[Guero4179]

Which Semis are reliable and which are to be avoided. I mean all 12 guages from 1950 to present. I dont know which ones I will bump into in a pawn shop.

[sm]

Winchester Super X Model 1

Introduced in 1974 and is proven to be reliable.

[goose2]

Benelli is as good as it gets. There may be some as good or equally good, but none better.

[throdgrain]

Agreed Goose2. Plus the recoil operation means there's far less cleaning, which makes it inherently more reliable.

Lots of Americans on here often look at the SBE2, maybe because it's 3 1/2 " instead of 3" , but really I dont think you can go far wrong with an M2. I looked hard at the options before I bought mine a few years ago, and I gave up counting at 15000 rounds without any real problems.

[JohnBT]

SX-1, -2 or -3, although I don't own a -3. (Browning sells/sold guns similar to the -2 & -3. Same company.)

Remington 1100. Change the mainspring every 10k rounds.

Benellis are praised by many hunters, although some of the 3" and 3.5" guns are pretty light and kick a bit. They also seem to get traded in frequently around here. See the Benelli site for an explanation of the recoil-taming stock they invented and other features.

Beretta 390 and 391. Probably the most recommended, and popluar, day in and day out. I frequently consider buying a Parallel Target model. Then I shoot my SX-1 field gun with fixed Mod choke and life goes on.

Browning A-5. Get a newer Japanese built gun if you want to shoot steel.

There must be more, but those are the ones that come to mind first.

John

[DaleCooper51]

Franchi AL-48 makes a great toting upland gun. Never fired a 12ga version, but the 20ga I got to use was real nice.

[JohnBT]

See, there's one I forgot. I almost bought a Franchi 28 ga. once, but decided I didn't need another 28 ga. since I had a 6# 2 oz. Guerini O/U.

JT

[MCgunner]

My Winchester M1400 has been awesome. I've had it 20 years. It has just gotten better with age. It only shoots 2 3/4", but the Winchester Xpert high speed number 3 steel in 2 3/4" is KILLER on ducks and I can find it for around 8 bucks a box. That combination through a modified choke has slain 'em this season, pretty awesome stuff. I've got a nice camo Mossberg 500 with a 3" chamber and a 10 gauge H&R for geese. This morning was the first morning this season I've used the Mossberg, though. I've been doing ALL my duck hunting this season with the Winchester.

I don't like the 1400s ergos, especially the cross bolt safety. I prefer tang safeties, so I've given thought to a Mossberg 935 as a waterfowler in the future. I shoot left handed and the tang safety is SO much quicker. But, the Winchester fits like a glove right out of the box and I know of no other shotgun that tames a 12 gauge's recoil quite so well.

[earlthegoat2]

Browning, Beretta, are the only ones that really matter to me. Benellis are good but would rate below the top 10 for me.

[Captain Bligh]

Browning A-5.

[357sigRog]

I like the Remington 1100's.

[ShowMe2]

4179,

A couple of my friends and I have done the "pawn shop circuit" in Missouri for many years. Although Bennelli's, Brownings, and Beretta's are fine shotguns, typically high end shotguns, at least in my experience, are few and far between in pawn shops.

The semi-shotguns we typically find are Winchesters, Mossbergs, and Remingtons. All of these can be reliable, serviceable, shotguns.

Of the three however, the Remington 1100, is the best value in my opinion. Polished blue, walnut stocks, and parts are easy to find. If you're looking for a 20 gauge, we see more 1100's than any other gun.

We do see a lot of Remington Model 11's too. If you're into the recoil operating system like an A-5, they are great buys.

Good luck and good hunting.

[OOOXOOO]

I love my Benelli's. I have a M2 and an M4 Super 90. I have shot Brownings and Remmingtons as well.

[GTSteve03]

Saiga 12. Mag-fed semi-auto shotgun goodness!

[CoRoMo]

After my homework, I landed on the Xtrema2.

[nmxdaven]

Benelli's have been my favorite. I've had quite a few simi's from browning, beretta, ext.... but I keep coming back to Benelli.

My current favorite for the flying targets up here is my Montefeltro. NEVER refused to fire even after some time in Argentina with 2 thousand or so shells though it. Easy to clean, dead reliable, and felt recoil of a 20.

For waterfowl its the Super Black Eagle. Takes up with my abuse (I can be pretty hard on a gun sadly) and never gives up.

[inSight-NEO]

+1 on the Benelli "M" series. Expensive (M4) but very, very nice.

[BUGUDY]

Anybody used a Spartan 453 or Baikal 153. Same gun I believe. I ask because I am thinking of trading for one.

[Snarlingiron]

Lots of good ones, plenty of bad ones.

For me, it is the Beretta A390 or AL390. Simpler than the 391 series, and at least as reliable.

I own 11 shotguns. If I had to get rid of all of them but one tomorrow, I would keep the old A390. Never had a failure of any kind. Period. I have a new AL390 (what everyone refers to as the "Wal Mart" gun, even though I bought it at Bass Pro) and it is just as reliable, but the wood is just too pretty on the older one.

The way I have heard it said best is: "There is a reason Beretta's are so popular."

Just my opinion, no better or worse than anybody else's.

[jmr40]

The Beretta 390 gets my vote for best all around. I appreciate the lighter weight of my Benelli M-1's and actually like them a little better. I realize others may like a little heavier gun and less recoil, thus my vote for the Beretta.

On a budget, the 1100 is everywhere used and with a little work will last forever. The 11-87 is heavier than I like but not a bad gun either.

[The Janitor]

You would be hard pressed to go wrong with any Italian made guns.

[cjbecker]

browning auto 5

[Virginian]

I ran through about 4 shotguns before I got my first Remington 1100 in 1963. I have run through a whole lot more shotguns since. A lot of them were good and reliable guns, too. I still have that 1963 Model 1100, and four more. Brownings, Winchesters, Berettas, Benellis, Franchis, they all work pretty good; it's which one feels best to you.
The only one I can think to tell you to flat avoid was the old High Standard semi, I think it was the Supermatic model. If they managed to make one of the best pumps in their Flite King, they erased the attaboy with that semi.

[Bill B.]

Browning A5
Beretta
Remington 1100