Semi auto shotgun vs pump

[ElPollo]

People always talk about the reliability of pump guns. The reality is that if you get a bunch of dirt and grit on the action bars, they don’t run very well and are hell to clean out. And as others have mentioned, if your lug lined don’t run a pump a lot they are prone to short stroking and other malfunctions. If this is a camp gun that your wife or kids may have to use in stressful situations, an auto is easier to teach, easier to use, and has less felt recoil.

 

[TxLite]

Big fan of my 1301 tactical. It’s cycled everything without a hitch from 3” 00 buck to 2 3-4” light target loads. The controls are intuitive and easy to operate. It’s killed deer and raccoons and overall has been great. I actually liked it enough that I bought an a400 to go with it so I could have the same controls between both.

 

[StupidLightweight]

Beretta's 1301 Tactical would be a helluva bear gun. I'd rock TSS shot, mount a light and sling, and call it a day. As much as I love Mossberg shotguns for general-purpose tasks, they're not in the same league as the 1301.

 

[77TMK]

Current Benelli and Beretta semi-auto shotguns will work with boring reliability if fed full house buckshot or slugs. Price no object there is not justification for a pump if performance is prioritized.


That being said, I would rather have a semi-auto rifle. Like an AR15 with a mag of 77 TMKs or 62 gr Gold Dots. Every single bit of fuddlore about thick skin and bones stopping rounds is a leftover and mutilated experience for slow rounds 100+ years ago.

Find me a bear out there that would fare better than a perp behind thick front windshield after a few rounds. They’re not that tough to kill like any other animal on this planet not covered in rare earth metal alloys.

 

[Encore4me]

Get excited and short stroke a pump or get a arm hurt and can’t pump, might as well have a
Single shot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[nockhunter]

Yup, a pump is a two handed gun, semi not so much. A lot was learned about this at the Miami/Dade FBI shoot out. Along with other things about training.

Mike

 

[Choupique]

would rather have a semi-auto rifle. Like an AR15

Yea, definitely. For this specific use the AR is better for lots of reasons. Much shorter, much lighter, much more ammo, much less recoil, much easier for an inexperienced person to use, easy to get lots of hits, and rifle terminal performance.

If you don't have specific needs like breaching, less lethal, reduced ricochet, etc than the shotgun loses most of it's appeal. I don't know if I would want to trust tactical buckshot to stop a bear, and magnum buckshot and slugs have such brutal recoil that quick hits on a moving target just aren't likely to happen. Gimme the AR and 30 rifle rounds.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Had a hang fire once with a pump. The action unlocked and was partially open when it went off, blowing the contents out the ejection port. I won't use a pump again. Semi autos and break actions can't have that particular failure.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I like a pump. If you know how to shoot one, folks will think you’re shooting a semi auto. I’ve had folks convince I was shooting a semi auto. I just let them believe what they want.

However, I wouldn’t choose either of the ones you’ve mentioned, so get whatever you prefer.