Remington 1100 thoughts... G3? or not?

I am the last person to tell someone not to get a new gun, but since you have a very comfortable 1100 20ga that you are used to shooting, why not get it threaded for choke tubes?

I shot a 12 gauge Beretta AL391 Urika, and did not like it. I thought it was too bulky, slower to get on target, and just didnt like the way it handled.

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And you want an 8 lb. Remington?

The current Urika 2 is a pound and a half lighter than the Remington, and the barrels feel great, to me anyway.

What do you want the thing for, anyway?

I am the last person to tell someone not to get a new gun, but since you have a very comfortable 1100 20ga that you are used to shooting, why not get it threaded for choke tubes?

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It's generally better to buy a new barrel that's already threaded than to thread a fixed choke because the fixed choke ones pattern so well for that choke.

How does the 12 gauge compare in terms of handling to the 20 gauge? Is the receiver bulkier? Is it slower on target?

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Similar but more sluggish.
Yes.
Yes.

Again, what's it for? Sporting Clays?

If so, I'd skip both guns and get a White Onyx or something.

And the 1100 trigger feels gawdawful once you use anything else.

I've got an 1100 (12 Gauge Magnum from 1971). It's definitely got its merits, foremost among them being its sleek design and balance. I won't be buying a new one, though.

I have an 1100 Magnum (and also a spare 2 3/4" barrel) but I've been taking my Franchi 48AL on dove and grouse hunts this fall... I picked up the 1100 and held it for about 30 seconds, then said "no way!" and grabbed my Franchi. The 1100 is not a light gun. Fine for turkey, ducks, skeet, etc... but it would kill me to hump a few miles of mountains with that thing.

it would kill me to hump a few miles of mountains with that thing.

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I've done it -- with a sling. Without the sling, it's just heavy and bulky enough to give me aches in my wrists and other joints, since it's an asymmetrical load, no matter what you do.

After doing that for a season, I found an old Ithaca/SKB 20 Gauge 26" O/U for 500 bucks. That's all I'd consider taking with me now; love that gun!

The Franchi is the other gun I'd look at, or one of the new 6 lb. 20 Gauge Beretta autos -- but I'd rather not shoot an auto unless there's a compelling reason.

Well, I started with one 1100, 12 gauge, in 1963, and have added a 12 Mag., two 20s, and a 28. They all feel very much alike to me, and I like that, but there is no way the 12s are as nimble as the others. I do like the controls being the same. Nor will the 20 or 28 throw 1-3/4 ounces or so of big non-toxic shot a long ways effectively. There are advantages to each gauge and gun.
I have shot a G3, and it was neat, but I don't need one. If I did not have a 12 or a 20, I would be tempted to get one of those. The Sporting was fine too, but I get lonesome without a white diamond in the grip cap. I really liked the Classic Fields.
I have 28" barrels on the 12s, 2-28"s and a 26" skeet for the 20s, and a 25" on the 28 gauge. One of the 12s and the 28 gauge have screw in chokes. Barrel lengths and finish are all just personal preference - they are all 1100s, and in my opinion they are all fine.
Oh, and if you like the feel of an 1100, a Beretta or a Benelli or a Browning or a Winchester just isn't going to feel as good, and vice versa. About the closest thing in feel to an 1100 is an 870.

Virginian, the range I go to is filled with people who liked their Remingtons. ...until they bought the Berelli or Brownchester they like even better now.

I would go shoulder the things. That will answer the question, "Is it quick or slow, snappy or smooth?" better than we can.

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I've done it -- with a sling.

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That's a good idea... at least for the humping part. Not so good for the "flush a grouse or a dove at your feet" part.

Where do I get an end-cap that has a sling swivel? Is there another way?

Huh?

12 Gauge G3 is listed as 8 1/4 lbs., and the Beretta 391 Urika 2 is listed at 6.6 lbs. That sounds about right to me.

That's a good idea... at least for the humping part. Not so good for the "flush a grouse or a dove at your feet" part.

Where do I get an end-cap that has a sling swivel? Is there another way?

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I got an end-cap from Cabela's. It's not too expensive (unlike the Beretta version).

Yeah, I don't keep the gun slung when I expect game. Sure, sometimes things come up unexpectedly, but if I'm just hiking to get to the hunting spot, I can sling the gun.

Another option is to carry the gun slung "safari style", meaning upside-down, muzzle forward and down. With some practice, you can get it shouldered really quickly.

Describe how you bring the gun into play in that case... is the gun in front of your shoulder with the sling behind? I'm having trouble envisioning it.

The gun hangs on your shoulder a lot like it would the "normal" way. You put your forward hand on the forend and use it to pull the gun out and away from you. Grab the wrist with your trigger hand, and use both hands to flip the gun right-side-up and shoulder it.

It's easier done than said.

I guess it was the "muzzle forward" that confused me.

I have handled and shot them all. You don't care for 1100s, and I don't care for much else in a repeater, except an 870.

Any 1100 barrel from the first to the present will fit, and work just fine, within gauge and chambering.

Sounds like a full-size receiver 20 Gauge, not an LT, Virginian. It's true; they don't make the barrels any more.

It's an apples to oranges comparison, all right. Try a Beretta 20/26" if you're looking for a snappy gun (which is what you sounded like at first anyway). Not a synthetic.

I have no idea why you'd want a 3" chamber for a skeet/quail/dove gun. The new guns come with 3" chambers anyway, typically, but there's no reason I can think to use a 3" shell. A 1 oz. heavy game load in a 2 3/4" shell is about all that would pattern worth a hill of beans anyway.

