Looking for a semi auto for HD

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Scooter22

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I'm not up to speed on whats available in SA shotguns. I,v had RC surgeries on both shoulders and the left is getting bad again causing problems using my pumps. Looking for suggestions on a SA that won't break the bank. Thanks
 
I guess you could try to find a used Remington 1100, Beretta 390/391, BrowningSX1/2/3. As far as new semi-autos, you are generally looking at $700+. American Rifleman just ran a article on the Hatfield SAS, had good things to say about it, but that is what they get paid for. Took a breaking in period to run lighter shells but ran 1 1/8oz and heavier shells with not problems.
 
I have a Browning Auto 5 and Remington Model 11 and I use them for 3-gun, sporting clays and everything else. I have a 20" barrel for the Model 11 for interior work.
 
Define "won't break the bank"? Even the cheapest pumps function pretty well. When you get into semi's, budget guns can be finicky. Even expensive guns can be finicky about ammo. With a pump you can have a longer hunting barrel, and a shorter SD barrel and they work equally well. Semi's are tuned to work with a certain barrel length for the gas system to function reliably. Buy a shorter barrel for SD and it may not function well with certain loads.

If you're going semi-auto for SD purposes I'd not cut my budget too much and I'd buy a gun designed for use with a shorter SD length barrel. It is a lot easier, and cheaper to pick up a used pump hunting shotgun and buy another barrel. Or even cut the longer one down. That doesn't work as easily with a semi.

I'm not trying to discourage you and push you to a pump. I actually like a semi better anyway. Just make sure you understand the downsides.
 
I have a Rem Wingmaster with the Cyl deer barrel and a H&R Pardner Pump HD. I love them both. But it's getting hard to pump above my waist with my left shoulder. I'm probably going to need surgery again on it. So I thought I'd pickup a SA. I'd like to keep the price around 3-400. I don't mind used. I remember reading about gas VS inertia operation reliability. But I don't know how true that is these days. Primarily this gun will have 00 buck in it. Maybe slugs. I was thinking about a youth 20ga pump thats lighter and shorter so my arm isn't going as far out on the pump cycle but my shoulder is getting worse. That would be 200 or more so I thought just go semi.I don't have a pistol permit and with the SAFE act here in NY I'm not going to bother now. If you loose a pistol permit now for whatever reason you have to turn in ALL you firearms. I have a substantial long gun collection so I'm not going down that road.
 
With your budget I’d get a 930. There are some inertia guns in your budget but recoil with 00 Buck would be quite a bit harsher than with a gas gun.
 
Mossberg 930 or Beretta AL390 Synthetic Stock.

Or you might consider a Remington 1100 in 20 gauge, I just picked one up for the wife for under 400.00. I can assure you that a load of 20 gauge # 4 buckshot will get someone's attention at typical house ranges.
 
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For semi autos, I'd put my $$ on Berettas. We've got five at Scout Camp and after eight years of really hard use by boy scouts, they still perform as advertised.
 
The issue that I've had over the years with budget semiauto HD guns is that they always wound up handling like soggy fenceposts. That might be OK for barricade defense, but if there any potential for dynamic shooting (shooting at moving miscreants), I want the gun to point and handle as a shotgun should.

I've cut down and repurposed a bunch of Auto5s and 1100s and other such critters. The 1100s always wound up heavy and finicky about loads, and the Auto5's would batter themselves if I cut them less than 21" and didn't keep the rings on the magnum setting. I never really did find a cheap *and* satisfying HD/SD semiauto solution.

I have literally put tens of thousands of shells downrange through my defensive shotguns. (I use them for clays practice, to stay familiar with the manual of arms and retain proficiency at rapidly sholdering the gun and hitting a moving target.) The least expensive HD semiauto that I own is a (long out of production) Beretta 1201P. The others are all 18" Benelli M2's.

