new shot gun - which one?

[hunter322]

I am in the market for a new shotgun and am looking for some input. I am looking for a new or slightly used 12 ga auto due to a tight budget. I am mainly looking at 3 different models and are looking for some input on these. I am looking for a 12 ga inertia driven auto with a 26" or a 28" barrel. the 3 models im looking at are the benelli m1 super 90, the benelli m2 or the franchi affinity. any info or reviews would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[PurpleFloyd]

Why inertia driven? Do you like recoil? jk.

I bought my son an sx3 last year(actually traded a cz712 that I bought for him that was nothing but problems).then I bought my daughter an affinity at Scheels but the recoil was more than my Beretta or the sx3 and we couldn't get it to pattern at all so it went back and she got an sx3 as well. One of my son's friends got an affinity and he seems to like it. Whatever you buy, make sure it fits you .That is the most important.

[hunter322]

absolutely fit is the most important factor. I want to go inertia because they are cleaner and more reliable. Recoil isn't a factor as I am upgrading from a pump so im used to recoil.

[TrollnDrift]

What are your plans for the gun? Mostly hunting I would go with the 26" but more towards trap and skeet I would go with the 28" I shoot a variety of guns, I have Brownings, Winchesters and a few others as well as a variety of Autos, Side by Sides and Over/Unders. I dont know much about the guns you are looking at but I wouldn't buy a gun that wont accept all 3 sizes of shells if you think you might hunt waterfowl anytime in the future.

[PurpleFloyd]

Reliable? I think any quality auto is going to be exceptionally reliable whether it is a Benelli, Beretta, Winchester, Browning,Mossy or possibly even the newest Remington.

Actually, with all of the auto's that our kids are shooting at the trap club the only gun that has had troubles is a Benelli VeraMax that would not cycle the second shell during sporting clays 2 different times with different ammo. Not sure why that was as we know that gun cycles shells reliably at other times.Every other auto including all of the names above have performed flawlessly through the season so I don't see inertia as any advantage in that respect other than a marketing tool. But fit for sure would be key.

[fishuhalik]

I'm a beretta guy, through and through. Pick up a gently used a391, you'll love it. Before season I put around 2,000 trap loads through it without cleaning to test it's durability. Never failed. Also took it out in weather as cold as -25 last year, trudging through 7' tall snowy cattails & didn't have a single failure to cycle. My .02

[PurpleFloyd]

I'm a beretta guy, through and through. Pick up a gently used a391, you'll love it. Before season I put around 2,000 trap loads through it without cleaning to test it's durability. Never failed. Also took it out in weather as cold as -25 last year, trudging through 7' tall snowy cattails & didn't have a single failure to cycle. My .02

Yeah, me too but I didn't want to sound biased towards on brand. I bought the Extrema II when they first came out in around 2005 and in all of the time shooting everything from reduced recoil trap loads to slugs to 3.5 inch buckshot it has never had a FTF or failed to cycle. And the recoil compared to the inertia guns is much tamer.

[fishuhalik]

I'm not brand biased. When I bought the gun, I wasn't 100% sold on it. All of my hunting partners have Benellis, & after a season of hard use, it was easy to see which ones performed better. 2 of the Benelli guys have now switched over & love em