ORIGINAL: djgj200
If it fits your situation, I would get an old 1100. I have tried an 1187 originally bought for turkeys on birds. I used it on birds because it was like shooting a very strong air gun with no projectile. It would flip turkeys over but then they would take off. I tried it bird hunting, I would have had a bird dead to rights with any other gun but with this gun the bird just kept flying.
The only 1187 I have seen shoot well was my dads 1187 SPS slug gun.Even at that,hands down I would go with an 1100. Shot well with an 1100, couldn't hit the ground with the 1187 if i tried. Maybe its just adefected gun, but I doubt it.
There could have been a lot of factors here. Did you pattern the gun? It it was a defect, I am sure that Remington would have fixed or replaced it.