Looking for a shotgun

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renegade1alpha

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I am a pro when it comes to pistols and pretty much any rifle. And when it comes to tactical PUMP shotguns or a single shot shotguns I know them pretty well. Where I lack experience (and I will become an expert in time) is with semi-auto hunting shotguns. My Remington 870 went from being my bird gun to being a totally over the top tactical shotgun because I thought I would never go bird hunting again. Of course I should have known better than to say that to myself after selling the vent ribbed hunting barrel that it originally came with. Now Im in the market for a semi-auto shotgun that wont break my wallet.

I have recently found a Charles Daly Semi-auto for $315 at Walmart and I am considering buying it. I know the saying "you get what you pay for" is what people want to tell me and already have, but just because something is inexpensive does not mean that it will not perform.

I would like to hear from people who actually own or shot one and give me an honest opinion. I have already heard the, "Well I know a guy..." That is heresay, and as we all know heresay will not stand up in court. So please, honest information is what I am looking for.
 
Used Wingmasters and Ithaca M37s in that price range and less are readily available. Oh, my bad. You said you wanted opinions on the Charles Daly.

Never mind.
 
I owned and shot a Charles Daly field and found it lacking.

Stay away from any semiauto that came from Turkey.

Look for a used Remington 1100, Beretta 390, 303, 3901, or 1200 field. Might find a Browning Gold or Winchester SX1 at a good deal.
 
Hmmm, I don't think you'll find too many guy's saying "wow I love my charles daly".
I would look at used autoloaders instead. I guess I'll say it, "you get what you pay for".
 
man go with the stoeger 2000 inertia driven and i have abused the hell out of mine bought 3/14/09 and was the gun i practiced with before i bought my yildiz o/u for dove season i have put almost 4000 rounds through mine with the help of my brother and father hasnt jammed yet you can find them both at academy for good prices guess depending wht part of the united states you are in stoeger goes for 499.99 and well worth the price or yildiz 399.99 fyi if your want to look at other places
 
The issue is that just because something is inexpensive, lots of times it does mean it doesn't work like it should in the gun world. A lot of people just have a hell of a time accepting that anything that costs hundreds of dollars won't work.
 
If you don't have a need for 3", consider a Winchester 1400 on the used market, often 200-250 bucks in near new condition. I've owned one for 20 years and love it, fits perfect, shoots sweet, and it's wonderfully light and quick to the shoulder while swinging smooth. It's one of the least recoiling 12s you'll run across. The ergos leave me a little flat. I'm getting a left side safety installed, but really prefer tang safeties and guns with no shell elevator in the way. As for new shotguns, I'd be a sucker for the Mossberg 930, myself. I'm not sure about the shell elevator, but it has a tang safety like my 500.

I've heard too much negative on the CD. I'd avoid that one.
 
academyassociate024

Ha! I was in the Waco Academy opening weekend of north zone dove, picked up a box of 10 gauge there as the Academy in Victoria was out at the time. Guess they don't shoot a lot of geese in Waco. LOL My old college buddy runs Matula Insurance in Belmead. I go up there every year to shoot doves with him and he comes down here to deer/hog and especially goose hunt. He loves goose hunting. We're weaning off the factory 10 gauge, though, as we now have a MEC press I've been messing with. Victoria Academy is my only source of local 10 gauge factory ammo and I can significantly beat the price of factory stuff by handloading....sorry....:D
 
Thanks for all the input guys. I spoke with two people here in Idaho that bird hunt alot. One owns a CD semi auto the other a Beretta. The Beretta owner has already had his gun sent back twice and the CD owner says other than it kicking a bit harder than other semi autos, his works fine. He has had if for four years now. So I took the gamble and bought one for $300 if it works, great. If not then I will chalk it up to a bad decision. Either way I will be able to give people an opinion on CD shotguns. I will keep everyone posted on the results.

Oh, and by the way Buck46XVR, hearsay is unverified information. My being a pro, has been verified and has and still does stand up in court as a expert witness. I just have no experience with a CD semi=auto shotgun or other semi autos in a hunting situation. I will now.
 
Oh, and by the way Buck46XVR, hearsay is unverified information. My being a pro, has been verified and has and still does stand up in court as a expert witness.
Click to expand...


sorry renegade1alpha....but just cause someone posts something on the internet, I don't take it as verified information....and when someone claims they're a firearms pro and then asks about a $300 P.O.S. shottie, I have my doubts. I also know what it takes to be an "expert" witness............I've been there myself, and IMHO, it ain't worth braggin' about.



..................just sayin'.
 
If anything think of a mossberg maverick 88 at academy they are 169.99 or a remington 870 in the shurshot patteren for 279.99 and they have a $30 dollar mail in rebate on the 870's from reminton. for the price the 88 is well worth it and is not a bad gun at all
 
Used Mossberg 5500 or 9200

They are gas operated and have the least felt recoil of any shotgun I have shot. They are available in that price range-$250-$300 in nice condition. I am sorry the day I got rid of my model 5500. Also , if you want a good gas gun the Remington 1100 is very good but heavy. As mentioned the winchester 1400 is another excellent choice that is out there. The new Inertia driven guns are very good but I think somewhat overpriced and kick worse than the mule I have on my farm.
 
Just put 150 rounds of mixed ammo, lead and steel shot, through the CD and it fucntioned without a hitch.

Just because it is a $300 gun doesn't mean it won't function. A friend of mine and I once took a Ruger P85 9mm that he bought (cost was $289.95) and put 3,000 rounds of hard cast lead through it over a period of about a month. Each time we would burn through magazines until the gun was almost too hot to hold. He finally sold the gun after a year and its hard telling how many rounds we put through it in that time and was still a solid shooter.

We will see how the CD holds up. I will keep everyone posted.
 
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Another 75 rounds of Estate #6 heavy game loads through the CD again today. No problems. Definitely need a better recoil pad though. Going with the Limbsaver.
 
If you don't mind me asking, why not go back to an 870? I don't think that a pump is a hinderance at all when out hunting.
 
Do not over -look the CZ 712

They are excellent guns at only $450.00 new. A gas gun with all chrome internal parts and clean-up is a snap. If you can afford it, this would be my choice.
 
Forget the Charles Daly. A Stoeger 2000is the best bet in a budget auto. I have no personal experience with the Mossberg 930, but they have their fans as well.

A used 1100 or 11-87 would not be a bad choice either. If you don't want to spend the money for a good auto just get yourself another 870 and set it up for hunting. There is something to be said for having both guns operate the same.
 
Update on the Charles Daly; I put another 25 rounds of 2 3/4" Remington #2 steel with no problems.

I could have went back to the 870 Tim, but I wanted to try a semi auto this time. My 870 worked fine before but now its set up as a tactical shotgun and not a hunting one.

Alot of people have told me not to get the Charles Daly. But since I have bought this one, I have not had any problems whatsoever with it. The recoil pad is thin but thats about it so far. Maybe I just happened to get a good one. In any event I think the key to alot, not all, of the problems people have with semi auto shotguns is not keeping them clean. I have cleaned mine after every shooting session and inspected all the parts. Time and lots more ammunition will tell me how it really holds up. Until then Im happy with it.
 
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