What shotgun to buy?

[sdhunterman]

I shoot a 930 that I bought as a used gun. It was in less than perfect condition when I bought it. I have shot nearly 1000 rounds from Remington, Federal, and Kent. It has only burped twice(I presume it was hard primers as it was Federal Value-Pack ammo, dented primers but not ignited). This includes high velocity steel shot from hunting waterfowl, to as light of a load as I can find. It won't win any beauty contests, but it has been super reliable for me.

I also bought a Benelli M1S90. I only bought it because it had a 21" barrel for maneuverability. If you look hard, Benelli's can be had for a good price and adding an extension gets you into the game.

[Akkid17]

I had a chance to play with two different 930 JM's and both were fine, yes a little unrefined but sturdy enough for an out of the box experience, I don't know of many other brands that can just go out of the box and be shot at a 3 gun match. One had one issue in the first thousand using all estate or winchester bulk, the other had none and was shot by someone who is 5'2" 120lbs using Remington 27s the whole time. I'm not making a case either way just that if its what you can afford to get in the game go for it. there seems to be plenty of people with stories about every shotgun out there being totally awesome 100% and someone else that says its total junk and it wouldn't run even shooting gold plated shotshells.

Benelli: is vey popular because its been the dominant gun for a long time

Versas: are kind of the new kid on the block new hotness and its gaining ground

Slp's: are a stout easy to run shotgun but here isn't much that can be done on them which for a 1911 fan is irritating

930jm: the econo shotty that is beginner ready out of the box with a 22" or 24" barrel

All have ups and downs, fans and haters and will all at some point have an issue at an inopportune time that will make you want to lawn dart it.

The canned answer to which one is try all of them and save up for the one you like the best and then shoot the crap out if it

[thegunnerd]

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.

I have done this . I had a jm , shot well but was VERY finicky about ammo. It didn't reliably run ....well anything. I have a benelli m2 and i'm happy as a clam. You can't go wrong with versamax, benelli, FNH....you can find m2's for about 1100-1200 . I love me some Jerry Miculek and the JM pro would need a ton of work to run like Jerry's. But for 600 bucks it's a fantastic gun for occasional range fun, but not as a bullet proof 3 gun gun

[Nalapombu]

I must be missing something. I am not a 3 gun shooter, I just come here to read and learn about the gear. I'd like to try it someday though.

Anyway, a lot of negative talk about the Mossberg 930 platform here. It surprises me cause I spend a lot of time on other boards where the people just shoot for fun and no competition, but they do shoot a lot. I have read hundreds of posts of the last couple of years about the 930, particularly the SPX version with the 18.5 inch barrel, 8 shot version. After the initial problems of the sights being canted and a few other issues that seem to have been resolved, these shotguns are talked about in glowing terms. I rarely see a negative post about them anymore. The owners go out with Wally stuff and shoot the whole box and love it. In fact I see people bragging on their performance every time someone starts a thread on one.

Am I missing something? Is the JM version built with different internals than the SPX version?

I recall a few months back when Benny was here talking about the upcoming JM version from Mossberg, many people here literally couldn't wait till they could get one, now they're junk? Guys were tripping over each other to get to the phone to put deposits down on them.

Now you have a guy that comes here wanting to join in all the reindeer games and is wanting to get a JM version to play. He's told, FORGET IT....Don't waste your money, keep saving till you can get a Benelli at double what he is wanting to spend.

If there is a total stranger that came here and is lurking to try and find out about maybe giving 3 gun a try, he just got the message that he need not come to the safety meeting unless he's packing 5K in gear. It just seems to me, an outsider looking in, that you guys would want AS MANY PEOPLE as possible to come out and enjoy the sport and have them understand that you don't need a 1000 dollar shotgun to have fun. Just the opposite is the message being sent though.

Edited June 5, 2013 by Nalapombu

[thegunnerd]

I must be missing something. I am not a 3 gun shooter, I just come here to read and learn about the gear. I'd like to try it someday though.

