Having a hard time settling on a CAS shotgun

[Chris W]

Son and I are getting into CAS. Got the Marlin, got the Rugers. Good guns that can be used for CAS but have other potential uses and are fun to shoot in other contexts. I like tools that multitask.

The shotgun is giving me problems. I have a pumpgun--an 870 police mag--that is never going to be replaced by a SXS or an 1897. I'm disinclined to get another pump (an 1897) because I know I'd never trust it like I do the 870, so it would be good for nothing but CAS. A sxs could be cool--but the gun du jour seems to be a 20" or shorter coach gun, which would again be useless for anything but CAS. Wouldn't it?

Is there a gun that would not be too much of a competitive disadvantage in CAS but would also be a potentially useful gun for, say, hunting? A Stevens 311 with 26 or 28" barrels looks appealing, and pleasantly inexpensive. Is there a reason that gun isn't at least nearly as good as the coach guns?

Thanks for helping me either (a) find a plausible multi-tasker, or (b) deal with it.

[joab]

A Stevens 311 with 26 or 28" barrels looks appealing, and pleasantly inexpensive. Is there a reason that gun isn't at least nearly as good as the coach guns? I am stting up for CAS also.
The local CAS specialty shop told me that I did not need to buy a shotgun because my full length Stevens would work just fine.

He lost a sale telling me that, so I trust that he at least believed what he was saying.

He's also the president, leader, organizer or whatever he's called of the local CAS group

[David Berkowitz]

Chris,
What is wrong with the '97?
I dodn't know that you can find a gun that is equally good at amny tasks.
I have the Norinco version, beat the stuffin out of it at CAS shoots and use it for trap and sporting clays. It is not the best for that, but it is fun.
I also use this gun as my home defense gun. It is every bit as reliable as my 870.
At current prices, I think I would also look at the Stoeger Coach gun and don't worry about multi-tasking for either.
You will end up with a shotgun that does realy fine at its intended purpose.

[Jim Watson]

What else do you want your CAS scattergun to DO?
Mine is not going to replace my riot gun but it doesn't have to. And I have trap and skeet guns for those sports. So my Cowboy gun doesn't get out for much else. It is a 27" double with chokes reamed out to .005" and would be a fine quail gun... if I hunted quail.

[Chris W]

Well, I've got a line on a very nice looking 311 with 28" tubes. Gonna hafta learn to shoot quail, Jim ;)

[Vaquero45]

Stoeger Uplander? I have owned/used one for CAS, and I think stoeger advertises them for hunting. I have only goose hunted once in my life, and am not much of a shotgun guy, but you might take a look at it. The longer barrels are good for helping open and keep open the gun for loading, but slow you down a bit for swinging at targets. (in my experience)

Good luck, Jeff