[another okie]

Has anyone seen one of these in a store yet? One store quoted me a price of about $770 for one ordered, which seems a little high, but then I don't know what Remington is wholesaling them for.

I've been thinking about a semi in 12 for some time, and I like the idea of getting something set up for 3 gun competiton. I've already got a duck and goose gun, so I wouldn't have to worry about the mag capacity for hunting.

[jimcon]

I have had one for the past 6 weeks. This is one sweet weapon. The recoil is almost nothing and it appears to be very accurate. I think that i paid about $750 plus tax in Massachusetts. The only thing that I did not like was the sidesaddle. As we speak A am changing the stock to a Speedfeed youth model with a 13 inch LOP and adding a Surefire light fore end.

[another okie]

That was my next question, does the Surefire front end fit it?
Can you use regular Surefire lights in such a mount or do you need one with special shock resistance designed as a weapons light?

[jimcon]

The Surefire light fit without any problem. With the light and the Speedfeed shortened butt stock this is one serious social machine. Now all that I want to add is a set of ghostring sights. I will probably use LPA, MMC or Wilson. Does anyone have any thoughts about any of these sights??
I will probable buy a Bar-sto/Vangcomp barrel when they are available (The folks at Bar-sto said that the 22" unported version would be ready sometime this fall)

[another okie]

Well, I bought one. $715 plus tax from my local shop. It apparently was on sale. I have disassembled and lubricated and resassembled it (after a little swearing about the link) and plan to give a thorough workout tomorrow if it's not too hot. Loaded up with 8 + 1 it is front end heavy, which I like. Obviously I am going to have to practice reloading. Maybe I'll buy some snap caps for that. It is sure a great looking gun. The Surefire front end seems expensive, but probably worth it. I tried a cheaper bolt-on-the barrel unit for my Ithaca, but it was not sturdy enough to stand up to repeated rapid fire.

[Dave McCracken]

When you guys wring these out, how about posting a T&E? Thanks...

[dickwholliday]

a couple of my bros have them and so far here's what we've seen....they don't like light loads.....need at least 3 1/4 dram w/1 1/8 oz shot......one had to go back to Remington as shells were falling out the bottom while shooting.....just got it back and it works like a champ but still won't function with 3 dram loads....DICK

[another okie]

Well, I gave it a little workout this morning while the temperature was still under 100 degrees. I only had two types of birdshot around, 3 dram # 6, and 3 3/4 dram # 8. There was one failure to eject with the 3 dram # 6, which was easily cleared, and otherwise no problems with either type of birdshot. I also tried two kinds of buckshot and a few slugs with no problems.

As far as the shotgun itself, it is very comfortable to shoulder and easy to point. The light gathering sight is easy to see, and there is a small brass bead about halfway down the barrel you can use as a rear sight if you have time. The green front sight is great for both paper targets and orange clays. The new recoil pad works great, and the slightly modified bolt handle and feeding mechanism are fine, though they don't really make a huge amount of difference from a regular 1100. It was accurate with slugs and shot to point of aim pretty well. The ejected shells were close together on the ground and easy to find. It comes with a removable side saddle which I have not tried yet. I'm not sure I ever will - I'm pretty clumsy with my left hand and may have to stick with strong hand loadingj.

The higher capacity does not solve the reloading problem in three gun, so that will take some practice.

I shot it first with the Modified choke and then the Improved. There was a visible but not enormous distance. I didn't use the quadrant type of target or sheets big enough to be able to count how many were on the papers. It doesn't look to me as if at typical three-gun ranges it would matter that much. There is a rifled choke which I didn't try.

It is heavy up front when loaded 8 + 1, but I like that.

I think the next step will be to buy a much larger quantity of ammo with different dram equivalents and try them out.

[another okie]

Something I should have added to this post is that with the 3 dram shells I thought I could feel and hear the bolt coming back, but with the 3 3/4 I did not have the same feeling. Maybe the more powerful load meant faster cycling, faster than I could hear and feel. It's interesting that I could feel so much difference in the two loads. I didn't really notice much recoil difference, but I didn't have all that many 3 3/4 shells to shoot.

[jimcon]

My experience with this shotgun has been with Federal tactical loads. I have not had any problem with the 00 buck, the 000 buck or the rifled slugs. I have about 350 rounds through it so far without any sort of problem.

[Dave McCracken]

Thanks for the contributions, the piece seems worthwhile. A coupla things...

First, do not vex yourselves if a new shotgun, ESPECIALLY an auto, glitches a little when brand spankin' new. Run a case or two through it before you test for reliability.

Second, check with Big Green as to load recommendations. Bet they'll say 3 1/4, 1 1/8 oz minimum. "Serious" and Practical shotguns are shot with heavier loads, and may be set up to function best with them.

One of the guys I shoot skeet with has a SBE, we found out recently that 1 oz loads do not cycle well in it.With 1 1/8 oz loads,it's dependable, and in Joe's hands, deadly. But it's designed for waterfowling, and heavier loada are its forte.

Third, 1100s with long mags are definitely nose heavy. Were I setting up an 1100 for 3 gun, I'd probably stick with a shorter 2 or 3 shot extension under a 20-22" barrel.

