General Purpose Auto

[WoolSocks]

I am looking for a general purpose autoloader shotgun. I want a shotgun that I can use for all (skeet, trap, duck, dove, turkey, etc.) I don't do all, but I want the option.

While I want the best general purpose gun, I also want a gun that I will not be afraid to hunt with (one that is not too many $$$$$).

I have been to the shop and looked at the Remington 11-87, Remington 1100, Benelli SBE2, Benelli M2, Beretta 391, Browning Gold Somthing and Stoeger M2000. Any information/experience with the guns would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[Ignition]

i think if you can find them, the saiga 12g shotgun is great bang for the buck. autoloader and all that jazz.



only around 350+- depending on location and avaliability.



right now there is no one currently importing them since remington bought out eea and decided not to import the saiga's

but i have heard there are some companies looking to get them back with importing


there are still some around...

they also have 20g and 410shotguns in the ak variant saiga

[grey_pilgrim]

I'm not sure i'd reccomend a Saiga for "general purpose" Granted, i've never used one, but it seems like there are several potential problems. First, for hunting, most states regulate mag capacaties. So you will have to modicfy a magazine to only take a certain number of rounds. In addition, you would have to learn to change your shooting style, as your line of sight is a couple of inches above the barrel. Furthermore, the safety isn't exactly "fast to use".
That said, i want one. I'm just not sure it's the best "all around shotgun". And if I were to buy one, i wouldn't pay 350. Cdnn *had* em for 269 earlier this year, and i don't think they've gone up by that much (yet).


I have shot 1100s, and Berretta 391's. Both worked well. I own a 11-87, and it has served me well (nary a stoppage). WE were shooting some skeet one time, and a guy was having ejection issues with his short-barreled, compd 11-87. We cleaned the gas ports out, and it did fine. I've hunted with my 11-87, but i wouldn't want to use it as a boat paddle.


If i had a lot of $$, i would go for a superblackeagle left hand, as they look like nice shotguns. I've never used one, though. Of course, for that money, i could get a 11-87 right hand, a used ithaca model 37, and a saiga-12 ga, and still have money left over for a fair amount of shells.

[mtnboomer]

Charles Daly, Baikal, Khan, Traditions

[Ignition]

yeah i got mine used at 300 because it was basically nib but since i guy bought it before me and then a week later sold it back because he decided he wanted a pistol instead. i said 350 as basically a max. but yes police trade ins would be much cheaper. right now izimashi is sending most of the mags over to military forces in iraq and other hot spot areas.... alot of marines have the saiga shotgun instead of a 203 canister underneath their rifle



but since eaa is no longer importing them at this moment there has been a small price increase.


there are 2 round magazines avaliable but its just as easy to take and cut a dowel rod and put it in the 5rd mag to accept only 2 rds.


the new company, hopefully by june, importing saiga's will also bring in the 8rd mags.

you can get a vertical raised front sight that attaches to the barrel to to increase the distance between the front and rear sights... which means better overall accuracy.

the only other thing im looking at is modifing the saftey lever and putting a notch in it so it will hold the bolt open... currently most saiga's do not have a bolt hold open device.

[WoolSocks]

I decided to go with the 1100. It is a design that has stood the test of time and I hope it continues to do so. Thanks for your help.