Jason Klein Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 My wife has begun shooting multigun with me and prefers a 20 gauge gas gun. She has been running a Remington 1100 and hates HATES the loading port. Nothing I can do to fix that loading gate set up. So, I'm searching the internet and trying to find a good option. Also don't want to break the bank. I think I have found the solution in a Mossberg SA-20 with Ghost Ring sights. Any one run one of these? Preferably with a Nordic Components extension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike41 Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 Look at the stoeger 20ga but if money is not an issue the Benelli is a great shotgun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Klein Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 I thought Steoger was an inertia like the Benelli? Am I mistaken? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash74 Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 Yep, the Stoeger is inertia. For gas guns you have the 1100/11-87, Franchi, and a host of Turkish cheapies. The only 20 gauges that have aftermarket support will be the Remingtons and the Benelli/Stoeger. Will a Daves easy loader fit on the 20ga? It's the only way to run a Remington in 3gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike41 Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Benelli and Stoeger are both inertia guns. My son has a Remington 11-87 20 GA but you can't load it very easily or very fast. We switched him to the Benelli. These are the only 2 I would recommend for for 3 gun. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Klein Posted November 29, 2015 Author Share Posted November 29, 2015 The easy loader fits with some modification. I have one installed. But you can't load easily and she inevitably catches her thumb in it. Maybe I'll have her shoot a 20 gauge Benelli and just see if that'll work for her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headworked Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Jason, if she shoots and likes benelli, I have a new 20 ga RCI mag tube that I believe allows gun to hold ten rounds if you're interested Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Klein Posted November 29, 2015 Author Share Posted November 29, 2015 Unfortunately Headworked, she is not interested in a Benelli. That was my first choice as that is what I run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darqusoull13 Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Have you talked about open? My wife hates my M2, wasn't fond of a VersaMax, but shot the snot out of an open gun with a comp. When I told her she was shooting hotter shells than I was, she called me a baby. I've tried setting up a 20 gauge but the aftermarket is limited. Tried putting a fat squishy stock on a VM and having a sporting clays friend fit the gun to her, still didn't help enough. In the end, it looks like the dark side won and she will be shooting the gun with a comp and a dot. Anything to keep shooting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
openclassterror Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I put together a Mossberg SA-20 for my son when he started 3gun. He has since graduated to 12ga. The only problem it had in competition was during the NWMGC in Bend, OR. The extractor broke off right in the middle of a stage. To their credit, Mossberg overnighted a replacement to a gun shop in Bend, and I ran into town the next day to pick it up and get him going for the afternoon stages. The lifter has an evil thumbnail remover, and it is a VERY exacting science on a 20ga to weld it up without causing feeding issues. The lifter needs a trough in the middle to keep the shell centered or it hangs up on the chamber mouth when feeding. If you weld it up too far forward there isn't enough lifter travel to get the shells under it into the mag tube. Make sure the gunsmith who welds it knows what he is doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
logiztix Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Jason- We shot the staff match together at the Oregon 3-Gun Challenge this summer. If you guys were closer I would have you over to try out a bunch of shotguns to see what would work for her. My wife won't run a .223 rifle in 3-Gun because of the recoil (which I suspect is really the noise), but she runs a 12 Gg auto because it was tuned to fit her, balanced for easier loading and runs light loads without issue. I would try to get her to think 12 gauge if possible. Most of the 20 Gauge bulk pack field loads work out to around a 460 power factor. My wife's 22" Mossberg 930 JM Pro is tuned to run 980 FPS Win AA 12 Gauge loads, which work out to 375 power factor. Useless on steel, but when the stage isn't all clays she bumps up to 1145s (at 564 PF) or hotter for the spinner. Even Fiocchi's low-recoil 12 Gg slugs only run 498 PF, which isn't too much more than a standard 20 Gauge slug at 432 PF. Our local Multi-Gun (in Florence) is running a 6-stage day/night shotgun match on December 19th (staff on 18th) if you guys wanted to try rain (probably) instead of snow. My wife would be more than willing to let her try her 930 out to see if a 12 Gg tuned for light loads would work. It sure makes