1100 20 ga. for the bride or something else?

[9mmMike]

Well, the lovely Mrs. 9mmMike took me to our local Rod & Gun club as a guest. She was attending a SAS (Second Amendment Sisters) event. She shot pistol with a Glock 17 and did quite well. Of course she already shoots pistols with me every week so that was not a real big surprise. She shot an M1 Carbine and also did great. She has not really had much rifle time so this was pretty cool. Now the good part…..
She shot an 1100 20 ga. at the trap station they had set up and she really liked it. She busted a few clays and promptly asked me to get her an 1100.
Prior to this she had only ever shot one of my 870’s in 12 ga. She had all of about six or seven rounds of 12 ga. converted to noise before shooting this 1100.
Now before jumping into an 1100 in 20 ga., I thought I might get some opinions here about whether a 12 ga. might be better.
Is there a big difference between 12 & 20 when shooting an 1100? I’ve never shot an 1100 so I’ve nothing with which to compare. She did not have any trouble with the 870’s except that the whole pump thing is just not for her (though she loves the noise of a racking slide – what a gal!).
I am hoping to get her to a couple/few stores this week to have her handle a Beretta 39x and a Winchester SuperX2 as well as a couple more 1100’s just to make sure that she has the one that fits her best.
I am really stumped on the 12 vs. 20 thing though.
Any thoughts or recommendations?
Thanks team,
Mike

 

[Clemson]

Mike, I have two 1100 20 gauge guns. One is standard size and the other is a Youth Model. My wife uses the Youth Model. The guns are very reliable, pattern well, and the recoil is soft. The big difference between the 12 ga and the 20 ga is the weight of the gun. The 20 is at least a pound or pound and a half lighter than the 12. That is significant for many women (and for men, too, if you have to carry it very far!). Lack of arm strength for women may cause them to assume a poor shooting posture when they use a heavy gun. The lighter gun allows them to use better shooting form, and they will hit more birds. If your bride likes the 20 gauge 1100, I say buy one!

Clemson

 

[sm]

IMO, First rule of any firearm for anyone else, ( especially spouse or GF) let THEM choose. Second Rule: Gun has to fit shooter. Your just there with the wallet...sorry

Let her try some other guns in both 12 and 20 and ( to cover your hind -end) get another opinion on gun fit. Another lady with experience would be good. We guys ...well, you know , as a race we ain't smart. At least I've been told that

What is she going to do with a shotgun? A 20 ga in 1100 is a best kept secret due to less felt recoil. Very effective for most clay games and hunting.A best kept secret IMO for HD for ladies and smaller sized shooters. The 12 ga is a bit bigger (naturally) in size and weight, still "soft" in recoil. 12 ga has more offerings in shell choices, bigger payload,for say longer yardage in trap, sporting clays, or even 40 yd shots on dove. 20 ga with 7/8 oz VS 12 ga with 1 1/8 oz target loads will naturally have a more effective pattern and density ...will say for doves.

Many youth, and women start with a 20ga, less felt recoil means they can focus on technique and get plenty of trigger time and not tire out--or a biggie--develope a flinch,and bad habits . Many new shooters quit because of not breaking targets and recoil.

Hold onto your wallet, if she gets comfortable with a 20ga, in time you'll hear "Honey, I need a 12 ga. now...you have more than one gun that is similar".


Don't you hate it when they do that.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Get her anything she wants and consider how much you're blessed.

Have her try out the 12 gauge 1100. Use lighter loads, of course. If she likes that it'll keep your ammo logistics a bit simpler.

If not, bite the bullet, get TWO progressive reloaders and show her how to make ammo.

 

[Ledbetter]

I am a recoil wimp and I can shoot the 1100 12 guage all day. Mine has a Kick-eez pad on it.

 

[HSMITH]

The 1100 is still the softest shooter of all the 12 guages I have ever shot, and I have covered anything and everything from the major makers and lots of obscure stuff. I DON"T find the 20ga 1100 to be softer shooting than the 12, but as Clemson said the 20 is a lot lighter making it a lot easier for someone with limited strength to shoot.

Go get her a brand new 1100 20 ga and a Mec 9000G.

 

[TrapperReady]

If possible, have her try both and see which she likes. If she picks the 20ga, just be prepared to upgrade to a 12ga at a later date (not like that's a bad thing).

My wife is tiny, and we started her out on a lightweight 20ga. However, after a couple seasons of trap and sporting clays, she found that she could break more targets with a 12ga. For most clay games, weight isn't too much of an issue, since you're not carrying/holding the gun for long periods of time.

