Keep the BPS for waterfowling and get some decent wood on an auto-loader. That would be my idea. The SX-3 is a good gun with a proven track record. You won't be disappointed or I would try and find a good used Beretta 390 or 391. Light on recoil, eats anything you feed them, and they work great on a clays course. Good luck in your decision. Grade6man

 

As long as the gun balances well, I don't think you will be dissatisfied with a synthetic stock. I prefer a synthetic for waterfowling so I don't have to worry about swelling or scratches.

You have a pretty good list going, but I would suggest checking out the Franchi Affinity, too. It's a great value in the $700 - $900 range.

 

I have 3 Sx3's, 2 wood, and one synthetic, I like the synthetic more than the wood stocked ones.

The 930 is a good gun also, I have one of them, the synthetic waterfowl model. i like the synthetic stocked guns.

cdb

 

I have 3 Sx3's, 2 wood, and one synthetic, I like the synthetic more than the wood stocked ones.

The 930 is a good gun also, I have one of them, the synthetic waterfowl model. i like the synthetic stocked guns.

cdb

Why do you prefer the synthetic?

 

I have 3 Sx3's, 2 wood, and one synthetic, I like the synthetic more than the wood stocked ones.

The 930 is a good gun also, I have one of them, the synthetic waterfowl model. i like the synthetic stocked guns.

cdb

Why do you prefer the synthetic?

I'm not cbd but I do own two 930's, both synthetic. The main advantage of the synthetic over wood is that they come with shims to adjust the drop of the stock to fit you better. I don't think the wood stocked models do, and there is also the synthetic advantage of being waterproof and resistant to dings.

Both of my 830's are standard guns, a Waterfowl and an SPX. They didn't have the Pro Series when I bought mine, if they had I would have gotten them, The have some nice upgrades to the gas system and trigger group, and the loading port is beveled and opened up a bit more.

The porting on mine is a non-issue, I don't even notice it being there, but if you don't like it the Pro guns give you that option.

 

Don't forget about the good ole 1100 or 1187

 

I have 3 Sx3's, 2 wood, and one synthetic, I like the synthetic more than the wood stocked ones.

The 930 is a good gun also, I have one of them, the synthetic waterfowl model. i like the synthetic stocked guns.

cdb

Why do you prefer the synthetic?

I'm not cbd but I do own two 930's, both synthetic. The main advantage of the synthetic over wood is that they come with shims to adjust the drop of the stock to fit you better. I don't think the wood stocked models do, and there is also the synthetic advantage of being waterproof and resistant to dings.

Both of my 830's are standard guns, a Waterfowl and an SPX. They didn't have the Pro Series when I bought mine, if they had I would have gotten them, The have some nice upgrades to the gas system and trigger group, and the loading port is beveled and opened up a bit more.

The porting on mine is a non-issue, I don't even notice it being there, but if you don't like it the Pro guns give you that option.

Exactly what Cerberus said, adjustability, and more rugged in my opinion.

cdb

 

You won't be disappointed or I would try and find a good used Beretta 390 or 391. Light on recoil, eats anything you feed them, and they work great on a clays course. Good luck in your decision.

+1 on this. I bought a "used" AL390 Silver Mallard 20ga, it is 17 year old but in like-new condition. I shoot it better than any of my other shotguns. The wood had been cut down for the owner's wife who rarely shot it, so I replaced the wood for $250, there are a few pics below.

Also, I just bought the same gun in 12ga and hoping to have the same experience with it. They are well made, wood stocked, gloss blued barrels, and although no longer made, parts are plentiful at Brownells and Midwest Gun Works.

Beretta 26" AL390 20 ga, 3" chamber

 

You won't be disappointed or I would try and find a good used Beretta 390 or 391. Light on recoil, eats anything you feed them, and they work great on a clays course. Good luck in your decision.

+1 on this. I bought a "used" AL390 Silver Mallard 20ga, it is 17 year old but in like-new condition. I shoot it better than any of my other shotguns. The wood had been cut down for the owner's wife who rarely shot it, so I replaced the wood for $250, there are a few pics below.

Also, I just bought the same gun in 12ga and hoping to have the same experience with it. They are well made, wood stocked, gloss blued barrels, and although no longer made, parts are plentiful at Brownells and Midwest Gun Works.

Lots of people seem to like the Berettas. The only problem is that I'm in Canada and we have a much smaller gun market so it's harder to find a given model used and the ones available may be very spread out geographically.

