Inexpensive 20 guage semi auto shotgun

[SW CQB 45]

for FFA trap shoot (female teen)

a buddy ask me to find him the above for his daughter.

is there a particular model to look at?

I told him that I have no knowledge but would ask around. I am no shotgunner.

thanks in advance

 

[Andy Griffith]

You may want to nicely suggest your friend to take his daughter to the gunshop to see what fits her rather than buy one that doesn't fit and beats her up and makes her flinch.

What is her experience so far? Has she shot it enough to see if she enjoys it and will stick with it?

Most the cheap semi-autos won't hold up to the extensive shooting that, at least, our local 4-H Club does.

You may want to look at the 12 gauge H&R trap gun that is new on the market.
http://www.hr1871.com/Firearms/Shotguns/toppertrap.asp MSRP $360.00
That stock can be shortened, it is fairly affordable, about the correct weight, and you can always add a mercury recoil reducer in the stock and get it modified to fit, or get a custom stock for it to fit perfectly. It is set up to be a "trap gun" with the correct height rib, choke tubes and it is a fairly reliable little gun. They've used two of them as "team guns" here for a couple of years with no trouble. No other semi-auto has done that yet.

I have shot trap only a few times, and to say the least...ah..well...most of those clays can be put back into the machine. I'm no Michael Plaxco.


By the way, I haven't heard from you in a coons age! Been busy?
Either that, or I haven't been paying attention.

 

[R. G. Amos]

Franchi 48 AL. Not sure about the in-store price - maybe $600 or so. This shotgun is very light-weight and reliable.

 

[NWGun]

Think about a 12 instead of a 20 for "Trap".
The most important factor to perceived recoil is gun fit. A gun that does not fit will allow for many unpleasant perceived recoil effects from shoulder to cheek pain. Stock length, pitch, comb height are all very important factors which relate directly to perceived recoil. I am not saying not to buy the 20 gauge, just don't disregard a 12 gauge because of recoil. Appropriate trap 12 gauge loads can be bought or loaded with low recoil effects, and shells are much more readily available than 20 gauge.

That said, a Beretta 390 is a quality piece for the $$

Just one man's opinion...

 

[SW CQB 45]

Howdy Andy G.

Yes have been busy with a home remodel and work has been a GRIZZLY.

Supervised a murder investigation and finally slowing but my desk is a mess and I need to put my notes into document form.

My buddy wants inexpensive so I doubt he will take her to the gun store but your right, thats the way to do it.

I will look at the other models suggested.

thanks

 

[Phillips7609]

If she wants a 20 ga. the Remington 1100 is hard to beat. Most of them were 1100LW's (light weights) from the 70's or 80's. They made them primarily as a beginner gun for young teens and women.

You can find them from $350.00 to $600.00 depending on what shape they're in. They're in high demand around here.

 

[gunsmith11]

I am thinking that a Rem. 870 would be a nice starter

 

[35Rem]

Charles Daly Field Auto - About $315 at walmart in black. There is a youth stock available from Charles Daly for about $50. I would get the 28" barrel to have a little more weight out front. Mine is 26". These are light guns. If she's really serious a Remington 1100.

 

[woodsltc]

a Beretta 390 is a quality piece for the $$...

+1 on the Beretta 390 ........... they are solid and dependable semi-autos that can handle a variety of loads equally well.

Don

 

[m1gunner]

The Franchi 48AL in 20 gauge is a very sweet shooting auto. My neighbor has one and I have hunted with it some, nice gun.

I have a 12 gauge 48AL that I bought used in the early 70s, it spent the first 5 years of its life riding is a police patrol car. Since getting it, I have fired many cases of shells through it, many dove hunts.

These guns are well made, and are of the browning type long recoil operated action. They do tend to be very picky about the loads that they will run well with. Set the gun up for one load, and only buy that load (dram eq of powder and shot charge weight). When I do this, it runs like a top.

These guns go cheap around here on the used market, 250 to 300 bucks. Not bad for a gun with hard chromed barrel and bolt.

 

[pred]

If she wants a 20 ga. the Remington 1100 is hard to beat. Most of them were 1100LW's (light weights) from the 70's or 80's. They made them primarily as a beginner gun for young teens and women.

You can find them from $350.00 to $600.00 depending on what shape they're in. They're in high demand around here.

