Shotgun Internet Forums - The Hot Topics

[Christopher Paddock]

Hi folks, just looking to gauge (no pun intended) opinions among the NL Waterfowlers on shotgun topics that seem to be surprisingly divisive and
heated on various shotgun internet forums – some are nice sites with
useful information, but in my opinion the folks on these forums tend to
be a bit elitist and closed-minded when it comes to gun
brands/models/features. For example, the general consensus (from what
I’ve read) includes the following:

• Nothing made by Remington (“Big Green”) in the last 30 years is worth owning
• Nothing that has ever been made by Stoeger is worth owning
• No shotgun made in “3^rd world hellholes” (read that: “any place outside the United States”) is worth owning
• Posing the Forbidden Question (“Which is better: Remmy 870 or Mossy 500?”) WILL end in bloodshed
• Wooden stocks are the only acceptable “furniture”, and synthetic stocks belong in a child’s toybox with the rest of the cheap plastic
• If you own a shotgun with a ported barrel, then you are child-eatingly insane
• Semi-autos and O/U doubles are the “cool” shotguns, and pumps are for low-brows

I dunno, maybe I’m reading these forums wrong (or reading the wrong ones), but I was kinda curious to see what the NL Waterfowlers’ opinions
were on these same matters.

1. How do you guys feel about the models released by Remington in recent years (ie: 870 Express, 887, CTi105)?
2. Any Stoeger owners want to recount their experiences, good or bad?
3. Same question for owners of shotguns made in Eastern Europe or elsewhere.
4. Which is better: Remmy 870 or Mossy 500?
5. Do you prefer wooden stocks or synthetic? And for which applications?
6. Ported barrels or non-ported? (I’ll weigh in on this one, as my “Mossy 500” has a ported barrel. Mossberg’s literature says it reduces felt recoil,
   but the only difference I’ve noticed is that it’s super loud. Not a big
   deal on the wide-open barrens hunting partridge, but I’d never take it
   into the confines of a duck blind with other hunters. I will admit that
   it seems to make for less muzzle jump and faster follow-up shots,
   though).
7. What type of action do you prefer and why? (I’m a die-hard pump fan myself. Less prone to jamming than a semi, and the action sounds “cooler” than a
   break-action. Childish, I’ll admit, but there it is).

[Jeremy Kelly]

1. i own a remington 887 i have no complaints it has no trouble fireing 2 3/4 and 3 1/2 didnt have any 3 inch shells to test out i actually read alot of bad reviews but i wanted this gun and i have not had a problem with it.
2. N/A
3.N/A
4. Havnt tryed eaither gun but i think the 870 express in laminate looks real tacky
5. I do prefear wooden stocks i think it looks nicer but its not a big deal for me i mean my 887 dosent have the option of wooden stocks would look stupid if it did anyway.
6. never owned or shot anything with a ported barrel, all for reduced recoil but dont think its worth it if it makes the noice level conciderably louder
7. every shotgun i have owned has been a pump gun but i do like some of the O/U's theres just something ionic about them

[Jamie Pike]

A close friend of mine is a big time gun buff. He said that maybe 15 years ago Rem made far less of the 870 express. These days they are probably making a million of them and out of that, you are absolutely gaurenteed lemons. its jut going to happen. he owns a mid 90's 870 express, and has maybe fired 20,000 shells through it, and has never had one issue!

I found depending on who you asked (ie who was selling the gun or had other models) the guns were junk. whats funny tho, is many of the american companies have their o/u's imported. Mossbergs silver reserve is imported. on the trade ex website, they have Lanber, CZ, and other o/u's which are very reliable. moreso the mossberg which is notorious for firing pin failure.

synthetic stocks are lighter, and more durable. they do however have more recoil due the lighter weight. i noticed this with my 30-06 savage.

i have a benelli pump...its great, but my heart belungs to an o/u...tho i dont have one, lol!

[Craig Delahunty]

I have a 1970's made 870 wingmaster and it's great for partridge and grouse, 2 3/4 is the larger shell and thats its downfall. I bought a Stoeger P350 Full camo 3 1/2 pump four years ago and i like it. I find the action in the pump a little stiff and I noticed a problem shooting Black Cloud 3 1/2 inch shells. It would fire the 1st, while the second shell would eject thru the bottom as I brought it up and the gun would then load the third in the chamber and I'd fire.

I thought that it may be the plug, but when I looked at it closer, the Black Clouds are longer than any other 3 1/2 shells that I own. I loaded it with Kent 3 1/2 turkey shells an it cycled perfectly. So I tried putting in one 3 1/2, one 3" and another 3 1/2, all Black Cloud, and it worked fine.

I like the synthetic stock myself for the light weight. So far , so good.

I also have a Cooey 36" crackbarrel and a Baikal rackbarrel. Both are good gund, the Baikal being a great rabbit gun, its light as a feather.

I am rebuilding an old Stevens 124C for a friend of mine. It was rusted to death and I have it restored now and painted full camo. It was one of the first guns to use synthetic stock and was built from 1947 - 1952 an is a bolt action pump. Its a really unique gun as it holds 3 2/34 shells but the bolt is a small knob that you jam forward and push in to load a shell and after firing you pull out an back on it to eject the shell an load another. Its a really light pump at 7lbs and seems like it would be very quick to fire although I haven't teste it yet.