Best inexpensive semi-auto

[Vo2max]

Opinions needed: looking at 12GA semi-autos... Have a pump already so would like something different. Don't want to spend a ton on a gun which will be in the salt and potentially submerged. Thoughts?

[Pnwrider]

Budget? I'm assuming primary use will be waterfowl?

[Vo2max]

Without being a smartass (waterfowl forum) yes, gun is for waterfowl. Can't see spending more than $600.

[Duckhunter14]

Buy nice not twice. If you pay 600$ for a semi you will be cussing it all season with jams and misfires and you'll end up just wishing you would have paid a little more and bought a quality gun. I hunt hard, really hard; and did just that. I went through two Mossberg's before I finally nutted up and bought a Benelli Black Eagle II. I have not looked back. I hunt the salt, I hunt in the rain, I hunt in ground blinds where it gets filthy, and every time I pull the trigger it goes boom. Yeah they're expensive. But if you keep you eye open you can find one at a decent price. I promise you wont regret it. The only issue I've had was one (1!) jam. After closer inspection I had loaded a rusty shell. My own fault. Whatever you decide I hope you find what you're looking for and good luck this fall! Let us know what you end up with and how you like it. 

[HUNTNORTHWEST]

buddy just bought the semi auto stoeger and he likes it i think its the m3500

[Jellymon]

Stoeger 3500. Ours are tough as nails, never jam and have had plenty of use in saltwater. Very reliable guns that run very clean. They have the same inertia system as the benellis just in a slightly different configuration. Mine has never jammed with
2 3/4-3 1/2" shells and I rarely clean it. They're around $600.

[Colin]

I think the Stoeger m3000 or m3500 are close to your price range. Only other I can think of is the Mossberg 935.

For myself I think am going to upgrade next season and am looking at it like DuckHunter14 said. Buy nice not twice. My current gun is a cheap pump and kills birds but has its issues. I think if I can afford to upgrade I'll just wait till I can. Maybe sell some of my other guns... if a certain law doesn't try and make it impossible. lol.

[EWUeagles]

If  you have 2k buy a Beretta. If you were like me and only had 600 dollars look at the Stoeger series of shotguns. I just got a M3000 and love it so far. I have had it out on five hunts so far and I hunt "hard" too. It gets dunked in the muck and thrown around. It only had one problem and it was my fault. So far I love the shotgun. Cabelas has the M3000 in camo for $550 right now and stoeger is having a 50 buck rebate. I went with the M3000 because I have never shot a 3.5 inch shell and don't think I will ever need to. My buddy just got the M3500 so far and loves his too. If your around Spokane I would have no problem letting you shoot it sometime. Good luck, buying a new gun is always exciting.

[cipryan]

I would consider the Franchi Affinity.  It's the little sister the SBE II, Franchi is owned by Benneli. 

I got a Benneli Ultra Light last year and could not believe the quality and what a difference it makes and now I want a Benneli/Franchi for waterfowl.

[dustysags]

I just bought my second Franchi affinity. The first one was stolen after a week so you know it's good! But really the gun is awesome, used it for opening goose and it's so nice to handle. Super light gun and recoil wasn't bad at all for 3' BB. You can get a black one for right around 600$

[rtspring]

Spend a little more and buy a Winchester SuperX3, best shotgun I have ever owned!!! I have bird hunted since I was 13 and have shot the most expensive to the cheapest. 

Got mine on sale on veterans day for 900.00

[coachcw]

one for stoeger for the money .

[cipryan]

the beretta a300 is in that price window also.  know nothing about that one though.

[Waldo84]

I have the M3500 and it hasn't failed me yet. Just put a patternmaster on it and it is shooting lights out.

[cipryan]

http://www.chuckhawks.com/autoloading_shotguns_up_down.htm

[WSU]

I have had a stoeger for 3 seasons now.  It rides around in my truck, doesn't get cleaned like it should, and gets filthy (cow poo, mud, brush, etc.).  It's used hard.  I've put cases of shells through it and it has jammed once.  I cleaned it, which it needed, and it hasn't jammed since.  I'm planning to buy another.

[cliffordingles]

I have an 11-87, love it other than it being back at Remington now for repairs... still a great gun though. My little brother just picked up a Stoger M3500 for 600$ new. I am very impressed with the Stoger. My dad picked up a Beretta last year, I think its a 390? not sure. Its a nice gun too, he paid 400$ new. Look around and you can find good deals.

[chester]

I was in the same position you are two years ago,  and ended up getting the weatherby SA-08 waterfowl edition for around $500. Haven't had any problems and the thing fits me extremely well.


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[pianoman9701]

I love my 11-87. The receiver needs to be deburred every 1,000 rounds or so, but it works great and I think you can get one for around $475-500. I got a 28" barrel for mine a few years ago. That was a good investment. Maybe they're more like $600-700. 

