Steve133 Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 To bring it back to budget: we can quibble about M3000 vs. M3k vs. M3k Freedom Edition, but by and large, in my personal experience, the Stoegers represent a very, very solid price/performance ratio. The 1301 or basically any Benelli model will indeed be better than a Stoeger in terms of fit and finish, but I'd say that none of the M3k models would hold you back - I've been running them for a few years now, and while I'm mediocre at best, they certainly don't seem to slow Pat Kelley and Tim Yackley down any.... Take it with a grain of salt, because I've got a couple of them, and we're always going to want to defend the choices that we make. Not sure if this counts as "justifying the price difference", but I will freely admit that the rough fit and finish on the Stoegers makes them a little finicky at first. There's a little bit of a break-in period, and you might have to do some polishing and filing at a couple of points to get them to run reliably. Nothing huge, it's probably an afternoon's worth of work at the very most, but if it's worth $500 to you to not have to do anything, then yes, you might want to save a while longer for a more expensive model. For what it's worth, I had to do a bit of that with my first shotgun, and it was benign enough that I still bought another M3k a couple of years later. That said... to echo what others have said, you're probably never going to find a shotgun that's perfect for competition use right out of the box, even the models designed and marketed for 3 gun. Mag extensions are almost always going to be required, and basically no one makes an OEM gun with them. The M3k Freedom definitely has an edge over most of the other competition models... but you're probably still going to eventually want to add a +2 (12 rounds has become the de facto standard, since it'll let you load a quad on top of a full tube on the start buzzer). This is where the quibbling starts: if you're going to want to add an extension eventually, and a non-Freedom M3k and a +8 extension is cheaper than an M3k Freedom and a +2, that might be the way to go; or maybe you can accept a slightly less open port and go with an M3000 and a mag extension; etc. Speaking of loading ports, even the models with "competition loading ports" are probably going to need to be opened up a bit more, but that's relatively cheap for most smiths to do, or something that you can do yourself in an afternoon with a set of files (or a couple of hours with a Dremel if you're feeling confident). So, maybe since you're accepting that, you can go with a standard M3000 and just be really careful about the serial number, etc. Anyway, since it's what you asked about by name, the M3k Freedom plus a few hours of loading port work and maybe some judicious action polishing will almost certainly "good enough", though you might still want to pick up some aftermarket parts in the future. Like Tortoise said, they're pretty cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonytheTiger Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Another aspect that most people don't factor in is gun fit. A huge selling point of the 1301 for myself and other vertically challenged individuals is that the LOP goes down to 13", and that is absolutely worth the extra dollars. This may not matter to you, and you can find youth stocks for the Stoeger but it adds cost that brings it closer to a more expensive gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercs Posted January 23, 2020 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Another aspect that most people don't factor in is gun fit. A huge selling point of the 1301 for myself and other vertically challenged individuals is that the LOP goes down to 13", and that is absolutely worth the extra dollars. This may not matter to you, and you can find youth stocks for the Stoeger but it adds cost that brings it closer to a more expensive gun.Yup, great point. Benelli’s have a stupid long LOP. The Franchi is the same way also. It’s good to have them fit for LOP and POI by a professional, which adds more money. I just use a bandsaw and belt sander. I just put a new Limbsaver Airtech on my Affinity, and a good pad is definitely needed to soften the recoil on such a light shotgun. I do really like the Beretta Kickoff system also Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siberian Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 On 1/23/2020 at 12:10 AM, kurtm said: Used M1 Benelli $500.00 , recoil pad fit and ready to go $80.00, Welded lifter $50.00, Mag tube $80.00. No Frankengun about it. All genuine Benelli except for the tube. No matter what you buy it needs a mag tube, and there ain't one made by the gun maker! Benelli recently re-released the M1 as the budget semi auto. In Canada, it is marketed as the "Anniversary Edition". Just bought one - CAD$950 plus tax. I think in the US it was sold as a dealer exclusive model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midwest3Gunner Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 Mossberg 940 jm pro looks like it will be an interesting contender. Adjustable LOP, comes with a tube. Just throwing it on the list, with a street price of around 8-900 maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intheshaw1 Posted February 9, 2020 