What shotgun to buy?

[Noah my boy]

Leaning to the JM pro all because of the 600.00 dollar price tag.. Looking to get into three gun but not for awhile, just want to do some shotgun fun matches and some trap here and there and I really like the look and price of the JM pro:) ANy advise and tips would be helpful thanks... Love the versa but 1000.00 dollar shotgun is not gonna fly right now:(

[P.E. Kelley]

Sounds like you have made up your mind, or at least your budget has for you. You have any repeating shotguns?

Not much selection in the cheap range and cheap makes little sense after one single season of shooting.

The 300 or 600 dollar difference will be long amortized and forgotten in time, but the bite in ass from running "price point" gear stings over and over again.

All that said.

$600 will get you

JM Moosburger. meh.

CZ 712 I think it is a better bet.

Stoeger M3000 even better yet.

Look hard as used gear…a 1000 might get you a ready to play Benelli M2 or Vinci or a Rem Versa Max.

Used Rem 1100's can be hit or miss….either working for a long time or a problem child every other match.

And if 3 Gun is not going to be the primary use the 22" Mooser Pro is the least good choice.

26" in ANY of the others with a tube added when 3 gunning would be the way to go.

[Noah my boy]

Well thats something to think about:) Thanks for the info, I really thought that the JM Pro was not a bad gig.. I will watch the used thread and keep my eyes peeled.. Thanks Again...

[Travtastik]

I was all about the JM pro and had the cash to buy one but I could never find one in stock. After waiting and looking For a few months I had saved enough up and went ahead and got a versa max. I am sure they are out there but I have yet to see the JM pro for $600. The few times I found them they were priced around $900.

[GeorgeD]

I set up a Versamax sportsman for under $1k.

Versamax sportsman 26" $820

Nordic +7 extension $70

Nordic charging handle $25

Lifter welded by my welder $40

Hiviz front sight $25

Opened the loading port myself with a file Free

Total $980

[MarkCO]

The JMPros certainly looked good, but they don't quite make their namesake's performance level. The majority of our locals who bought them have sold them and moved on to something better.

If 922r does not bother you, or you are willing to spend the $ for conversion, the Benelli options exist. Otherwise you are looking @ an SLP or a Versa-Max.

[The Donald]

GeorgeD gave you a perfect fix, trick out a Versamax Sportsman you can add extra features as money allows you to. I was on Gunbroker this morning saw 3-4 Sportsman's for around $800. I think the two best barrel lengths for 3 gun is 24" ribbed followed by 26" ribbed barrel. If I was starting over again and was on a budget I'd go with a Sportsman.

[Noah my boy]

Thanks everyone for there input on this. I think JM pro is no longer in the selection.

[Griz]

What specifically is wrong with the 930?

[ambluemax]

The jm is a joke IMO, a trendy trap for the cheap minded.

A much better budget option I try to push people in when just getting into the sport is to find a used benelli m1. There are a lot of quality used ones that can be had for $700-900

[ambluemax]

What specifically is wrong with the 930?

Its built cheap, rough around the edges and unreliable.

When something is significantly cheaper than competitive products, there's usually a reason in the form of cut corners

[hab25]

I have to disagree my JM came in clean and has run everything I fed it.

Florida NFA trusts

[mpom]

What specifically is wrong with the 930?

Its built cheap, rough around the edges and unreliable.

When something is significantly cheaper than competitive products, there's usually a reason in the form of cut corners

Agree its rough around the edges, which is not very hard to smooth out; fixed slightly loose trigger guard, and forend, raised front bead, polished shell catch hook. Had shell lifter welded, but that is needed by all, even top end sgs. Disagree its unreliable, as mine is very reliable.

Mark

[P.E. Kelley]

Let's begin our talks of reliability beginning at the 2,000 mark and go from there.

Not that 2K is any specific number but many claims of 100% reliability come from experience well below that number.

Guns a just machines and some are better built than others.

[Griz]

OK, "rough around the edges" and "unreliable"... I see plenty of people complaining about unreliable benellis, so I'm still not sure what the specific issues are with 930 JMs other than cosmetics and the low price.

Can someone point to a controlled test that demonstrates the "unreliable" nature of the Mossberg or is it just that it costs less so everyone assumes that it must be unreliable?

[ambluemax]

Can you point to a controlled test on any of them? I can point to all the locals at our matches who's shoes I'm glad I'm not standing in when they are fighting with their guns (and not in the tacticool way)

I'm with p.e Kelly, 2k+ rounds before one can speak with authority on reliability. Can you find examples of Benellis with problems, sure...but there is a reason they have dominated the sport so long.

[mpom]

Fair enough. My 930 has about 500 rounds through it, so barely broken in. Will take a while to get past 2000. Hope it holds up.

Mark

[Griz]

Can you point to a controlled test on any of them? I can point to all the locals at our matches who's shoes I'm glad I'm not standing in when they are fighting with their guns (and not in the tacticool way)

I agree, but I have seen shooters fighting with every brand. I have also seen youtube torture tests of most makes. The most impressive was of a $300 Russian gun. All anecdotal, not controlled.

