remington 1100's pro's and con's ?

[peabody]

hello.. im in the markett for a 20 gauge shot gun,
im interested in a gas operated action.looking for soft recoil.
i dont have a whole lot of money to spend.
the shotgun will be used for quail and squirrel hunting. and around the farm. 2.75 shells is probly all i'll ever shoot 7 and halfs shot. maybe 6's.
i think i'ed like full choke , and the longest barrel i can get.
in reading the websites, and pricing these auto's.

looks like a good used remington is in order.??
the prices of a bennelli and or beretta, ......ouch...... and im just not wanting to putt something that high dollar on my tractor to get skinned up.

i remember a few years ago, a remington 1100 was selling around 350 dollars ? but now ? seems they are getting up there in price.

whats your opinions ?

peabody

 

[451 Detonics]

Hard to beat the 1100. They run great and shoot fairly soft. Like everything else they have gone up a bit in price but shopping around can pay off in a good deal. The Franchi is another good semi-auto but they do kick harder.

 

[oneounceload]

You can find used 1100's all over the place for a reasonable amount - and most will likely have choke tubes.

Pro- been around a while - proven design.

Con - Been around a while, outdated and heavy

Many do not like the gas system, the old adage "If it rattles, it's a Remington" sort of thing - but for what you're talking about - riding on the tractor - I wouldn't put a !1600 Benelli out there either

 

[ArmedBear]

The bolt release/lifter design is easy and convenient for the range, but a PITA in the field.

The trigger sucks. The inside of the receiver can cut your finger. The construction is such that, if certain things break, they're very hard to fix. The gas system is long obsolete, and they get dirty more quickly than any modern design. You can't adjust the fit with shims, like you can with any modern design.

OTOH they balance well, if clean and not broken, they are quite reliable, and they can be had for cheap. For the price, they're hard to beat.

My field beater is a "Wal Mart 390", though. It's a great gun, works with 3" shells and steel shot, comes with a few screw-in chokes for flexibility, and it's not $1600 by any stretch. I sold my 1100.

 

[Gordon]

1100s are about the softest shooting gun I've yet to encounter. I'd recomend a modified choke not a full . Here is one:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=213349133

 

[barnett]

best semi-auto ever made.

 

[Virginian]

Some people love them and some people don't. I happen to love them. 47 years and no issues with the lifter or the trigger or anything else and 9 different guns along the way. I still have the 1963 BTW, and 3 others. I did break an extractor in 1981 or 82. I did cut my finger once when I swiped the inside of the receiver with a thin cloth, but I did the same thing on a BPS, and I am not totally dumb so once per model is my limit.
I have an LT-20 that is a dove and quail dropping machine, and it did for ducks in the dawn of steel, which was real ugly if you weren't there, because you could still use lead in a 20. I have nothing bad to say about them. I have never had a failure due to not cleaning, and i did used to shoot a bit of skeet, and handloaded the dirtiest Blue Dot loads you ever saw. But, i give the gas system a 3 minute spray and wipe any time I shoot one round, and i wipe the outside on all my guns too. I am not too lazy to clean any gun. It doesn't weigh 4 pounds, and it isn't butt heavy, and i think it handles perfectly.
I think I would definitely go along with the best semi-auto ever made comment, and I have owned or shot about all of them. I sold the Beretta.

 

[Red State]

Due to the heavy steel bolt and the gas system, the 1100 does have remarkably little recoil.

As a utility/farm gun, I think its a great choice.

 

[HarcyPervin]

i pulled my 1100 12ga off of a barn wall after it had sat there for 10-15 years rusting and not being cared for. I replaced the gas rings and cleaned the action and trigger group for a little while and also had the shell blocking lever removed (spring had gone out and it was a hassle) that gun shoots better than anything I had, it was built for 3" mag loads only, but now it reliably shoots low brass 2.75 in. target rounds all day long... they were built right, as I'm sure mine is over 30 years old...30 in barrel and the thing drops geese just as well as clays...personally i prefer to shoot it over even the super black eagles and the rest of the very expensive semis...its got weight to it which makes it swing beautifully and the recoil is very mild...and as an added bonus, cycles slowly enough with the target loads as to put the point of aim almost right back to where I had it before pulling the trigger...great gun, put some time into getting an old one back into shape and you'll be rewarded for many years to come

 

[ShowMe2]

Like Virginian, I've been shooting 1100s for over 30 years now and really like them. I presently own 3 of the Sporting models (12,20,28). IMO the Sportings are the best looking 1100 Remington has ever made..polished blue receiver and barrel, beautiful wood, and excellent reliability.

My first real skeet gun was an 1100. That gun fired tens of thousands of rounds with no issues. I've never had to replace an O ring or change out any part.

Field & Stream rated the 1100 3rd in their "Top 50 Shotguns" and Skeet Shooting Review rated it 4th in "Top 10 Skeet Guns" of all time.

They are a tad on the heavy side, but I use mine primarily for clays so their weight is an advantage. I have carried the 20 and 28 in the field with no issues in terms of weight.

Check out all the brands, but at the end of the day if you like the 1100, buy it.

 

[PJR]

best semi-auto ever made.

It was in its day. Its day has long passed. So too has the era when Remington made quaity guns.

I've owned two 1100s. They aren't very reliable guns IMO. Replacing o-rings is just maintenance and I never minded that but I've also had broken links, action bars, extractors and sundry other little parts. When I used the 1100 it was ALWAYS with a spare parts kit nearby.

I sat around the club a few weeks ago and listened to the ongoing tales of woe from four shooters who'd bought recently produced Remington 1100s. Every one had been back to the nearest Remington warrant centre. They were all eyeing my 20 gauge Beretta 391 Sporting with a combination of lust and regret. I don't blame them one bit. Yes, the Berettas are more expensive than the Remingtons but worth every penny.

 

[powerhouse]

You should be able to find a used Beretta 390 or 3901 for ~$500. IMHO its significantly better.

1100's belong in the safe along with A5's for nostalgia.