She's still got the 20ga for the occasional pheasant hunt, where the heavier guns become a problem later in the day.

BTW, I would agree that 20ga shotguns don't necessarily kick any less than their larger brethren. With 2 3/4" game loads I'd call the perceived recoil about equal. With light target loads, I'd give the nod to the 20ga, but only by a little bit.

 

[9mmMike]

Thanks guys.
What is the difference between the 1100 LW and the 1100 LT?
The guy at the club sent me a note and told me that the 1100 was an 1100LW and that it is no longer in production.
A quick internet search finds a bunch of LT and Youth models. Are these the same thing?
Thanks a bunch,
Mike

 

[Clemson]

The current 20 gauge is the LT 20. The Youth Model is an LT 20 with a shorter stock and barrel. You may have to have the stock cut to fit her exactly on either gun. The pitch on a woman's gun generally needs to be a bit greater than for a man. If the Youth Model comes up a bit short, have a pad mounted on it and the pitch increased. By the same token, you can have a standard stock cut to her dimensions.

 

[Jim Watson]

Depends on what she might shoot at the most, but a 20 gauge might well be the one to start with. For no other reason that she has shot one and liked it. It's been said, I will repeat, it should be HER gun.

A 20 gauge is practically ideal for skeet, some skeet shooters stay with the 20 for 12 gauge events. A well choked 20 is probably adequate for 16 yard trap; after all, ISU trap is limited to 24 grams of shot which is not quite 7/8 oz. They load to much higher velocity than we need or want, but the pattern can be there. As she gains experience and strength she might well add weight to a 20 for a smoother swing... right before buying a 12. I have little experience with 5 stand or sporting clays, but you have to handle the gun to hit the target. My old 1100TA is a pretty big and heavy gun; a friend's 20 is downright dainty.

See if you can get her a look at a Browning Gold. Pretty much the same action as a Super X2 but they have a lady's model if she now or later wants a 12.
http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?value=010B&cat_id=011&type_id=104

or the Micro Gold in 20 gauge, under 7 pounds
http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?value=010B&cat_id=011&type_id=131

But an 1100 costs less and you KNOW she likes it.

 

[PJR]

Although it's true that a 20 often kicks as much as a 12 there is another factor involved with women shooters and that is gun weight. My spouse is very happy shooting a light 20 because it's easier for her to manage and her arms don't get tired. When I asked her about the recoil, she said she felt it but it didn't bother her. To me that 20 kicks every bit as much as my 12.

If you are trying to convince her to move to a 12 (a dubious prospect at best given her preference for the 20) I'd suggest the lightest possible 12 you can find with light loads.

Paul

 

[45auto]

Of course, trying before you buy is the best.
I would suggest the 12 gauge, if she is comfortable with the weight.
A 7/8 oz load will "kick" less in the 12 gauge than the equivalent load in the 20 gauge 1100- lighter gun.

If this is a clay target gun, then additional weight is a good thing.
Hunting- not so good!

But, either will work.

 

[9mmMike]

OK team. We just got back from our weekly pistol shooting and stopped in one of the many local gun shops near us to see what SG's were on hand.
The top two contenders were.....
1100 in 12 ga, 26" barrel and three chokes. Nice wood, maybe refinished but still nice. Good blue. - 575.00 (may be able to deal this one down a skosh but still seems high to me)
391 Urika in 20 ga. 28" barrel. Nice wood, practically new. In fact I think it was new. Real light gun. 815.00
She liked 'em both but of course she has only ever shot an 1100LW in 20 and my 870's in 12.
If the 1100 is a good deal, I could just buy it and if she does not like it, I could keep it for myself. I have been planning on getting a semi and although I was looking at a Beretta, I would not pass on a nice 1100.
Maybe I should buy both.
All opinions welcome.
Mike

 

[Clemson]

Mike, that's a high price for an 1100 from my vantage point. Local prices may be higher, but I would hope to find an 1100 in good condition for around $400 +/-. Go to www.gunsamerica.com and stick "Remington 1100" in the search window. You will get two pages of guns and a good idea of the asking prices for various grades. Bear in mind that these prices are negotiable to some extent. You will have to pay $20-25 at your end to the FFL holder who receives a gun for you, but you just add that to the price of the gun plus shipping to arrive at a comparison for your local prices.

