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This is my last cry for help (I hope).
I have been doing nothing for the past three days but reading the forums and visiting the Manufacturers sites on three different Semi Automatic Shotguns. I have my reasons for going with a Semi which I will not go into again here to spare you the bordom. This gun will be used for hunting deer and turkey.
The final three I have chosen are all in 12 guage, 26" barrel, Composit Stock, and 2 3/4 and 3" shells. Please give me your honest opinion on what you think is my best choice.
1-Browning Gold Stalker
2-Beretta Field Grade 3901
3-Winchester Super X 2
4-Benelli M1 Field
5-Franchi
I really appreciate the time and patience the forum has shown me.

Browning and Winchester X2 are pretty much the same gun so unless you're buying the Greenhead model of Winchester you might as well own a Browning.

The two B guns head to head are a toss up in my opinion.

So this brings us back to YOU

Which one makes you giddy as a school girl?

That's the one to pick.

jlptexashunter,

Just courious,if the Browning and the SuperX2 are the same,or pretty much, why the Browning?

SR

The only valid reason I can think of is resale value. For the real reason, cause I love Brownings. Unless of course we're talking about SxS guns, then I love Winchesters.

Just wondered.
I love them all, with one exception.
Sorry but I won't tell which one.

SR

I would get the Browning, but thats just me.

The Browing does have a higher resale. But also has features the Winchester doesnt. Such as the speed load feature, and a magazine cut-off.
Hope this helps.

My first preference would be a Remington 11-87, to be honest the super mag shoots best at trap for me (extra weight seems to help). My second choice would be one of the many Beretta's.

Wife and I shoot many 11-87's, and her gun has over 9000 rounds through it. Have replaced some of the obvious parts that wear out, but have no trouble w/ orings (if you install them right they last a long-long time); and Remington has been excellent to deal with (they replaced parts for free w/ in the first 5 years, so haven't bought a part).

My 3 cents worth...

For deer, the best barrel will be a dedicated rifled slug barrel with sites and scope mounting ability. IMO, the two best shotguns in this class are the Remington 11-87 and Benelli M1 Field. The Remington has the cheapest most widely available extra barrels. The Winchester and Benelli rifled bbls are very spendy. The Browning also has the cantilever option.

For turkey you'll want a 24-26" vent rib barrel with optional rifle glo-sites or a dot scope frame mounted that you can also use on the deer rifle. The reaalllly nice option would be the steadygrip pistol-grip stock from Benelli in the hardwood camo. Most manufacturers have turkey specific setups.

If you plan on hiking around with your gun, realize the ones you listed easily close on 8lbs. The Benelli will be a much lighter gun due to alloy frame and recoil action.

Of the ones you listed, I'd vote for the Browning because I really like the cantilever rifle barrel option as well as the classic humpback frame. I have hefted and shot the X-2 and think it is an easily rustable overweight steel clunker. The Beretta you mentioned has nice camo options but I believe the website only lists a rifled barrel available for the ES-100 recoil gun?

I would buy black and either do a clad tape camo up myself w/ extra burlap ghillie strips or send it to Duracoat for an excellent custom dip job. Duracoat Inc.4832 Hamilton Rd., Ste B, Columbus GA 31904 (706) 321-1222

Go with the Beretta 391.... upgrade front the 3901!!!.... I was talk into it and I am glad I was!!!

I think you can get that 391 field grade like "blackice" is talking about with a synthetic stock and the barrel length that you want and it would be about the same price I 'think' as the Browning you listed, although more money than the 3901 admittedly. As far as resale, if you got the 391 you'd have the best resale value potential possible if that is a concern for you. Have talked to large new/used dealer recently about this, and was told the 391 series, any model, is the most sought-after used semi-auto by far and are valuable as trade-ins against other guns and easy to sell used for high prices. Something to consider if you might change guns soon.

I'd get the Browning. Humpback receiver, better resale value, cantilever barrel, etc. As far as a rifled barrel is concerned try a rifled choke first and try it with a couple of brands of slugs and some sabots. Every barrel shoots slugs/sabots differently and if the rifled choke works then you don't need a special slug barrel.

Resale is not an option for me as I do not intend to get rid of it once I have my hands on the right shotgun. Been there, done that and am very sorry for it. I was speaking to a local dealer
yesterday about the choice of weapons and he advised the Benelli M1. It will not have any problems with the smaller loads and I don't have to worry about the "O"rings going bad as there are none in the inertia system vs. gas.
This would make more sense to me and I was told that the felt recoil is even better in the M1 then others using gas.
What are the thoughts on this?
It seems now the shotgun to look at is the Benelli M1.
The dealer did tell me that all the Brownings that were brought back to the shop for not cycling were taken to the range in the back and tested and found to not cycle anything below 1 1/8 ounce loads and this is in the 3" models. I want to be able to shoot the lighter loads as well.

