TXAG45 Posted January 26, 2014 Share Posted January 26, 2014 I'm looking to upgrade from a Mossberg 590 and get more into 3-gun. I've shot a Beretta 391 for years on the trap, skeet & sporting clay fields and am fairly comfortable with its operation & controls, but am open to trying something new if it's truly a better mousetrap. Any of these 3 are within my price range, so that's not a consideration...buy once, cry once. Currently exploring 3 options: 1. Beretta 1301 Comp. 24" (add Nordic tube) 2. Remington Versa Max Competition Tactical 22" (already comes 8+1 or 10+1) 3. Browning A5 Stalker 26" (add Nordic tube) The 1301 & VM are both gas operated and the A5 appears to be similar to the Benelli M2 (kinetic/recoil operated). The Browning A5 looks interesting as it has a quick-loading feature where the first round shoved into the mag tube is automatically lifted & chambered, apparently removing the need to "port load" the first round if you run dry. http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/glossaryitem.asp?id=108 I'm also thinking about an ~18" version for HD and possibly for use in a class like at Gunsite. Ideally, having the same brand/model for both 3-gun & HD seems like a good idea to simplify training, muscle memory, spare parts, and maintenance. The recently released Beretta 1301 Tactical and Remington R12 appear like nearly identical, feature-wise. Beretta has the 1301 Tactical 18.5", 5+1 with LPA-style ghost-ring sights, and rail. I'd add a +1 or +2 Nordic mag ext w/clamp to bring it out to 6+1 or 7+1. Remington has the R12, which is an 18" Versa Max, 6+1 (Nordic tube w/clamp), LPA ghost-ring sights, and rail. Remington currently has the R12 listed as LEO/MIL, but would expect this restriction to quietly be removed once production ramps up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrysuperhawk Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Many stages in 3 gun require you to pre-load your shotgun [full magazine tube, EMPTY chamber]. I bring this up because that would be a bad time to automatically load the first shell from the chamber. My vote would be for the versamax from your choices, or a Mossberg 930. I suggest the 930 because the safety is in the same spot as the 590, and because there are as many tweaks for the 930 as the versamax. I typically shoot HM, so I am MR. 590, so when I decided to get a semi, the 930 was a natural choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alma Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 The A5 auto load only happens when the chamber is open so loading the tube is nothing a problem. The M2 or VM are the preferred options for 3 gun right now. The 1301 is gaining popularity. I think my next gun will be the A5. A few of the top shooters are putting them through the paces now. The auto load is great since you only have to learn one hole to shove things into. I also think the stock is ideal for quad loading since it doesn't stick out like a VM. More here: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=187064#entry2073793 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfish Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 You might want to go with a ribbed sight if you are going to use it for 3gun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alma Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 (edited) Doubled Edited January 27, 2014 by alma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caz41 Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 I'd pick a gun with a 21/22" barrel in a vent rib version. It would easily work for both 3 gun and HD, only 3" longer than the "tactical" guns, and would be way better for 3 gun. VM, 1301, and M2 all come in said configuration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Therealkoop Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Id get a 22" if you could (or 24/26) and a vent rib as well. For some reason everyone thinks a HD shot HAS to have an 18" bbl. Ghost rings are meh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinT Posted January 27, 2014 Share Posted January 27, 2014 Throw a tube on the 391 and use the Mossberg for HD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenDragon64 Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Why not just buy the VM and have it pull double duty? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R107H Posted January 29, 2014 Share Posted January 29, 2014 Why not just buy the VM and have it pull double duty? This. I agree with! More familiarity with less guns is best! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranger Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I just bought a Stoeger 3000 24 inch for double duty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Tischauser Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 I just bought a used 30" browning A5 for the exact same reasons you mention above. I can't imagine buying a separate shotgun for HD versus 3 gun or hunting. They are all pretty much the same just add a flashlight. The cool thing us when you take the shotgun class at gunsite you will be the only guy that can load and shoot too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alma Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 (edited) I just bought a used 30" browning A5 for the exact same reasons you mention above. I can't imagine buying a separate shotgun for HD versus 3 gun or hunting. They are all pretty much the same just add a flashlight. The cool thing us when you take the shotgun class at gunsite you will be the only guy that can load and