For what it's worth, there is a 20 gauge LW listed for $425. I would advise sticking with an LT 20 because of parts availability, etc., but that IS the gun that your wife liked..........

Good Luck!

Clemson

 

[9mmMike]

OK team, how's this?

Two 1100's.

1. 20 ga. Special Field LT with 21" fixed modified choke and two bead, vent rib barrel. English (straight) stock with excellent blue and excellent wood.

2. 12 ga. 1100 magnum with 28" fixed modified choke, single bead, vent rib barrel. Excellent blue. Excellent foregrip and good looking buttstock that has a repaired crack at the wrist.

Both for 700 & change.

The 20 ga. staight stock fits the Mrs. to a tee.

Opinions? Certainly closer to my budget than the Berreta & over-priced 1100!

Mike

 

[Midnight]

Dealer price on a new 1100 is around $379. The price that store is asking is way too high.

BTW, don't forget that Remington recently reintroduced the 16 gauge to the 1100 series. When they offer a barrel shorter than 28", I'll be picking one up for my wife.

 

[PJR]

Neither of those two guns would be my choice for your wife.

From your earlier post, I assume this gun is primarily for clay targets. Short barrels are not as conducive to a smooth swing as a longer tube and a smooth swing is critical to breaking targets. The Special Field was designed for short, reactive hunting in the woods, not the more deliberate clay target shooting. It will be a harder gun with which to hit targets and more broken targets builds a new shotgunner's confidence. In my view, a shorter barrelled gun is more of an expert's gun for clays. It's also fixed choke and if your better half wants to try all the target games, interchangeable choke tubes are a very good idea.

Run, don't walk, away from the 1100 Magnum. These guns are set up for magnum shells and may not fuction reliably with lighter target loads. Every fall our clays club has a lot of hunters who drop by to tune up for duck season. Those who own 1100 Magnums frequently experience failure to feed becase the lighter target shells don't have enough power to cycle the action. It is also fixed choke and the price seems a bit high for a gun that has had a stock repair.

Were this my gun to choose, I'd have stopped once I saw the Beretta 391. Admittedly, it's more money but I believe you get a lot more gun with the 391 than anything Remington is currrently making. I test fired one in 20 gauge last summer and was very favorably impressed. It's light, swings smoothly and the stock can be adjusted through the stock shim system. It will handle a wider range of loads than the 1100 and comes with choke tubes. It is the only gas gun that I've handled recently that has given this dedicating breaking gun shooter pause to consider making room for a semi auto in the safe.

Paul

 

[TooTaxed]

There's something about the Remington 1100,s and especially the 20-ga, that women just seem to like! My wife has Tournament-grade 1100's in 20 and 12 for skeet, but prefers to use the 20 most of the time. She has a 12 for trap, but I think she would prefer a 20 for that, also. I use semi-autos and over-and-unders, but she LOVES her 1100's! She's 5'-6" and about 140-lb.

 

[Johnny Guest]

A 20 ga. 1100 is Nice Thing to Have.

Back in '72, I bought my first wife a very plain one in improved cylinder. She liked it and did some hunting with it. We split up in about 83, and a couple of years later, she asked me to sell it for her. I went ahead and gave her pretty much top dollar for it and just kept it, to have for Younger Son and as a loaner. I've ended up using it a fair amount, in preference to my 12 ga 1100. It is hard for me to imagine a softer-recoiling gun.

My new wife has indicated an interest in learning scattergunnery, and I believe this 20 ga. will serve her well. She doesn't seem to have any problem with using something my first wife used, but if she develops problems, I'll just get her another gun.

Best,
Johnny

 

[Dave McCracken]

(Wiping off monitor)....

Johnny, I'm leaving that one alone!

 

[Matt G]

20 ga 1100s are, as stated above, one of the best kept secrets in shotgunnery. There is litterally nothing you can do with the 12ga that cannot be accomplished with the 20ga, but with a nice reduction in weight and recoil.

Ammo choices in 20 ga are wide, and kept moderately clean, the 1100 is surprisingly a dependable workhorse that can be pressed into a variety of roles, including home defense. My 12 ga. 1100 sits ready for that at my house, and if I had a 20 ga, I actually would prefer it (for my wife's sake). Many a summer's afternoon did I spend with my best friend in our teens, busting hundreds of clays with an inexpensive Outers thrower, the cheapest shells we could find, and my Mother's 20ga 1100, which pretty much never got cleaned the whole summer, yet still worked to drop dove in the early autumn.

--M.