How unreliable are gas operated shotgun really?

hunter22mag

New member
Have really been waiting to get a new or used Remington 870 3 inch chambered with a 21 inch barrel and removable chokes so I can pattern my shots.I already own a benelli and I think a shorter barrel would help with tight quarters and just be easier if packing a rifle and shotgun. Cz has the 712 utility with a 20 inch barrel and removable chokes and midwayusa has them for $399. In the reviews I’ve watched only once have I seen it jam and that was with really old ammo.
 
I’m asking if the gas operated shotguns are as unreliable as some make them out to be because I was wanting the 870
( pump supposed to be more reliable system) but as I can’t find the one I’m looking for I’ve found the cz 712 utility which fits most of what I was wanting in a do all shotgun but it is gas operated and the gas operated shotguns aren’t supposed to be as reliable as pumps or even inertia semi auto shotguns.
 
it depends on the shotgun. i have had a rem 1187 for years. clean it every now and then and its very reliable.

i have not heard much good about the cz 712. but its a $400 semi auto shotgun. there is a reason it is that price.
 
I've had a Beretta AL2 for many years and I can't recall a single problem with it. I used to shoot a Rem 1100 for singles and put thousands of rounds through it with no issues as well.

I don't know anything about the CZ so I'm no help there but if you're in the market for one I would suggest doing as much research as you can before you purchase.
 
I used a Rem 1100 from 1970 to 1991 and a Rem 1187 from 1991 to around 2016 and had just a few problems.

Now I have a Beretta AL 391 and a Beretta A400 Xtreme and had no problems with either one of them.

The way I hunt coyotes with a shotgun I don't want a barrel shorter than 26" long. A short barrel shotgun is very easy to point at my feet when I am laying down, sitting down or reclining down into a bush or tree.

I like having the barrel be long enough to be sticking out past my foot. Check out the pictures below.
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Still using the factory gas rings on my 1100 that I got in 1984. But I haven't used it much in the past 15 yrs since I got my benelli.
 
The 1100 or 1187 both are great choices IMO. With the 1187 you might have to replace the O-ring once in a while but they are cheap and easy to replace. Find an older 870 WingMaster and go shoot the crap out of it. Built like a tank and seem to last forever. I found an old WingMaster in a Pawn Shop for $150. It wasn't the prettiest but a little cleaning and some cold blue and it looks good and shoots great.I wouldn't take three times that for it now. A friend just bought an 1100 20 gauge at an estate sale for $550, unfired and in the box. What a steal.
 
I have a cheapo Girsan semi-auto .12ga, think out the door it was around $350. It cycles from the lightest target loads and magnum 3" loads without so much as a hiccup. I have had high dollar guns that were no where near as reliable.
 
My mossberg 930 has been nothing but reliable and I've run it pretty hard. It cycles target loads down to 1100 fps without issue, I have heard that the inertia guns can have issues cycling if their not shouldered properly.
 
Someone will always tell you what you want to hear if you check enough opinions.

Truth is quality brands are reliable. Semiautos are easier to use in most hunting senerio. Pumps are awkward to use laying down. My personal preference is the Benelli. They run pretty clean and require very little maintance.
 
Use the proper ammunition recommended by the manufacturer and they work extremely well. You want to see a malfunction? Try short stroking a Remington 870 and get yourself a double feed. Now that's a fun one to clear. I've seen a ton more jammed 870 Remington's over 20 years as an instructor than I've seen jammed semi auto shotguns. Shoot with confidence and keep them clean.
 
My 3" 1100 SP is a problem when below zero temps, dry or many different lubes tried. The action cycles slow,very stiff by hand. 3" lead loads may work. Been like that since new in 1986. All original parts except I did open gas port 11% so 3" steel will cycle in duck weather.
 
I have been shooting a Beretta Xtrema (gas driven) since they first came out. I don't hunt predators with mine but I can tell you I have shot everything from very light dove/sporting clay loads all the way up to heavy 3 1/2 inch goose loads and I have never had one jam that I can remember. I keep it clean but am not overly obsessive about it. No issues at all in my opinion.

I also shoot a Benelli Legacy 28 (intertia driven) and I have never had a problem with it either.

Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you.
 
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Originally Posted By: pastorpSomeone will always tell you what you want to hear if you check enough opinions.



On the internet there is always an answer and like was said if you search hard enough you'll find the one your looking for. Expensive doesn't always mean better. I've seen a lot of high dollar Fords and Chevy's broke down on the highway. Range Rovers to. Hands on trial and error is the only way to know the truth and that's why we ask questions here.
 
Shot a Rem 1100 for 10 years, then got an 11-87 SPS in 1991 and am still shooting it today. Both were flawless, never once jammed. Duck and goose hunting everywhere from Louisiana to Iowa. Thousands of rounds through them (trapshooting included). The key to a Rem is to keep them CLEAN and DRY. Keep the stainless tube clean with fine steel wool and I soak the trigger assembly in a gallon jar of WD-40 once per year. Just my experience
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WD-40 eventually dries to a gummy too, at least it did when it came out. I made a fair amount of money cleaning triggers on waterfowl shotguns from guys just hosing down the insides of their shotguns with the stuff in the late 70s early 80s.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogOriginally Posted By: GCWhat does the WD-40 do for the trigger group?


Makes it easier for dust to stick to it.
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a ton of truth to that right there.
 
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