shoot too. Slight thread drift but do you quad load strong or weak handed? Also, with an auto load feature what do you use for your "match saver?" I strong had quad load but figure a weak hand throwing a single into the mag tube would be faster than shouldering the gun to strong hand reload. Since I can't do a standard weak hand shell carrier reload to save my life I have a MM shell carrier that I have reversed the shells on. I grab one at a time with my weak hand, turn the gun while maintaining my strong hand grip, and load the single using the same motion that I would use to drop deuces. With the auto-load function this seems to be faster for me than using a shot gun mounted shell holder. Here is what I am talking about auto-load only one round option. It's not blinding fast but it gives me an option other than my typical quad load. Edited February 3, 2014 by alma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Tischauser Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 I just bought a used 30" browning A5 for the exact same reasons you mention above. I can't imagine buying a separate shotgun for HD versus 3 gun or hunting. They are all pretty much the same just add a flashlight. The cool thing us when you take the shotgun class at gunsite you will be the only guy that can load and shoot too.Slight thread drift but do you quad load strong or weak handed? Also, with an auto load feature what do you use for your "match saver?"I strong had quad load but figure a weak hand throwing a single into the mag tube would be faster than shouldering the gun to strong hand reload. Since I can't do a standard weak hand shell carrier reload to save my life I have a MM shell carrier that I have reversed the shells on. I grab one at a time with my weak hand, turn the gun while maintaining my strong hand grip, and load the single using the same motion that I would use to drop deuces. With the auto-load function this seems to be faster for me than using a shot gun mounted shell holder. Here is what I am talking about auto-load only one round option. It's not blinding fast but it gives me an option other than my typical quad load. I can't see what type of shotgun your using or really tell what you're doing in that video because it's so fast. I don't run a "matchsaver" on my shotgun now. I simply load the gun before it's dry and refuse to miss my last shot. The beauty of the A5 is that you never have to port load. You just load the tube. The only place a matchsaver would be quicker is if you ran dry on the last shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alma Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 That is my trust Browning Gold which also has the auto load feature. I usually strong hand load with quads but wanted a quick way to load "just one more" when my chamber was empty. I reversed the direction on a traditional shell caddie so that I am grabbing one shell at a time with my thumb on the primer. Then I am loading a single it into the tube weak hand using the same motion that I would use to weak-hand dual load. The autoload takes care of chambering the round. It seems to work pretty well and gives me four quick "just-one-more" rounds in the same location event that I really screw up my last shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Tischauser Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 (edited) That is my trust Browning Gold which also has the auto load feature. I usually strong hand load with quads but wanted a quick way to load "just one more" when my chamber was empty. I reversed the direction on a traditional shell caddie so that I am grabbing one shell at a time with my thumb on the primer. Then I am loading a single it into the tube weak hand using the same motion that I would use to weak-hand dual load. The autoload takes care of chambering the round. It seems to work pretty well and gives me four quick "just-one-more" rounds in the same location event that I really screw up my last shot. I gotcha. That is my plan with the A5 as well. Rather than just loading 1 if it runs dry I'll probably drop a duece so there are two in the gun. The running dry on the last round issue usually comes up when shooting hard slug shots at the end of a stage. A fast plan usually consists of having the exact number of rounds in the gun to go one for one. But when I miss a tough slug especially at the end of a array or stage I'll usually port load 1 then add one to the tube afterwards just in case I miss again. With shot in the gun a well aimed shot after a port load usually gets the job done. Edited February 3, 2014 by Jesse Tischauser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daft Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Out of the box the 1301 is there for you. Loading any shotgun is a trip as for any stage it helps to know after misses what you need to load where. