View Single Post
Old March 19, 2013, 12:15 PM   #7
BigJimP
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 23, 2005
Posts: 13,195
Finding one shotgun for both you and your wife ...is usually not your best option...unless length of pull for both of you are about the same, and for what you need for drop at heel and comb....but if you're going to go with one gun, make it a gas operated semi-auto ...for the least recoil. Weight of the gun is also a factor for a lot of ladies - and overall length, etc...too long, or too heavy - make a gun difficult to shoot / but we're all different.

I'm 6'5" and 290 lbs...and my wife is 5'10" and 120lbs.../ no way one gun would work for us.

All of the Inertia guns ...even with Benelli's comfort tech system in them ..will give you more recoil than a gas gun in the same gague.

I'm not a Franchi fan...semi-auto or O/U ...their guns I see at our club are marginal at best. Personally I think what you saw on the CZ's will be similar to what you see in the Franchi's ....( and you can't see inside / the quality of the steel, firing pins, springs, etc..) is where the real issues will show up after a few thousand shells.
----------
Browning and Beretta will by far give you the most gun for the money ...and whether you look at their O/U's or their semi-autos its hard to buy a gun, in eitiher line of guns, that will be a poor quality gun. Browning & Winchester are the same company today / and Beretta owns a number of other companies - including Benelli, Franchi, Stoeger, etc...but other than the Benelli line of guns ( and they're all Inertia ) I would stick with the Beretta labeled guns on that side. Franchi and Stoeger fit a niche in the market for price ....but are not near the quality that Beretta labeled guns or the Benelli's are, in my opinon.

Beretta 3901, 391, X plor, etc are all good solid guns.....Browning/Winchester have their silver hunter, maxus, etc..and again all good solid guns. Benelli Super Sport, etc are all fine guns as well ( but all Inertia operated ).

The only 20ga semi-auto I have is the Benelli Super Sport ...its light at a hair over 6lbs...has comfort tech in it / its a good training gun for my teenage granddaughters and the other young grandkids. It has a lot of adjustability - if you buy the extra comb and recoil pads...so I can adjust the length of pull, angle of comb, etc ...and it has shims between receiver and stock.../ but the price tag new on that gun is around $2,000 now / and if you buy all 4 of the extra comb and recoil pads then add another $ 300 or so to it...but if you run accross a used one ...I'd snap it up especially in a 20ga / I have one in a 12ga as well ( and they make a 28" and 30" barrel in the 12ga ) so if you find a 28" it might suit your wife as well...again its a light gun about a shade over 7 lbs even in a 30" barrel... / and you might find one used.

If you look at any of the wood stocked Benelli's - they can't have the comfort tech system in them / its only an option on the synthetic stocks. So any wood stocked Benelli - will probably give you 25% more recoil that a gas gun in the same gague. It may be fine for you ..but most ladies/or new or young shooters will not find it to be an asset.

but I think you're better off looking at gas guns....Browning Silver Hunter is around $1,000 new and they make it in a 20ga or 12ga / Beretta 3901's - 391's are good options - and they make a few in 20ga. I wouldn't necessarily disregard the older technology in the Remington 1100's or the 11-87's either if you run accross a good clean one / if it has changeable screw in chokes.

I wouldn't recommend you buy any used gun if it has a fixed choke because its just not very versatile. You really need changeable screw in chokes ..

Good luck / and have fun with the search.

If you happen to find an O/U field grade ...like a Browning Lightning series...in either a 20ga or 28ga ...they might be good options for you as well. There are a lot of them around / while they command about $ 1,250 on the used market .... you might find one that has a stock that's beat up / that you could refinish ...and it might be a great gun for you or your wife. Same thing on the Beretta side of their O/U's ...I'm not sure what they call their entry level field grade O/U's ..silver ?? ...don't remember...but a quick check of both Browning or Berettas website will give you some models to look for.

Last edited by BigJimP; March 19, 2013 at 12:34 PM.
BigJimP is offline  
 
Page generated in 0.03577 seconds with 8 queries