'best' or at least decent semiauto

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  • toppkatt

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 22, 2017
    1,185
    I was in a lgs and saw a used Remington 11-87 sporting clays. It had pretty good wood and the metal was in very good to excellent shape. The bore was bright. Looking on line it seems that particular model was produced for a short time and some of the parts are not interchangable with the standard 11-87 (forearm, needing thin contour barrel, etc.). That said I didn't see any reviews that it was bad, but at the same time no one stated it was the next A5.
    Anyone have any experience? My shotguns are all 'old school' (Remington17, Browning A5 (Belgian), Fox Sterlingworth, an old Sears SxS 20 Ga I got for Christmas when my grandfather and my cousins would go rabbit hunting in the late 60's and a Ithaca M37 deerslayer with rifled barrel). So, I am not too'up' on modern guns. Should I just pick up a used 1100 or this one or a newer 'recoil' operated semi?
    I plan to use this mostly for shooting trap about two or three times a year. If you think I'd be best just using one of the one's Ihave feel free to say so, but support that point.
    Thanks!
     

    toppkatt

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 22, 2017
    1,185
    Why not use the A5?


    1) I thought of that but was thinking I might want to try something 'newer'.
    2) 'Just because' :)
    3) I may be old but I'm not trying to get out my muzzle loading shotgun. :innocent0
    4) Want a new 'toy' and want a quailty item.;)

    All of the above were tongue in cheek. No disrespect meant or implied.
     

    teratos

    My hair is amazing
    MDS Supporter
    Patriot Picket
    Jan 22, 2009
    59,775
    Bel Air
    I thought of that but was thinking I might want to try something 'newer'. 'Just because' :)

    I have an old (Belgian) A5 I’ve shot clays with. It has a 32” full barrel that came with it. I got a 30” Japanese made Browning barrel that works great. Has choke tubes. Works great for clays and skeet. Hard to improve on the A5. Just my opinion.
     

    toppkatt

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 22, 2017
    1,185
    I have an old (Belgian) A5 I’ve shot clays with. It has a 32” full barrel that came with it. I got a 30” Japanese made Browning barrel that works great. Has choke tubes. Works great for clays and skeet. Hard to improve on the A5. Just my opinion.

    I HAVE to agree A5 is an excellent firearm. I love mine.

    You're talking me out of spending money... how's that going to help the economy...LOL
     

    rseymorejr

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 28, 2011
    26,002
    Harford County
    I bought a Beretta A300 last year and love it. I shot trap, hunted pheasants, ducks and geese with it last year without having to change, adjust or modify anything. The only minor drawback is the safety is in an odd spot, front of the trigger guard, and takes a little getting used to.
     

    Tracker

    Active Member
    Aug 21, 2011
    587
    Anne Arundel County
    I bought a Beretta A300 last year and love it. I shot trap, hunted pheasants, ducks and geese with it last year without having to change, adjust or modify anything. The only minor drawback is the safety is in an odd spot, front of the trigger guard, and takes a little getting used to.

    I bought an A300 from BassPro a few years ago. I paid less than $800 including tax. It's a very good gun for the price. Someone on here commented in a different thread that PG County Trap & Skeet uses A300s for their rental guns because they're so reliable.
     
    Why not use the A5?

    1) I thought of that but was thinking I might want to try something 'newer'.
    2) 'Just because' :)
    3) I may be old but I'm not trying to get out my muzzle loading shotgun. :innocent0
    4) Want a new 'toy' and want a quailty item.;)

    All of the above were tongue in cheek. No disrespect meant or implied.

    The Browning Auto 5 (A5) is a 120 year old design by the almighty John Moses Browning. He is a virtual god in firearms design. Some of his more popular designs are:
    1911 pistol
    Hi Power pistol
    1919 machine gun
    M2 machine gun
    Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)
    Auto 5

    The Browning Action is still used on a majority of modern pistols. Hell, even Glock fanboys recognize their choice in pistols uses a modified Browning Action.

    Why mess with perfection- even if it is 120 years old?

    I will give you three guesses as to what my semi auto shotgun is...

