Need Help on Gun Upgrade!

I also had used an 870 12-gauge pump for years and loved hunting with it. I found a 11-87 12 gauge for sale and bought it thinking it would be a good backup if something were to happen to my 870. Well to make a long story shorter I hunt almost exclusively with the 11-87 now.
I don't know what it is about Remington stocks but they just fit me perfectly and I will always have a Remington in my safe.
I am now looking for a 11-87 20 gauge for early season roosters and late quail hunting and the are available but they are expensive but again the Remington stocks are a perfect fit for me so if I get a chance I will be adding another Remington to my safe.
I would also like to add that the trigger safety is what I'm used to and they are all the same on the Remington's.
 
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remy3424 said:
Does the 870 fit you well and do you usually shoot it well? If so, I would be inclined to try another Remington as the fit, feel and safety placement is right where you expect it to be. I started with an 870 and then an 11-87, I did buy a V-3 a few years ago, but the wrist of the stock is somewhat bigger and just doesn't feel (it isn't) the same...not sure how a Versa-Max wrist feels. 60-days plus in the field and a $2K budget, a lucky retired fella, well done! I have a SBE and used it once for a parcel, got a bird but and haven't had it out since, didn't care for the feel of it. Over 4 decades of carrying a Rem, it is hard for me to fixed what is isn't broken.
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I 100& agree remy, the remingtons just fit.
 
I have the 11-87 & Browning Gold in 20 gauge
Both are outstanding, reliable guns.
If you take your time and keep a eye on sites like Gunbroker, Buds, etc - you should be able to find one in great condition at a decent price
Semis are great for recoil reduction, but I always make it a point to incorporate the 870’s during fall hunting

Remy - I have V-3’s for waterfowl & turkey - they perform well but really run dirty - stripping it down and cleaning the fouling, etc very easy - one of the simplest designs I’ve seen
Just need the gun to go bang & cycle with every trigger pull
 
So I’ve now got a couple weeks under my belt with this new gun. I’ve killed a total of 19 pheasants, 8 of those in WI. I’ve only missed 2 birds that I should have killed to this point otherwise I’ve been (knock on wood) knocking everything down that I should. No misfires and they seem to fold when I pull the trigger which is the point. Had a blast with my 5 year old in SD, it worked well with him picking beans while I worked around smaller sloughs and in and out of cover. We limited early a day and spent an afternoon jump shooting ducks, didn’t touch a one but man it was fun with him.

Been using boss #5s and they’ve been hitting hard. I’ve lost a couple cripples that were my fault but no complaints.
 

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grossklw said:
So I’ve now got a couple weeks under my belt with this new gun. I’ve killed a total of 19 pheasants, 8 of those in WI. I’ve only missed 2 birds that I should have killed to this point otherwise I’ve been (knock on wood) knocking everything down that I should. No misfires and they seem to fold when I pull the trigger which is the point. Had a blast with my 5 year old in SD, it worked well with him picking beans while I worked around smaller sloughs and in and out of cover. We limited early a day and spent an afternoon jump shooting ducks, didn’t touch a one but man it was fun with him.

Been using boss #5s and they’ve been hitting hard. I’ve lost a couple cripples that were my fault but no complaints.
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Good deal! Retay is a solid gun for sure!
 
grossklw said:
I've been shooting an old 870 express for the last 20 years, and the time has come for me to upgrade. Over the last couple years I've had more instances than I'd like of me short-shucking a shell and I watch as the rooster flies away unscathed when I could've had another shot at 30 yards; or the 2nd bird gets up and I'm screwing around with a shell that hasn't fully discharged. I've had it into the gunsmith and after several tweaks it's better, but still does happen occasionally (which is more than I'll accept at this point in my life). I still plan on keeping it for rainy, crappy weather...but I've decided its time...