Share Posted February 9, 2020 I got into 3 gun this last summer and I'm running the affinity 3. Borrowed a m3k for my first match and was planning to buy one but couldn't find any in stock. Found the Franchi locally and it's so much nicer than the stoegers. Fit and finish is better, Forearm seems slimmer, and it just plain ran right out of the box. I think I paid right around 630 for it and then bought a tube and some other small parts from MOA for around 150. I'm not saying it's leaps and bounds better than the M3K but the people I know that have them all wish they knew about the Franchi (no where near as common). For me it was well worth the money to have sort of an m2 'light.' And FYI, there are a few videos out there comparing the Franchi to the M2 and a lot of the parts are interchangeable. My understanding in the Stoegers are made in Turkey and the Franchis and Benellis are made at the same plant in Italy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minnesota1 Posted February 9, 2020 Share Posted February 9, 2020 I'm not sure what others think, but winchester makes some nice shotguns that run great as well. Just add an extended tube. They run great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
124gr9mm Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 Lots of good suggestions here. Thinking of doing my first 3 gun this summer, so I'll have to come back to this thread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1time Posted February 10, 2020 Share Posted February 10, 2020 After plenty of “budget” purchases I’ve realized the best money savings is buying a gun that you won’t want to replace later. I’ve been through a 1100 comp master, 930 Jm, fn slp, and finally settled on the A5. Since M2’s can have the auto load added(I can’t count), I would probably get the M2 due to it working with a larger variety of ammo than the A5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean_ht Posted February 13, 2020 Author Share Posted February 13, 2020 Thanks for the suggestions. I have decided to buy the M3K Freedom. The totality of responds suggest inertia system is more reliable at the lower price range. A reliable gas driven system bumps up the price range. I have shot with the M3K Freedom, Beretta 1301 comp and comp pro, and Benelli M2 and M4. - M3K is nice, good weight balance, ready for competition out of the box. Very similar to M2, but it feels a bit cheap (material). - M2 is very nice, and well built shotgun. However, considering the similarity between M2 and M3K, I prefer the N3K for it's cheaper price tag. At the end of the day, I need to drop it into a plastic drum, and i am totally fine with putting some scratches on it. - M4 is supper nice, but it gives me an impression that it is not made for competition. Rather, it is more of a tactical system. - 1301 is a good shotgun, but it is too light. Didn't like it. On the other hand, the comp pro is very very nice shotgun. It is my favorite! It is by far the best among all of the shotguns I have had experience shooting with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean_ht Posted February 18, 2020 Author Share Posted February 18, 2020 On 2/10/2020 at 9:06 AM, 1time said: After plenty of “budget” purchases I’ve realized the best money savings is buying a gun that you won’t want to replace later. I totally agree. However, the current firearm market is filled with so many options that makes it hard to decide which system is really worth the money you pay for it and it really delivers the level of accuracy/reliability/functionality you desire. Perhaps within the boundaries you define for the purpose/use. Since you mentioned M2, have you tried M3K Freedom. It does give you a "cheaply made" impression if you put side by side with M2. But it is very similar to M2, it terms of the functionality and it is very reliable (at least among the shotguns at its price range). I wonder if Auto-loading lifter can be installed in a M3K, since it shares the same platform with M2? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1time Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Not the freedom, the m3k with work. For me, the lifter mod is king. I went with the A5 for it and wouldn’t go back. Now that it can be done to the M2, that’s where I’d be. If it could be done to the m3k, that may be a different story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim300wsm Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Sent you a message Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean_ht Posted February 18, 2020 Author Share Posted February 18, 2020 6 hours ago, 1time said: Not the freedom, the m3k with work. For me, the lifter mod is king. I went with the A5 for it and wouldn’t go back. Now that it can be done to the M2, that’s where I’d be. If it could be done to the m3k, that may be a different story. I agree the auto-lifter is an interesting feature. But a match-saver is also a very good alternative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve133 Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 15 hours ago, Sean_ht said: I wonder if Auto-loading lifter can be installed in a M3K, since it shares the same platform with M2? Ask and ye shall receive: https://moaprecisionllc.com/product/lightning-load-lifter-stoeger-version-pre-order/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean_ht Posted February 18, 2020 Author Share Posted February 18, 2020 4 minutes ago, Steve133 said: Ask and ye shall receive: https://moaprecisionllc.com/product/lightning-load-lifter-stoeger-version-pre-order/ Thanks, the aftermarket industry is quick, and does not leave any desire, unanswered! After all, the firearms/ ammo and aftermarket industries have rose (its economic impact) 171% from 2008-2018 [source: NSSF- 2019 report]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rr4406pak Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 2 hours ago, Steve133 said: Ask and ye shall receive: https://moaprecisionllc.com/product/lightning-load-lifter-stoeger-version-pre-order/ Good luck ordering one. They have been out of stock forever... