semiauto shotgun advice for a nonshotgunner

[jstert]

to all shotgun enablers… i have some h&r/nef 20ga and 410 singles, plus a rossi 22wmr/20ga combo barrel single. i like these singles that auto-eject spent rounds but 12ga is too much oomph in these lightweight pieces. one 20” 20ga h&r lies under my bed, the others are locked away. i had a h&r 20ga pardner pump that i sold, too heavy and found that i didn’t like pump-action. i’m not a hunter or sporting clays shooter. i don’t know if i really need or even want a “real” shotgun, but perhaps “build a field and they will come to play on it.” i’ve tried a couple of nice benelli 12ga semiutos. they are surprisingly soft on my shoulder and accurate in my hands. the benelli’s $1000++ purchase price is daunting. finally, while my humble life keeps me far removed from two- or four-legged apex predators, i don’t have any centerfire long gun, apart from my singles. it seems to me that a decent 12ga semiauto shotgun, with training, could potentially reasonably address any threat in north america.

so, can one find a decent, new, 12ga semiautomatic shotgun that is all-state legal, versatile, reliable, handy and soft shooting for under $500? negative answers are valuable too. thanks!

 

[Col. Harrumph]

New or used?

 

[jmr40]

There is nothing under $500 that I'd recommend. A new Remington 870 pump is the least expensive option I'd suggest and street prices on those are right at $500. You're going to have to up your budget a little.

My brother uses one of these and it has been a good gun for him. This would be an excellent hunting gun and for clays games, but a little long for SD or predator protection.

This is a solid gun. It uses older technology but is quite reliable and well made. To keep the price down they aren't finished as nicely, and they use plastic stocks. A newer generation Beretta with wood stocks will be double that price.

Beretta A300 Outlander Semi-Auto Shotgun with Black Synthetic Stock | Cabela's (cabelas.com)

This is available only in 20 ga and it might serve your needs. VERY light and compact. I ran across one used and it became my go-to turkey gun. It's well under 6 lbs and with a 24" barrel. It is sold as a youth or ladies shotgun, but it comes with shims that allow you to lengthen the stock a bit. It takes 3" shells and will do 90% of what a 12 ga does.

One little quirk, Most newer designs use a gas system that will automatically compensate for the difference between low powered shells and magnum shells. This one won't, It comes with 2 pistons. You use one for low powered shells, and the other for magnum shells. It only takes 2 minutes to take the fore end off and swap pistons. I solved that by just using the magnum piston all the time and I don't buy low powered shells.

Weatherby SA-08 Compact Shotgun | Cabela's (cabelas.com)

Other possibilities

Weatherby Element Synthetic Semi-Auto Shotgun | Cabela's (cabelas.com)

All of the other options are gas operated. This Stoeger is an inertia operated gun that uses a system similar to Benelli. The inertia guns tend to be lighter and do recoil a little more than a gas gun. But they are also noted for better reliability.

Stoeger M3000 Semi-Auto Shotgun | Cabela's (cabelas.com)

 

[FL-NC]

I have a Mossberg 930 I bought in that range some years ago. Not sure what they run now.

 

[drobs]

Avoid Turkish Semi Auto and Pump Shotguns - they just don't hold up or work very well. TFB TV does 500rd burn downs on them and has yet to find one that is reliable.
https://www.youtube.com/tfbtv/videos

The only criticism on TFB TV is he hasn't tested mag fed Turkish Shotguns either standard or bulpup.

I like shooting 12 gauge Aguila Mini-Shells (slugs and buck) out of my Side by Sides and my Mossberg 590S. They double the capacity of the pump and have little to no recoil. The 590S is setup by Mossberg to shoot both normal length shells and mini-shells.

This company makes an adapter that will allow you to use both normal length shells and mini-shells in Mossberg and Maverick pump shotguns:
https://defendertactical.com/products/universal-minishell-adapter

All that being said - you should get a rifle in a rifle caliber and become a rifleman. Get a bolt action rifle (or semi-auto if legal in your area) in a military rifle caliber (223 308 etc) and learn to shoot at distances out to 500yds or more. Military calibers allow for buying affordable bulk ammo.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Lot more going on in a semi auto so hard/impossible to do it at that price point in my opinion. You can buy things in that price range possibly but they are not things I would bet my life (or even a good hunt) on.

So, I would re-think about a pump and train well with one, or, save up to get a more reliable/proven semi. It will also require training/practice. I'm better with a pump as that is what I grew up with, the semi's just don't sync with my brain as well when things go wrong.

 

[kje54]

Good luck finding a good, reliable semi-auto for under $500. Even the well known and respected Turkish brands (Stoeger, Hatsan, TriStar, etc) are generally over that price point. The Charles Daly ones are within your price range but quality is iffy at best, you might get a good one and you might not.
To stay in your price range you will find the pumps are your best bet. A Maverick 88, Mossberg 500, Hatsan Slugger, Remington 870 Express, TriStar Cobra III all fit the reliability/durability test.

 

[Hookeye]

The TFB TV burndowns are entertaining and informative, but they have yet to do a test on a Stoeger.