I've always shot a pump but am considering going to an auto-loader, someone talk me into or out of it and I'll go from there. I've got a budget of about 2k and something I'm looking to get for next year. I spend 60+ days in the field focusing primarily on pheasants, but I also do a bit of duck/goose hunting and turkeys in the spring. Am I overthinking this and should just go high end and cry once and get a Benelli Super Black Eagle? I don't need to spend that much, but I'm fine paying for quality. I don't want a s/s or o/u FYI, I kill too many on that 3rd shot or occasionally need it on a bird that I clearly drew feathers from. I'm not one that loves collecting a million guns, I want a high quality either pump or autoloader that I plan on using until I die.
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I would get a 1952 A-5 Browning
 
remy3424 said:
Does the 870 fit you well and do you usually shoot it well? If so, I would be inclined to try another Remington as the fit, feel and safety placement is right where you expect it to be. I started with an 870 and then an 11-87, I did buy a V-3 a few years ago, but the wrist of the stock is somewhat bigger and just doesn't feel (it isn't) the same...not sure how a Versa-Max wrist feels. 60-days plus in the field and a $2K budget, a lucky retired fella, well done! I have a SBE and used it once for a parcel, got a bird but and haven't had it out since, didn't care for the feel of it. Over 4 decades of carrying a Rem, it is hard for me to fixed what is isn't broken.
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I've been hunting 50 years.Mostly Browning,Remington. 870,1100,11-87,A-5 mag.
 
If not shooting 3.5's look at the CZ 1012 G2. it is an inertia driven gun that does awesome for the price. I have an SBE and a 1012 and I shoot it more than the SBE these days as it is drilled and tapped to take and optic in the spring for turk's, It also has a $75 rebate until 12/31/23.
 
AtTheMurph said:
I have never understood the fascination with the A-5. I had one. Plenty of friends have them now. Whenever there is a misfire, jam, or other malfunction it's the A-5 that does it.
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I've used mine (new A-5, 16 gauge) for 2 seasons now and never once have had a misfire or jam.
 
AtTheMurph said:
I have never understood the fascination with the A-5. I had one. Plenty of friends have them now. Whenever there is a misfire, jam, or other malfunction it's the A-5 that does it.
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Newer autos are probably great, but at one time (70's and early 80's) I owned all the major brand autos. All jammed sooner or later except my Winchester 1400. My buddy has one that we take for an extra gun when out of state. Because if it gets ripped off, he's not out a fortune. I took it out for an afternoon last year. Never missed a beat.
 
Munster927 said:
I've used mine (new A-5, 16 gauge) for 2 seasons now and never once have had a misfire or jam.
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Consider yourself lucky! And i would also consider that it will probably jam or misfire much earlier than any other scatter gun you own, at least from my experience.

Only gun i have had multiple issues with. Main hunting partner has a collection of A-5s. He has a jam or misfire every year. Couple of others i hunt with occasionally every year have something go haywire.

IMO too may parts, too much reliance on perfect maintenance, lubrication shell selection or whatever. I ram 20ga shells into my Beretta and it always fires for 27 straight years. (I don't do autoloaders any longer.)
 
AtTheMurph said:
Consider yourself lucky! And i would also consider that it will probably jam or misfire much earlier than any other scatter gun you own, at least from my experience.

Only gun i have had multiple issues with. Main hunting partner has a collection of A-5s. He has a jam or misfire every year. Couple of others i hunt with occasionally every year have something go haywire.

IMO too may parts, too much reliance on perfect maintenance, lubrication shell selection or whatever. I ram 20ga shells into my Beretta and it always fires for 27 straight years. (I don't do autoloaders any longer.)
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Can't say I've had any issues with any auto I've owned. Not that I've owned a ton, but between my cheapest shotgun (a $400 Mossberg I bought when I was in my early 20s) and my most expensive Browning, never had an issue and all I do is strip clean it once a year.
 
Munster927 said:
Can't say I've had any issues with any auto I've owned. Not that I've owned a ton, but between my cheapest shotgun (a $400 Mossberg I bought when I was in my early 20s) and my most expensive Browning, never had an issue and all I do is strip clean it once a year.
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I certainly agree. Almost surely is an operator error or lack of cleaning. But that's sort of the point. Doubles/pumps keep firing even after years of abuse. The O/U I use mostly was strip cleaned once after almost 20 years. Don't think the cleaning did a thing for operational effectiveness as it was always in working order.

I've seen multiple A-5 owners have to tear apart their guns in 15 degree weather because the thing just won't work, won't cycle, won't fire. And they all swear by their A-5s! Most own multiples of them. I own one but never, ever use it.
 
Can't speak to the new A5 but the original is one of the most reliable ever made. People don't know how to set the rings properly and don't keep the magazine tube lubricated. 99 times out of 100 its operator error on those guns.
 
akp said:
Can't speak to the new A5 but the original is one of the most reliable ever made. People don't know how to set the rings properly and don't keep the magazine tube lubricated. 99 times out of 100 its operator error on those guns.
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Completely agree. It takes work when so many other guns do not.
 
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