kentucky_smith
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- Oct 6, 2005
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After reading several recent threads* on retro shotguns in use, I've been inspired to do something similar with a couple of practical purposes in mind.
*520
Askins' 11
My current selections are a couple of Light 20's, a Mag 12, a Franchi 48AL, a Beretta/Benelli inertia gun and a few others. All with at least 26"s of tubes installed. Not finding any extra barrels online within reasonable cost, I thought I'd look at something more dedicated.
Growing up in a family of auto shooters, I've never grown fond of pumps, even after owning some Win m12's, 37s and 870's.
After looking at dad's old model 11 that I had in mind, I rediscovered it was a Sportsman model with a permanent 3 round mag tube and mag cap. That ruled it out.
Been keeping an eye out for just the right auto for use and last week I ran across an 11-48. This particular specimen was a Mohawk 48 with a mismatched Sportsman 30" full-choked barrel. Foreend was perfect, butt stock had a tiny crack in it, but still perfectly functional. The kicker was someone had drilled and tapped the receiver.
Dealer couldn't manage to sell it after it had been languishing for a long while on the rack.
11-48s aren't in high demand anyway, but I've always known them to be fairly reliable. A departure from the preceding model 11/A5 design, the long recoil action has a spring in the buttstock (to be used in the 1100/1187) and a friction ring/spring setup on the magazine tube that does not change regarding what type of loads are being run. The receiver is more streamlined and the easily removable trigger group setup would be used again in all of Remington's shotguns.
So anyway, tag said $250, dealer said he would take $200. I removed $175 from my pocket saying this was all I had. He took it and I was on my way.
Took it home, looked it over. Ran 2 boxes of mixed trap reloads through it. Ran perfect. ( I can't say that of the last 11-87 I owned
)
Excellent.
Then I did something I didn't think I would ever do to a shotgun. I whacked off the barrel. 20"s would make it a bit more suitable as a hard weather grouse gun (maybe?) and still lithe and short enough as a home defense weapon.
Tried it out again last night with some HD ammo, cheap winny's and some leftover trap reloads. Haven't tried 1 oz loads yet (and really have no reason to) but it worked perfectly. I was going to eventually put a bead or rifle sight on it, but using the buck, I could easily engage gallon jugs at various distances as well as hit some flying clays. It fits me well with a pretty decent recoil pad that was on it and just making sure to keep same wield, could put the shot where I wanted it. It actually swings better than I thought it would (and really it's just as long as a 26" o/u) and not much different or shorter than a Special Field (or heavier).
Pros of using the 11-48
* Quite a few 870 and 1100 parts will interchange, including magazine extensions, lights, butt stocks, anything that doesn't clamp to the barrel.
*Not a gas gun, doesn't seem to have issues of 1100/1187.
*Same manual of arms as my Brownings, button in same place.
Cons:
It's fairly old, some parts aren't as easy to get.
Some people don't like long recoil actions. I'm not one of them.
Not a gas gun, doesn't soak up recoil as well as an 1100/1187. But less recoil than a pump.
Some of these seem to like to spit out bolt handle. This one hasn't done that yet.
Questions, comments, cussings?
This guy seems to have similar results, although he went to a LOT more detail.
Oh, pics;
*520
Askins' 11
My current selections are a couple of Light 20's, a Mag 12, a Franchi 48AL, a Beretta/Benelli inertia gun and a few others. All with at least 26"s of tubes installed. Not finding any extra barrels online within reasonable cost, I thought I'd look at something more dedicated.
Growing up in a family of auto shooters, I've never grown fond of pumps, even after owning some Win m12's, 37s and 870's.
After looking at dad's old model 11 that I had in mind, I rediscovered it was a Sportsman model with a permanent 3 round mag tube and mag cap. That ruled it out.
Been keeping an eye out for just the right auto for use and last week I ran across an 11-48. This particular specimen was a Mohawk 48 with a mismatched Sportsman 30" full-choked barrel. Foreend was perfect, butt stock had a tiny crack in it, but still perfectly functional. The kicker was someone had drilled and tapped the receiver.
Dealer couldn't manage to sell it after it had been languishing for a long while on the rack. 11-48s aren't in high demand anyway, but I've always known them to be fairly reliable. A departure from the preceding model 11/A5 design, the long recoil action has a spring in the buttstock (to be used in the 1100/1187) and a friction ring/spring setup on the magazine tube that does not change regarding what type of loads are being run. The receiver is more streamlined and the easily removable trigger group setup would be used again in all of Remington's shotguns.
So anyway, tag said $250, dealer said he would take $200. I removed $175 from my pocket saying this was all I had. He took it and I was on my way.
Took it home, looked it over. Ran 2 boxes of mixed trap reloads through it. Ran perfect. ( I can't say that of the last 11-87 I owned
)Excellent.
Then I did something I didn't think I would ever do to a shotgun. I whacked off the barrel.
20"s would make it a bit more suitable as a hard weather grouse gun (maybe?) and still lithe and short enough as a home defense weapon. Tried it out again last night with some HD ammo, cheap winny's and some leftover trap reloads. Haven't tried 1 oz loads yet (and really have no reason to) but it worked perfectly. I was going to eventually put a bead or rifle sight on it, but using the buck, I could easily engage gallon jugs at various distances as well as hit some flying clays. It fits me well with a pretty decent recoil pad that was on it and just making sure to keep same wield, could put the shot where I wanted it. It actually swings better than I thought it would (and really it's just as long as a 26" o/u) and not much different or shorter than a Special Field (or heavier).
Pros of using the 11-48
* Quite a few 870 and 1100 parts will interchange, including magazine extensions, lights, butt stocks, anything that doesn't clamp to the barrel.
*Not a gas gun, doesn't seem to have issues of 1100/1187.
*Same manual of arms as my Brownings, button in same place.
Cons:
It's fairly old, some parts aren't as easy to get.
Some people don't like long recoil actions. I'm not one of them.
Not a gas gun, doesn't soak up recoil as well as an 1100/1187. But less recoil than a pump.
Some of these seem to like to spit out bolt handle. This one hasn't done that yet.
Questions, comments, cussings?
This guy seems to have similar results, although he went to a LOT more detail.
Oh, pics;
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