finding ammo easier to stick with a 12 Gg. Most autos don't like anything lighter than the typical bulk packs, but if one promises to stay away from the 3" shells, some can be tuned to reliably run the light stuff all the way through low-recoil buckshot and slugs. That will usually cover anything needed for 3-Gun. William (from OR3GUN) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonKC Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 I would recommend a 12ga gas gun with light loads. This is what my wife shoots Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Bacus Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 It would be hard pressed to beat a Beretta 1301 for a female shooter. The first problem most women have is too long of a lop on the gun, and the Beretta comes set up to easily reduce the lop right out of the box. Second is recoil, and the Beretta will run 1oz - 1000fps loads no problems. Then lastly, with the load port opened up it will load-two with ease. My shooting partner switched from an SLP to the 1301 and after playing with it I found it to be a very impressive shotgun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Klein Posted December 1, 2015 Author Share Posted December 1, 2015 Darkosoull13: She absolutely wants absolutely nothing to do with open at all. I tried that route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Klein Posted December 1, 2015 Author Share Posted December 1, 2015 Openclassterror: Good to know about their customer service, sad about the problem at the NWMGC in Bend. I was CRO on one of those stages. I think the SA-20 (although I thought it was the SA-08...) is where it is at for her. I have looked a lot and that is what I keep coming back to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Klein Posted December 1, 2015 Author Share Posted December 1, 2015 (edited) Logiztix: I remember you talking about your match, and I wish I could make it, but I can not get any weekend days off at all. At least until January. Hopefully I see you next year! As for 12 gauge, I have put her on a number of different shotguns, and she still likes the 20 gauge. She is not in it to win it, just shoot and have fun. She is comfortable with the 20, and that is where she wants to stay. Maybe one day, but for now, her body tells her 20 gauge. Edited December 1, 2015 by Jason Klein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darqusoull13 Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Yep, then 20 is definitely the way to go. Anything to make the shooting buddy happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
openclassterror Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 If you want to make the drive over for one of our monthly club matches here in Grants Pass, your wife is welcome to shoot it and see what she thinks before plunking the money down. I am more than happy to bring it out to the range Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daft Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 I think a 20 kicks more than a 12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Neeley Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 I got my wife an 11-87 20ga and put the lifter from Dave's Metal works. Solves the pinched fingers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Klein Posted December 15, 2015 Author Share Posted December 15, 2015 For whatever reason, the Dave's lifter causes more problems than it solves on her shotgun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Klein Posted December 15, 2015 Author Share Posted December 15, 2015 She also had an opportunity to handle the Weatherby and likes it. Pretty much sold her on it. She likes the Green Volt with 24" barrel. Now to find one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bidah Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 I will have to keep some of these in mind, and yes, I am on the thread late. Every 12 gauge auto she tried was too heavy for her (out front), and too long (LOP). I went round and round on what I could do to shorten one up to 13" for her, but kept running into those darn recoil spring tubes being longer than I could shorten the stock. For the time being she settled on a Benelli 20ga Nova Compact (yes, a pump). I am going to let her run that for a while, and then try again. Funny thing was even with the pump she was beating her times over running a semi (partially fit, more weight). I will say it did take some time to find shells that would work for her, hardest being the slugs. Some of those are horrid, even for me. She found a nice shot load, and I ended up getting a reloading setup and making her slugs. The only decent recoiling slug was a Remington 5/8oz low recoil, and they were hard to find locally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShooterSteve Posted December 22, 2015 Share Posted December 22, 2015 Is the lifter from Dave full length? It may work better if you cut about 5/8" off the end of it and smooth it up ice and pretty with a file and some sandpaper. I know this won't be a permanent fix since she hates the gun, but maybe it will get her through a couple matches until she can get something that she likes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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