Anyway, a lot of negative talk about the Mossberg 930 platform here. It surprises me cause I spend a lot of time on other boards where the people just shoot for fun and no competition, but they do shoot a lot. I have read hundreds of posts of the last couple of years about the 930, particularly the SPX version with the 18.5 inch barrel, 8 shot version. After the initial problems of the sights being canted and a few other issues that seem to have been resolved, these shotguns are talked about in glowing terms. I rarely see a negative post about them anymore. The owners go out with Wally stuff and shoot the whole box and love it. In fact I see people bragging on their performance every time someone starts a thread on one.

Am I missing something? Is the JM version built with different internals than the SPX version?

I recall a few months back when Benny was here talking about the upcoming JM version from Mossberg, many people here literally couldn't wait till they could get one, now they're junk? Guys were tripping over each other to get to the phone to put deposits down on them.

Now you have a guy that comes here wanting to join in all the reindeer games and is wanting to get a JM version to play. He's told, FORGET IT....Don't waste your money, keep saving till you can get a Benelli at double what he is wanting to spend.

If there is a total stranger that came here and is lurking to try and find out about maybe giving 3 gun a try, he just got the message that he need not come to the safety meeting unless he's packing 5K in gear. It just seems to me, an outsider looking in, that you guys would want AS MANY PEOPLE as possible to come out and enjoy the sport and have them understand that you don't need a 1000 dollar shotgun to have fun. Just the opposite is the message being sent though.

I was one of those people tripping over themselves to get the gun. My experience was this :

After placing an order , i received the gun after 2 months . I was very very excited . I replaced the safety with a larger easier to use one and replaced the front sight. That was all. My gun never ran well . It intermittently would fail to feed. Shells would get hung up. That gun actually made 2 trips to Mossberg on their dime and never ran correctly. Not just that , the slugs were over 2' high and left at 50 yards . That attempt at accuracy isn't good enough for 3 gun shooting. What the difference is , is that in 3 gun the test of a gun's function is really put...to the test? ... puns aside you're shooting a shotgun VERY fast , reloading the entire mag tube numerous times and emptying it in a hurry. Often in very dusty or dirty conditions and in fairly quick succession . A lot of 3 gun matches tend to be shotgun heavy or at least equal amounts shotgun . Even tactical guys don't punish their guns like this on such a regular basis unless you're training other people .

That being said , what the issue with mossberg is that they are totally hit or miss. I know of people running JM pros that run like tops . I also know just as many if not a few more people who ended up selling them. I asked myself if I trusted the gun with my life and that answer was no.....if I can't even say that , it's not good enough to use in competition

[DHart]

what the issue with mossberg is that they are totally hit or miss. I know of people running JM pros that run like tops . I also know just as many if not a few more people who ended up selling them. I asked myself if I trusted the gun with my life and that answer was no.....if I can't even say that , it's not good enough to use in competition

A key element to me is the last item you mention... if you would trust your life to your 3-gun shotgun.

To me, the whole idea of 3-gun is to vet your gear by using it much as you might need to use it if your life depended on it. There are few, if any, guns I would have around if I didn't feel that it could be trusted in a defense situation... especially the shotgun I have selected to run in 3-gun. If the gun can't be trusted with your life, why bother to train and practice with it in defense oriented scenarios? Get one you CAN trust your life to...and run it like your life does depend on it... that is the BEST way to know if you can rely on your chosen defense tools when the chips really are down.

Edited June 5, 2013 by DHart

[co-exprs]

Running it like your life depends on it is also how you win matches. Shot A local match on Sat. 3 guys on my squad had JM930s, and all 3 had problems. One so bad it had to go sit in the car. All three guys said they've had it and are getting something else. I don't care how much the gun cost, but it has to be reliable. I have a buddy on a budget and I just recommended thst be pick up a used SLP I know of tor $700. It's worn and homely, but shoots great and it's reliable. If you've got a JM930, it runs and you like it... rock on!

[MarkCO]

I must be missing something. I am not a 3 gun shooter.

