Best budget semi-auto

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  • MiddleRiverShootist

    Active Member
    Jan 18, 2015
    642
    Baltimore Co
    we have a lightly used 12ga mossberg 930. 28" vented rib barrel. comes with MOD & FULL chokes. takes 2-3/4" & 3" shells. $475 OTD.
    i know its a bit of a drive, but you just might fall in love with it and stay well under $700.

    Just what Joe said ! Mossberg 930 and use the rest on ammo. Joe and Mary are great people! very nice and great to deal with.
     

    Sirex

    Powered by natural gas
    Oct 30, 2010
    10,380
    Westminster, MD
    I don't know if anyone has mentioned the Stoeger M3000 yet, but they are good shotguns. I ONLY sold mine to get quick cash to jump on a Benelli M2. I think it's also easier to get parts for them, and they have a 5 year warranty if I recall. Better than most budget Turkish guns. Tristar also sells some good budget semi auto shotguns. I have 2 and like them. Also a 5 year warranty.
     

    atblis

    Ultimate Member
    May 23, 2010
    2,011
    This is from memory so take it with a grain of salt: Beretta (Benelli's parent) was planning to sue Stoeger but, in a stroke of brilliance, saw an excellent business opportunity with an undervalued company that they could buy on the cheap. They realized they'd make a killing selling quality knockoffs of their own shotgun under a different, lower-tiered label at much higher volumes so they just bought Stoeger outright.
    Sako bought Stoeger back in the 90s, and then Beretta bought Sako. My guess would be Beretta wanted to sell some "value" oriented guns without tarnishing the Beretta brand. You think the Franchi and Benelli don't use some parts from Turkey? The Cougar line was moved to Turkey at some point and sold as a Stoeger.

    Anyways, I've been shooting a Stoeger M3020 for a while. No malfunctions. Haven't cleaned it in a few years. Loading ramp is getting a little sticky. No complaints other than I don't care for the inertia recoil system's recoil impulse. Thumps a little more where a gas gun would be softer. In the same family, a Franchi Affinity is worth considering.
     

    Docster

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 19, 2010
    9,768
    Before you say "Use the search button" for some reason my phone will not allow me to use it. Every time I click it the page crashes.

    So my question is what is the best budget semi auto out there? Looking for something for the occasional water fowl hunting I do. I've never been one for "name brands", as long as it goes boom everytime I pull the trigger I don't care what name is on the gun. Open to brand new or used. Trying to keep it under $1k, would be happier in the $700 range.

    Thanks ahead of time,
    Joe

    Dif you try "Advanced Search"?
     
    The Stoeger has at least one drawback. My brother has one and I have had to replace the extractor on his twice in 7 years..they just wear out..easy job, just annoying, especially when the issue shows up in the blind. He doesn't shoot it a ton either.. waterfowl season and maybe half a dozen trips to the sporting clays course per year..all in all I would say maybe 700 rounds a year?

    I bought a waterfowl choke for my Benelli M4 and haven't had an issue...better not for a $2k semi..I bought it for home defense but figured i would like to get some use out of it it.. it's not really a hunting gun. But it works..
     

    eightshot627

    Active Member
    Apr 10, 2008
    239
    Thurmont
    As the owner of 5 Stoegers if you don't like to tinker take a look at the Franchi. They are smoother than the Stoeger and have the recoil spring up front like the Stoeger which makes it easier to clean if you drop it in the drink. That said, the last 2 Stoegers an M3500 and my son's M3020 have been flawless. MOA Precision has some nice upgrades. The single side safety is must. The Stoeger safeties are too small.

    Walt
     

    rseymorejr

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 28, 2011
    26,007
    Harford County
    I have a Beretta A300 that I really like. Also have a Mossberg SA28 that's fantastic! It's 28 gauge, I know they make a 20 also not sure abut 12 though?
     

    jcutonilli

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 28, 2013
    2,474
    if they do they are wrong.



    500 rounds for an M3000, Beretta, Bellini is just getting started.


    Did you listen to the video? One of his conclusion was that it was pretty reliable as long as you don't abuse it with magnum loads.

    Beretta and Bellini are not budget shotguns. Haven't seen the same 500 round test of the M3000.
     

    camo556

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 29, 2021
    2,634
    Did you listen to the video? One of his conclusion was that it was pretty reliable as long as you don't abuse it with magnum loads.

    Beretta and Bellini are not budget shotguns. Haven't seen the same 500 round test of the M3000.

    lol. thew video speaks for itself. it lasted 416 rounds. Mostly he used light trap and bird shot. Then it choked on magnum. "I wouldnt gamble with an extended range visit or a 3" high brass anything." For waterfowl esp geese you probably want loads on the heavy/magnum side for a clean kill.

    what he did in that video thats not abuse. i've put way more 3" slugs and "magnum" rounds through my M3000 without a hiccup. M3000s and 930s are widely used and abused in 2 gun and 3 gun and have proven reliability. Heck the Stoeger manual says the *break in period* might be 200 shells of "heavy load." I am just breaking in my gun while your cheap chinesium black aces tacticool is taking a shit.

    The gently used 930 upthread is a way better value.
     

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    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,877
    Since it was brought up in passing , I'll mention about the Cougar .

    Back in the medium day , when the Cougar was made it Italy and imported thru Accokeek , a friend of a friend did the QC test firing of all the imported pistols . He praised the Cougar to the highest , ranking it's quality and reliability Above that of the M92 .

    But alas , it didn't pickup PD contracts as hoped , and only modest sucuess with US civilian market . Somewhat better in Europe , but still below expectations .

    The plant in Turkey originally made the licensed guns for Turkish Mil contract , with full support from Beretta , to Beretta standards .
     

    omegared24

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 23, 2011
    4,747
    Ijamsville, MD
    Before you say "Use the search button" for some reason my phone will not allow me to use it. Every time I click it the page crashes.

    So my question is what is the best budget semi auto out there? Looking for something for the occasional water fowl hunting I do. I've never been one for "name brands", as long as it goes boom everytime I pull the trigger I don't care what name is on the gun. Open to brand new or used. Trying to keep it under $1k, would be happier in the $700 range.

    Thanks ahead of time,
    Joe

    I have the same issue with my phone when I search. If you click advanced search you can do it from there. It won't crash.
     

    jcutonilli

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 28, 2013
    2,474
    lol. thew video speaks for itself. it lasted 416 rounds. Mostly he used light trap and bird shot. Then it choked on magnum. "I wouldnt gamble with an extended range visit or a 3" high brass anything." For waterfowl esp geese you probably want loads on the heavy/magnum side for a clean kill.

    what he did in that video thats not abuse. i've put way more 3" slugs and "magnum" rounds through my M3000 without a hiccup. M3000s and 930s are widely used and abused in 2 gun and 3 gun and have proven reliability. Heck the Stoeger manual says the *break in period* might be 200 shells of "heavy load." I am just breaking in my gun while your cheap chinesium black aces tacticool is taking a shit.

    The gently used 930 upthread is a way better value.

    It demonstrates that there were almost no malfunctions in over 400 rounds of continuous firing. This is always more stressful than the round count suggests. Do you shoot a case or more of 12 gauge ammo in a short period of time? I don't believe many people do that.

    As stated in the video it is one experience with one gun. There are instances where the M3000 has not functioned reliably. I does not mean the M3000 sucks.

    There are a number of people that recommend a Black Aces shotgun. If they really suck why do so many people recommend them as a budget option?

    The shotguns are made in Turkey just like the Stoeger.
     

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