Lightweight gas 20 gauges...


Remington has fallen on hard times, and not what they used to be. The Versa Max is their new baby. They may offer a youth 1100 from the custom shop.

Like the model 31, and Winchester 12's, good guns cost lots to produce and profit margin thin.

Yet the good guns are still in demand. It is surprising to see how many of them are on local gun shop used racks, but not for long.


IF I could find my old 1100 12ga. 3inch with opened gas ports, and a skeet barrel made to hold 3 inch steel shells. That I stupidly traded for a junk 11-87 I would not own the M1.

The MI is a fine light upland gun (especially out west), but middling for waterfowl compared to the old 1100, IMO.

The 1100 20ga. 2 /3/4 in my care, is one of the first Special Field models produced with the 21 inch barrel, and straight stock. A fine grouse, woodcock, rabbit, and before steel shot, early season Teal gun.

Try to find a 20ga. that is 2 3/4s today!

I read where they want to make a 3 inch 28ga. to fill the real 20ga. spot. That's NUTZ!


I hope that you find the shotgun that your looking for.
 
I have the weatherby 20 gauge and it is nice and light but I just went on a grouse/woodcock hunting trip in Maine and it wasn't doing a great job of cycling those lighter upland bird shells. Although, it only seems fair to just have a single shot at a woodcock:).

I think if I were to start over with buying guns I would just get an ou or sxs. I feel like two shots is plenty for most applications. Just my two cents. Plus they look way cooler.
 
Kris Winiarski said:
I have the weatherby 20 gauge and it is nice and light but I just went on a grouse/woodcock hunting trip in Maine and it wasn't doing a great job of cycling those lighter upland bird shells. Although, it only seems fair to just have a single shot at a woodcock:).

I think if I were to start over with buying guns I would just get an ou or sxs. I feel like two shots is plenty for most applications. Just my two cents. Plus they look way cooler.
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How was the grouse hunting?

Did you have the light valve in to cycle light loads? I only ask that to show how smart I am.

Sxs do look cool and I happily shoot an ou for upland myself.
 
We had a good 15-20 grouse flushes in two days just never had any good shooting opportunities. Hunted the first day in the Katahdin monument which had fairly low densities of birds, but we saw two huge bull moose. Probably be a bit easier when the leaves come off the trees over the next few weeks. I don't think the light valve is in the gun right now but the cycling has been an issue for me at times regardless. Much of my gear is in storage right now as I am moving to Canada in a few weeks so I couldnt get to the other valve. I was lucky I could get to the gun. I had to take the drill to my trigger lock:). At some point I replaced the spring in the stock and had it working better. It is hard to criticize the gun as I beat up on guns pretty bad. That gun has spent some time hunting ducks in saltwater and I remember the dog knocking it underwater at least once or twice in a beaver swamp. It is a pretty gun and when it is working I love it. Works better on duck loads but sometimes has issues cycling when it is really cold.
 
I'm with the 1100 crowd Todd. I went through this very exercise with my son when he was about ten years old. I'm not sure if anyone else mentioned it, but light weight comes with a tradeoff that can really intimidate a young shooter......recoil.

Our son was small of stature, but the 1100 20 ga Lightweight was not too heavy for him once we adapted it with a short stock and barrel. What was of more importance was the length of pull and barrel length. I see kids all the time at our gun club trying to shoot guns that are to big for them.

We bought a standard 1100 Lightweight and replaced the full size stock with a youth stock, that was still too long. So, we cut it down and as he grew, added a pad to it and then finally replaced the youth stock with the original.

We discovered that when we replaced the stock with the shortened youth stock, the gun was very unbalanced with a 26" barrel. We found a much shorter barrel (22" maybe?) and it made a tremendous difference in the gun's handling. It may not be easy to find such a barrel, but I would think that a used barrel that could be shortened and threaded for a screw-in choke would not be that expensive.

Brian used that gun for years, killing ducks, geese, brant, turkeys, pheasants, grouse and a couple of deer!

Good luck with your quest, and enjoy these fleeting years with your son.

Matt
 
Oh, and one more thing.........the 1100 20 ga lightweight is only available in 2 3/4" I believe. Don't let anyone tell you that he must have a 3" 20. All the game that Brian took with his gun was with 2 3/4" shells and without the punishing recoil of the 3" stuff.

