Shotguns

Though it was close, we narrowly preferred the Winchester 1300 Defender over the Remington 870 Express Magnum and Mossberg 590A1 Persuader slide actions.

Evaluated on the clay-target fields and over dogs pointing quail, the sub-gauge Browning gun had a slight edge over the Beretta.

We wanted to know if these smaller, lighter guns were suitable for home protection. Tested: Winchester's Ranger Compact, Remington's 870 Youth Express, and the Mossberg Bantam.

We try out Briley Manufacturing's Side Kick Chamber Inserts and Seminole Gun Works Chamber Mates to see if sub-gauge inserts can make 12 gauges more versatile.

We examine the Browning Cynergy Sporting, the Beretta 686 Onyx Pro X-tra Wood and the Silma Deluxe Model 70EJ.

Many shooters don't like the shoulder-popping recoil of a 12-gauge shotgun, so a logical substitute might be a sub-gauge semi-automatic — such as two Italian imports we tested recently.

We test several loads in an affordable pump gun and learn when enough power is enough and when a lot of power is too much.

Winning or losing a sporting clays tourney can come down to hitting just one more target than your competitor. Does the Browning Gold Sporting or the Beretta AL 391 Urika give you that edge?

After we shot these 3.5-inch over-and-under turkey-hunting shotguns, we found we didn't like the specialized Heckler & Koch Fabarm Camo Turkey Mag and the Fausti Traditions Turkey II.

Having a gun safe full of firearms that can be picked through to be just the right tool at just the right time is an unattainable luxury for most average hunters and shotgun enthusiasts. More often than not, there is a "go-to gun'' that will get the job done in all kinds of conditions. Rugged, reliable workhorses that may not be as pretty as some, these firearms might be called tools of necessity.

While several steps above a power saw or set of socket wrenches, utility shotguns are expected to function well and be relatively comfortable to handle under adverse conditions. They are used in places that might not be appropriate for a finely engraved, high-grade-wood showpiece.

Falling into this category are two semi-automatics, both gas operated, being described as "workhorses'' by a couple of well-known firearm manufacturers — the Winchester Super X2 of the U.S. Repeating Arms Company Inc. and the recently released Model 935 by O.F. Mossberg & Sons Inc.

Both shotguns are designed to handle heavy-hitting 3-inch and 3.5-inch shotgun shells, which have a reputation of reaching out to touch waterfowl with killing effectiveness. However, the ammunition also has a reputation of setting some shooters back on their heels from the recoil of sending up to 1 3/8 ounces of shot into the sky.

The big boys in most duck and goose blinds have historically been the semi-automatics or pumps that can sling shells all over creation as hunters hammer incoming waterfowl.

Some hunters who have grown tired of plucking empty hulls out of their ears or watching shells fly across their field of view as they stand beside their shooting buddies are checking out over-and-under shotguns for their waterfowl scatterguns. Many have come to accept the fact that two quality shots are just as effective as three sky-busting blasts from a semi-auto or pump. More control of the ejected shells (over and unders kick hulls out over the shooter's shoulder, rather than to the side) is another bonus.

These waterfowl over-and-unders may not be the high-dollar, finely engraved firearms that can be found lovingly nestled in the arms of shooters on quail or clay target fields, but they are hard-working tools that get the job done. Two shotguns that have been recently introduced as potential waterfowl busters are the Ruger All-Weather Red Label Target Grey Model and the Charles Daly Empire II EDL Hunter AE-MC Model. Both of the over-and-under shotguns have 3-inch chambers and carry a price tag of under $1,650.