I have one in 12 gauge, When they come into my local shot they are usually in the 300 range.
Seem to be very reliable, AND I have read that you can get all 5 rounds out the barrel in something like a second.
I have run 5 rounds through mine VERY fast, I've had it for years and it's been 100%
Peter

 

[GatorFarmer]

Make sure to have someone that knows what they're doing cut the stock to fit the shooter for best results, whatever brand is chosen.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Inexpensive & 20 gauge & semi auto shotgun do not exist in a single sentence. If it must be 20, I suggest your cheapest alternative is the supurb Remingtoh 11-87 in 20 ga. I would say get an 1100 youth model in 20 ga but the 21" bbl might be problematic in trap.
Shotgun fit is pramount. A well fit 12 ga will kick a lot less than an ill fitted 20 ga-case in point the worst shoulder pounding I ever had was shooting an Ithica 20 ga sxs 20 gauge and The H&R crack barrel 20 ga I bought for my son as a starter gun brought tears to my eyes as well
If she is into trap-a 11-87 12 gauge would be the ticket-soft shooting as all get out and not so expensive (in the sportsman configuration) that you'll mind cutting the stock to fit.
What with the fact that it is his daughter getting involved, I suggest that he go the extra mile as we need more women shooters.

I suggest a Benelli M-2 in 20 gauge around $1,200 when you can find them- I have one in 20 ga with a 24" barrel, that with the longer receiver handles like my 30" Ruger 20ga O/U- both great duck guns when loaded with 3" # 3's

 

[Rule3]

My local shop just go a few of these in. I have been looking for a 20guage semi auto just for "fun" shooting.

Do not know how good these are but hey it's got S&W on it. (Think they are from Turkey??)

Product: Model 1020 - Satin

 

[BigG-n-Tn]

for FFA trap shoot (female teen)

a buddy ask me to find him the above for his daughter.

is there a particular model to look at?

I told him that I have no knowledge but would ask around. I am no shotgunner.

thanks in advance

Read my last thread and save yourself some grief.

 

[Rule3]

Your last thread was Leave it to Beaver. Does he know about semi auto shotguns??

"I am here to help you with your problem, at no time will your problem become my problem, as I can not help someone who does not have a problem".

I used this a lot at work

 

[H Richard]

Two things that don't go together are "inexpensive" and "Trap gun". While you can get an informal trap gun, A Remington 1100 being the best option, most lesser expensive guns will not hold up the hundreds of rounds fired in Trap. Keep in mind that weight is beneficial in a Trap gun, as weight reduces recoil. If she decides she doesn't like the sport, a decent quality gun can be sold more easily than a cheap gun.

One thing not mentioned is barrel porting. I shoot an O/U that is ported, and it has much less perceived recoil than my 20 Ga. O/U, that is lighter in weight and not ported.

Fit is most important, if it doesn't fit, she won't be able to hit with it. There's nothing more discouraging than not hitting your targets when the other kids are hitting them.

Consider having the group apply to the Friends on NRA for a grant for guns for the entire team. It has been done in many places and Scholastic Trap Teams are being sponsored by High Schools and Gun Clubs.

 

[HayesGreener]

It is hard to beat a Remington 1100 or an 11-87 for value.
semi autos take much of the bite out of the recoil. The
remington Express models are available used for less than $300. The 1100 is a little lighter but the 11-87 softens recoil a bit better. I started two sons and two daughters in their early teens on trap in the 90's and made the mistake of starting them out on 20 ga. guns. My boys were breaking targets consistently in the low 20's but they got pretty frustrated at losing targets due to the lack of power at longer targets and I wound up buying 12 ga. guns for them on short order. Eventually we graduated to BT99 Browning and Franchi single barrel trap guns. If you get serious about trap you're going to end up with a special purpose trap gun but if a new shooter loses interest a $300 Remington will not leave you with an expensive gun that no one uses. Once we moved over to skeet the 20 ga. guns were more useful. A really light weight 20 ga. semi auto like the Franchi AL series is easier to handle but the recoil in these light guns can be just as punishing as a 12 ga. The 870 is also a really good inexpensive starter for trap-many championships have been won with 870 trap guns-but felt recoil is a bit more severe and you don't want to put her off the sport due to bruising. Depends on how recoil-tolerant she is. A round of trap is 25 targets and a basic shoot is 100. That's a lot of shooting for a novice shooter. As mentioned above it is really important to have a gun that fits right. Bruised shoulders and cheeks, muscle fatigue, improper sight picture, and lost targets due to an improper gun fit are really frustrating. I have seen so many new shooters quit and never come back because their first experience was with a gun that didn't fit them. Problem is most "experts" really don't know how to fit a gun. It needs to be done by a professional who not only knows how to cut a stock but also how to measure the fit. One more note: the gun needs interchangeable chokes so you can put a full or improved modified choke in the gun for trap, or change chokes for other uses like skeet sporting clays or hunting. But a full or improved modified is essential for trap.