Shotguns

Back-to-the-basicsshotguns featuring black composite stocks and forearms fill a special niche in the world of scattergun enthusiasts. These firearms are picked for their ability to serve as a shooting tool that can withstand rugged hunting conditions and not with a lot of attention to appearance. They also eliminate the possibility of a flash of sunlight glinting off a shiny stock or barrel and alerting incoming waterfowl of potential danger.

Most of the major manufacturers offer at least a few of their shotgun models featuring composite stocks and forearms and non-glare barrels, and a variety of the shotguns make their way to the used gun racks where shooters are looking to pick up a bargain.

The three used composite semiautomatic shotguns we gathered for our test included the Smith & Wesson Model 1012, $630; the Winchester Super X Model 2, $600; and the Browning Gold Hunter, $700. While the trio's prices are probably in the moderate-to-high-end range for a used semiautomatic, we picked them as a good representation of how composites compared in the field and on the range.

The Winchester Super X2 is the same model reviewed by Gun Tests in March 2004, when it was pitted against a Mossberg 935. The Winchester was our pick in that match-up. In addition, we looked at a Super X3 versus a Benelli M2 in November 2007 and also gave the Winchester model a thumbs up in that comparison. In both cases, we were pleased with the Winchester's handling ability; functioning features; and the speed of the action over the other shotguns in those tests.

This latest match up involved two more recent introductions into the composite stock and forearm world of shotguns, and we were interested in determining how the veteran Winchester would fare.

To check out the shotguns in a variety of shooting situations, we selected the following test ammunition:

For clay targets, we used Winchester AA Light Target 23/4-inch loads with 11/8 ounce of No. 8 shot and an average muzzle velocity of 1145 fps; and Winchester Super Sport Sporting Clays 23/4-inch loads with 11/8 ounce of No. 71/2 shot and an average muzzle velocity of 1300 fps. It should be noted that none of the three shotguns would function well with the light target loads, resulting in numerous failures to feed a second shot. These shell-feeding problems were eliminated when we switched to the hotter sporting clays shells.

For the patterning tests, we selected Federal Steel Duck and Pheasant 3-inch loads with 1.25 ounces of BB shot and a muzzle velocity of 1300 fps. No functioning problems were encountered with any of the shotguns when firing the 3-inch shells.

We also function-fired several 31/2-inch shells, Estate High Velocity Magnum Steel with 13/8 ounces of No. 4 shot and an average muzzle velocity of 1,500 fps. We wanted to see how the Browning and Winchester would handle the heavy loads. The Smith & Wesson is limited to no more than 3-inch shells.

While there were no functioning problems, there was quite a bit of shoulder shock when firing the 31/2-inch loads in the Browning. Probably because of the Winchester's heavier weight, there was no appreciable difference in recoil between 3-inch and 31/2-inch loads. However, we were happy to limit our practice time with the big shells to only a few rounds.

We were generally pleased with the way all three of the shotguns could be moved onto targets on the clays course and with the trio's patterning performance using steel shot on paper targets set at a range of 30 yards.

Details of how each shotgun performed at the clay target range and patterning field follows in our report:

One of the major reasons hunters choose a 20 gauge over a 12 gauge is the former's smaller frame, weight, and recoil. Though they may already own a 12, many field sportsmen wind up reaching for their 20s because the smaller gun is just easier to handle, and there are just a few hunting situations—layback goose hunting and spring turkey hunting, to name two—in which the bigger payload might make a difference.

One 3-inch-chamber 20 gauge we recently tested was the Mossberg SA-20 No. 75771, $496. The Mossberg is a new-for-2008 line for that company, so the SA-20 designation names just a single chambering, as you might expect. However, comparable guns in the 930 autoloader line, which are chambered only for 12 gauge, weigh 7.75 pounds to the SA-20's feathery 6.0 pounds.

