[Roadwild17]

Lets just say I have about 400 to spend on a gun. I would like to get a 26" barrel with interchangeable chokes. I was thinking about a remmy 11-87 SPS-camo, but I'm just starting to seriously shop around. If anyone knows of any others, please let me know what, why, & about how much.

I do have about $550 but I'm hoping to pick up a used 870 and chop the barrel for HD.


I think this week I will pay a visit to the local pawn & gun to see if the future has anything used in it. They usually have some nice prices :p

[ArmedBear]

Here's the problem. There can be a lot of difference between a $400 gun and a $550 gun. $450-500 is a price cusp, around here. You may want to look first, and decide later if you want an extra, beat 870 or a nicer semiauto but no other gun for now. It depends on what you find, and what is important to you. For hunting, you may not care about aesthetics so much, but to make that work out well you have to find a gun that looks ugly and shoots great; sometimes that's hard to find.

One possibility: I just picked up a 3" 1100 with a fixed-full 28" barrel in good shape for $250. For $100-250 I can get just about any barrel I want, from a used fixed skeet barrel to a nice new Hastings Wadlock. I can sell my barrel for $100 if I want, or keep it, or even shorten it for HD perhaps. It has a shortened stock; for under $50 I can deal with that. When I'm done, I'll have an almost-like-new gun, that does what I want, for a good price. This will, of course, require a little more work than just picking one up, but it sounds like you don't shy away from projects.

These are all things to consider before you start your search. But you do need to keep an open mind, because you might find something different that gives you what you want. A guy at my range found an old Beretta light O/U that's beautiful, 28" 12 gauge but carries like a 20, for $300. If I'd have found that, I'd have forgotten about the semiauto and grabbed that instead!

Good hunting!

[Pumpkinheaver]

I have a stoeger 2000 that I have owned for a couple of years. It is made by a sister company of benelli and uses the benelli inertia drive action. Mine has been very reliable and it stands in the corner of my closet for a "rainy day." It will shoot 2 3/4" or 3" loads.

http://www.stoegerindustries.com/firearms/index.tpl

[txgolfer45]

No need to chop the barrel on an 870 for HD. Just get one with a 26 inch bbl. It will be fine.

A used 1100 might be found for around $400. Look for the interchangeable chokes, if possible. You will be able to share the chokes with your 870 too.

Scott

[theCZ]

My vote is for a used Remington 1100.