They repeatedly go w the cheapest of the cheap.

 

[Hookeye]

Stoeger m3000 is $600.
Stock is proly way too long for most, so swap to the youth model, which is another 70 bucks. The recoil pad is hard, so dump another 35 or so for a Sims replacement. Trigger is beyond heavy, so a few bucks for Taran Tactical spring swap.

So what do we have now? A usable gun finally.
And just over 700 bucks.

The trigger still.aint what it should be and tj\he fiberoptic front sight is dull.

But its a fast rig.

I need to do a mini burn down on mine.

Why did i buy it instead of a 1301 or Benelli?

Because this rig is gonna get beat up.
And folks run em in 3 gun, which I may yet try.

Will document any issues I have w this rig.
I dont like it, dont hate it. Just a tool AFAIC

 

[Rlafever]

Stoeger m 3000 or the 20 qa. is the 3020 , inertia operated , owned by Beretta ,made in Turkey . I have the older m2000 and probably have 1500 rds. through it, the " guts " of it are under the fore end , easy to clean , i would buy another but i have 6 or 8 ,12 gauge shot guns , I'd have to run around and count them. nobody ever mentions the Stoeger P 3000 , their pump with the 3 inch chamber , less than 300.00 usually

 

[Hookeye]

The fit and finish of the Stoeger I have wasn't the best.
Had to tap bbl in, and out, a few times and is now "tool-less" assembly/disassembly LOL
Receiver is black and initially some came off when oiling it w Remoil.
Maybe some Turkish low grade version of Duracoat? I dunno.
Its a truck gun so Krylon if need be.

Save a few bucks and like to fiddle, maybe a decent purchase.

Im on the fence though...........maybe I shoulda just got a 1301.
But the Stoeger, while still not abused..........won't upset me when it gets skinned up.

 

[Savage30L]

If you look around you can find a good used Remington 11-48 or Mohawk-48 for under $500, probably well under that. They are very well-made and reliable guns. They have 2 3/4" chambers and therefore can't fire 3" shells. Those guns are recoil-operated, similar to the Browning, and have the friction rings that you need to reverse if going from high-brass to low-brass shells, or vice-versa. If you can live with those restrictions, you could have a shotgun that you'd love.

 

[jstert]

thank you one and all!

 

[jstert]

New or used?

either way is fine.

 

[entropy]

Semi auto:
Pros-
Faster than all but the most experienced pump shooters.
Basic manual of arms is fairily simple for most semiauto shotguns.

Cons-
When they don't work, the malfunction drills can be trickier.
They require more intense maintenance than pumps. Yes, even inertia guns, though not as much.
If used for defense, practice with the actual shell used for defense is needed. Shooting a box of trap loads on the way home from the gun shop is not sufficient preparation for firing buck and slug. No, 7 1/2 shot is not a good option, unless it is your ONLY option.
The action sometimes adds more weight over a pump.

Pumps:
Pros-
Tend to be less expensive.
As long as they are maintained, most malfunctions tend to be operator error. This is also a con until enough practice is done.
Very reliable, except as noted above.

Cons-
Require enough practice to avoid the #1 malfunction-short stroking.
If used for defense, practice with the actual shell used for defense is needed. Shooting a box of trap loads on the way home from the gun shop is not sufficient preparation for firing buck and slug. No, 7 1/2 shot is not a good option, unless it is your ONLY option.

The Tri-Star Viper and Raptor shotguns are a good value for the $. They are basically Beretta A300/A303 shotguns, and while they aren't as pretty, they are quite functional.

 

[JB111]

The best and most reliable semi auto shotgun I have ran across that can be had for under $500 is the VR60. They are box mag fed and after running a hundred rounds of buckshot, it will cycle anything you put in it. I believe versions of it can be had legally in just about every state, but don't quote me on that. The same gun can be had with different body styles, imported by different companies at different prices such as the panzer ar12 so basically pick which version you think looks best and go with it.

Honestly though, if you don't already have a dedicated gun that you trust for home defense, this genre of shotgun should not be your first purchase. Although fun to shoot and fairly reliable once broken in, they can be finnicky and can malfunction at a bad time.

I don't mean to detract or steer the thread off topic, but for under 500 bucks, I rather have a reliable, proven pump if I am buying for home defense and there are several good options well inside of the stated price range. A maverick 88 costs $250 and run like tanks and can be had with a capacity of 7+1 out the door with money left over for other goodies.

 

[I like star wars]

for $500 I think the maverick 88 security 18 1/2 and a bunch of ammo would be an excellent deal . I have the maverick 88 and its been an awesome shotgun . and practice practice practice

 

[jstert]

Honestly though, if you don't already have a dedicated gun that you trust for home defense, this genre of shotgun should not be your first purchase. Although fun to shoot and fairly reliable once broken in, they can be finnicky and can malfunction at a bad time.

thanks, i do have several well-practiced home-defense choices for my low-threat environment. currently my bedside piece is a taurus 856 38sp revolver with a familiar h&r 20” 20ga single shotgun under my bed. i don’t have any stouter long guns, so was thinking outside my box.