[newbie9mil]

I saw an ad for this SA-08, what do you all think of it. I would like the plastic stock, so I can use it for hunting. Price looks to be great, just have to see if I can find one.
Thanks for your help.
Gil

[RetiredLawman]

Think of parts if you ever need parts. I like the gun and would buy it if it wasn't for this one issue. Quality may be spotty. I don't know. I'd rather spend my dinera on a proven gun. Weatherby has been in the gun market a long time and has several manufacturers on a contract basis. Their models come and go. It would be hard to track the makers if you had a parts problem.

The only el cheapo I have is the Stoeger 2000. I am not pitching it, though it has been good to me. I know where it is made and I know the customer service at Benelli is poor. Eventually it will get parts if necessary and you worry them long enough. They have been made at the Stoeger SSA plant in Istanbul for nine years.

If Stoeger made one in 20 gauge, I'd give it a cautious try.

One reason I like Remington is that every gunsmith in every corner of the boondocks has parts for it.

Always thinks parts and service when you consider a gun purchase. Here is a post from another site by a guy looking for parts for a gun that was short lived.
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3683387&posted=1#post3683387

[Snarlingiron]

I have looked at the SA-08 in a gun store. I haven't shot one. It appears to me to be a remarkably close knock off of the Beretta A390. It is made in Turkey. Weatherby has a record of being rather fickle in picking its shotgun manufacturers. Not to say that their choices have been bad. They were selling the SKB with their logo on it for some time, and they just switched to Fausti (I think) in their O/U line. Both big name manufacturers in their own right.

I don't know who makes the SA-08 for Weatherby. I understand that it is somewhat like the old SKB semi autos in that you have to press the bolt release button every time you want to put a shell in the magazine. That is a deal breaker for me.

[newbie9mil]

Okay, then what would you recommend for a beginner semi auto shotgun? I thought that the weatherby would be good, but I want to use it for hunting, don't really know how much hunting I would be doing, but I want a decent shotgun, price would not be much above $500 and hopefully much less.
Thanks for you assistance.

[ArmedBear]

Beretta "Wal-Mart 390"

Also available at Cabela's and other big sporting goods retailers, now and again.

Plain-jane looks, but a real Beretta, not a Turkish knock-off.

[Snarlingiron]

Beretta "Wal-Mart 390"


Yep, what ArmedBear said. I believe it to be the best value there is in an autoloading shotgun. I paid $549.00 for mine if my memory serves.