    .
     

    toppkatt

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 22, 2017
    1,185
    The Browning Auto 5 (A5) is a 120 year old design by the almighty John Moses Browning. He is a virtual god in firearms design. Some of his more popular designs are:
    1911 pistol
    Hi Power pistol
    1919 machine gun
    M2 machine gun
    Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)
    Auto 5

    The Browning Action is still used on a majority of modern pistols. Hell, even Glock fanboys recognize their choice in pistols uses a modified Browning Action.

    Why mess with perfection- even if it is 120 years old?

    I will give you three guesses as to what my semi auto shotgun is...

    .
    Well I hope, at least, that you are using an original A5 with the long recoil design and NOT one of what is now being marketed as an A5.

    BTW I also have a Remington 81 in 300 Savage (which is the rifle version of the A5, uses the long recoil mechanism). Also a J.M. Browning design. Great Action.
    I was just wanting to try something newer...

    as an aside, a friend had a BAR, has a 1919 and several 1911 products. So I am aware of his genius. :D:D
     
    Well I hope, at least, that you are using an original A5 with the long recoil design and NOT one of what is now being marketed as an A5.

    BTW I also have a Remington 81 in 300 Savage (which is the rifle version of the A5, uses the long recoil mechanism). Also a J.M. Browning design. Great Action.
    I was just wanting to try something newer...

    as an aside, a friend had a BAR, has a 1919 and several 1911 products. So I am aware of his genius. :D:D

    Mine is as His Majesty JMB intended.
    I'm not telling you what to do, but the consensus is that JMB came damn close to semi shotgun perfection in the 1890's. Everyone else is trying to re-invent the wheel.
    Heckler & Koch has alters to worship John Moses Browning in all of their facilities. Glock has Voodoo goddesses trying to channel him. CZ has sacrificed virgins to him. Mikhail Kalishnikov was a commie bastard- eff him.
     

    TargetGrade

    Banned
    BANNED!!!
    Aug 13, 2017
    2,970
    Pensultucky
    The Browning Auto 5 (A5) is a 120 year old design by the almighty John Moses Browning. He is a virtual god in firearms design. Some of his more popular designs are:
    1911 pistol
    Hi Power pistol
    1919 machine gun
    M2 machine gun
    Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR)
    Auto 5

    The Browning Action is still used on a majority of modern pistols. Hell, even Glock fanboys recognize their choice in pistols uses a modified Browning Action.

    Why mess with perfection- even if it is 120 years old?

    I will give you three guesses as to what my semi auto shotgun is...

    .

    The wheel is even older, hard to improve on perfection.
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    I have an 11-87 Sporting Clays. I picked it up when I was instructing to use as a loaner/trainer.

    It doesn't have a lot of rounds through it, but it has performed well.
     

    delaware_export

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 10, 2018
    3,142
    I'm a recreational shooter, not a competitor, and shoot mostly an 1187 Premier light contour. Another 50 rounds this weekend at 100+degrees.

    Sounds similar to the SC in that the barrel is skinnier, and forearm has narrowed opening, than my 1187 SP. My LC also came with the slug barrel, rifled.

    Both shoot well. Only ever had one issue, aside from replacing the o-ring. on the 3rd in the 20 or so years since I bought it. It Doesn't like estates target loads. Chamber fouling, like I never had from any other round, before or since.

    I am at least 10k rounds in, no problems.

    A long time ago I swapped the wood for plastic, standard measure plastic not light contour profile. No issues. Works well. I used to carry this in field and woods for hunting, and the wood was pretty enough that I didn't want it scuffed up too bad.

    In general, there is nothing wrong with this gun. You should be just fine.
     

    toppkatt

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 22, 2017
    1,185
    Thanks for your reply. I found it a good, thoughful answer coming from a member who had one and gave experiential critique. Though at this juncture I will probably stick with my A5, most all of the other posters seeming to support that avenue.
    .
     

    CrabcakesAndFootball

    Active Member
    Jun 14, 2017
    697
    I bought an A300 from BassPro a few years ago. I paid less than $800 including tax. It's a very good gun for the price. Someone on here commented in a different thread that PG County Trap & Skeet uses A300s for their rental guns because they're so reliable.

    We have shot the hell out of my buddy’s A300, never a hiccup. I shoot clays with a Benelli Montefeltro, and I perceive a slight advantsge on the A300 at longer range. May just be mine perception tho.
     

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