Posted: 4/18/2011 11:55:38 AM EDT
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I am torn. My Mossberg 500 (5+1) just can't seem to keep up so I need to make a change. It's either a longer barrel and tube or another shotgun completely. I could make the investment now for the Mossberg, OR, seeing as I wont be at next month's match I would have about two months to save.
Honestly, I don't know a whole lot about shotguns. I know the basics all that pretty well, but when it comes down to which brand/form/function is better for the 3gun I'm lost. It doesn't help that I'm new to 3gun too. So, I guess I am looking at ~100 now or ~? in a few months. Wow, that's about as clear as mud but eh, whatcha think? And I guess this is the addiction everyone warned me about 
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Buy once, cry once. If you're going to take the plunge, I'd be looking for semiauto. There's been a lot of talk about the Mossberg 930 and the benelli's are always popular. If you stay with the 500, go ahead and get a long enough tube to hold at least 8+1.
Of course, there's always Observer's Saiga..... 
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Benelli M2 $1200+
FN SLP $1000 Mossberg 930 $700-800 after mods Rem 1100 $800 after mods, needs lots of care. I had an 1100. Ran great, but needed a lot of attention and was more difficult to load. I now have a Mossberg 930. It is fast to reload, low recoil and needs much less care. At this point i am satisfied with my 930. I have no experience with the other 2, but they are very popular with great review. +1 semi auto and at least 8+1 capacity. |
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Buy once, cry once.
The FN SLP is competition ready out of the box and is used by alot of the pros. If I had to do it over again, I would go with the FN. I have a Remmington 1100 Tac 2 that I bought a Tac 4 barrel and tube extension for. It works great, but it is slower to load than the other autos, and the only fix for that is the Dave's EZ loader that is VERY finicky and is not a drop in part. Also, be wary of guns like the Benelli M4 that have ghost ring rear sights and front sight towers like an AR. They are very accurate with slugs but alot of competitors say they take to long to acquire the sights on stages with plate racks or alot of clays. Some guns come from the factory with ported barrels or choke tubes. This will put you in open class. If I was going to shoot in open class, I would buy a Saiga for sure. Also, go over to this forum and read some reviews over there. http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?act=idx The Brian Enos forum is the AR15.com for 3 gunners. Good luck and keep us posted. |
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Awesome, thanks for the feedback. I was looking at an 1100 now, I'll do more research but at least this points me in the right direction. Look at the Remington 1187 Police model instead. Then you can add a speed gate to the loading latch so you don't have to push the putton to collapse the shell lifter when shoving in a fresh shell. Nordic Components makes mag tube extenders to increase capacity. Three things you need in ANY 3 Gun match firearm: reliability, speed & CAPACITY. The 1187 Police with an extended mag tube covers all those issues with absolutely no issue. This model also comes with a ghost ring rear sight to better facilitate speed shooting on clays up close & personal. If there's a mistake to have been made in a 3 Gun match, *I've* done it................ 
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| Many of the police version shotguns do not cycle light loads very well. In 3 gun light recoil, light loads is almost all we shoot. Many of the police shotties run light loads, but there are many that don't. If you want this shottie for 3 gun, i would stay away from police models. |
| After watching a lot of different guns run if I had a choice and money was not an issue I would get the Benelli from Salient. Next would be an FN or older SX2. The FN's look big and bulky to me, but a lot of the top guys shoot them. The 1100/1187 run well, but like GoTigers said they are pretty high maintenance. Mossberg is putting some good stuff out too. It really boils down to how much you want to spend. You either buy one ready to roll out of the box or spend time and money making something work for you. It would be cheaper to mod your current shotgun than to buy something new or race ready used. Eventually there is an upgrade as we all are finding out. You have to decide whether that upgrade happens now or sometime in the future. Probably all things you have already thought about. So, in conclusion............ Auto for sure. 8+1 capacity for sure. Barrel threaded for chokes for sure. Brand will always be up for debate. |
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Many of the police version shotguns do not cycle light loads very well. In 3 gun light recoil, light loads is almost all we shoot. Many of the police shotties run light loads, but there are many that don't. If you want this shottie for 3 gun, i would stay away from police models. All I run in mine are the #7-1/2 & #8 shot loads, the cheapest things I can find at Wally World. Never missed a beat. |
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Barrel threaded for chokes for sure. Why? Because at the club we shoot at, if you have a fixed cylinder bore barrel, it may not be enough for the plate racks. When I used a Mossberg 500, if I didn't hit the steel dead center with the mass of my shot, the plate would move but not fall. The versatility of having a barrel that can use chokes is worth it. If he ever decides to shoot in a big match somewhere, he may encounter long stages where he needs a modified or even full choke for poppers or clays at distance. |
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Because at the club we shoot at, if you have a fixed cylinder bore barrel, it may not be enough for the plate racks. I bump up to #6 for those long distance plate shots. Never had an issue. They won't let us use #6 on steel. Only 7-1/2 or 8 shot. |