Reliable Semiautomatic Shotguns

[Raissermesser]

Since the issue of semiauto vs pump shotguns came up in the 20 Gauge defense thread, that had me thinking about reliability. I've used single-shot, pump, and semi-automatic shotguns, and have had some sort of failure with all but the pump - and if I'd shot more with pumps, would probably have had a failure there, too. The problem with one old single-shot was the ejector, so yes, that can happen with something that simple.

With semi-automatics, two things come to mind:

1. Misfeeds with a Remington 1100.
2. Reversing a ring on (I think) a Browning for different loads.

Aside from the misfeed issue, reliable operation with different loads is likely the big issue here. This assumes the owner takes proper maintenance of the shotgun. However, this is an assumption. For semiautos, Remingtons and Brownings predominate here, with some Brownings a bit long in the tooth, so that's not enough variety to draw general conclusions.

My question, then, is what's a reliable semiautomatic shotgun?

Will note that I once broke the O ring on a Remington 1100 while cleaning. Had to replace that. Would that be considered an issue?

 

[jkingrph]

Personally my only experience with semiauto shotguns is the Remington 1100. My first was a standard model 12 ga purchased back in 1972 in Izmir, Turkey when I was stationed there with the USAF. It has been nothing but reliable, even when I would temporarily replace the operating handle with one designed to catch empty shells when skeet shooting. The second was a little LT20 I got a couple of years ago from my sister and brother in law. They had taken it in trade for partial payment for a trailer. It was in rather bad shape, really unshootable when I got it. The magazine follower had somehow swelled and frozen in the mag tube so you could not load ammo, nor would it move any shell there back to be lifted to the chamber. Some serious cleaning and replacement of that part remedied the problem and it is perfect now.

Yes the broken O ring would probably affect the function, by allowing gases to leak out of the cylinder and slowing bolt movement and possibly preventing any action upon firing. At roughly the 45 year mark I replaced the O ring with a newer synthetic Zytel type, as well as that in the little 20 ga.

 

[HARMON]

My question, then, is what's a reliable semiautomatic shotgun?

My top 2 would be a Benelli M4 and a Mossberg 930 Tactical.

 

[Ad Astra]

+1 Benelli.

AA

 

[OldGnome]

This thread came along at a good time for me. I’m starting to research shotguns. Ideally, I’d like a shotgun I can use for trap, skeet, sporting clays and home defense. I realize that may be a tall order.

My most recent shotgun was a Browning semiautomatic of about late 1960s vintage. Heavy.

Any suggestions?

 

[BigFoot]

I have never had my Remington 11-87 jam-from trap loads to heavy magnum it cycles them all consistently. Mine is 30 years old so maybe the new ones are not as reliable????

 

[McNasty]

This thread came along at a good time for me. I’m starting to research shotguns. Ideally, I’d like a shotgun I can use for trap, skeet, sporting clays and home defense. I realize that may be a tall order.

My most recent shotgun was a Browning semiautomatic of about late 1960s vintage. Heavy.

Any suggestions?

That's going to be talk order.. Trap = long barrel, 12ga, heavy gun. Skeet lighter quicker gun usually an auto. Clays closer to alert except more barrel eventually 12ga. HD, I would want a short barrel pump.

 

[Ad Astra]

One gun can be done - with two barrels: 18" cylinder for home defense, 28" with three screw-in chokes for all else.

Well. That's what I did.

AA

 

[horsetrailer]

Get a Benelli M2. Much cheaper than an M4 but basically is the same action except only goes to 3" shells. I use an M2 20ga rifled slug for deer hunting and it's light as a feather

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[Raissermesser]

This thread came along at a good time for me. I’m starting to research shotguns. Ideally, I’d like a shotgun I can use for trap, skeet, sporting clays and home defense. I realize that may be a tall order.

My most recent shotgun was a Browning semiautomatic of about late 1960s vintage. Heavy.

Any suggestions?

Not that much of a tall order. A shotgun with changeable barrels and screw-in chokes. Have toyed with the idea of a slug shotgun and another barrel simply because the older I get, the more padding appeals to me.

 

[Raissermesser]

I have never had my Remington 11-87 jam-from trap loads to heavy magnum it cycles them all consistently. Mine is 30 years old so maybe the new ones are not as reliable????

Don't know about the 11-87. The jamming 1100 was late 1970s production.

 

[BigFoot]

Don't know about the 11-87. The jamming 1100 was late 1970s production.

My 1100 was one gorgeous shotgun but it jammed all the time. It got traded in for the 11-87 in 1988.

 

[Ad Astra]

(thoughtfully) I don't think it's *possible* for a Benelli to jam ...


