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shadey48

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I would like to know if anyone has an opinion about which gun is the best for the money. I am comparing a Benelli M2 20 gauge vs. a Remington 1187 20 gauge. Is the Benelli worth twice as much as the Remington? Any suggestions are welcomed. Thank you.
 
1. Best gun fit - always chose the gun that fits best!
2. The Remington 11-87 is gas-operated and you will feel less recoil, but you may have occasional malfunctions, especially with light loads. The Benelli M-1 or M-2 should function flawlessly but you may feel more or sharper recoil. Benelli autos require less cleaning than Remingtons.
 
Don't believe that the Benellis always function flawlessly. I shoot almost every week during my shooting season with shooters with Benelli shotguns. I have seen several malfunctions from more than one gun. I don't have any more than they do with my 11-87. Just because it cost twice as much doesn't mean it won't malfunction.
 
benelli is easier to clean, but the rem. 1187 is cheaper. I have two benellis and love them. I've had them for over 4 years with no jams or malfunctions other than a 7/8 or 1 oz loads not feeding. If price is not of the essence I would go for the one that fits you best not by cost! Go to a gun store and try putting it to your shoulder. Oh, maybe look at a beretta extrema 2...Great Gun!!
 
I have owned two Benelli's. Both were very well made, made to last a lifetime and then some, easy to clean, and never malfunctioned for me. If I were to buy a semi-auto again to hunt with, it would hands down be a Benelli. If its main purpose were for sporting clays, with the resultant high volume shooting, I might look at a Beretta semi-auto clays gun for the lighter recoil. But admittedly, I am a recoil wuss. But I would really have to like the Beretta for me to choose it over the Benelli.
 
Be patient. I picked up a "almost brand new" Benelli m2 20 gauge for $750 at a llocal gun shop. It was barely broken in. No marks. Came with 4 chokes, owners manual and case. I couldn't get the money out fast enough. The Benelli shoots with no recoil and has yet to jam.
 
Is the Benelli worth twice as much as the Remington?
Hell yes, assuming it's for upland bird use. No question about it. Shoulder the guns. Feel the triggers. Open them up and look inside them (don't cut yourself in the Remington).

Benellis may not be perfect, but the 1187 as currently manufactured is a pig. The 20 is a good deal heavier than a 12 Gauge field gun should be, and that weight isn't distributed well, either. That's not even getting into how they're made and what's inside them.

If you want a 20 Gauge gas gun that won't break the bank, check out the Beretta 3901, if you can find one in 20. Also, look at Franchis, both the 48 (long recoil and very light) and the 720 (gas-operated). My frequent upland hunting partner has a Franchi 620 and a Benelli Montefeltro. They're both great shotguns, easy to carry and great to shoot. I use a 390, 391 or an O/U, and I'm happy with those. I USED to have a Remington... And that was even an old one, when they were built well.

(Note that both of us have acquired these guns over time. We didn't rush out and buy them all at once. Neither must you rush.:) )

We 20 Gauge fans don't have enough quality choices, but there are a few out there. Remington ain't one.
 
For what it's worth, last spring I chose the benelli cordoba 20ga over the M2 mainly because I liked the 28in barrel better. At the time, I looked at a lot of 20ga shotguns before I bought the cordoba including the 1187. To me, the benelli 20ga autos feel much better balanced than the others. The only other 20ga auto which I would consider buying is the beretta 391. If you like wood, check out the 20ga montefeltro and legacy models. Both of these are beautiful guns.
 
I own a 20 gauge 11-87 Premier that I bought NIB two years ago for $650 and it ain't no "pig". After a thorough initial cleaning and a little break in, it digests any load I put through it without a bobble. At 7 lbs., it's not heavy and is a real soft recoiler. I'm no Benelli fan, but I'm sure the M2 is a fine gun although it will kick more and cost twice the price of an 11-87.
 
The Premier 20s were about as nice as Remingtons have been. The Premier wasn't a pig. Wasn't. They haven't made them for a while, and the current 1187s are serious pigs.

I still know enough about the insides to not want one, but most of them work for many, many years, so who really cares what it takes to fix one. The Beretta and Franchi gas systems are a lot better, and the spring retainer on my Remington was a sad joke compared to the designs of other magazine tubes. But the Remingtons work. They just haven't been improved since the early '60s, despite all the advances in industrial engineering since then.

I can't stand the way that Remington semiautos handle shells in the field. It makes unchambering in the field a royal PITA, vs. Berettas, which are easy and comfortable. Berettas, OTOH, take more finger gymnastics at the range than Remingtons. For range use, the 1100 shell handling system is very convenient.

All of that said, you don't have to pay "twice as much" for the Benelli anyway. This is clearance-sale season. :)
 
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