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Auto-Loading Shotguns (Rem 11-87 specifically)

idsman75
I have been looking into the world of autoloading shotguns. I have no idea what I want but I've been doing some comparisons between price and names that I trust and I've been looking at this Remington 11-87 Sportsman: http://www.forthehunt.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=29782747

I know absolutely ZERO about autoloading shotguns aside from the difference between gas-operated and recoil/inertia-operated actions only in that one is driven by gas and one is driven by recoil. I have come to find that the gas-operated actions are a bit quicker when it comes to cycling and there seems to be a growing industry move towards gas-operated actions. I don't know which one is more reliable or durable.

With that being said, will the 11-87 handle multiple tasks from light dove loads to pheasant loads to turkey loads or are these gas-operated actions finicky? Would this be a decent choice for such a multi-purpose shotgun or should I look elsewhere?
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Comments

15 comments

Date Votes
  • duckhunter
    Great choice.

    I WOULD RATHER BE DUCK HUNTING.
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  • soop
    I had an early model 1187 and it didn`t like light loads and would often fail to cycle with them. It ate everything else I could feed it with no problem.I just traded it in for a new 1187 3 1/2inch mag.Just in time for turkey season.I would like to have tried a Benelli,but that`s alot of money.I am about two weeks away from bringing the new one home so I couldn`t tell you how it does with light loads.
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  • springer1
    The 11-87 is a good gun,I love my 1100
    I like wood blued instead of syn-matte
    You might save that 500 add 350-400
    and get a benelli m1 field
    Get the benelli in 20 ga ,then the Remington in 12
    my 2[;)]
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  • idsman75
    quote:Originally posted by springer1
    The 11-87 is a good gun,I love my 1100
    I like wood blued instead of syn-matte
    You might save that 500 add 350-400
    and get a benelli m1 field
    Get the benelli in 20 ga ,then the Remington in 12
    my 2[;)]


    Do you think the 11-87 will handle light loads as well as 3" Hevi-Shot turkey/goose loads?
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  • springer1
    How light?
    I only hunt Pheasant ,ducks ,geese and turkey with mine so I use only heavy 2 3/4 or 3 inch
    from lead to steel and hevi shot
    Any shell over 1oz will cycle
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  • idsman75
    Actually, I've never hunted dove with 12-gauge but it seems an autoloader would be nice to have on a dove hunt. Quick buggers. I don't know how light the load would be.
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  • Oklahomabound
    What's the planned use for this shotgun? Hunting birds and small game? If so, any decent brand will do, I prefer Beretta, and use an AL 391 sporting, but also use it to shoot sporting clays when not using the O/U.

    976371019-1.jpg "Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it." Lord Chesterfield
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  • idsman75
    dove, chukkar, pheasant, turkey
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  • gap1916
    I have only owned 2 shot guns and both were Benelli. Then again I have never heard anything bad about the Remington line of shotguns. [8D]

    Greg
    Former Marine
    A N G L I C O
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  • TWalker
    I own an older Remington 1100 with a 26" vent ribbed barrel and choked Imp Cyl. It handles well and is very good for skeet and upland game. It handles heavy 2 3/4 inch loads and the lightest 12 guage loads. It's not a long range gun, but I have other guns for when I need a magnum. I wonder if it would be OK to occasionally shoot steel shot if I got the chance? I've heard that the Imp. Cylinder choke is good for steel. It is excelent with 00 Buck at close range, shoots slugs OK out to 50 yards, and should do a fine job as a defensive gun in an emergency. I bought it used in very good-excellent condition for $185. It's my general purpose shotgun and I couldn't be happier. You don't have to spend a fortune to get a decent shotgun.

    "Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away." Thoreau
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  • idsman75
    I'm thinking that it should be able to handle Remington Hevi-Shot 3" magnum loads.
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  • Snellstrom
    My 11-87 handles everything I stuff in it. I shoot some trap with it real light loads, some doves too with the same loads. I hunt pheasants and grouse with the medium weight loads and "T" and "F" shot heavy loads for geese. Can honestly say I've had a couple thousand rounds through it and I can't remember even one jam, on top of that I'm pretty lax on cleaning shotguns and it still hasn't suffered.
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  • idsman75
    It sounds like I'm leaning towards the 11-87 Sportsman then. Probably the 26" barrel.

    Before this gets locked....thank you all for your words of wisdom!
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  • pickenup
    Ran just about every kind of load through my 11-87, from light loads to slugs. (with a different barrel) The one and only time it did not cycle, I knew what the problem was. So I cleaned it (including the gas vents) and it has worked like a charm every since.

    The gene pool needs chlorine.
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  • Bert H.
    If you want rock solid dependability, a known name, and a classic shotgun, than get yourself an original Browning Auto-5. It is a recoil operated action, but it was in production for nearly 100 years (1903 - 2000). Unless you are a serious Trap or Skeet shooter, the difference in the action speed is undetectable.

    Bert H.

    Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!
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