AA

 

[HARMON]

This thread came along at a good time for me. I’m starting to research shotguns. Ideally, I’d like a shotgun I can use for trap, skeet, sporting clays and home defense. I realize that may be a tall order.

My most recent shotgun was a Browning semiautomatic of about late 1960s vintage. Heavy.

Any suggestions?

Mossberg 930 Field / Security Combo

 

[OkieStubble]

My 1100 was one gorgeous shotgun but it jammed all the time. It got traded in for the 11-87 in 1988.

11-87 is a great semi auto shotgun.

 

[miguel]

Winchester SX3/SX4 they are extremely fast shotguns. I have never had a jam in my SX3

 

[jkingrph]

This thread came along at a good time for me. I’m starting to research shotguns. Ideally, I’d like a shotgun I can use for trap, skeet, sporting clays and home defense. I realize that may be a tall order.

Any suggestions?

When I was overseas with my Rem 1100 12 ga. I added a slug barrel, basically a cylinder bore with rifle sights for pig hunting, a skeet barrel for, obviously skeet. My standard barrel was sans rib and was modified choke and I did quite well on quail and doves. Never tried trap, but I think longer and fuller choke barrels are available. Sometimes back in the late 80's I picked up one of the Hastings rifled barrels and find it quite accurate with the sabot slugs, and then a couple of years back I picked up a new vent rib barrel with interchangeable choke tubes, which does make it rather handy. For home defense I choose the early slug barrel, short and handy.

I never shot competition skeet, just to improve my wingshooting for hunting, and really prefer a double barrel, liking an old Parker sxs or a little Darne 28ga.

 

[ColtRevolver]

I have a Beretta AL391 Sporting. I primarily use it for skeet, but have shot a few rounds of trap with it just for a change of pace from my Citori trap. I have never had a misfeed or malfunction of any kind from the Beretta..

 

[Esox]

My question, then, is what's a reliable semiautomatic shotgun?

Will note that I once broke the O ring on a Remington 1100 while cleaning. Had to replace that. Would that be considered an issue?

The O Rings in the Remington 1100/11-87 family wear out. That can be an issue and has been for me. I even took to carrying a spare in the field. That said, I've bet my life on my Remington 11-87 SPS-T and would again, but only with the right loads and knowing it was in tip top shape.

If I had to pick one shotgun that would shrug off anything I could and have thrown at it, it would be the old Belgian Browning Auto 5. I dropped mine in a small pond duck hunting one day just south of CFB Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. There was, at most, a foot of water and then 2-3 feet of soft black mud. That old shotgun sunk right into the mud. I picked it up, shook it under the water to rinse it out, dumped the water from the barrel, shouldered it and shot a double on Blue Wing Teal. I got a face full of water and dirt but I got two ducks for it.

If reliability in a semi auto is priority #1, no gas gun can compete. My old 1100 doesnt even work right in the rain never mind the mud. The Belgian Browning, or the old Remington M11 is another workhorse. Guess who designed it.

 

[REV579]

Since the issue of semiauto vs pump shotguns came up in the 20 Gauge defense thread, that had me thinking about reliability. I've used single-shot, pump, and semi-automatic shotguns, and have had some sort of failure with all but the pump - and if I'd shot more with pumps, would probably have had a failure there, too. The problem with one old single-shot was the ejector, so yes, that can happen with something that simple.

With semi-automatics, two things come to mind:

1. Misfeeds with a Remington 1100.
2. Reversing a ring on (I think) a Browning for different loads.

Aside from the misfeed issue, reliable operation with different loads is likely the big issue here. This assumes the owner takes proper maintenance of the shotgun. However, this is an assumption. For semiautos, Remingtons and Brownings predominate here, with some Brownings a bit long in the tooth, so that's not enough variety to draw general conclusions.

My question, then, is what's a reliable semiautomatic shotgun?

Will note that I once broke the O ring on a Remington 1100 while cleaning. Had to replace that. Would that be considered an issue?

I have never had a misdeed with any of my 1100’s, but they all pre-date 1986.
Also, I’ve never had an o-Ring failure. I will note that as I grew up with a father who served, and his father served, we all have a healthy respect for firearms. We clean them after shooting, and I imagine I was taught to clean in a manner that would pass inspection.
I’ve bought (2) 1100 Magnums that other people gave up on, isolated the issue and turned them into a Goose Gun and a Turkey gun.

I also have an old Franchi AL-48 Hunter that’s a great upland game shotgun. It has the Browning-Type recoil system, with the reversible ring. Having a good understanding of how these systems operate is vital to shooting without owner-operator errors.

In the end, the best firearms and shotguns require more than pointing and shooting, unless they are disposable and cheap.