I have shot a borrowed M1S90 and a borrowed M2. I bought a 930 JM to use for a few pay periods until I could save enough cash to buy a M2. I figured as much demand as there is for the 930 JM I could flip it for more than I paid. The problem right now is that I cannot figure out what a M2 would do that the 930 doesn't do other than kick harder. The group think says that the 930 JM is inferior, but I have never seen anyone say why other than it costs less, so it must be cheap.

The 930 JM I have runs cheap Wal-mart shells 100% (which neither Benelli I borrowed would do) and after dremeling out the loading port and welding the lifter it is easier to load than either Benelli I borrowed (which had not been modified). What else do you need in a shotgun for shooting static targets other than it goes bang when you pull the trigger and it's easy to reload?

I love high end gear and would like an excuse to buy another toy, but a match ready M2 is 4x the cost of what I paid for the 930 JM and I cannot quantify a single thing I would get for that money other than more recoil and people admiring my gun. I have the cash ready now, but I am unconvinced that I should spend it.

[Merlin Orr]

Benelli M2 properly set up by a "real" shotgun Guru.

...

VersaMax properly set up by a "real" shotgun Guru.

Everything else.

[frag316]

Do some looking around for used shotguns, too. Either one to build up or one that's built already.

While this is a dated example, I snagged a Benelli Super 90 for $450 several years ago, which was a really good price at the time. The Super 90 isn't a real 3-gun platform, mostly because accessories/upgrades are few and far between now, but it's a great utility shotgun.

[co-exprs]

I have to agree. I'd take a used SLP, M1S90, Versa or Nova pump before buying a new Mossberg. You do hear about occasional bad ones, like maybe 1 in 20, and usually it's because of a little too much tinkering. The Mossberg is like buying a Kimber though... 50/50 crap shoot for a lemon. Remember when Dodge came out with that Neon? How often do you see a 1992 Neon on the road? (rarely) How often to do you see a 20yr old Civic? (quite often) Not trying to call anyone's kid ugly, just saying that in firearms, you generally get what you pay for. 6 months from now, you will not even remember the few hundred extra bucks you spent, but you will be glad for a good scattergun.

[atvman400]

I agree with co-exprs. At the last local match where there were 2 JM930s neither of them ran. Constantly jamming. One guy was running AA's and the other cheaper loads. I have never had my $600+mods m1s90 not run that wasn't my fault. It eats cheap winchesters and remingtons without an issue. Handloads were I started day dreaming, probably about megan fox, and ran the powder bottle dry it doesn't like so much

While some 930's might not have many issues your chance of having any issues with a benelli is VERY slim-none. That's just what I have observed with the 3 flawless running benelli's I have and the ones I have observed at matches.

[gdboytyler]

Noah my boy, on 26 May 2013 - 08:15 AM, said:

Leaning to the JM pro all because of the 600.00 dollar price tag.. Looking to get into three gun but not for awhile, just want to do some shotgun fun matches and some trap here and there and I really like the look and price of the JM pro:) ANy advise and tips would be helpful thanks... Love the versa but 1000.00 dollar shotgun is not gonna fly right now:(

I went the cheap route 2 years ago and got the stock Mossberg 930 Waterfowl for $450 and added the NC+7 ext tube, tube clamp and bolt handle for an additional $150. I also added the Mossberg picattiny rail for around $50 to mount a red dot. I shoot Open.

I also got a "Load 2" vest.

I only shoot a few 3-gun matches a year and the occasional skeet round. So I'm probably around the 1000 round mark with ZERO malfunctions.

If I run into problems or start shooting more 3-gun matches, I plan on sending the Mossberg to Benny Hill (well known gunsmith in TX) for the full custom treatment.

IIRC, the custom work that Benny Hill did on 930's was the basis for the JM model. I wouldn't expect the mass produced JM model to be as good as the custom Benny Hill version.

I've got a custom AR from Benny Hill that turned out great. So I've got confidence in his work.

[mpom]

FWIW, Jerry Miculek and Lena, his daughter put on a youtube video concerning the JM930. In it he claims he has shot a ton of ammo through his externally modified 930s over the last few years, so unless he is just shilling for Mossberg, it appears to be a sturdy platform. Not as sleek and sexy as a Euro shotgun but capable of good performance in the hands of a good shooter. Would think he would only use a reliable, well built sg, not prone to break down in the middle of match.

No doubt he is getting paid to be a Mossberg spokesman and his name is on the product, but unless the internals have been replaced with super duper alloy parts, it seems to be going the distance.

Mark

[ambluemax]

OK...do you really think the jm930 you buy is the same thing Jerry shoots? Come on now.

Also, misbehaving Benellis are kind of like misbehaving glocks...if you ask the dude he's either messed with it too much or hasn't cleaned it recently