If you want best chance at reliable light load cycling, think hard about the Beretta 3901 or 391 or maybe the Benelli, over the Browning/Winchester, in my experience. As far as o-rings though, what I would call 'modern gas' gun systems don't use o-rings. You'll find them on remingtons, but not the newer types like beretta's gas, brownings gas, etc. o-ring problems aren't as big of a deal as they're made out to be, but you can avoid them by picking from a beretta,browning,or benelli for instance. The Benelli's are different from the others in that they're inertia. There's usually MORE recoil in an inertia gun like the Benellis using same load/same weight of gun, all else equal. than in a gas gun like the Beretta or Browning or Remington. How much more really isn't that big of a deal unless you're shooting a lot of clays, in which case go back to a modern gas gun. If mostly hunting Benelli is fantastic, as are all others. That's my thinking at least..

Keep in mind also the Benelli M2 is out or on it's way to stores. The M1 is the previous version, I believe. Your dealer might be trying to make room for the M2's.. Just something to keep in mind as well..

Greg,
It was a thought I had as well, but the salesman is an old part timer that has been there for many years buying as a customer and now helps out when someone is out on vacation or sick. He has no gain from his advise on the M1. He also has a full arsenal of shotguns to use and still pulls his M1 for deer and turkey and feels very satisfied on the Benelli reliability.
The gun shop sells all the main brands mentioned and does not even have this gun in stock at the moment. I was advised that the M1 had to be ordered.
The more information I seek, the more confused I get.

For deer and Turkey, my personal choice would be a Benelli M1 Field with rifled and vent ribbed barrels, and a frame mounted scope, preferably a dot site.

My second choice would be the same setup in the humpback Browning Classic Stalker. I am aware that it shares alot with the Super X-2 but that squareback line is redeeming.

I believe the Beretta only comes rifled with the ES/Pintail series, but they have super camo patterns available. If you can find a rifled barrel for the 391 camo optima, go for it.

I think the Winchester, Mossbergs, and Remingtons all qualify as driftboat anchors; they are steel, clunky, easily rust, and are antiquated in design.

When in doubt, go lighter; the heavy shotguns are not fun to lug around and PAST recoil pads do wonders.

I don't really want to go with a rifled barrel on the shotgun. I have always preferred a smooth bore. This will allow me to not only shoot the slugs, it will allow me to shoot the shot shells as well.
I have had great luck in the past using slugger type slugs in a smooth bore Remington 870 pump.
I just had another brand suggested to me only last night. I was told I should now consider the Franchi semi-auto shotguns.
The choices are now getting more difficult then ever.
Now I need to decide on Benelli M1 Field, Benelli Montefeltro, Winchester X2, Franchi, or the Beretta.
I would greatly like to purchase it in left hand and most do offer it in that configuration.
I am still looking and reading, and researching. Any more info you guys have, I do appreciate the input.
I understand that the final decission is mine and I need to see what feels good to me but I don't seem to have any problems shouldering these weapons. They all feel good to me. I just don't want to make a mistake in getting the right 12 gauge shotgun for my deer and turkey hunting.

I don't think you'll have any problem at all with deer or turkey hunting with any of these shotguns. Really, the clays use is where you'll see the big differences in real quality of the guns come out, in my opinion. Think about how many shots on clays the gun will see, compared to its shots hunting and if mostly clay shots, then maybe look at your choices with a bias towards clay capabilities. The M1 and Montefeltro are field guns, first and foremost, but useable for clays, high quality and reliable. The Winchester, ehhhh I'm just not a fan and you don't see them in Sporting clays at all, so most others must feel the same. The Franchi's are just a gem of a semi-auto for a good price. There are a few Franchi's at my Sporting Clays clubs even though they are really a field gun and they are a sweet shooter too. Good pick. If doing mostly clays, want reliable light load cycling, and just as good dear and turkey capabilities as any of the others, go Beretta 3901 or better yet the 391 for sporting, but either is tops for clays and awesome for hunting. They are also cast reversible and safety reversible for lefties. Benelli's are available lefty-ejecting. I vote Beretta, Benelli Montefeltro or Franchi, Benelli M1, then anything else, in that order. Just my opinion.

greg3234,
Do you know what the differences are between the Montefeltro and the M1 Field models?
I got a price on the Montefeltro but could not come up with the M1 as of yet.
The list price is not much different then the price I can get it at.