Looking for a new 12 ga for marylands waterfowl season planning on shooting duck and goose with some dove hunting as well, one that I'm looking at right now is the benelli m2, I don't love the new forend they put on there so I'd be looking for an old one, are they reliable or durable guns ?
Good 12 ga shotgun?
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Rick Richard
Well-Known Member
Very difficult to beat a Benelli or Beretta.
Ditto!
graymond1212
Member
Traded my SBE3 for a Beretta and haven't looked back. A bit easier on the shoulder and more load versatility.
Franchi Affinity 3, everything comes out the front, no need to remove the buttstock to clean and made along side the Benelli in the same factory.
Bore diameter is .006" larger than the M2 or SBE, patterns better and way cheaper.
Bore diameter is .006" larger than the M2 or SBE, patterns better and way cheaper.
Did your sbe3 shoot high? Ive heard they typically do
They come with a shim kit (or all of mine has) to fit it to the shooter. Mine was from factory but took less than 5 minutes to try a different set of shims and it was a good 60/40 pattern.
Anything under the Berretta family tree is good choices. I've got Benelli and Stoeger and both shoot flawless. The Stoeger is a lot heavier and less than half the price but functions just as well. Been in sub freezing and saltwater duck hunts and never an issue. Close friend shoots a A400 extreme and its sweet Gun. A lot of browning fans in my area as well.
Lovellr653
Well-Known Member
I went with a 26" Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus and have never looked back. It has killed ducks, geese, turkeys and clays without a hiccup. Shoots anything you feed it and recoil is soft. I've spent more money buying lesser shotguns and being disappointed or had hunts ruined from malfunction than I care to admit. It's worth saving up for if its out of budget, you won't regret it.
quigley257
Well-Known Member
For an extremely good value, you can look at the Girsan MC312 family. Since the patent went out on the Benelli Inertia Drive system, there are a number of clones out there. I picked up a Girsan MC312 synthetic stocked one from Bud's a couple years ago before they got strict on their MAP pricing. With all the good reviews on line, I couldn't pass it up for $320 delivered. It fits me well and handles everything from 1oz dove loads through 3-1/2" turkey and waterfowl loads. Function has been absolutely flawless with all loads. It is a treat to shoot after nearly 40 years of shooting a Remington 870. The MC312 is said to be compatible with Benelli parts, although I have not needed to test that. They also accept Benelli Mobil chokes.
L2land
Well-Known Member
The only autos I own are a 12ga Beretta A303 and a Benelli Montefeltro in 20 ga. Both are great guns and run anything through that I feed them. The old Beretta has served me 30 years and has untold thousands of rounds through it. I shot trap league for three years with it as well as it being my one and only waterfowl gun for about 20 of those years. You can adapt to any shotgun but go with what fits you the best. A lot of guns can be shimmed now which is a big benefit. Close your eyes and shoulder them. Which ones line up best naturally?
Montana'eer
Well-Known Member
There are a lot of good and great shotguns out there. Seems the tops always begin with the letter 'B'. Finding one that fits you is the most important thing! I have a Browning Silver 12ga and I love the way it fits me, plus I love the duratouch coating. I also have a new Browning A5 Sweet 16 and that sucker is really light weight! I used it for upland last year and if I can find 16ga waterfowl loads I'm going to take it this year for that.
Go handle and swing some at the LGS- preferably with someone really knowledgeable and let us know what you decide!
Go handle and swing some at the LGS- preferably with someone really knowledgeable and let us know what you decide!
birddog 68
Well-Known Member
This is a great gun if you can't afford a Benelli. I prefer a gas gun if shooting 3.5" or multiple 3" shots. As @Darryle said the Franchi affinity is a great gun. I have the 20 gauge and happy with it. Benelli and beretta are very good but I feel that they are overpriced compared to the others I mentioned.
Turkeytider
Well-Known Member
I would encourage anyone looking for a new SA shotgun to look at the Fabarm line. Great workmanship and excellent customer service after the sale.
