Anyone shoot a franchi before?

[nchaput]

So I have been given a go to get a new shotgun for next year. Looking for something that is under $850 that can hold up to the abuse a shotgun goes through hunting the sound. I have been shooting an 870 since I was old enough to hold it but I finally want to break down and buy an autoloader. I looked at the 11-87 with the armor lock but it seems a little heavy and doesn't balance as well for me. Checked out stoegers too but have read and heard quite a few bad reviews on the them. After hitting three different cabelas in three states I finally checked out the Franchi shotguns. The I12 fits me perfectly and is somewhat light weight plus the one i looked at had the camo finish which looked like it would hold up in the salt. Just wondering if anyone has used one or had another suggestion for that price range.

[dirty24d]

my neighbor has one. He loves it. Guy has put down alot of geese and ducks in the last two years with it. It also has the camo finish. I have fired it on several occasions. Smooth auto chambering. Fires nice. I dont know a whole lot about shotguns but i have an 870 and firing the franchi is a treat for me. Only issue he has had is it fell over and chipped some of the camo finish last november . Great gun in my opinion.

[Meats]

I would spend the same money on a used Extrema 2 or SBE before considering a franchi.
They are famous for breakdowns.

[Copperwood]

I would spend the same money on a used Extrema 2 or SBE before considering a franchi.
They are famous for breakdowns.

Unless you can find one used you will pay double. My buddy has one and he LOVES it. He's glad he didn't spend more on a Benelli. (I always tell him I'm going to buy a Benelli and he always tries to talk me into buying a Franchi) He did have a problem with it and had to send it in but that is because he didn't clean in for two years and shot the hell out of it. If I wasn't buying a SBEII I would buy a Franchi. They have the same manufacturer.

[Meats]

I would spend the same money on a used Extrema 2 or SBE before considering a franchi.
They are famous for breakdowns.

Unless you can find one used you will pay double. My buddy has one and he LOVES it. He's glad he didn't spend more on a Benelli. (I always tell him I'm going to buy a Benelli and he always tries to talk me into buying a Franchi) He did have a problem with it and had to send it in but that is because he didn't clean in for two years and shot the hell out of it. If I wasn't buying a SBEII I would buy a Franchi. They have the same manufacturer.

I did recomend a USED one
The do have the same manufacturer but are FAR from being equal weapons.
You cant beat the durability or find a softer shooting weapon than the Extrema 2.

[WDFW-SUX]

391 beretta

[mallard79]

391 beretta

Gotta agree!!  Myself and two hunting partners who only hunt the sound use them exclusively.  Keep it fairly clean and itnwill perform flawlessly.  Pick them up at Walmart for under $600 after tax!

[nchaput]

Been reading up on both the extrema and the 391. For those of you that shoot them how hard are they to take apart and maintain? Wish I could take one to the range and try it out before I buy one.

[WDFW-SUX]

391's are super easy...parts are dime a dozen as they are used a competition guns.  They are the only auto loaders I like.

391 Beretta and 870 wing master are almost perfect creations and there is really nothing close to comparable that exists

As far as dynamics the 391's are simmular to the 870....I own both and Ill never sell either.

[Copperwood]

At the end of the day the 870 is the best shotgun of all time, without question. IMO

[Malardman]

I have the 912 Raptor 12ga 3'' 30'' barell And the I-12 Max 4 w/ a 30'' barell and these guns work flawless. No it's not an SBEII but I shoot next to one every time i waterfowl and his jams all the time I believe it his Ammo though. I've shot Franchi's for 5yrs now Never 1 jam, not one miss fire, nor one broken part, I hunt from the salt to the dunes, from sun to freezing rain and snow Don't let any body talk you out of a Franchi. For an Auto-loader you can not beat it. 870's are great if you want a pump, I had a Beretta 391 POS it's a bottom of the barrel scraper Beretta. Rust like a MF and my recoil spring broke on the inside along with the firing pin. Firing pin was on a guided hunt with eagle lakes and the guide let me shoot his SBEII to finish out the hunt.

[addicted]

Father in law has and I12? thing shoots really nice.

[nchaput]

Still looking at guns and have been leaning a little more towards the benelli M2. Price is reasonable and when I went to wholesale sports the guy behind the counter took me through the ins and outs of all of the semi's in my price range. I didn't ask them to take it apart for me to see how hard they are to reassemble but from what I have read they are easy to maintain. I think it is crap that there is a $200 difference between the black and camo coated guns but I can deal with a black gun for that price.

[270Shooter]

I have an M2 and it is very easy to disassemble.

The franchi uses a different type of inertia action in that the main spring is located in the forearm, where as the benelli's main spring is located in the buttstock. I don't know for sure which is better, but I do know that the Stoeger M2000 uses the same exact action as the franchi.