"lightweight" aluminum recievers
 

One of the big selling points to the new shotguns is the fact that the recievers are made of aluminun and they are lighter. I belive this is false (scratch benelli..they dont have a gas operation so they dont count)...it is just a cover up by the shotgun companies to mask the fact that the only reason why they are made of aluminum is because it is cheaper to make. My dad has a b-2000 and i have a gold. They weight the same (his may be lighter). Aluminum is also ugly and because of the fact that it is not as strong as steel recievers need to be built up more than steel wich accounts for the wieght being the same. Also you can't blue aluminum to make it match the barrel. I love my gun and would not trade it for anything..other than a new 2000 w/ chokes (if they made them), but i guess im just a little disappointed that things aren't made the way they used to be. The a-5 was made of steel and so is the 11-87 and i didn't see rem of brownign go out of buisness because of that...its tyhe exact opposite. does anyone feel the same way?

RE: "lightweight" aluminum recievers
 

I got to agree with you. They just find away of cheaping them up in order to compete with some other make. I owned a Rem 742 semi auto with a aluminum receiver, what a piece of junk, can't hardly even get rid of them around here.
Zeak

RE: "lightweight" aluminum recievers
 

I'm not trying to justify what gun manufactures are using in the construction of their guns, but with the advancement made in aluminum alloys and coatings today, if the right materials are used you can have an extreamly durable & light gun made. We've seen aluminum alloyed to the point that it couldn' be machined with conventional tooling. With squeeze casting the the material is more dense than steel. Hardcoat anodizing is better that a blued steel in a duck hunting environment (rainy weather).

RE: "lightweight" aluminum recievers
 

I know these aren't shotguns, but I own several AR-15's and an Armalite AR-10T (.308), all with aluminum alloy receivers and they are really strong. I've never heard of the military M-16 receivers cracking under harsh combat conditions.

I believe that the new aluminum alloy receivers are of quality material and will not let you down.

I believe the Remington 870 Wingmasters and the 11-87 model shotguns all have steel receivers, not aluminum alloys. Remingtons are great guns.

RE: "lightweight" aluminum recievers
 

Hk45USP, I have seen the receiver of an M16 crack. In all fairness it was an older model that had been fired no telling how many times. I am sure it would have cracked at some point regardless of what it was machined from.

On the the whole "lightweight" shotgun thing. I personally do not like to feel pain when I pull the trigger. The lighter the gun, the more felt recoil. I also prefer a heavier gun for shooting since I feel more stable.

RE: "lightweight" aluminum recievers
 

I'm sure the aluminum receivers are strong enough but I feel safer knowing there is steel there.I work at a Fire Truck company and most of the parts are Aluminum. The parts that have allot of stress on them are all steel.Aluminum is alright for the light stuff but for a receiver I just don't trust it. Ruger Redhawk

RE: "lightweight" aluminum recievers
 

RE: "lightweight" aluminum recievers
 

functionally, i believe that aluminum "alloy" is a great alternative to steel it terms of functionality. However, it is easier and cheaper to make alloy recievers rather than steel ones, that is why the manufacturures use it. they just tag on all the other benifits to hide the fact that they are saving money by not making it steel. Alloy recivers in my opinion are ugly and don't match the blueing of the rest of the gun, also they are not ingraved. my dad has a b-2000 and i have a gold. his gun is about 1/4 slimer than mine is because the steel can be made much thinner than a. alloy can be made, his gun has a much better feel and balance to it. the gold would be absolutly awesome if it was made out of steel and it did not have that plasic for lack of a better word sub piston in the gas system

RE: "lightweight" aluminum recievers
 

Bob, I have a Winchester 1300 NWTF edition that has engraved wild turkey scenes on both sides of the reciever, which were designed by Rob Keck himself. This is a very pretty looking gun, and I have been shooting mine for over 6 years now. I guess it's what ever floats your boat on this isue. But again, I wouldn't worry about the strength of these recievers at all.

Edited by - maytom on 01/20/2002 20:38:56