 

You have a pretty good list going, but I would suggest checking out the Franchi Affinity, too. It's a great value in the $700 - $900 range.

^^^THIS! Camo, black syn, or walnut options. Heck of a gun for the money!

 

The main reasons are recoil reduction and a quicker second shot for skeet doubles . . .

... Due to budget factors this is going to have to be an all-around semi auto. I shoot casual clays, skeet and waterfowl.

The guns I'm looking at are the Mossberg 930, Winchester SX3, Browning Silver and Remington V3.

You talking about three guns, as the SX3 / Silver are made in the same place on the same machines and have the same action. We might as well call stocks what they are: walnut or plastic. If walnut is what you want at the moment, you can skip the V3 as the walnut models are not available and in Canada, your guess is as good as mine as far as availability.

If $$$$ is your priority, the Mossberg 930 is significantly cheaper, the Browning Silvers a lot more expensive. In the U.S., $520 . . . http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =548930832 vs. $900 for the Silver http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =549841903 .

If you can live with a plastic stock, the V3 has better triggers and factory chokes than the SX3 or Silver. Both the Rem. V3 and SX3 / Silver are lighter than the Mossberg if that is a factor.

You'll probably be happiest with the gun that fits you the best . . . it often works out that way: like just about always.

 

Keep the BPS for waterfowling and get some decent wood on an auto-loader. That would be my idea. The SX-3 is a good gun with a proven track record. You won't be disappointed or I would try and find a good used Beretta 390 or 391. Light on recoil, eats anything you feed them, and they work great on a clays course. Good luck in your decision. Grade6man

As long as the gun balances well, I don't think you will be dissatisfied with a synthetic stock. I prefer a synthetic for waterfowling so I don't have to worry about swelling or scratches.

You have a pretty good list going, but I would suggest checking out the Franchi Affinity, too. It's a great value in the $700 - $900 range.

These two posts pretty much sum up the dilemma. Spend a little more, get a wood stock and use it pretty much exclusively for clays or get a synthetic and use it for an all around gun with the bonus of shims and risk not liking the look and feel quite as much.

I have considered the Franchi Affinity and it does seem to get really good reviews, but it is a light inertia gun and to me one of the main reasons for going to a semi auto is recoil reduction, thus I'm looking at gas guns with a little more heft.

 

The main reasons are recoil reduction and a quicker second shot for skeet doubles . . .

... Due to budget factors this is going to have to be an all-around semi auto. I shoot casual clays, skeet and waterfowl.

The guns I'm looking at are the Mossberg 930, Winchester SX3, Browning Silver and Remington V3.

You talking about three guns, as the SX3 / Silver are made in the same place on the same machines and have the same action. We might as well call stocks what they are: walnut or plastic. If walnut is what you want at the moment, you can skip the V3 as the walnut models are not available and in Canada, your guess is as good as mine as far as availability.

If $$$$ is your priority, the Mossberg 930 is significantly cheaper, the Browning Silvers a lot more expensive. In the U.S., $520 . . . http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =548930832 vs. $900 for the Silver http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =549841903 .

If you can live with a plastic stock, the V3 has better triggers and factory chokes than the SX3 or Silver. Both the Rem. V3 and SX3 / Silver are lighter than the Mossberg if that is a factor.

You'll probably be happiest with the gun that fits you the best . . . it often works out that way: like just about always.

Thanks for the thoughts, I enjoy reading your website and reviews.

I found a V3 in Canada in early March, so not too long after they started shipping in the States. I'm assuming once the walnut models start shipping it wouldn't be terribly long before they make their way up here, but of course they have to actually start shipping first.

In Canada I'm looking at $700 for 930, $1100 for SX3 black shadow, $1000 for V3. I think I'd rather spend a bit more and get a gun I'm totally happy with rather than compromise for price. Is the SX3 or V3 going to be a big improvement over the Mossberg?

I like the idea of the SX3 or the V3 in synthetic for the shims. Part of the problem is that I'm still fairly new to shotguns and haven't shot a ton, so I'm sure my gun mount is far from perfect. I have a general idea of what does and doesn't fit but it's a (slightly) educated guess. I shoot my BPS well enough and it seems to fit fairly well, although I think I need a bit more drop than it has. One the other hand when I mount an Beretta A300 in the store I'm looking right at the back of the receiver so that gun obviously doesn't work. The SX3 synthetic felt the best to me in the store, but I'm not sure if that's just because it's similar in measurements to my BPS and I've adapted to that gun. The V3 seemed about right for drop but I had to cheek it quite hard to line up straight down the rib. I'm assuming that would be correctable with a shim, but those are not yet available.

