I forgot to mention earlier the barrel is stamped for 2-3/4 only and says "target". I thought the premiers were supposed to take 3 inch as well?

 

Trap guns came with trap barrels which were not approved for 3" shells.
They are good trap guns.
I had one. Many were overbored but tapered at the end. They took regular Rem chokes but were marked differently.

Jim

 

Thanks Jim, I've attached a couple of pictures, obviously you can see there's no rem-choke screwed in and its advertised as a fixed full. Also, I've zoomed in but I can tell if the barrel is stamped full or if that's just the date code?

 

Looks like a step rib trap barrel to me. The 11-87 Premier Traps were available with fixed choke barrels and I bet that one is original. They were also made with barrels as Jim 186 described. I have one of those myself. Chokes were were marked full, super full and extra full. They were actually regular Rem choke tubes (I believe I.C., Mod and full?) but due to the over bore barrel and choking up just before the threads they patterned different. They do hit targets hard.
If you like the gun and price is right -- buy it. Just my opinion. They are nice, soft shooters too.
Turbo

 

Thanks guys that makes me feel better about it. Hes asking a fair price for it, but the price is high enough that I wanted to make sure it has the correct barrel.

 

With the Target barrels, I believe you were limited to a 1 1/8 oz load as a recommended maximum load.

 

Yes, and no. The 11-87 target guns run the 11-87 gas rings, where set up to run target loads, such as lighter loads and not have cycling problems with them as well, so correct on the statement of not wanting to run heaver than 1-1/8oz loads, since heaver would cause them to pound themselves apart.

But by swapping out the 11-87 gas rings, to the 1100 stack rings that don't seal off as fast, can run hotter, greater than 1-1/8oz loads in them, if you want to use the gun for say pheasant hunting, and not have the gun beat itself to death by the action cycling too hard.

As for the rem target auto's, takes a lot to get it to fit you, since does not have any cast, no adjustable check piece factory.

So if one was shopping for a target auto now, the A400 Xcel multitarget is about the best going.
Stock has adjustable cheek piece, stock can be adjusted for cast on/cast off, adjustable drop , as well has higher adjustable rib to boot. Throw in that different thickness butt pads are available , as well as end tube weights to swing weight balance it too, and no reason to have to take the gun to a smith to get it fit you correctly for a small fortune from the start (read you spending more up front, isntead of after the fact to have a smith start to work the stock over to get it to fit you in the end)..

Bottom line, the reason that the 1100, and then the 11-87 fell out of favor, is Beretta came up with a way to allow the 390 and later guns to have adjustable stocks on the gun to being with, which saved a lot of money by being able to dial the stocks cast/drop in without having to spend money on getting the stock to fit the shooters isntead.
Once they added adjustable cheek pads, and then adjustable rib on the auto, game was pretty much over for the rest instead.
Note, you could be the 1100 comp in synthetic stock with adjustable cheek piece, and even adjustable LOP pull butt pad recoil system, but problem was still, no way to adjust cast on or off, or even drop at heal on the stock. Throw in low rib that you get heat mirage half way through the box in a round of trap during not summer, little too much, too late in the game even with that rem gun.

 

The 1187 Premier went to screw in chokes but they were barrel heavy so then they came up with the thinner light contour barrel. The Trap and Skeet versions had the target barrels with two gas ports to accommodate light loads and were restricted to 2 3/4 shells. That light contour barrel is now on the 1100 Sporting.

 

To add, the new Rem arms is coming back out with the 1100, so kind of want to see what they have to offer.
Hence heart of the 11-87 was really just the chrome gas tube for long wear over the 1100, tubes for chokes, and if they do manage to come out with a fully adjustable usa built 1100 (with 11-87 upgrades) to compete with the A400 Xcel multitarget, will be given Beretta a run for the money for the next must have auto comp gun.
If it just another 11-87, called 1100 fixed stock, low rib gun, market is already flooded with them, and which they are selling on the cheap to start with.

 

Thanks for the info Dano, I hear you on the Berettas. I'm familiar with the a400, but for now they're a little out of my price range. However this past fall I bought my son a new a300 ultima sporting for use on his high school trap team. We've yet to get it fitted to him but as of right now he's shooting better with an old 870 express! Luckily I have a buddy that is a coach on another local trap team that is experienced at fitting guns to the shooter, so hopefully we can correct that! I'm looking at this 11-87 for myself so we have a little more variety to pull from the cabinet when we are shooting together in the backyard!

 

1100 field and target barrels have 2 gas ports (holes) in the barrel for the gas system. The Magnum barrels for 3 inch magnum guns only have 1 gas port (hole). All of my 1100's , field and target, will cycle my 1 ounce loads. Unless the new ones are different they have a steel receiver. The Beretta a400 has an aluminum/alloy type receiver. I also have 3 Beretta autos.

 

The 11-87 Premier Trap model should come with a step rib trap barrel as shown in your picture. I had one of these in the past but it had the stepped rib barrel with special trap choke tubes previously mentioned. I believe that early 11-87 Premiers came with fixed choke step rib barrels similar to the 1100 trap it replaced and the most common constriction was FULL. I currently have a 1100 Trap-T and it has fixed full step rib barrel with the same markings as yours but it is not stamped with the word "Target". If the price is right, this should be a great trap gun and you can always add a reasonably priced shorter choke tube barrel if you want to hunt or do other clay games. If you don't like it, it should be easy to sell here or on other trap related forums. Good luck.

 

Thank you K80, your reply helps. That answers my question on whether or not 1187 premier trap models ever were sold with a fixed full choke barrel since most ive seen have the trap choke system. The gun is being advertised as all original, like new so I was just trying to make sure it had the original, correct barrel. After your reply along with the others it seems likely it does.