[timberhunter]

i picked up a weatherby sa-08 at bi mart for $400 while on sale. i am very impressed with it, it has cycled everything i have put in it without problems. i have put 2-3k rounds through it between ducks and trap and i would not hesitate to buy another.

[cliffordingles]

I paid 709$ for my 1187 last year. The bar thats stamped inside the receiver fell out and the guide rails inside got razor sharp. The gun has maybe 200 rounds through it.. I like it a lot just hope this was a once in a lifetime problem.

The Stoger my brother got came with 4 chokes and a bunch or shims to fit it to you. I tore it down and cleaned all the packing grease out when he first got it. The Stoger is super easy to take apart and clean. Im thinking of getting one for next year.

[pianoman9701]

I paid 709$ for my 1187 last year. The bar thats stamped inside the receiver fell out and the guide rails inside got razor sharp. The gun has maybe 200 rounds through it.. I like it a lot just hope this was a once in a lifetime problem.

The Stoger my brother got came with 4 chokes and a bunch or shims to fit it to you. I tore it down and cleaned all the packing grease out when he first got it. The Stoger is super easy to take apart and clean. Im thinking of getting one for next year.

I've had the receiver deburred twice because of the sharpness of the grooves.  I still have to be careful cleaning it.

[carpsniperg2]

stoeger is a great choice.

[Devinshoe]

I have a Remington versa max and same with my dad and another great friend never had any problems with them cycling or jamming up or nothing. I have friends that have stoegers and franchis and they have had constant problems with them jamming up and not cycling shells properly. One even had the ejection pin that grabs the shell to eject it break, knowing what I know now about how smooth and the performance of the versa max I would hands down just buy one again. They may not be cheap but they are worth the money if you get one!

[Bofire]

  I have a beautiful 11-87 3 inch gun I'll sell ya for $450.00 I do not care how much you rust it up, right now it is high polish blue and walnut. 11-87 Premier 28 inch, screw in chokes.
Carl

[splitshot]

  don't forget to clean them a lot and put good ammo in them.  mike w

[BiggLuke]

For $600 you should be able to get a deal on a used shotgun in the for sale forums.
Browning Maxus is the best....  But an 11-87 you could find easy enough for sale second hand.

 

[duckmen1]

I have had both the mossberg 935 and stoeger 3500. Mossberg was horrible on jamming on every brand and size shell I ever put in it. Fought for 3 years with that gun trying different oils to different grease and amounts to none at all. Nothing made a difference. The gas system was horribly dirty. It patterned awesome though. But ended up being a super heavy single shot a lot of the time. Lol. also had problems with a certain part breaking and had to keep getting replacements in the mail. It was a common part that many people had to replace on that gun.
Now the stoeger 3500 has just plain been awesome and I've used it since they came out on the market.
I even had the old 3 inch 2000 model which has been upgraded with new parts now and is now called the 3000. But that old model 2000 was the most reliable gun I had ever shot.
I do love stoeger semi autos and they are a great price

[ackbizzle]

Also shooting a stoeger 3500 and the only issue I have had with it is that it doesn't like to cycle 1oz loads but don't shoot any thing like that in the field so it's not a problem. Great gun and really good price

[JJB11B]

Spend a little more and buy a Winchester SuperX3, best shotgun I have ever owned!!! I have bird hunted since I was 13 and have shot the most expensive to the cheapest. 

Got mine on sale on veterans day for 900.00

I love my winchester, Bought new in box from a friend for 500 Lucky me!!

[TheSkyBuster]

the beretta a300 is in that price window also.  know nothing about that one though.

The outlander is an excellent budget auto shotgun, the wife has been shooting one for 2 years now, waterfowl, grouse, and trap.  Well over a thousand rounds and not one failure to function.  Pretty easy to strip down and clean also.   

[Vo2max]

Thanks for all of the replies and for the help! I knew this topic would get some traffic. this forum once again helped me make a decision. Was treated very well at Skagit Arms and had a great experience. I asked a ton of questions and learnd more than I expected I would learn. I've been hunting for years just not that many for waterfowl and it continually amazes me how much I don't know the minute I think I know something. That goes for most anything in my life however!

Anyway, after much consideration, reading and questions answered I decided on the Stoeger 3500.. got a good price for it and now I cannot wait to take it for a spin on Saturday.

[duckmen1]

Have fun. Good choice. Mine will be brought out next week in hopes of seeing some bird action.

[Duckhunter14]

Very cool Vo2Max! Hope you love it. Let us know how it performs and post some pics of your kills. The guys at Skagit Arms are always helpful! Glad you went local with the buy to a smaller dealer! 

[gasman]

You won't be disappointed.

I have not one regret for buying mine 3 years ago 

[Vo2max]

First ducks down with the new Stoeger 3500!

