20 Gauge for Mountain Hunting

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ArmedBear

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I've been looking around, and it seems bubba is buying nothing but 12s, and apparently thinks 20 is for kids. It's getting harder to find anything but a break-action or a youth gun in 20.

Some of us, though, are on our feet, not our butts, when we hunt.:) I want my 5 shots for double rises, and a gun that won't wear out quickly if it gets dusty -- even though I'm usually no big fan of semis.

Can anyone recommend a 20 Gauge semiauto?

I'm wide open, except that I don't want a Remington or a Saiga, and if the gun doesn't weigh less than 7 lbs., it won't help me.

This gun will be dropped in the dirt and rocks.

I can think of Mossberg and Weatherby (Turkish imports), Franchi, Beretta, Benelli, Browning. I haven't actually SEEN any but an occasional Franchi or Beretta, and the 3901 seems to be very hard to find, especially in 20. Benellis are steep, and I would prefer a gas gun to either a short- or long-recoil action.

Who else makes a decent 20 gauge semiauto without excess adornment (nothing against it; just don't want to pay for it in this case), that I won't mind actually using?

Any thoughts about the makers mentioned?

Thanks in advance!
 
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3901 26" is probably at the top of my list. Not too expensive (in the scheme of things), but I'd trust it to work well. Beretta's semis fit me, too -- something I can't know about the Weatherby or Mossberg, since I've never been able to actually touch one.

I just can't find one around here, and shops don't seem to want to order one. I might have to order it myself.

Thanks for the tip on a dealer.:)
 
If you're climbing the terrain in Idaho, which is similar to the terrain I climbed in NV, I would go for the Franchi in 20 - it's under 6# and should makes those climbs, especially in the afternoon, a lot easier.......
 
Long recoil kinda bugs me.

Or do you mean the 720?

And yeah, this is the flat part.:D

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Just looked at the Charles Daly guns.

Light, inexpensive, even available in 28 Gauge.

Anyone know anything about them?
 
id actually love a nice pump 16guage i find its a nice medium it doesnt destroy birds and squirrels but has enough power to take a deer

kinda hard to find shells here though
 
Anyone know anything about them?
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I've heard that they are made in Turkey. But Charles Daly does offer a great warranty. And I've read on many of these forums that their support and service is second to none. But I don't know anyone who actually owns one.
 
"Franchi's also come in 28, if you like that kind of thing. "

They are so sweet that I almost bought one of those the first time I handled one, but the dealer had a standard grade and a high grade and I couldn't decide. Then I woke up and realized I had a real nice 28 ga. O/U already and bought Colt WWI Repro.

I still think about those little Franchis from time to time.

John
 
I had a Charles Daly Semi for about 2 weeks. Bought it used, it looked good, but was a serious jammomatic. I did everything I could to make sure it was clean, parts were in excellent shape, but it jammed and jammed. So I traded it at a Pawn shop.
 
I've heard that they are made in Turkey.
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So are the new Weatherby semiautos and the 20 Gauge Mossbergs. They'd be going broke if the guns were all falling apart. I'm more apt to believe that a $500 semiauto could be built well, than a $500 O/U.
 
WRT the Franchi 48:

Anyone who has shot one, do you think you could blast 3 hand-thrown clays with it before they hit the ground, or would all the barrel motion make that harder than with other guns?

I've only shot an Auto 5, not the Franchi. I found it... humorously disconcerting. After that, I never really wanted one.:)
 
I have not shot (only handled) an AL48, but I dunno why the Franchi AL48 would be any better/worse than the Auto5 in that regard.

And, as an aside, I do not notice the barrel motion on my Auto5's at all. I can't say if that makes me really OK or really a moron, but there it is. :)

I almost bought a 48AL recently, simply because of their light weight and balance. Sadly, the bolt release is on the wrong side...
 
I doubt the Franchi would be any worse.

More than likely, you got used to the Auto 5 early on. Many people shoot them, and well, so clearly someone who's used to the things isn't bothered by them.:)
 
Here is one listed by an individual:

For Sale - Beretta 3901 Statesman 20 GA *REDUCED*

For Sale
Beretta 3901 Statesman 20 GA, 26" Barrel Bought new in 2005 for my wife but she is a lefty and this is a right hand gun, less than 500 rounds. Nice wood. Wood and metal both 99.9% or better 3 chock tubes, IC, MOD, FULL included. Original box. Includes 1 shim for adjusting cast and drop of stock.

$800.00 plus shipping to your FFL (Postal Money Order or Cashier's Check)

Price Reduced to $700.00 or make offer. Will consider a trade for 20GA O/U

Rick
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RE: Charles Daly
Mine is fine, as are several other. Very light, sub 6# per their website. Lifetime Warranty and the President is a member here, who is very attentive and helpful. Member name "Charles Daly".
For a little over $300 it's a pretty good gun. You can get a camo one, too, if that's your thing. I went ahead and got a youth stock from the factory for my kids to be a ble to use.
 
So it's been reliable, and it balances well?

(Like I said, this gun will be dropped, so these are the two things that matter. I don't really WANT walnut.:))
 
Like I said, this gun will be dropped
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Judging from the looks of the "flat part" out there, I assume you will be dropping it in order to save your life. Which makes the Daly at about $300 sound quite appealing as compared to a $700-1000 black plastic gun.
WHEW!!! I'm glad I've never been that mad at a Quail. :D
 
Chukar and grouse in the mountains, quail in the canyons, pheasant in the snow...

None of them make me want to grab a nice O/U or even my honest-worn but nevertheless antique SxS...:)

I've also got a dog who isn't tired until he's gone 10 miles in the mountains at an all-out run. Helps us sleep when he's tired.:D

WRT dropping the gun, the Urika 2 in 20 (sometimes available on sale) is a REALLY nice gun. What turned me off to it was a guy at a dog training session who showed me his, all scracthed up with the buttstock broken in half at the wrist and glued back together. Idaho chukar hunting, par for the course.

He can afford to break his fall with a $1000 gun (all his other Berettas were more), but I'd be likely to just fall down the hill to save the gun. That's not a good place to be...:D
 
Chukar and grouse in the mountains, quail in the canyons, pheasant in the snow...
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Sounds wonderful, I've never hunted Chukar, Grouse or Pheasant. Quail, I've hunted in California in the mid 70's when I was in the service and here in Texas before loss of habitat and the fire ants have all but made them extinct in my area. Having been a machinist in the power industry for the last 31 years, I agree that some pretty good guns can come out of the third world countries. With the advent of CNC machines a lot more is possible today with less skill or craftsmanship required of the operator. Best wishes in your quest.

chas
 
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