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoKimberDave Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 On 2/8/2020 at 11:28 PM, Intheshaw1 said: I got into 3 gun this last summer and I'm running the affinity 3. Borrowed a m3k for my first match and was planning to buy one but couldn't find any in stock. Found the Franchi locally and it's so much nicer than the stoegers. Fit and finish is better, Forearm seems slimmer, and it just plain ran right out of the box. I think I paid right around 630 for it and then bought a tube and some other small parts from MOA for around 150. I'm not saying it's leaps and bounds better than the M3K but the people I know that have them all wish they knew about the Franchi (no where near as common). For me it was well worth the money to have sort of an m2 'light.' And FYI, there are a few videos out there comparing the Franchi to the M2 and a lot of the parts are interchangeable. My understanding in the Stoegers are made in Turkey and the Franchis and Benellis are made at the same plant in Italy. I got a Franchi, too. It's a sweet gun. If you shoot a Stoeger next to it, the difference is apparent, imo. The Stoeger is great but the Franchi is basically a Stoeger in layout that says "Benelli" and "Made in Italy" on the receiver, for what that is worth. I have a 26" and I am really glad I made that choice. Light but not too light. I got it for under 600$, and dumped another 400$ into it. So, complete and ready for 3gun for under a grand. That includes, port, sights, tube, controls, etc. I'm moving to unlimited and been tempted to just put a dot on it as the idea of not shooting it kinda bums me out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1911vm Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 On 2/3/2020 at 1:54 PM, Midwest3Gunner said: Mossberg 940 jm pro looks like it will be an interesting contender. Adjustable LOP, comes with a tube. Just throwing it on the list, with a street price of around 8-900 maybe? Had a local small 3 gun match yesterday. One of the guys works at Mossberg. So they gave him 2 guns to bring to the match. So all the shooter used them as pickup guns for the shotgun stage. Pros Reliability 100% Very soft shooting Lite Very easy to transition target to target Very usable loading port. Cons The gold accent. I personally don't like the safety on top Safety was a bit on the stiff side Besides that an excellent starter gun an I am not a mossberg gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midwest3Gunner Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 39 minutes ago, 1911vm said: Had a local small 3 gun match yesterday. One of the guys works at Mossberg. So they gave him 2 guns to bring to the match. So all the shooter used them as pickup guns for the shotgun stage. Pros Reliability 100% Very soft shooting Lite Very easy to transition target to target Very usable loading port. Cons The gold accent. I personally don't like the safety on top Safety was a bit on the stiff side Besides that an excellent starter gun an I am not a mossberg gun. I think they are going to have a non gold accented one, its multi cam black or something on the stock. Did he say when they were going to be available to order? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1911vm Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 We had both. I not sure on the camo availability. But the gold is available now. I will call and ask him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1911vm Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 Mid march for camo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midwest3Gunner Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 21 hours ago, 1911vm said: Mid march for camo Thank you for finding that out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1911vm Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 You are welcome. But the one we had still had a gold band by the choke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theix Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 940 really got my attention when they launched it. On 2/23/2020 at 8:53 PM, 1911vm said: We had both. I not sure on the camo availability. But the gold is available now. I will call and ask him. The 940 really got my attention when they launched it. Can't help to doubt a few things. - What's the choke threading system? They just say that it's Briley extended choke. - Mag extension options? It would be nice to have 12 rounds mag tube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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