This over/under match-up has a distinctly international taste to it. We recently pitted a Belgium-made gun with an American name-the Winchester 101-against the all-American Ruger Red Label engraved model, the increasingly popular Caesar Guerini representing the Italian trigger-plate actions, and Brownings most recent stackbarrel, the Japanese-made Browning-branded Cynergy. All are marketed as general-purpose models suitable for hunting and casual clays use.In more detail, they were 3-inch-chamber 12 gauges that would likely be the most expensive shotgun 95% of us might own. The smallest price tag came on the Winchester Model 101 Field No. 513046361 3-inch 12 gauge, $1739. It is Belgium-made by F.N., the country and manufacturing facilities that J.M. Browning turned to originally when he was dissed by the old Winchester in the very beginning. This "101" is related to the Olin-Kodensha 101 is its name and styling attempt only.Next up was the Ruger Red Label Engraved No. KRL-1227-BRE 3-Inch 12 gauge, $2180. This Red Label comes with scroll-engraving and gold-inlaid pheasants adorning both sides of the stainless-steel receiver. What we quickly noticed about this model was both the engraving and the wood. Contrasted with the sleek, smooth look of the base models stainless receiver, the engraving dresses the gun up. Also, the well-figured wood elements in the forearm and the buttstock matched in color and tone, and the checkering was deeply and crisply cut, making the furniture functional as well as visually appealing. If this were an import, you might have to add an "E" or an "L" to describe its wood quality. You also wont have to worry about a plated finish chipping off or flaking, nor will you ever see any receiver bluing wear. Stainless steel has its benefits.The next step up in price was the Browning Cynergy Euro Field 3-inch 12 Gauge No. 013297304, $2609. To oversimply the reason for the Cynergy, it is Brownings effort to produce the lowest-profile over-under shotgun ever made. Theres a very good reason for pursuing this design-the lower barrels are set into the receiver, the less muzzle rise you are going to have. In our view, Browning succeeded in its goal of producing a low-profile design.The most expensive gun in the test was the Caesar Guerini Tempio, $3195. It had a low-profile receiver, Prince-of-Wales grip, and schnable fore-end. The receivers "French grey" metal finish is a nickel alloy underlying full-coverage scroll engraving featuring Bulino-style gold game scenes. The Tempio also features a deluxe grade of Turkish walnut with a hand-rubbed oil finish.With the stage set, we set out to find if the Tiempo could possibly be worth a $1400 price premium between it and the Winchester, worth $1000 more than the Red Label, and almost $600 more than the Browning. Heres what our team found:

Lynch Hummer, a $7.5 million Hummer facility in an upscale St. Louis suburb, has announced the opening of the world's first combined Hummer and firearms dealership.

NC Federal Grand Jury Indicts 9 in Firearms Thefts Ring, Organized Firearms Home Theft Conspiracy Revealed

The travel writer Arthur Frommer has authored dozens of Frommer’s Travel Guides, and he writes a blog called Arthur Frommer Online. Now he’s trying to organize a boycott of Arizona’s travel industry because he disagrees with its gun laws.

Houston-based B.A. Brooks Sports is a Federal Firearms License dealer who supplies firearms for Gun Tests evaluations. B.A. Brooks Sports sometimes has guns acquired for Gun Tests evaluation that readers might want to purchase. The following list describes those firearms and accessories.

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1988, the last "new" production shotshell cartridge of any note was introduced by Federal Cartridge Company: the 31/2-inch 12 gauge. It was the Mossberg 835 slide-action that helped launch it, and it was the proliferation of the long shell that sealed the demise of the 10-gauge shotgun, as you can actually get more performance out of a 12-gauge 31/2-inch load, chambering it in a shotgun that is less bulky, more versatile, and less costly to shoot than a comparable 10-gauge gun. Thats not quite obsolete, but Federal Cartridge currently lists only five 10-gauge loads, while the company offers more than 75 different 12-gauge shotshells. Whether a 31/2-inch 12 gauge makes a lot of sense today is another matter. The preconceived notion is that a 31/2-inch shell is automatically a Roman candle-but that is far from the truth. The 23/4-inch "baby magnum" lead shotshell has always had a 11/2-oz. payload. Typical steel 31/2-inch shells are 13/8-oz. to 11/2-oz. payloads: no heavier than many older 23/4-inch lead loads, much less 3-inch 12-gauge shells.But even though standard-length shells and the guns that shoot them can certainly get the job done, we cannot deny the appeal of shotguns that will shoot 31/2-inch shells, in part because they will shoot nearly any 12-gauge shotshell out there. Here, we look at two of the latest and supposedly greatest of the long-chambered slide-action twelves, the Benelli SuperNova No. 20115 MAX-4 HD Camo 12 Gauge Pump, $599; and the new-for-2009 Remington M887 NitroMag No. 82500 12 Gauge, $399. We should note that Benelli offers a matte black version of the SuperNova at $499 and that Remington offers the camo version of the M887 at $532 MSRP, but the differences were so significant that finish and price were secondary issues.

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1988, the last "new" production shotshell cartridge of any note was introduced by Federal Cartridge Company: the 31/2-inch 12 gauge. It was the Mossberg 835 slide-action that helped launch it, and it was the proliferation of the long shell that sealed the demise of the 10-gauge shotgun, as you can actually get more performance out of a 12-gauge 31/2-inch load, chambering it in a shotgun that is less bulky, more versatile, and less costly to shoot than a comparable 10-gauge gun. Thats not quite obsolete, but Federal Cartridge currently lists only five 10-gauge loads, while the company offers more than 75 different 12-gauge shotshells. Whether a 31/2-inch 12 gauge makes a lot of sense today is another matter. The preconceived notion is that a 31/2-inch shell is automatically a Roman candle-but that is far from the truth. The 23/4-inch "baby magnum" lead shotshell has always had a 11/2-oz. payload. Typical steel 31/2-inch shells are 13/8-oz. to 11/2-oz. payloads: no heavier than many older 23/4-inch lead loads, much less 3-inch 12-gauge shells.But even though standard-length shells and the guns that shoot them can certainly get the job done, we cannot deny the appeal of shotguns that will shoot 31/2-inch shells, in part because they will shoot nearly any 12-gauge shotshell out there. Here, we look at two of the latest and supposedly greatest of the long-chambered slide-action twelves, the Benelli SuperNova No. 20115 MAX-4 HD Camo 12 Gauge Pump, $599; and the new-for-2009 Remington M887 NitroMag No. 82500 12 Gauge, $399. We should note that Benelli offers a matte black version of the SuperNova at $499 and that Remington offers the camo version of the M887 at $532 MSRP, but the differences were so significant that finish and price were secondary issues.

