Where have the cool pump guns gone?

So many cool semi-autos and double guns coming out, but you never see any really higher end pump guns. Something like the old Winchester Model 12 clays guns. with beautiful wood, silky smooth actions

Oxymoron...there has never been a cool pump shotty (I know you love when people do that )

For the cost it would take to make them people would just buy a semi.

That’s like asking if there’s any good new Fanny packs on the market

Rock Island vpa 40. Cheap, seems reliable, and 19 round detachable box mags available

Pumps are antiquated. Good tech for the time but no reason to own one with todays semi-autos

I get it, Buzz. I don’t like the way semi-auto shotguns shoot. It only makes sense that there should be some nicer pump options out there. The reason that there isn’t is because the market doesn’t demand it. It’s that simple.

They all petered out after the Wingmaster

There are a few reasons to own a pump over a semi-auto, even with the quality semi-autos that are around today.

Cost is probably number one. Yeah you can get a cheap semi-auto, but yeah it's going to jam like crazy. Yeah I know everybody's got their $300 semi-auto that has never had an issue, but in reality the only thing I've seen that never has issues starts at about 700 or $800 for a Franchi and goes up from there


Versatility is probably number two. Pump guns you can go from mini shells to 3 in and maybe three and a half without having to do anything to the gun other than load up and shoot. There are several different semi-autos that you have to switch gas rings and such if you're going to go from two and three quarter to heavy 3-in mags.

Working well with low maintenance is probably number three. Even solid autos need more cleaning and such than pumps to work reliably. The nature of pumps just allows them to work with less maintenance



None of that is to say that autos or not very good guns, but pumps are pretty all right too

Mikey out with a strong contender for post of the year!

Agree, Judd has one in the OT that is fire too though.

He said "shotty"

Yeah, but at least he didn't say "running" a shotty.

I still like pump shotguns, but only 870 Wingmasters. Some of the slightly earlier 870 Express and tacticals were pretty good, but the later ones not so much.

Judd is so "street" ya know.

Just wait until you see the latest spun up barrel I've done

tan ?

Aw hell, I forgot...you can't see colors...it don't matter...they all look tan to you

Ithaca has tried to revive their model 37 a few times. It’s just not cost effective. If you want a pump buy a BPS otherwise buy a used gun, Wingmaster, M12 or M37.

Fan boys of their plastic stocked semis just never mastered pump shotguns. It's a fact some people have hard time walking and chewing bubble gum. I was raised knowing 3-4 men that could kill 4-5 quail
per man on the rise with model 12. But there was actually quail back then and it was a money game to them. I shot consistant 22-23 out of 25 on skeet with model 12 but still enjoyed my Browning Superposed.

well said

Same as what I shot with a Model 12. All the straights on the skeet course were with that Model 12

I shot pump guns growing up.

Nothing really to master. Had a couple 500’s, a couple 870’s. Had a wingmaster that I shot incredibly well.

I still prefer autos for waterfowl guns and O/U’s and SxS’s for upland work.

I’ve shot a lot of quail. Hundreds of them. I’ve never known anyone who could kill 4-5 birds on a covey rise. Calling bull on that one.

Once I found an O/U that fit me, it became the only shotgun I wanted to hunt with. I still have a deep appreciation for the smooth action of a well used pump.

Your group of 4 men would kill 5 birds each on a covey rise? That's 20 birds per covey. That sure makes for some short hunts.