I've got a line on a nice 11-87 Special Purpose for about $250, great shape, synthetic stock and mile-long barrel.  In some interwebz searches (dangerous I know, but here I am again) I have read that these are very unreliable and prone to failure.  Further, they won't cycle well with shorter barrels.

So, if I was to leave the barrel about 22-24" long and build it into a 3-gun stick, what could I expect?  I don't mind only being able to use the cheap 3-dram stuff from Wal-Mart, the low power trap loads won't knock the steel off a texas star anyway so I can't justify using them even without the cycling issue.

Are they prone to breakage?  Can they be made resonably reliable for 3-gun (not kicking in doors or using it to fight off waves of liberals/zombies/etc).  

What parts should be replaced?  Ideas of cost involved?

thanks-

SCW

No love for the 11-87?

It looks like I'm getting it for $200, but it has a broken ring under the stock.  I looked up a drawing on the Brownells website and found that it's one of two parts, I can't tell which one, but they cost about $10 each so it's not a big deal anyway.

So I'll get it running, drop in an Easeloader from Dave's Metalworks, extended mag tube and maybe cut the barrel back to 24" and tapped for a choke.  All told I should be into the gun less than $500, maybe closer to $300

Gun- $200
Mag tube- $75
Parts- $20 (likely $10)
Easyloader- $35
Choke tubes installed- $150?

Total - $330 without modifications to the barrel, $480 with mods.

That should get me going long enough to decide if that's what I want to run for a while, and the total cost is pretty similar to what I've got into my 590.  this might be an excersize in frutstration, but life has been too easy anyway.

The 11-87 is a fine shotgun. With a little cleaning and a bit of tuning, it can be just fine for 3-gun, and plenty reliable. The gas system can be "adjusted" for barrel length and desired load, so find what you want to shoot through the gun and tune accordingly.

Ive seen them crap out quite a bit on 3 gun matches. YMMV

I use one for 3-gun and it runs great.
My short barrel does not reliably feed the lighter loads as it is designed more as a deer slug/buckshot barrel.
I use it for trap and skeet as well

Well I put the Nordic +5 mag extention on it and replaced the broken pistons, and I even put 50 rounds through it today at the trap range.  The gun ran great on all the loads I tried through it, I put a full box of very light Remington trap loads through it first, not even a hiccup.  Then I tried an assortment of Fiocchi, Winchester, Federal and those were a mix of light and heavy loads.  No problems at all.

I shot pretty poorly, but the choke (which is now soaking in oil because it is stuck) measures out to about .685", or likely a Skeet choke and I was having a hard time hitting clays in a strong wind with that choke.  For my last round or trap I used my Beretta 391 and did a little better.  The Remington is a HEAVY pig compared to the Beretta.  

Next step is the Easy Loader from Daves Metalworks, and some sights of undertermined source as yet.  I also need some side-saddles but I haven't found the ones I want yet. The next 3-gun match should be fun- first time for a scope on the rifle (Burris XTR 14) and now a semi-auto shotgun.  I might just use a double-stack 9mm (Hi-power) instead of the 1911 and complete the change!