6 Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2000 Posts: 425	1100/11-87 Lighter? Did you 11-87 SPS have a wooden stock? I have a feeling that is what made the difference between the two. The synthetic stocks are hollow so they are lighter than that dense wood Rem puts on its SG's. I have both an 1100 and an 11-87 and they are almost identical except for the gas system. If you had one of each of the same model, 28" barrel with synthetic stocks, I can't see them having much difference? If you are looking for an all around SG like you had before I would go with the 11-87 again.

January 5, 2001, 06:06 PM	#6
huntsman Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2000 Location: ohio Posts: 121	1100 Hey cat ,did you cut the barrel down ? just using cyl bore ? what shell capacity do you get with tube extention ? I thought about buying a used 1100 and set it up like you decribed for a HD gun I like the idea of using an auto over a pump but it seems just about everyone chooses an 870 for this type gun.

January 6, 2001, 11:50 AM	#9
huntsman Senior Member Join Date: March 7, 2000 Location: ohio Posts: 121	1100 Cat,I see your a fellow Buckeye,I'm in Northeast Ohio.You mentioned shooting pins & steel is this some sort of competition or just fun shoot ?

January 3, 2001, 11:11 PM	#1
Moe Member Join Date: December 6, 1998 Location: Fredericton, NB., Canada Posts: 97	I owned an 1187 28" sps. I loved the gun. Used it in duck blind, for IPSC, and upland. I have since give up duck hunting and now just do the upland hunting (ruff grouse and rabbits), and IPSC. I sold the gun looking for something lighter. I have looked at Remington stats and it states that an 1100 synthetic 28" is 7 lbs and that an 11/87 sps 28" that I had and stretched my arms off carrying over through the woods is 8 1/4 lbs. Wow. Thats a savings of over a pound. (Question 1)Is it true I could have a gun like my old one that is a manageable weight for the woods? I realize they are only 2 3/4" but who cares. It's not like bunnies are wearing helmets! I only used 3" shells on ducks anyway. (Question 2)Is the 1100 reliable with all shell loads? (Question 3)Will the 4, or mag dram, buck or slug loads damage or cause extra wear to the gun because it does not have the gas regulating thingamajig to vent excess gas? A friend says it will and he says his gunsmith told him you need to flip the forward gas ring around to save the gun wear!(Question 4) Is he or his gunsmith a little miss informed? Thank you Moe

January 4, 2001, 07:45 AM	#2
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	1100s have a good rep among clay gamers, who put more shells through a shotgun in a year than most hunters will in a lifetime. For heavy loads, the friction ring has to be reversed, to the ebst of my knowledge, like the A-5s, the old Remington 11s, etc. It's a good shotgun, tho by upland standards, still no lightweight. I might pick up one for clay games, if money allows...

January 4, 2001, 11:52 AM	#4
Moe Member Join Date: December 6, 1998 Location: Fredericton, NB., Canada Posts: 97	Thanks for the help guys. To answer some of your questions. Yes The 11/87 I had was synthetic. I compared it to a wood 30" 11/87 my friend had and mine was heavier. I was questioning the remington sales cataloge for it's accuracy as it states the weight of my old 11/87 as 8 1/4 lbs and the 1100 synthetic as 7 lbs. A dealer cataloge here in Canada called S.I.R. states it is 7 1/2 lbs however. If the weights are almost the same I might as well buy another 11/87 sps in a 26" One more thing my gun must be synthetic. Thanks and keep the comments comming Moe

