semi auto 12 ga

[Glockman20]

who makes the best semi auto 12 gauge for the money?

 

[Expat]

What are you going to use it for? What price point are you looking at?
I love my old 70's era Remington 1100 for bird and small game hunting.
Seems like the thing to get these days is one of those Benellis but those are well over a grand. If I was still as active hunting as I used to be, I would probably do it, but can't justify it barely getting out.

 

[whatwehavehere]

Among mainstream brands, mossberg 930s are a great value. Mine was $400 and is not just the base model. It never gets cleaned and cycles everything but loads under 1oz.

 

[Mgderf]

I have experience with exactly one semi-auto 12ga.
I have a brand new (less than 10 rounds through it) Weatherby SA-08 12ga that cost me $20.
Nope, that's not a misprint.

My brother won 6 firearms and a 24 gun safe several years ago on a $20 raffle ticket thhat I bought in his name.
I bought one for myself, and one for each of my brothers.
He did not know I'd purchased the ticket in his name until they called his name as the winner. The look on his face was worth WAY more than the $20 ticket price.

In lieu of payment for the ticket, he presented me with the Weatherby. Nice.

I also have a semi-auto Saiga, but it's a .410bore.
I've heard good things about the Saiga 12ga, but they sure ain't cheap.
The SA-08 Weatherby was about $650 M.S.R.P. if I recall correctly.

 

[autogun]

As someone else said, it depends on what you mean by best. i shoot sporting clays. If best is defined as most likely to go bang time after time when your putting a couple hundred rounds through the gun in one outing, the answer is a beretta 391. 9 out 10 semi autos on a clays course will be a beretta. Remember also that the companies which brought the shim system which permits the user to adjust comb height and cast to market was beretta/benelli. Benelli's are great hunting guns but berettas are more reliable for volume. They also are better at attenuating recoil. I'd buy a used 391 before anything else.

 

[kscessnadriver]

I have 2 semi auto 12GA, a Saiga 12 and a SPAS-12. Both are utterly useless for anything outside of a look cool gun and range toy. No way would I take either one to do serious work with. I'd love to get a Benelli M1/M2, but I've got a whole bunch of stuff on the list before I get to those.

 

[Mgderf]

I have 2 semi auto 12GA, a Saiga 12 and a SPAS-12. Both are utterly useless for anything outside of a look cool gun and range toy. No way would I take either one to do serious work with. I'd love to get a Benelli M1/M2, but I've got a whole bunch of stuff on the list before I get to those.

Could I ask why the Saiga is "useless for anything outside of a look cool gun and range toy"?
My Saiga .410 is very stout built, and accurate enough for hunting purposes.
I don't know why the 12ga would be different.

 

[kscessnadriver]

Could I ask why the Saiga is "useless for anything outside of a look cool gun and range toy"?
My Saiga .410 is very stout built, and accurate enough for hunting purposes.
I don't know why the 12ga would be different.

They're just not long term reliable enough, especially if you store your magazines full of ammo. Shells deform overtime while in the magazine and then may or may not feed. For what it's going to cost to get in a Saiga 12, you can get other semi-auto's that have much more history behind them. I believe the VEPR-12 is actually a better gun in terms of reliability due to the gas system versus the Saiga 12. I'm not saying it's not built stout, it certainly is. And I'm sure it's accurate enough for some hunting. I had really thought about picking up a 410 Saiga, but just couldn't justify it due to the cost of 410 these days.

 

[Mgderf]

The only reason I have the .410 is a stupid sale.
They were stupid enough to put it on sale for only $400 (new) out the door.
I already had a stock of .410 ammo laid in because I own several others.

I had not heard that about the mags, but I store mine empty anyway.

 

[Sniper 79]

FN SLP is a sweet shotty

Found the Saiga to be big and clumsy

 

[6mm Shoot]

I have used a 1187 for years. Have stuck with it because I have used for everything from clays to deer with just a barrel change. They go for around $600 to a grand new depending on stock and bluing. I have seen a police 1187 go for $300, then it was well used. It had a scared stock and very little bluing remaining on the action. I would have picked it up my self except I spent my gun money on a rifle I just had to have before I saw the 1187. That would have been a great project gun. My son piked up a used Browning that he thinks is the only shotgun to have. He paid $400 for it used and it was in good condition.

If it was me hunting for a good shotgun I would still go for the 1187 and get barrels to get it to do what I wanted to use it for. Rifled barrels go for around $200 and the 1187 with a bird barrel goes for around $600. You can pick up a home defence 20" barrel for around $100. That will take care of anything I would want to do with a shotgun. They are not as quick as the Benelli, nor am I quick enough for that to concern me. I have never ran the 1187 faster than it could keep up. I have read that some people can. I have never seen anyone do it, just read about it.

Good luck with what ever you get.

 

[medcoxo]

For me it was the Mossberg 930. My research led me to it. Just recently got it- used. And have not had a chance to get it out for some shooting. I wanted home defense, so I got the pistol stock on it now, but I also have the traditional shoulder stock, in case I want to try some clay/trap with it.

 

[sloughfoot]

Beretta

 

[sgreen3]

I currently have 2 12ga semiautos one being my dads Belgium Browning A5 that he left me (don't really shoot it much) and a TriStar Raptor ATAC of all things. For less than $400 the TriStar feeds and functions perfectly, just be aware their QC is not the greatest. Which you would expect for that price point, but its a ton of fun to shoot cycles everything from slugs all the way down to cheap bulk field loads. So all in all I really cant complain...

 

[thunderchicken]

I've got an Browning B80 (no longer produced) that is a great shooter. But when I grab a semi auto for small game hunting I usually grab my Sears & Roebucks model66 12g with poly choke

 

[Vigilant]

Beretta Benelli and FN make the best for any money!

 

[sugarcreekbrass]

I currently have 2 12ga semiautos one being my dads Belgium Browning A5 that he left me (don't really shoot it much) and a TriStar Raptor ATAC of all things. For less than $400 the TriStar feeds and functions perfectly, just be aware their QC is not the greatest. Which you would expect for that price point, but its a ton of fun to shoot cycles everything from slugs all the way down to cheap bulk field loads. So all in all I really cant complain...

I am happy with my TriStar Viper in 20 ga. I bought it for my wife and stepson to shoot. I haven't taken it to a range to shoot a lot of clays, so I don't know how it does there. So far I have been pleased.

 

[Glockman20]

Thanks everyone for there thoughts and comments..... I may go with the Mossberg 930 SXP tactical. I read a lot of good things about it. I am sure there may be better ones out there if I had the money but I am on a $700 budget

 

[Nojoy621]

Take a look at the beretta a300.... I'm on the same search as you and I think that's the one I'm going to end up with. Can be found new for under $600 if you don't mind black synthetic furniture.

 

[Opie]

For hunting and gun games you will be hard pressed to best the Beretta AL-390. Soft shooting and i've never had a jam. I lucked into an AL-390 Gold Sport in 12ga and it is a wonderful shotgun.

Not the best defensive shotgun in the world, but I guess someone out there could cerakote over the gold pheasants and call it tactical....