I'm going to shoot a used 1100 Sporting 12 which has been shot very, very little. (there is literaly no marking from brass or primer on the bolt face, & no line in the bluing on the bottom/center of the shell carrier) Is it a good idea to shoot Win Super Sporting 1300 fps loads vs Rem STS Light Target loads to "break in" the the gas system ?

Also, this shotgun has the hard recoil pad (not the SuperCell) & the L.O.P. is 14.2" I am assuming that it is an "older" Sporting model. It does have the extended silver knurled Rem choke tube.

What was the first year made for the Sporting 12 ?

Thanks, John

There should be no need for a “break in” period

If it hasn't been shot in a long time, I would at least take it down, clean and relube prior to putting it through its paces.

Google:

Model 1100 | Remington
https://www.remington.com/firearm-histo ... 00-history

There might even be a date code on your barrel. I have seen a number of people worry about the butt pad on 1100's. The hard plastic on LT-20 gauges and hard rubber pads on some 12 gauges. Yet they are one of the softest shooting guns around.

I never heard about a break in period. It wasn't made in Turkey was it?

Grab the shells you’re gonna normally use and have fun. I’m not saying you might not have an occasional issue, but as mentioned above, just clean it well and lube it up and you’ll be fine. I don’t think that you’re gonna need a break in period.

Already stripped, cleaned & lubed. I left the magazine tube unlubed, but lubed the action bars (rails) & the grooves that the bolt rides in with a drop of Triflow.

The barrel should have an admonition against shooting heavy - 1-1/4 ounce - loads.

Believe me, I have no desire to shoot anything heavier than 1 1/8 th oz target loads. Heck, I have an 870 Super Mag for turkey hunting that has NEVER had a 3.5" shell fired in it. As I am now a senior citizen, I really hate recoil.

The whole "gas break in" is a YouTube Expert myth. There is zero break in required on 1100s.

From the literature that came with my sporting, they recommend anything up to 3.25 DE, and 1-1/4 oz of shot, obviously 2-3/4 inch. I NEVER shoot anything that heavy in it.

Heaviest load I have shot would be about 1-1/8 oz copper plated at about 1300. That's kind of the highest I would use. I have run it with as low as 1 oz at 1150 FPS and have never had a malfunction.