If I was asked what gun I wanted, of any kind, under any circumstances, for repelling boarders inside of, say, 50 yards - it'd unquestionably be a Benelli M2.
 
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rbernie said:
The issue that I've had over the years with budget semiauto HD guns is that they always wound up handling like soggy fenceposts. That might be OK for barricade defense, but if there any potential for dynamic shooting (shooting at moving miscreants), I want the gun to point and handle as a shotgun should.

I've cut down and repurposed a bunch of Auto5s and 1100s and other such critters. The 1100s always wound up heavy and finicky about loads, and the Auto5's would batter themselves if I cut them less than 21" and didn't keep the rings on the magnum setting.

I have literally put tens of thousands of shells downrange through my defensive shotguns. (I use them for clays practice, to stay familiar with the manual of arms and retain proficiency at rapidly sholdering the gun and hitting a moving target.) The least expensive HD semiauto that I own is a (long out of production) Beretta 1201P. The others are all 18" Benelli M2's.

If I was asked what gun I wanted, or any kind, under any circumstances, for repelling boarders inside of, say, 50 yards - it'd unquestionably be a Benelli M2.
Click to expand...

M4 would be my first choice and M2 second.
 
I think you can not get any SA better than the Browning A5 for SD. The used ones are pretty inexpensive and various barrel lengths are available. My bird gun has a 22" bbl and I have a 19" after mkt bbl for one. I think no SA of recent manufacture exceeds the reliability of the A5. Most of the inexpensive ones IMO are made to a price point and do not compare with the A5,. My Benellis are fine guns but they are not inexpensive. given that I would still choose the A5 for SD if price is a prime consideration.
 
1. Rem 1100 is notable for soft recoil. Mine was a HD gun with an 18" bbl and I had plenty of buck and slugs through it. You can shoot it very fast.

2. A 20ga shotgun many times has more severe recoil than a 12ga, due to light weight of hte 20ga and many 20ga loads being in 12ga territory.
 
jmr40 said:
Define "won't break the bank"? Even the cheapest pumps function pretty well. When you get into semi's, budget guns can be finicky. Even expensive guns can be finicky about ammo. With a pump you can have a longer hunting barrel, and a shorter SD barrel and they work equally well. Semi's are tuned to work with a certain barrel length for the gas system to function reliably. Buy a shorter barrel for SD and it may not function well with certain loads.

If you're going semi-auto for SD purposes I'd not cut my budget too much and I'd buy a gun designed for use with a shorter SD length barrel. It is a lot easier, and cheaper to pick up a used pump hunting shotgun and buy another barrel. Or even cut the longer one down. That doesn't work as easily with a semi.

I'm not trying to discourage you and push you to a pump. I actually like a semi better anyway. Just make sure you understand the downsides.
Click to expand...

This is new to me after many years of shooting 1100s. I used to switch barrels all the time and never experienced a problem. I even have a Hastings rifled barrel for hunting deer in Illinois, as well as a short barrel and a magazine extender for defensive use. Is this just certain brands or is it all semi autos?

Granted I only shoot #4 buckshot through the shorter barrel and I only shoot 7 1/2 and 8 through a 30 inch barrel and slugs only through the Hastings barrel, so maybe it is that I have never tried to shoot clay loads in the other barrels. I use a different gun for hunting.
 
I blew out my right shoulder years ago and have a hard time shooting shotguns. Rio makes low recoil shotgun ammo, combined with a Limbsaver recoil pad makes shooting mine (all pump action) manageable.
 
My HD shotgun is a 20 gauge semi. Doubt it will ever get used since choice number one is a CZ 75 SP-01 Tactical and choice number two is an AR. But it is loaded with number #4 Buck and ready to go. It’s also my Turkey shotgun. To swap between uses all I have to do is swap out chokes and ammunition. For HD I use an extended Skeet choke so I don’t even have to use a choke wrench.
C46FFC4B-FE38-46F0-835B-8466BC54325C.jpeg
 
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