Mixed bag: Green winged Teal hen, two mallard hens, widgeon drake. Missed a ton more unfortunately! new gun, super windy (a great thing!) which kept the ducks low and even some light rain. Having a sem-auto, so far, has been great but I certainly went through more shells! I have to use restraint apparently and I am looking forward to becoming more dialed in... have not shot my shotgun since last january so I cannot expect to be shooting well.

Thanks all once again for the help.

ERIK

[mr.ktm95]

You can never go wrong with the stoeger!

[wadu1]

I know Stoeger had problems for a while, they have become good guns since the 3000 & 3500 release. I'm reverting I'm shooting a Stoeger Longfowler SXS now. Opening weekend I took 8 geese and 2 teal, today 7 teal with the SXS. I aslo shoot a Baikal MP-153 auto when on the saltwater or a Beretta 391. I've had to many issues with Remingtons (11-87 and V-Max) and the Winchester/ Browning SX series have hammer issues, light strikes they are good when they work but 2 bad ones trured me off.

[Vo2max]

I know Stoeger had problems for a while, they have become good guns since the 3000 & 3500 release. I'm reverting I'm shooting a Stoeger Longfowler SXS now. Opening weekend I took 8 geese and 2 teal, today 7 teal with the SXS. I aslo shoot a Baikal MP-153 auto when on the saltwater or a Beretta 391. I've had to many issues with Remingtons (11-87 and V-Max) and the Winchester/ Browning SX series have hammer issues, light strikes they are good when they work but 2 bad ones trured me off.

Sorry about your gun problem history Wadu1... We all tend to learn the hard way! Atleast I do. Best of luck to you this fall/winter

[ackbizzle]

I will say make sure you give it a good cleaning after a wet hunt, seen quite a bit of rust developing on mine so stay on top of it

[Tealer]

Mossberg 930 or 935. Both are solid and in that price range. If you clean them once and a while they will out last you.


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[duckmen1]

I completely cleaned my mossberg 935 after each and every trip like I do all my shotguns. My gun wouldn't even last one day without fully seizing the action to the point I was having trouble pulling by hand. I think there was something seriously wrong with a factory defect of some sort. Because I was lucky to get 15 or 20 shots outa the gun before that would occur with jams during the 15 shots. It just was throwing so much gas back into the action that it looked like thick charcoal residue was being left behind. A lot more than should be.

[Tealer]

I completely cleaned my mossberg 935 after each and every trip like I do all my shotguns. My gun wouldn't even last one day without fully seizing the action to the point I was having trouble pulling by hand. I think there was something seriously wrong with a factory defect of some sort. Because I was lucky to get 15 or 20 shots outa the gun before that would occur with jams during the 15 shots. It just was throwing so much gas back into the action that it looked like thick charcoal residue was being left behind. A lot more than should be.

300 hunts on mine. Never one problem.


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[duckmen1]

That's good to here. Seems that's how it it with certain mossbergs  You got a lot of good ones and some bad apples produced. My last trip with the gun was turkey season this fall. Shot at a turkey and it jammed after that shot with shell just mangled. Cleared it and the next shell ejected out the bottom of the gun. So later shot a grouse and went to shoot another and the gun went click. Shot the grouse with a turkey load and the gun didn't eject the second shell. So cycled by hand and again the shell went out the bottom of the gun. Those were there first two shots I took after completely cleaning before the trip. I finally said screw that gun and sold it. It was hard to do because the pattern was amazing out of that gun but I just couldn't get the reliability out of it.
I really do like the inertia driven design from my experience. Very reliable

[Duckhunter14]

First ducks down with the new Stoeger 3500!

Mixed bag: Green winged Teal hen, two mallard hens, widgeon drake. Missed a ton more unfortunately! new gun, super windy (a great thing!) which kept the ducks low and even some light rain. Having a sem-auto, so far, has been great but I certainly went through more shells! I have to use restraint apparently and I am looking forward to becoming more dialed in... have not shot my shotgun since last january so I cannot expect to be shooting well.

Thanks all once again for the help.

ERIK

  Nice work! Thanks for sharing. But be honest....did you try to pump the next shell in after the first shot? 

[Vo2max]

First ducks down with the new Stoeger 3500!

Mixed bag: Green winged Teal hen, two mallard hens, widgeon drake. Missed a ton more unfortunately! new gun, super windy (a great thing!) which kept the ducks low and even some light rain. Having a sem-auto, so far, has been great but I certainly went through more shells! I have to use restraint apparently and I am looking forward to becoming more dialed in... have not shot my shotgun since last january so I cannot expect to be shooting well.

Thanks all once again for the help.

ERIK

  Nice work! Thanks for sharing. But be honest....did you try to pump the next shell in after the first shot? 

You're damned skippy I did! Hard habit to break!

[Duckhunter14]

hahaha welcome to the semi-auto club my friend! That will go away with time, and so will the Boom-Boom-Boom *censored* I shot wayyyy to fast and didn't aim...

[LeftCoastLoren]

Stoeger M3500