You answered your inquiry with your second sentence.

Yes, we want new shooters in 3Gun, but 3Gun is not cheap for any normal person. Can you get to a match with $2K in gear and have a boatload of fun? Sure. I actually shot my first few matches with a Rem 870, G22 and a Marlin Camp 9...maybe $1200 in total gear. But I would not suggest some go buy that gear for 3Gun. When someone is looking to BUY gear, the collective of 3Gunners have some pretty solid advice. Sure, we were all hopeful for the 930JMs, heck I am guilty of telling some folks to try them, but I also told them I was not sure long term. Well, now we have some guys who have had them for several thousand rounds. Some ran out of the box, others not so much. We were probably running 50% of the new shooters showing up with box stock 930JMs at our local matches. One guy went through 3 before he got one that worked...and now it too is unreliable. The ones who still have them are all looking for something else. They now feel trapped and frustrated. That is not fun, and this is supposed to be fun.

Other forums...I can't tell you how many people I have seen say how great their stuff is and then show up to a 3gun match and it all craps out. They look bewildered...it ran at the range they say. They shoot "a lot"? What a case a year? I ran 2200 rounds through my match Versa-Max in 4 months, before it even saw a match and I am not sure that is even a "lot" for 3Gunners. 3 Gunners abuse their equipment beyond anything but maybe some top tier military units, and is has to work or you lose points or time.

Have you done the math on shotguns? Groussing about the difference in a $700 shotgun and a $1000 shotgun makes absolutely NO SENSE for a 3Gunner, especially when the better shotgun will last for 3, 4, or 5 times longer! A cheap shotgun will end up costing more frustration and more $ in the end.

Then again, if you are not a 3Gunner, and just shoot a match here and there, then a 930JM may make no difference to you. Are the Miculeks an exception? Sure, they are great people and their guns are working but there is probably a lot more there than meets the eye. Jerry is a gun guy through and through. He probably knows what to do to/with his guns to make them work. That new guy...not so much.

[Recon'sHide]

Buy once and cry once...all things mechanical need attention sooner or later some just don't need it for a long time

[CZspeed]

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

What he said

[BobS761]

Hope my new JM Pro runs. So far so good, though.

[Twoyellowlabs]

Keep checking for the for sale section here and on other forums. You can get an M2 field grade with 26" vent rib barrel for around 11-1200 bucks. Just put an extension on it and you are good to go. You can add all the goodies later but with that setup, you can shoot any match without much work for now.

[BobS761]

I spoke too soon

I hope my JM Pro will run well soon

[Akkid17]

I spoke too soon

I hope my JM Pro will run well soon

Ouch, that was quick.

[GeorgeD]

Couple shots pointing out the difference in loading port size. 930 on the right and Versamax to the left.

This would help me make a decision between the two. That and Mossbergs like to crap out. I have only seen one run flawlessly so far and it wasn't mine.

[thegunnerd]

I shoot a 930 that I bought as a used gun. It was in less than perfect condition when I bought it. I have shot nearly 1000 rounds from Remington, Federal, and Kent. It has only burped twice(I presume it was hard primers as it was Federal Value-Pack ammo, dented primers but not ignited). This includes high velocity steel shot from hunting waterfowl, to as light of a load as I can find. It won't win any beauty contests, but it has been super reliable for me.

I also bought a Benelli M1S90. I only bought it because it had a 21" barrel for maneuverability. If you look hard, Benelli's can be had for a good price and adding an extension gets you into the game.

I snagged an m2 field for just that reason. I was unlucky in the jm pro department

[thegunnerd]

I must be missing something. I am not a 3 gun shooter.

You answered your inquiry with your second sentence.

