shotgun - new barrel or new gun?

[aray]

Recently a buddy convinced me to start deer hunting, and also kindly offered to mentor me on a hunt and show me the ropes.

So out of the safe I got my shotgun, purchased used probably 20 years ago and never fired (by me). Turns out is it a 3" 12 ga. Remington 1100 smooth bore semi-auto. So far so good, until I also discover it is a fixed full choke. Alas since he's trying to get us into a managed hunt situation that requires demonstration of shooting proficiency I can't shoot a rifled slug through the fixed full choke without damaging the barrel.

So I have some choices:

* Replace the barrel or replace the gun? If I get a new barrel that should be cheaper, but where would I look for that, any ideas of how much that would cost, and is it relatively easy to do? But if I go with a new gun then I need to decide:

* Smooth or rifled barrel? I'll probably make this a dedicated deer gun so I probably don't need the smooth, however something in the back of my mind says not to close out any options, and if I go rifled I can't shoot shot.

* Pump or semi-auto? Is this more than just a matter of preference for my application? I'm thinking for deer hunting I don't need rapid follow-up; if I miss I likely won't get a second shot so the speed of semi-auto is less important (perhaps unlike waterfowl).

* 12 or 20 ga.? As I understand it the 12 has more recoil but also can reach out accurately to a greater distance.

If I get a new gun I'll probably go with the Mossberg 500 vs. the Remington 870. I know there's pros & cons to both, but both are fine guns. I've just started to look at both but in Chad's comments he tends to somewhat lean to the Mossberg so all other things being equal I'll probably go that way.

Any other factors I should be considering or recommendations y'all have? It's been decades since I've fired a shotgun and/or gone hunting so I admittedly have a lot to learn here.

Thanks much in advance for your feedback.

 

[Pablopac]

To be honest, 12 and 20 have about the same range.
I will look. I think I have some 1100 barrels, possibly a slug barrel.
Another option is a screw in choke barrel with a rifled choke tube, but to be honest, I tried that once with sabots and had no luck. I have heard a few folks that had luck with them using lightfields though.
I am moving to Tennessee next year, so I will not need any of the 1100 barrels any longer. If I have the slug barrel, you are welcome to try it on your gun, and to purchase if it works for you. All the barrels I have are 2.75 I think. Will update this shortly, or feel free to PM if interested.
pablopac

 

[aray]

So mine is currently a 3". Is it only the barrel that matters 2.75" vs. 3", or does the feed tube and/or receiver also have to be changed out?

 

[Pablopac]

Barrel only issue.
I will list these on the classified section later, but here is what I have.
All are 2.75 chambers.
I think my barrel lengths are accurate, but am not sure if perhaps the barrel is a bit shorter as I measured from muzzle to base and don't have ability to measure without including chamber. So they may actually be 2 inches shorted, the overall length is noted here.
24 inch paradox brand, rifled barrel with rifle sights
28 inch modified choke with vent rib
26 inch skeet choke with vent rib
26 inch rem choke (remington screw in chokes) vent rib.
If you would like to try the rifled barrel, happy to let you use it for a week or so.
pablopac

 

[94hokie]

This is the barrel my dad has on his 1100. It is very accurate.

http://www.hastingsdistribution.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=45

 

[ted76]

There is a rifled Hasting's 1100 barrel for sale in the classified section right now for $225.

 

[aray]

Yup, that is from Pablopac. We've been exchanging PMs about that barrel. I'm interested.

 

[j_h_smith]

When in doubt, always buy another firearm. My Rule #3.

 

[rico903]

If it was me I'd just buy a new barrel. About $200. You can use a 2 3/4" barrel on a 3" chamber, not the other way around. The older Remingtons are great guns, the new ones don't compare. Don't have to change the tube or anything. I have a 1970's Rem 870 Wingmaster pump with a 30" full choke barrel, 3" chamber. I bought a skeet barrel for it years ago and more recently a 28" barrel with choke tubes. All you do is unscrew the cap at the end of the mag tube. The barrel pulls off and you put a new one on. Don't let that fine old REAL Remington sit idle. Use it. Probably have to lube it and maybe change the gas O ring as it could be fragile after all these years. About $2 and simple as heck.

 

[outrider58]

If you can afford a new gun, better to go that route.

a) your old gun is a classic and I wouldn't do anything to permanently alter it.

b) your old gun is not tapped for a scope which you will want on your deer gun(true, cantilever barrels can be used but, I've never liked them).

c) if you like the semi-auto action, one of the best semi deer shotguns is the Rem. 1187 in 20ga. it comes with rifled bbl., receiver tapped for scope rail, and composite stock, and is a sweet shooting gun. I would recommend you have the bbl. pinned(requires a gunsmith to do this right).

