shotguns;best,worst andwhy

[plainsman]

In an earlier post I started, it would seem I' ve got some Rem. supporters rather ticked at me. well guys/girls lets hear it, what is your favorite or most reliable shotgun, how about the wosrt? Explain your reasons for your conclusions. thanks in advance

[BigBore1895]

I love my Remington 870 synthetic. It was $300, has had the crap kicked out of it, handles any load, any temperature, never jams, loves duck marshes, does well on the trap range, and nobody can argue the intimidating sound of a pump action jacking one in the chamber. I just bought a Beretta Extrema, and that is going to be one mean gun too. Other than that, I have a single shot Beretta from 1973 that my dad bought when he first moved to CO, and that thing is fun simply because its an heirloom.

[Danny45]

Remember, these are what I' ve experienced. Based on shooting them in the field, not anything scientific.

Semi-auto:

Best: Benelli Super Black Eagle 12 gauge. Shouldered perfectly and shoots to point of aim. Does not need to be " spotless" in order to function.

Worst: Winchester 1300 (I think) Semi-auto 12 gauge. The thing needed adjustable sights in order to hit anything with it.


Pump:

Best: Mossberg 500. Shot everything I put thru it, hit where it was aimed.

Worst: Winchester pump 12 gauge. Always failed to feed that last round.


Double Barrel:

Best: Franchi Veloce 20 gauge over/under. Beautifully made, light, accurate.

Worst: Don' t know, never could afford one before the Franchi.


Bolt Action:

Best: Beats the heck outta me what make it was. I got it when I was 10. It was a .410 and killed everything I pointed it at from rabbits, to squirrels, to quail.

Worst: Never had one other than the above mentioned one.

[Vapodog]

best shotgun: tie between SKB side/side and O/U with Browning citori

Worst: a (Savage) Fox BSE side/side Savage had it more than I did for the first year...not ejecting, trigger failed to work and the vent rib came off...

[whelen36]

my best ,

remington 870 ( estimated manufacture date circa 1998 ) , excellent feeding , and handling , light weight , pointability

mossberg 835 ( estimated manufacture date circa 1993 ) , handles any loads that i feed through it , low recoil , reliability , economical


my worst ,

mossberg 500 ( estimated manufacture date circa 1991 ) , sloppy action , bad feeding , jams [:' (]

[James B]

870 Remington. Reason is simple. 20 years without even a hint of a malfunction. I cleaned it twice.

[Ruger-Redhawk]

Remington 870, Many years of reliable service without one malfuction.The hundreds of thousands sold must speak for itself.In semi Auto I like the Rem 1100.I bought one in or about 1973 for a whopping 159.00. Granted I haven' t shot it as much as my 870 but it too has performed well.The old Ithaca M-37 is or was another great pump gun.
Ruger Redhawk

[akbound]

Best Pump: 1. A Winchester Model 12 that I grew up using (when my Dad wasn' t using it). It never malfunctioned that either he or I know of. My Dad got it from his dad, (hint: I' m 48 years old).
2. Next would have to be Remington' s Model 870. I have owned several over the years....and all have worked without exception. Again I can remember never having problems from them.

Worst Pump: An old Savage Pump my brother-in-law owned. It jammed about every second or third shot!

In between the above examples I have owned both Mossberg and New Havens (Mossberg' s less expensive model). These guns have functioned nearly flawlessly. Infrequent misfeeds, etc. But I have never felt the same confidence in them as either the old Winchester Model 12 or Remington' s 870.


Limited experience with other action types. Some semi' s and doubles. But not enough experience to really form an experienced opinion.

[NE Hunter]

this again from just personal experience ( very limited)

I like the Mossberg 500 mine has never let me down and I like where the safety is located better than Remmingtons ,or Winchesters.

[seattlesetters]

The best is John Dickson & Son or Purdey. The worst is Remington.