One other option that popped into my mind was the new Mossberg 930 pro sporting. Are those available yet?

 

In Canada I'm looking at $700 for 930, $1100 for SX3 black shadow, $1000 for V3. I think I'd rather spend a bit more and get a gun I'm totally happy with rather than compromise for price. Is the SX3 or V3 going to be a big improvement over the Mossberg?

That all depends on what you consider a big improvement to be, so there is no binary answer to that. For the money, they are all very good shotguns and for many years, the SX3 / Silver (preceded by SX2 / Browning Gold) has been a very popular choice, and the Mossberg 930 is probably the best-selling autoloader in the U.S. right now.

There are no significant negatives with any of them. I would resist the notion of that $100 Canadian (about $75 U.S.) is a meaningful figure over the useful life of a shotgun . . . or $200 or $300, over several years. The BPS 12 gauge you've been using is a heavy pig as far as I'm concerned, but that just as far as chasing pheasants . . . not as valid in the duck blind or the goose pit.

I don't like tang safeties on field autoloaders, for just a personal preference, I like the V3 with its large x-bolt safety, excellent trigger, excellent choke tubes (steel shot approved in "Full") and 2000 rounds + before you need to clean the gas system.

I think the V3 has a better action and I now have three of them after shooting a prototype for over a year. I'll hunt with V3 this year, but likely not with the others, although examples of all of them are here. That's more personal preference than anything else, though, for certainly Mossberg 930s and SX3's are competent shotguns that many people enjoy.

 

In Canada I'm looking at $700 for 930, $1100 for SX3 black shadow, $1000 for V3. I think I'd rather spend a bit more and get a gun I'm totally happy with rather than compromise for price. Is the SX3 or V3 going to be a big improvement over the Mossberg?

That all depends on what you consider a big improvement to be, so there is no binary answer to that. For the money, they are all very good shotguns and for many years, the SX3 / Silver (preceded by SX2 / Browning Gold) has been a very popular choice, and the Mossberg 930 is probably the best-selling autoloader in the U.S. right now.

There are no significant negatives with any of them. I would resist the notion of that $100 Canadian (about $75 U.S.) is a meaningful figure over the useful life of a shotgun . . . or $200 or $300, over several years. The BPS 12 gauge you've been using is a heavy pig as far as I'm concerned, but that just as far as chasing pheasants . . . not as valid in the duck blind or the goose pit.

There's not much for upland hunting where I'm at so that's not a factor for me. My BPS and the Mossberg would be about the same weight I believe. I agree that a few hundred dollars wouldn't be a huge deal over the long term with a gun.

Do people bash the Mossberg 930 just because it is inexpensive and they assume it is cheap?

One other gun I could throw into the mix is the Weatherby sa-08 but I'm concerned it would be too light for clays and waterfowl.

 

Do people bash the Mossberg 930 just because it is inexpensive and they assume it is cheap?

You'll have to ask those "people" whoever they are.

 

Do people bash the Mossberg 930 just because it is inexpensive and they assume it is cheap?

You'll have to ask those "people" whoever they are.

These people are the ones with blue gremlins in their closets.

I just see chatter on some forums with people saying don't buy a Mossberg they're cheap, save for something better etc etc. It seems people that actually own the gun like it.

 

They are affordable: something Mossberg is quite proud of, and the 930 has an excellent track record.

"Cheap" comes from a mysterious place in China or Turkey more often than not.

 

I have an SA-08 and really like it. The gun is light, but it's a soft shooter for me and my better half. And lots of folks have reported the same thing. But the only way to find out if that would be the case for you is to shoot one. You could add weight to it easily enough. But if you like the 930 and it fits you, I see no reason to fiddle with anything else. I haven't even held one because I know they are too heavy for me. That would be a bonus for reducing recoil. There are more refined and better finished semi-autos out there. But I can't think of anything I have ever read about there being mechanical issues with the 930. And I have read a ton.
Cheap?...in price only.

 

I have an SA-08 and really like it. The gun is light, but it's a soft shooter for me and my better half. And lots of folks have reported the same thing. But the only way to find out if that would be the case for you is to shoot one. You could add weight to it easily enough. But if you like the 930 and it fits you, I see no reason to fiddle with anything else. I haven't even held one because I know they are too heavy for me. That would be a bonus for reducing recoil. There are more refined and better finished semi-autos out there. But I can't think of anything I have ever read about there being mechanical issues with the 930. And I have read a ton.
Cheap?...in price only.