January 5, 2001, 12:19 AM	#5
Cat Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 1999 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 467	Let me start out by saying "I love 1100's". I've had three 1100's and one 11-87. I sold the 11-87 because I made a bunch of money doing so and I had no need to shoot 3" shells. I use my 1100's for everything, but mostly pins and steel with slugs, and buck shot. I don't shoot too many light loads anymore. My older 1100 has thousands of target loads through it prior to me acquiring it from a Sporting Clays shooter. I restocked it with synthetic furniture, had it refinished, added an extended magazine and a side saddle. It definitely kicks butt. The newer one was bought as a spare. It is the synthetic model. That's the way I like them and it was only $400 NIB at a gun show two years ago. These are capable of beating the Benelli Boys when I do my part. Neither gun is worn out yet. I had the O-ring replaced on the older one when I had it refinished about five years ago. That's the only o-ring I've ever replaced on an 1100 and I've owned three of them plus the 11-87. Others don't seem to have that luck, but I clean the o-ring carefully occasionally. About every 250 rounds. Like I said, I love 1100's. I believe that the 1100 is real close to the 11-87 in weight. Neil Casper [Edited by Cat on 01-05-2001 at 11:29 AM]

January 5, 2001, 10:49 PM	#7
Moe Member Join Date: December 6, 1998 Location: Fredericton, NB., Canada Posts: 97	Thanks Cat for the response. A funny request here, Intel6 and Cat could you possibly weigh your 1100s for me. Thanks. Moe

January 6, 2001, 12:17 AM	#8
Cat Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 1999 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 467	The old 1100 had a 26" Imp. Cyl. Vent Ribbed barrel. I had a 'smith cut it to legal minimum and bore & thread it for Win Choke tubes. I mostly use the Imp. Cyl. tube. The Choate extension holds seven rounds. A buddy has the same setup but uses a ten round extension. It looks silly sticking out past the barrel, but it works fine. The antique baby scales I have say 8.2 pounds. The Large body scales say 8 pounds even. Since the baby scales haven't been used since my daughter was born and she's 27 now, I'd bet it's off a little. With the barrel shortened, mag extended and sidesaddle added I believe the 8 pound figure to be correct. By the way, I've never heard of changing the gas rings around on an 1100. That doesn't mean it won't work, just that in the hills of northern Ohio that trick hasn't been tried yet. Neil Casper

January 6, 2001, 12:47 PM	#10
Moe Member Join Date: December 6, 1998 Location: Fredericton, NB., Canada Posts: 97	Thanks Cat. Sounds like the shortning of the barrel probably offsets the weight of the mag extension so the stock 1100 sysnthetic with a 28" would be around 8lbs. Not the big weight saving I was hoping for over the 11/87. Now I must decide if the 3" chamber of the 11/87 is worth the extra $232.00 Canadian. One more question Cat. With all your 1100 experience do you see excessive wear/parts breakage using high brass loads of bird shot, buck, or slugs? Thanks again. Moe

January 7, 2001, 01:57 AM	#11
Cat Senior Member Join Date: February 12, 1999 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 467	huntsman, I shoot at the Ohio Practical Shooters matches at Copley, Ohio near Akron. At least twice a year they have a three gun match and sometimes a shootgun side match during their monthly IDPA matches. Also, at the Beaver Creek Sportsmans Club near South Amherst, Ohio, we have about 4 or 5 informal shotgun matches per year. At OPS they usually shoot shotshells at steel. At BCSC it's shot and slugs on cardboard only. I used to shoot handgun, shotgun and .22 rifle at pins in Milan, Ohio, at the Firearms Unlimited Rifle and Pistol range before they were closed down in court by the neighbors. Lord, I loved shooting pins with a 12 gauge! Ohio's premier shotgun match is shot at the Ashland Lake Gun Club near West Salem, Ohio. At the end of July every year for the past 20 years they put on "The Francis Marion Memorial Shotgun Match". It's named after the "Swamp Fox" of Revolutionary War fame, the guy the movie "The Patriot" is about. They alternate each year between an urban assault type course and a cross-country-through-the-swamp jungle lane shoot. If you survive you are a winner! They also have pin shoots with pistol and shotgun, occasionally. Hope to see you at one of these. I'm the bearded old fat guy with the 1100. Moe, I don't know what to compare the wear too. I don't think my guns are excessively worn, but the older one definitely shows wear. It has had thousands of rounds through it. It still works fine. Neil