[PaulTX]

I have a friend who is in his late 60's and wants a 12 guage for home defense. I need a recommendation on a shotgun that has an 18" barrel, semi-auto, good ammo capacity, and easy recoiling (gas, inertial?).

Thanks

[Badger Arms]

By recoil operated, I can only assume you mean a Browning Auto-5. The Benelli's are often mislabeled recoil operated when in reality they are essentially blowback operated, but not blowback. More properly, I think you would call it an inertia lock.

At any rate, there is no functional difference to warrant a call on this. Semi-Auto shotguns are notorious for being finicky with some ammo. If this person intends to defend his life, he might consider a few hundred rounds with his chosen load prior to considering the weapon safe.

Frankly, I would and do stick with a pump action. My judgement on that.

[Zak Smith]

Gas-operated shotguns such as the Remington 1100/1187 and Winchester Super-X2 will have less recoil than inertia/recoil-operated guns like the Benelli.

The Winchester Super-X2 action has received praise by some 3Gun shooters who are particularly fussy about reliability and utility. The SX2 "Practical" has a 22" barrel however. FN is marketing a version of the SX2 action called the FN Autoloading Police Shotgun with an 18" barrel. It looks like just the ticket for a autoloading defense shotgun.

http://www.fnhusa.com/contents/guns_525px/fn_sg_selfloading.gif

Alternatively, I can highly recommend the Benelli M1Super90 "Tactical" model with the 20" barrel. The inertia/recoil operated action is extremely reliable and it "never" needs cleaning.

-z

[Duke of Lawnchair]

...it "never" needs cleaning...

Zak, quite a strong statement you got there! :D

[Zak Smith]

I've got about 1000 rounds through mine with no cleaning, including shooting it in the fine red dust of Raton, NM (NRA Whittington Center).

A friend of mine shoots a lot of 3Gun and shotgun matches. He went 2 or 3 years without cleaning.

Seriously.

-z

[Duke of Lawnchair]

Zak,

Trust me, I believe ya'. It's just around these "parts" statements like that could be subject to scrutiny.

Out of all the shotguns I've fired (doesn't include doubles or O/Us), the Benellis have come out just as clean if not cleaner than some pump guns after the same amount of shots fired.

Jim

[Badger Arms]

I've got about 1000 rounds through mine with no cleaningCan I borrow your gun and clean it... PLEASE!!!! It's like an abused puppy that you want to give a bath and good meal to. Sure it's alive, but you can't treat the poor gun like that!

[Zak Smith]

Nah, it's not so bad:
http://apollo.demigod.org/~zak/DigiCam/benelli/small/106_0630_img.jpg
http://apollo.demigod.org/~zak/DigiCam/benelli/small/106_0634_img.jpg

Like I said, they run clean.

-z

[PaulTX]

A pump action is good no doubt, but the recoil would be a little hard on my friend.

Does anyone have a good vendor for this FN autoloader?

Zak - How does that Beneli recoil with tactial loads?

[PaulTX]

What do you think about a Wilson Combat K-9 Model?

K-9 Model (http://www.wilsoncombat.com/store.cgi?&shop=city&cart=8495609x88014&session=4005e99657cec5d2&L=eng&P=SK9-P)

[Zak Smith]

The Benelli is a very light shotgun without any of the benefit of a gas operating system. Thus, with full-power loads, it can be punishing to shoot from prone or the bench.

However, I shoot Winchester #7.5 "Light" (AA127) and Federal Reduced Recoil Slugs & Buck through it, and I never notice the recoil during a match. From a good standing position with Tactical loads, it's not too bad - I'd say less recoil than a FAL.

-z