Need 20 gauge suggestions for wife

[Yoder409]

There are three things I take into consideration with women and kids:

1)   Recoil
2)   Gun fit
3)   Gun weight



Looking at a Semi-Auto for reliability, I would be looking at:

• Beretta
  
• Browning
  
• Winchester SX-3

[/list]

This.

However if I were on any sort of a budget I would list the guns in reverse order.  From what I've seen of my SX-3 over the first 2 years, there may be a semi AS good.  But I don't think there's one better.

[wvmntnhick]

There are three things I take into consideration with women and kids:

1)   Recoil
2)   Gun fit
3)   Gun weight



Looking at a Semi-Auto for reliability, I would be looking at:

• Beretta
  
• Browning
  
• Winchester SX-3

[/list]

This.

However if I were on any sort of a budget I would list the guns in reverse order.  From what I've seen of my SX-3 over the first 2 years, there may be a semi AS good.  But I don't think there's one better.

I don't have the sx3 but do have an sx2. There's not a great deal of difference in the pair so I'd have to agree with your statement. Every company had produced a lemon and I'm sure there have been some guys with bad experiences with the Winchester (Browning, FN) but I've personally not heard of any. Having said that, never had any issues with the Beretta I had either. Just didn't point as well imho. If you can swing it (no pun intended), go for the sx series or a Browning auto.

[Yoder409]

I don't have the sx3 but do have an sx2. There's not a great deal of difference in the pair so I'd have to agree with your statement.

Hick..............

I've got both of them.

From a practical standpoint, the only REAL difference between the two (and I am comparing 12 ga to 12 ga because there was no 20 ga SX-2) is the weight.  The SX-3 will run nearly a full pound lighter than the SX-2.

[owlhoot]

not sure but the SX3 with the scope rail(cantilever style) felt pretty heavy to me , more than the 12 without it felt.
Heavy enough that i didn't want it after picking it up.
Ati stocks , the Akita model are heavy and have a great pad, really take the recoil down.

[Yoder409]

12 gauge to 12 gauge with 26" barrels, the SX-2 is 8 lbs and the SX-3 is 7 lbs.  I can readily notice the difference at the back end with 3 1/2" turkey loads.

Still.............. being gas guns, they recoil less than any inertia gun.

[wvmntnhick]

I don't have the sx3 but do have an sx2. There's not a great deal of difference in the pair so I'd have to agree with your statement.

Hick..............

I've got both of them.

From a practical standpoint, the only REAL difference between the two (and I am comparing 12 ga to 12 ga because there was no 20 ga SX-2) is the weight.  The SX-3 will run nearly a full pound lighter than the SX-2.

I believe that the sx3 has either an alloy or aluminum receiver if I'm not mistaken. That's where your weight different comes from. Didn't realize they didn't make the sx2 in a 20 ga though. Would love to find a shorter barrel for mine. Just don't like packing that much barrel in the woods. May as well be carrying a 30" waterfowl gun and just club them when they get close. But then that's just a personal opinion which carries no value. Having said that, the 11-87 is a decent gun for the value and recoil is quite manageable as was mentioned by other posters. Have had several kids cut their teeth on that one and all have found it to be a pleasure and some have bought their own when they got the money rounded up. My wife is recoil sensitive (deer hunts with a 223 for that reason) and had fun with it as well.

[J. Adams]

I have a little franchi that is great but's only 2.75"r and 3"  870LW and the 3" M2 20, mine always wants to shoot the M2 2o, I think because it's light and fits her pretty well.
The others I liked personally and that seemed to fit her good was the Franchi Affinity compact, Whatever you decide to go with I would go where you can handle them all and see how they fit.

[vaturkey]

Benelli  M2

[stringtown]

thanks for all the info

[Marc]

I think the franchi 48al would be a good choice as previously mentioned. Its super light and a nice pointing gun. Only takes 2 3/4" though (or at least that's what mine is chambered for). Other than that I'd go with a Browning but my opinion is distorted.

Benelli  M2

Word of mouth, the AL-48 is a nice gun and very light weight...  Also known as a kicker.  It is a long recoil action (like the original A-5), which is in effect a type of inertia action...  Reports of reliability are good, but once again, it has some recoil associated with it.

Having owned a Benelli M-2 (in both 20 ga. and 12 ga.) it is a very reliable gun, and far easier maintenance than any gas auto I have owned.  It is also a kicker...  And my 20 ga. was more unpleasant to shoot than the 12 ga. due to ultra light weight and inertia action (at least with stout loads).

As a wing/clay shooter and shooting higher volumes of shells, I find recoil issues to be extremely important.  Shooting a single shell out of a turkey gun, I would think recoil would be far less of an issue.

[Snoodsniper]

I've shot my franchi an awful lot and recoil has never been an issue. I will say that I only use it for upland hunting though. My seven year old has shot it but not repeatedly. Some options would be hand loading light loads or maybe try a 28 gauge. A friend of mines wife is very small and she has a citori lightening in 20 gauge for skeet. Its a slick little gun and would be my first choice if price isn't an issue.

[Tail Feathers]

A friend of mine has a Beretta 390 in 20 gauge with a mercury recoil reducer.  He has a real bad neck issue and that thing is a SWEET shooter.  Soft with 3" loads and carries very light, even with the extra half pound or so of recoil reducer.

[DirtNap647]

I got my eye on one of those benellis