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iowashooter Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 I just picked up my Versamax competition tactical on Wednesday. I really like the gun and feel it will be a great shotgun for home defense 3 gun and hunting. All of the features for 3 gun make the gun better not just for the sport but in general. The 22" barrel points really quick and is well balanced with the tube. I also own a Stoeger m3k and it is a great gun as well. both guns are outfitted for 3 gun for the simple fact that those modifications make the gun better for everything I intend to use them for. They are functional modifications not just tacticool. My cousin bought a 24" 1301 and I have put a fair amount of rounds through it and it too is a great gun the drawback I see with the 1301 is that the walls on the loading port are too high. He has opened it up and it is still a little difficult to load quads. So for my vote I would go for the Versamax with an asterisk. the asterisk being that the only thing you are gaining over a m3k is a better level of fit & finish and lower recoil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polymerfeelsweirdman Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 benelli nova/supernova! such a great shotgun and they don't break the bank too badly either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Outbreak Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 I have a 930 JM I use for 3g, I plug it for bird season, and a separate 930SPX under the bed. Good familiarity, but the 930JM just seems too long to swing around the house. The 18" SPX wears a light all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBOT5000 Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 I have experienced and see many people have semi auto shotgun malfunctions all the time and personally wouldn't trust my life to them. The marines are using the benelli M4's but i haven't heard a first hand report on how it's working. I can tell you that I and my wife use Remington 870's for duty use and my military friends use them for breaching. These shotguns are dependable and i ran an 870 in three gun for the first year. My current home defense 870 has a 21 remington barrel, nordic extension and barrel clamp for 8+1 capacity, surefire/streamlight light forend, and the enadine hydraulic stock kit with limbsaver pad to cut down on recoil. I use an SLP in 3 gun but for me but i trust my life and the lives of others to my glock, my 870 and my colt m4 at home and work. These guns always go bang for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeke013 Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 That is my trust Browning Gold which also has the auto load feature. I usually strong hand load with quads but wanted a quick way to load "just one more" when my chamber was empty. I reversed the direction on a traditional shell caddie so that I am grabbing one shell at a time with my thumb on the primer. Then I am loading a single it into the tube weak hand using the same motion that I would use to weak-hand dual load. The autoload takes care of chambering the round. It seems to work pretty well and gives me four quick "just-one-more" rounds in the same location event that I really screw up my last shot. I gotcha. That is my plan with the A5 as well. Rather than just loading 1 if it runs dry I'll probably drop a duece so there are two in the gun. The running dry on the last round issue usually comes up when shooting hard slug shots at the end of a stage. A fast plan usually consists of having the exact number of rounds in the gun to go one for one. But when I miss a tough slug especially at the end of a array or stage I'll usually port load 1 then add one to the tube afterwards just in case I miss again. With shot in the gun a well aimed shot after a port load usually gets the job done. Does the Browning auto-load the second round in a Twin load if you put them in together? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Tischauser Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 (edited) That is my trust Browning Gold which also has the auto load feature. I usually strong hand load with quads but wanted a quick way to load "just one more" when my chamber was empty. I reversed the direction on a traditional shell caddie so that I am grabbing one shell at a time with my thumb on the primer. Then I am loading a single it into the tube weak hand using the same motion that I would use to weak-hand dual load. The autoload takes care of chambering the round. It seems to work pretty well and gives me four quick "just-one-more" rounds in the same location event that I really screw up my last shot. I gotcha. That is my plan with the A5 as well. Rather than just loading 1 if it runs dry I'll probably drop a duece so there are two in the gun. The running dry on the last round issue usually comes up when shooting hard slug shots at the end of a stage. A fast plan usually consists of having the exact number of rounds in the gun to go one for one. But when I miss a tough slug especially at the end of a array or stage I'll usually port load 1 then add one to the tube afterwards just in case I miss again. With shot in the gun a well aimed shot after a port load usually gets the job done. Does the Browning auto-load the second round in a Twin load if you put them in together? If the bolt is back and you drop a duece into the tube it loads as soon as the lifter goes back down. So you end up with one in the chamber and one on the tube. If you toss a quad it will load a shell into the chamber after the first set of two go into the tube. It's fast too. The gun is hot before you can load the second set of two. Edited May 11, 2014 by Jesse Tischauser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeke013 Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 Awesome. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polymerfeelsweirdman Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 are you guys running the new auto 5 or the old one where the barrel recoils? I have been wanting to get an old one to mess with like in here http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=142785 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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