Fourth, I'll wager the usual flagon of mead that installing and filling that S/S will shorten your times per stage. That much weight near COG will cut kick and muzzle rise to negligiblity on a gas gun. Try it and see....

[another okie]

Does S/S mean sidesaddle? I'll give that a try.
As far as the extension, that's what the Competition Master has. Eight shot magazine, so three over standard, and a 22" barrel.

[Dave McCracken]

Yup, Side Saddle. Since it's close to Center Of Gravity,AKA balance point, the weight will not change handling much.

8 shots here means 7+1. That's manageable.

[another okie]

I gave it another workout this morning, 25 rounds each of three more kinds of ammo, a light Remington and a heavier Remington and Winchester. The Winchester had two failures to eject, it ran fine on the others. Actually the other light ammo it failed to eject once the first time was also Winchester. It ran fine on the Remington light target load today, a 2 3/4 dram equivalent.

I love the capacity and how quickly I can get back on target. I still need to work on my reloading technique.

[Dave McCracken]

3 gun shotgunning is turning into a loading contest. My guess, actual scenarios where the situations not resolved with what's in a shotgun's magazine are rarer than honest folks in politics. Still, it doesn't hurt to know how to do it PDQ.

Betcha a few more cases of ammo will see that feeding nicely on lighter fare, though there will be limits.

[9mmMike]

I just watched the demo on the Remington site on this gun. It sure looks neat. Please keep us posted as your testing continues.
Mike

[9mmMike]

I've watched the Competition Master video from Remington's site a few times now (OK OK, a dozen times!) and there is a part where they are demonstrating the extended bolt handle by rapidly ejecting three or four rounds.
The guy is using his left hand to cross over the receiver and is simply swiping the bolt open and the shells go flying and the bolt slams home and he continues to take several swipes and the shells keep popping out.
How does this work?
My 1100 stays open when I try this. The guy in the video is not doing anything with the shell lifter to allow the bolt to close. It just closes after each pull.
Is this a feature of the new Competition Master or a trick that advanced 1100 users know?
It is very cool to see.
Mike

[Intel6]

The 1100 bolt closes when the shell comes out of the magazine and hits a small lever below the bolt releasing it. If you pull back the bolt slowly, it doesn't usually work. He was working the bolt fast so the shell came out of the magazine and activated the bolt release.

[9mmMike]

Thanks. I thought it might be that I needed a little dash of talent!

[1A271]

Mommy can I have one ... please please pleeeaaaaaaaaaseeeeee

Here's the reply I got from Traders Sports in the East SF Bay area. Hopefully I can find it cheaper... I would like to see one first so I can grope it before comitting. Anyone from the Nor Cal area have one? Shelf check pls.


Dear Ben

Price would be appx. $900.00. We would need to contact remington for
availability and you would need to come in and put a deposit down. You
could call in a charge card order, ask for any salesman and they can help
you.

regards
Traders

[IrvJr]

I called Remington the other week because I have a plain old 1100, but was interested in getting a shorter barrel (I'd like to try 3 gun competitions). the person who fielded my call was very helpful and polite and she said that for the shorter 22" competition master barrel, they don't recommend anything less than 3 1/4 dram equiv and 1 1/8 oz loads in order to cycle the gun reliably (just as Dave McCracken suspected earlier in this thread).

[another okie]

update: Still running fine on 3 + dram loads from whatever maker. Remington makes a Premier STS light target load that is a 2 3/4 dram that seems to work fine. It's the only light load I've found that works. The STS recoil is significantly less than the Nitro, but even the Nitro is not bad in the CM. I have not had any more FTEs since finding the STS. Still no failures to feed or fire at all.

[9mmMike]

they don't recommend anything less than 3 1/4 dram equiv and 1 1/8 oz loads in order to cycle the gun reliably

I shoot 3 dram 1 1/8 loads all the time from my x-1100 magnum. It wears a 2 3/4" chambered 21" VR barrel. I also shoot a ton of Remington "High Velocity All purpose Load" (1290 fps) and I have no idea what dram eq those are but I'd guess 3 1/4. No problems.
Maybe it's just super broken-in or something.

Mike

[tvone]

I been using and abusing a CM for little over a year, and recently surpassed 3500 rounds. This was my first 1100, but previously used a Benelli M1. I picked mine up for $700.00 out the door. I have had no problem with light or heavy loads except for the Winchester Wal-Mart budget bulk stuff. Way too light to cycle the action, and I had the same problem with their 20 gauge in my wife’s 1100. Federal promo loads work fine and around here, are very cheap during dove season. ($2.49 a box)
Mine has been ultra-reliable, and I went 1800+ rounds without cleaning, or oiling. I’ve mixed birdshot, slugs, and buck in the same tube without a bobble. I use it for skeet, trap, and action events. Recoil is noticeably lighter than my old Benelli, and that’s why I switched. No soreness after 200-300 rounds in an afternoon.
This past Monday, it got passed around during a local PD shotgun qualifier, and compared to the 870 they were using, there was no contest. Female officers really appreciated the recoil pad and overall reduction in recoil. It handled the reduced tactical loads without a problem.