 

[jimbobborg]

A pump gun and slugs? No thanks. I don't like my shotgun punching me in the face when I fire it. Get the extra barrel for the 1100.

 

[j_h_smith]

A pump gun and slugs? No thanks. I don't like my shotgun punching me in the face when I fire it. Get the extra barrel for the 1100.

I have 3 870 pump shotguns and each have rifled barrels. I've never noticed any additional perceived recoil than shooting birdshot. My kids have been shooting these since each were 12 years old.

Folks have to be careful with semi auto firearms and deer hunting. I know in my younger days, it was illegal to hunt deer with anything semiauto in PA.

Things may have changed by now.

 

[BigDaddy]

So mine is currently a 3". Is it only the barrel that matters 2.75" vs. 3", or does the feed tube and/or receiver also have to be changed out?

My understanding is that the guts of a Magnum 1100 are different. The serial number should end in an M if it's a magnum.

My deer gun was an 870 with rifled choke tube and cantilever scope mount. It really held zero pretty well when swapping out the barrel. The farm I hunted.....deer were 20 yards away in the woods or they were on the other side of 2 fields at 800 yards. 2 3/4" rem rifled slugs were fine.

The Remington reg 2 3/4" Buckhammer slug put out 35# of recoil. That's right up there with a 338 WM, so no, it is not fun to bench shoot a slug gun.

 

[rico903]

I have 3 870 pump shotguns and each have rifled barrels. I've never noticed any additional perceived recoil than shooting birdshot. My kids have been shooting these since each were 12 years old.

Folks have to be careful with semi auto firearms and deer hunting. I know in my younger days, it was illegal to hunt deer with anything semiauto in PA.

Things may have changed by now.

Still illegal. Pump rifles are big on PA

 

[Mack C-85]

Still illegal. Pump rifles are big on PA

I had a choice between the Remington 742 semi or the Remington 760 pump. Went with the pump because of PA, then we started going to VA. Man we stayed with had a 742 and ragged on me and my pump gun......until we had a little contest......5 shots each, fastest time with highest score. Scores were pretty equal, but I had him by about 4-5 seconds. Something I learned shooting the pump.....pushing the forearm forward to chamber the next round naturally pulls the muzzle back to the target.

FYI - both were 30.06 Springfields

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

 

[pbharvey]

I can't shoot a rifled slug through the fixed full choke without damaging the barrel.

I always thought that but then I read somewhere that it wasn't true. I fully expected someone to chime in and tell you to go ahead and shoot slugs out of your FC barrel.
Can anyone verify one way or the other, will slugs actually shoot the choke out?

 

[jaybee]

1100 with a slug barrel with irons sights was my go to deer gun

the auto takes out the kick making for a good second, third etc shot

in most md counties, you can't use a rifle and shots in the woods are not that far away

making the 1100 ideal

oh, clean and change the o ring and I always carried a spare

http://www.shootingtimes.com/gunsmithing/gunsmithing_st_1100loads_200808/

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Remington-1...-ring-Qty-3-/291035675486?hash=item43c313fb5e

wallet of a 1100 hunter

 

[traveller]

A Savage 220F at Buds Guns lists for $483. A Nikon slug scope is $199.

I wouldn't mess with a classic shotgun to make it suitable for a niche use like deer.

 

[rico903]

1100 with a slug barrel with irons sights was my go to deer gun

the auto takes out the kick making for a good second, third etc shot

in most md counties, you can't use a rifle and shots in the woods are not that far away

making the 1100 ideal

oh, clean and change the o ring and I always carried a spare

http://www.shootingtimes.com/gunsmithing/gunsmithing_st_1100loads_200808/

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Remington-1...-ring-Qty-3-/291035675486?hash=item43c313fb5e

wallet of a 1100 hunter

Or a teenage stud

 

[byf43]

OP:

Get the Hasting barrel that's in the classifieds and shoot the snot out of it.
(Hint: Buy a couple of different brands of Sabot shotgun slugs, to see which brand shoots the best out of that barrel.)

I've got a couple of Hastings barrels and they are (were, they're no longer marketed) top notch!

IF you need a scope on that 1100, get a saddle mount that uses the trigger group pin holes for mounting.

I put one of these on my son's Remington 870 20 ga, and it's stayed in place.

You won't permanently alter that fine 1100. No need to.
As for pinning a barrel..... why???? No need, especially if you go to the extra expense and get a cantilever scope mount on the barrel. (Barrel moves.... so does the scope.)