When it comes to defending the home, the shotgun is and probably always will be a popular choice. The favorite design for this purpose has long been the pump-action shotgun. Simplicity, low cost, and reliability are their hallmarks. Cycling a pump shotgun relies directly upon the operator, while semiautos load themselves. Perhaps this is why the pump is more widely trusted. In this test we will find out if two semiautomatic shotguns can earn the same high level of confidence as the shuckers have earned. Furthermore, we'll pit a base-model autoloader against a fully dressed tactical model to see just what upgrades help or hinder. Our test shotguns were the $458 CZ-USA No. 06029 712 Utility 12 gauge and the $700 Mossberg Special Purpose 930 Tactical No. 85360. Both shotguns were constructed with black synthetic stocks and black aluminum receivers. The CZ shotgun was a basic model, as its name would imply. The Mossberg was outfitted with several upgrades from the tactical aftermarket.

To test our shotguns we did not take them to the skeet range. Nor did we take them hunting. Here is what we were looking for: First, we wanted to find out the size and the density of pattern we could deliver shooting nine-pellet 23/4-inch 00 buckshot. Our buckshot test patterns were produced from a maximum distance of 25 yards. We also fired for pattern from 30 feet, a typical distance between a bedroom door and the main entrance of a home. For this test we fired the Winchester Super X XB1200 load, the Federal Low Recoil H132 00-buck shotshells, and Rio Royal Low Recoil shotshells, No. RBLR 129. At first we chamber-loaded one at a time. Then we loaded the magazines to check for cycling. What we found was that our entire supply of Rio slugs and buckshot would be useless in this test. Neither shotgun would cycle the Rio ammunition. In fact, the Mossberg would not even allow it to enter the magazine. Both shotguns were built to chamber 3-inch rounds, so the added length of the Rio (about 0.12 inches) was not the problem. After failing to pass through a MEC shell-check gauge ($12, from recobstargetshop.com), we think it was the high-wall brass that was responsible. However, these rounds cycled easily in the two pump shotguns we tried, a Remington 870 Express Magnum and a Mossberg 590A1.

We also tried firing slug ammunition from a benchrest at a distance of 50 yards. Our choice of slugs was the Federal Vital-Shok TruBall Low Recoil Rifled Slug HP No. PB127 LRS. To help us steady the shotguns and also soak up recoil, we mounted the shotguns in a Caldwell Lead Sled. Test rounds were chronographed to measure velocity and compute muzzle energy.

Semiautomatic firearms require energy supplied by the ammunition to cycle. So we fired less powerful ammunition as well. For this segment of our test, we fired Super Sport Competition Target loads from Estate Cartridge, Inc., and another inexpensive round, Rio's Trap 32 target load. Both rounds were rated at about 1150 fps and were 23/4-inch 23/4-dram shells with 11/8 ounces of No. 8s. Each of these rounds featured low-brass hulls. Our function-fire test included a timed rapidfire exercise aimed at a steel target placed 12 yards downrange. To ensure safety we chose an Evil Roy Practice Target from actiontarget.com. The Evil Roy was safe to use because it directed the ricochet downward almost directly in front of its collapsible stand. We used a shot-activated timer to record five five-shot strings of fire beginning with an audible start signal. Our intent was to drive the guns as fast as possible to see if we could make them stumble. By racing against the clock we were adding artificial stress. In this way we hoped to learn more about the basic operation of each gun. That is, knocking off the safety, achieving a mount, finding the target and keeping our hits on steel. Start position was port arms with the butt of the gun lowered to about the belt line with the front sight, or bead, held high enough so that it was at the periphery of our sight picture between our eye and the target. Would the performance and reliability of either shotgun be enough to win over a pump-gun devotee? Let's find out.

In Arizona and several other states, it happens to be legal for people to purchase and carry these types of weapons without a permit. Gun-rights advocates say they are exercising their constitutional right to bear arms and protest; others who argue for more gun control say it could be a disaster waiting to happen.

The 2009 Shotgun National Junior Olympics came to a close on August 1 with Collin Wietfeldt (Hemlock, Mich.) and Rachael Heiden (Clinton, Mich.) earning titles in the Trap event.