Of course, turkey would be an exception, but these wouldn't be guns I'd buy with turkey in mind. A cheap 870 in 12 Gauge would work better, and relieve you of the difficulty of finding a gun that would work well for dove/quail/skeet and turkey. That's about like finding a gun that works well for deer, antelope, bighorn sheep and buffalo. Sometimes 3 out of 4 gives a much better result.

It's not about whether I like 1100s or not. It's about whether the OP should rush to buy the overpriced, overweight G3 when his comparison is of limited scope. And yes, 7.2 lbs. is one heavy quail 20!

He might find that, like you, he likes the 1100 so much that he'll willingly forgo all the innovations of the past 50 years, and pay a 2008 price for a 1958 gun. That's his business. But I would advise him to try out the competition before just buying a Remington. There are some pretty good reasons that Remington's place in the autoloading shotgun world has sunk from #1 to also-ran.

The only repeaters I own are the old 1100 (better built than the new ones I believe) and an 870. They shoot well for me, despite the atrocious trigger design. I don't hate them.

All of that said, I'd shoot a few rounds of skeet with an O/U like an SKB 20 Gauge before plunking down the cash it takes to buy a 391 or an 1100 new these days. For the same money or a few bucks more, I'd sure as hell rather have the O/U in my hands for dove/quail/skeet any day of the week.

Autoloaders were supposed to be a cheap alternative to shotguns with 2 barrels. Now that they're not cheap, I wouldn't go looking at them first. I hate cleaning them, they spit shells, and they move around inside when you shoot them.

But that's just MY opinion. Some others may feel quite differently.

All I'm saying is, before dropping that kind of coin, go try a few guns besides the two in question! And try the 3901. 20 Gauge in walnut is a good deal cheaper than either of the above mentioned guns, and it's a great little autoloader.

One more thing... The Remington 105CTi is a wonderful shooter. 12 Gauge, but 7 lbs. Geometry of the 1100, but with much nicer trigger, a nicer wrist, and neat-o bottom eject. I wonder about Remington's ability to build a quality shotgun any more, especially with pictures I've seen here, but as far as a gun's design goes, the 105 is great. So I'm not just down on Remington.

If you were looking for a easy handling, fast, light recoiling shotgun for dove/quail/skeet what would you pick in 12 gauge and 20 gauge?

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In 20: http://www.skbshotguns.com/over-and-under/field/index.php

That's the gun that sent my 1100 back to the safe, from whence it seldom emerges. A 20 Gauge SKB 26" is my favorite gun for the purpose you want, bar none. And I'm not alone.

It has a 3" chamber. I don't think 3" is bad, just that it's not an important criterion. Everything else matters more.

Can you shoot more than 3 rounds in your state? Here, we can't. I'd take 2 chokes over 3 shots. 3 shots of IC isn't good for much except trying to shoot 3 nearby birds; a shot of IC and one of M gives you a better crack at a bird flying away fast. And of course, newer guns have screw-ins, so you can open the choke up for skeet.

In an autoloader, I really like the Benelli Cordoba. I think it's ugly, and it's silly expensive, but it feels GREAT. Very sleek forend, not bulky at all, and the "Comfortech" works. I don't own one, but I've shot a few. I do like the older 1100 LT 20 (newer than yours, but not current -- available used for $350 if worn looking, $450 if nice looking). In an 1100, I'd get that instead of plunking down the cash for the new one. And they do make barrels for them still. I'd check the 3901 in 20 Gauge, in walnut (lighter than plastic), and the Franchi 48 (very light). Franchi also makes a stealth Benelli for a substantially lower price (AFAIK Benelli owns Franchi now). Check http://www.franchiusa.com/

As you know, the 1100 is a fundamentally decent shotgun. I just shudder at paying the price they want for a G3, considering what great guns you can get for that money or less.

All of the above IMHO. YMMV, etc.

I stand corrected, any 1100 barrel will interchange within gauge, chambering, and series. The standard, LW, and LT frame 20 gauges are all different.
I am sorry, but I just get real darned tired of I-talian gun lovers trying to change my mind. I have shot every one of them. I have owned O/Us, a Beretta even. I do not like them. If I see someone else's gun outperforming mine in any significant area, I will be after one like theirs in a heartbeat. So far, that is a pretty tough IF to climb. I do not consider not needing cleaning as often a significant anything. I do not consider a weight advantage at the exchange for required dental work (a la Benelli) a significant advantage. I do not consider stack barrels that have to be broken waaaay over to reload and with no recoil absorption any significant advantage in a duck blind.

in a duck blind

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That explains a bit. What's ideal for duck hunting and what's ideal for quail hunting could hardly be more different. If I ever try duck hunting again, I'll use my 870. If I end up liking it better this time, I'll probably suck it up and get an auto for the purpose. Or maybe I'll outfit the old 1100.

But, as a high desert quail hunter....

I think it's a real PITA to unload an auto every time I hop a fence or ravine. So sometimes I don't do it. With a break-action, I can unload and reload so easily, I follow safety guidelines to a tee. When running around in a field with a bunch of other people, it's nice to see when someone's gun is open or closed; again, if everyone agrees to the same rules, it can be a lot safer.

The shorter OAL of a break-action is a real boon in the brush, and I prefer the way the things shoot. It's nice not having to find my hulls somewhere off in the thick vegetation, too.

uneasy_rider isn't asking about a duck gun.