I have shot an sa-08 and liked it for the most part. I felt that the recoil was about the same between my BPS and the Weatherby with target loads keeping in mind that the bps is a full pound and a quarter heavier. The sa-08 to me recoiled less with the heavy piston firing duck loads compared to the same loads in my BPS.

I understand the difference between lower end guns and the really high end guns but is there a discernable difference other than personal preference between lower end and mid level semi autos?

At least by price there are budget semi autos say the 930 and sa-08 then there are mid priced guns like the sx3, silver, versamax, then there are the higher priced semi autos like the maxus, Beretta a400, Benelli SBE II etc. I'm struggling to figure out what the differences between categories are.

 

I understand the difference between lower end guns and the really high end guns but is there a discernable difference other than personal preference between lower end and mid level semi autos?

There are countless differences.

 

I understand the difference between lower end guns and the really high end guns but is there a discernable difference other than personal preference between lower end and mid level semi autos?

There are countless differences.

I know there are differences... Probably a silly question.

I'm trying to compare it to something I know better like drums. Cheap drums are cheap, poor quality, poor finishing, poor finishes etc. Budget drums are good for beginners and for lots of people are all they ever need. Mid level drums are a step up in options and finishing. High level drums have the best finishes, and most options but really don't sound any better than the mid level ones.

That's what I can come up with to compare them.

 

You're way, way overthinking things. There are thousands of semi-auto threads here, hundreds every year. There is not universal agreement on anything. After millions of guns made and in service, folks still don't agree about the Remington 1100 or the Browning Automatic-Five. Those are the two most successful autoloading shotguns in the history of the world by no small measure, yet the bickering continues.

The weight of a shotgun isn't a matter of opinion, nor is the trigger break, the balance points, whether it shoots to point of impact (or not), the shell-handling, the rib width and style, the load intensity capability, nor is the written warranty a matter of speculation. Yet, after all these years, folks don't agree on much of anything. While weight is easily measured, that isn't good enough . . . for few agree on exactly what a shotgun is supposed to weigh in the first place. Folks don't agree on "the best" barrel length either, although there is nothing speculative about it.

It isn't all that surprising, for there isn't much agreement about the "best" boots, car, house, pair of jeans, or "best" thing to have for dinner. If you go to camera forum and ask about the best $300 camera, the war begins . . . pistols at dawn sometimes seems to be the only hope. :shock:

One of the most "interesting" brands is Benelli: they are overpriced, harsh-shooting, Benelli-clicking / Benelli thumb ripping monsters . . . or, "simply perfect." It all depends who you talk to.

 

You're way, way overthinking things. There are thousands of semi-auto threads here, hundreds every year. There is not universal agreement on anything. After millions of guns made and in service, folks still don't agree about the Remington 1100 or the Browning Automatic-Five. Those are the two most successful autoloading shotguns in the history of the world by no small measure, yet the bickering continues.

The weight of a shotgun isn't a matter of opinion, nor is the trigger break, the balance points, whether it shoots to point of impact (or not), the shell-handling, the rib width and style, the load intensity capability, nor is the written warranty a matter of speculation. Yet, after all these years, folks don't agree on much of anything. While weight is easily measured, that isn't good enough . . . for few agree on exactly what a shotgun is supposed to weigh in the first place. Folks don't agree on "the best" barrel length either, although there is nothing speculative about it.

It isn't all that surprising, for there isn't much agreement about the "best" boots, car, house, pair of jeans, or "best" thing to have for dinner. If you go to camera forum and ask about the best $300 camera, the war begins . . . pistols at dawn sometimes seems to be the only hope. :shock:

One of the most "interesting" brands is Benelli: they are overpriced, harsh-shooting, Benelli-clicking / Benelli thumb ripping monsters . . . or, "simply perfect." It all depends who you talk to.

Hey, I like over thinking things, let me have a little fun.

I just don't have enough experience with all the different models to know what I like and don't like. I know there are differences but a lot of those differences are meaningless to me at this point. I'm sure an expert skeet shooter has a very particular idea of what rib style they like, I have no idea.

Weight? Many would consider my BPS at the heavy end of weight. Hasn't bothered me yet... Maybe I would like a lighter gun, I don't know. Apparently the BPS has a heavy trigger..I have never noticed (and yes I do know what a good trigger feels like from rifle shooting).

 

What about a Browning Maxus Hunter? Would be good for hunting and good for clay's as well.