Haven't fired any heavy loads through mine, but all of the high stress points are steel such as the bbl pivot trunnions, bbl locking lug, and the breechface has a steel insert pad surrounding the firing pins.

I know you aren't overly concerned with recoil, but the addition of a good recoil pad such as a Kick Eez will help greatly.

 

Thanks y-hound. I figured they must have reinforcement in the stress area. Yeah I would put on a pad. The one I handled felt good length of pull wise with the added pad...and a little less recoil is not a bad thing. Normally I only shoot a hand full of times in an average day of pheasant hunting so it isn't a deal breaker...but I'm not a tough guy who craves recoil.

Tim

 

I have a SPZ-ME Special in 20 Ga, it weighs exactly 6 pounds, I have a Kick-Ezz recoil pad on it, and have used it hunting pheasant using 3 inch shells with 1 1/4 ounce of lead. They are not horrible to shoot, as long as I don't shoot a lot of them. I have over 6k rounds through mine, mostly target rounds, but the gun is still in great shape, I have no qualms about shooting heavy loads through mine. Just don't give it a steady diet of them.

cdb

 

Thank you cdb. If it has held up to 3" 1 1/4oz loads and they are bearable then any of the steel I shoot should be fine. And no I wouldn't shoot a steady diet of them. With switching between guns it would likely only be a couple boxes a season. The rest of the time it would be dove and target loads.

Now I just have to decide if I want to go O/U with the Yildiz or SxS with one of the CZ Bobwhites that are still out there. I know the Yildiz would be lighter and better to carry.

Tim

 

Let us know which one you choose Tim and post some pics when you get it.

Take care and Happy Shooting 8)

 

I teal hunt with my ME20. 3" 1oz. #4 steel at 1350 fps. Don't use tighter than mod choke with steel in this gun.

 

I teal hunt with my ME20. 3" 1oz. #4 steel at 1350 fps. Don't use tighter than mod choke with steel in this gun.

 

Not the 20 gauge, but when we were still married, my ex-wife but several thousand rounds through the aluminum frame SPZ ME in 12 gauge that I let her have last Monday -several thousand STEEL SHOT rounds.

When I bought that gun, she was shooting at Connors State College's shotgun sports program and their practice field required the use of steel shot. That gun easily had 7,000 steel shot cartridges through it. No problems, no wear, no tear.....

I would think that the 20 gauge version would be similar in that regard.