Yes, we want new shooters in 3Gun, but 3Gun is not cheap for any normal person. Can you get to a match with $2K in gear and have a boatload of fun? Sure. I actually shot my first few matches with a Rem 870, G22 and a Marlin Camp 9...maybe $1200 in total gear. But I would not suggest some go buy that gear for 3Gun. When someone is looking to BUY gear, the collective of 3Gunners have some pretty solid advice. Sure, we were all hopeful for the 930JMs, heck I am guilty of telling some folks to try them, but I also told them I was not sure long term. Well, now we have some guys who have had them for several thousand rounds. Some ran out of the box, others not so much. We were probably running 50% of the new shooters showing up with box stock 930JMs at our local matches. One guy went through 3 before he got one that worked...and now it too is unreliable. The ones who still have them are all looking for something else. They now feel trapped and frustrated. That is not fun, and this is supposed to be fun.

Other forums...I can't tell you how many people I have seen say how great their stuff is and then show up to a 3gun match and it all craps out. They look bewildered...it ran at the range they say. They shoot "a lot"? What a case a year? I ran 2200 rounds through my match Versa-Max in 4 months, before it even saw a match and I am not sure that is even a "lot" for 3Gunners. 3 Gunners abuse their equipment beyond anything but maybe some top tier military units, and is has to work or you lose points or time.

Have you done the math on shotguns? Groussing about the difference in a $700 shotgun and a $1000 shotgun makes absolutely NO SENSE for a 3Gunner, especially when the better shotgun will last for 3, 4, or 5 times longer! A cheap shotgun will end up costing more frustration and more $ in the end.

Then again, if you are not a 3Gunner, and just shoot a match here and there, then a 930JM may make no difference to you. Are the Miculeks an exception? Sure, they are great people and their guns are working but there is probably a lot more there than meets the eye. Jerry is a gun guy through and through. He probably knows what to do to/with his guns to make them work. That new guy...not so much.

+1 for all these reasons my M2 is the gun of choice. I'd say 3 gunners are mostly likely going benelli or rem versamax as the 2 preferred with the FN SLP coming in a close 3rd. But i would say benelli still owns the top spot. The m2 field i bought has been flawless out of the box , and that's a normal thing to hear .

[Brine0]

IMHO the only thing wrong with my Mossberg 930 JM 24" is the hammer spring is getting weak from the 2300+ rounds I have put through it without malfunction. I have shot Sporting Clays, mostly. I think the primer strikes are looking weak.

[Thecelt]

alot of good posts in this thread. i dont shoot organized 3 gun, but i have my own range where i shoot my own version of it. i also shoot ALOT (at least what i consider alot) at around 1000 rounds a month of multiple calibers.

i typically shoot around 250 rounds of 12ga a month.

after reading the very large jm pro thread about how everyone couldnt wait to get one i ordered one up. it took probably 6 months until it came in.. i was overall impressed with the gun, and ran 180 rounds through it (just sold it this week). but i kept reading this forum on a regular basis and i decided that id be better served with the benelli M2 (tracking number has it coming this friday). i dont own any guns that i wouldnt trust my life with, and with so many threads about the 930 being hit or miss i didnt want to take a chance that i had one that "missed" and i figured i would sell it while it was still nearly new and allow someone else to finish up the breakin on it and enjoy it who isnt as concerned with ultimate reliability as i am. i am a bit of a reliability nut, as anything i own must be ultra reliable, or as reliable as mechanically possible. i felt the benelli fit my needs better. the cost was about $500 more than the 930 but as many people say (buy once cry once), and in a couple months you wont even feel the extra 500 spent and you will still be left with the better gun. the jm may suit many peoples needs just fine, and many of them run like hot shit, but i just didnt want to take the chance of having a bad one so i made the decision to move up to the benelli. i was considering the vm but due to the issues of out of spec hammers, and hammers "mushrooming" i decided i wasnt ready for one of them yet and i stuck with what is tried and true for now. eventually id like to have a vm just to have one though. so if i were to make a recommendation, id say if you want something that you can trust your life with then spend the extra money, if you dont care about potential failures because you are only shooting this gun for fun and a few failures here and there dont bother you then a less expensive gun would do just fine. for me, ultra reliable means i can trust my life with it and i need all my firearms to fit this role.