Matt
 
My wife has her grandmother's 1100 20g. It is a nice enough shotgun, but I personally think it has plenty of kick to it, considering that it is a 20 g.
 
Tod if you can find a Berretta A391 it would be a good options. Light fast and no-kick. Karen has one and it is a great 20 gauge
 
Phil Nowack said:
My wife has an AL391 in 12 g. She likes it. Kicks about as much as the 1100 20 g.
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Good info Phil, thanks. The a400 is the current version from Beretta (what I'd consider the gold standard manufacturer for gas guns - sorry Big Green), which is why that is one I'm interested in (as Lite Compact). Gun is black plastic only, which is OK, but it seems like a kids first shotgun (actually third, but first real one) should be wood stocked and blued for nostalgia purposes. Anyway, there is zero chance I'm going to buy an 1100 for a myriad of reasons (some of which were presented as positives, but I feel are cons, not least of which they aren't produced anymore in a compact/youth).

Anyway, this has been a great discussion. I have a couple new guns to look at and I'll start pricing stuff seriously (things like adult stocks, spacers if applicable, etc). I'd prefer a 26" tube to smooth out the swing over a 24" as he grows into it. For sure want a 3" since there are no real turkey loads for the 20 in 2 3/4.
 
If recoil is similar... would you consider a 12, rather than 20?

Some prefer 20... Pete M for example... but if it is just a stepping stone, I think he will outgrow the 20 very quickly.
 
I picked up a used 391 Urika last season. Works on all conditions and my son shoots it well. Much better than the other two Cheap semi autos we went through.
 
Phil Nowack said:
If recoil is similar... would you consider a 12, rather than 20?

Some prefer 20... Pete M for example... but if it is just a stepping stone, I think he will outgrow the 20 very quickly.
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A 12 gauge is out, just too heavy and big for him now (I have plenty of those for him to try). I'm sure he will outgrow it as a duck gun and want a 12 in a few years if he gets into waterfowling, but it would be nice to have for doves, grouse, etc when he is older I'd think.
 
jode hillman said:
I picked up a used 391 Urika last season. Works on all conditions and my son shoots it well. Much better than the other two Cheap semi autos we went through.
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Thats what I'm trying to avoid. Thanks!
 
tod osier said:
Phil Nowack said:
If recoil is similar... would you consider a 12, rather than 20?

Some prefer 20... Pete M for example... but if it is just a stepping stone, I think he will outgrow the 20 very quickly.
Click to expand...

A 12 gauge is out, just too heavy and big for him now (I have plenty of those for him to try). I'm sure he will outgrow it as a duck gun and want a 12 in a few years if he gets into waterfowling, but it would be nice to have for doves, grouse, etc when he is older I'd think.
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understood
 
Tod,
I am in the Rem 1100 camp as well. I bought my first one with paper route money (40 yrs ago), still use it today. I do remember it seeming heavy at the time, especially after using the Ithaca single shot 20. A couple a years ago, I was looking for relatively cost effective gas operated 12 gauge 3" mag and looked into CZ. I found a used, older 3" mag 1100 gun instead. I have no experience with CZ, but the CZ 920 or CZ 912 could fill the bill. The CZ 720 ALS G2 may be another model. You should consider if this is a transition gun or something that he may use the rest of his life. What does he think? I went with the rest of my life and still love to shoot that 28" plain barrelled 1100.
 
I have a few 20's including a couple M2's. I love the M2's. Great gun to start with and a great gun to keep forever.

7/8 ox or 1 oz of 2s at 1500 fps is pretty good medicine for whatever flies.

Can always use a bit lighter loads if recoil is an issue, but it is a pretty soft shooting gun to start with .

A5 20 Mag is a sweet gun too, if you can find one.
 
Highly recommend the A400 20...been shooting one since they came out on the market....skeet, trap, geese, cranes, ducks, turkeys, and all upland when I get a chance...The right ammo produces clean kills with little to no recoil...Bought another case of Hevi X to try this year on geese and ducks in 2 shot...Shot a 1100 20 since the purchase in 99'...still have and is an excellent backup if needed but tends to jam due to spring recoil on harder hitting 3 inch rounds of newer shells.
 

M2's are Sweet Shootin' "Shootguns" and keeper's, just like the old 1100's.

Well worth the money, if yer in it for the long run, not short term.

Hand me downs for sure.
 
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