1st Semi - Final Contenders

Decided lm ready to switch over to the dark side and get my 1st semi 12 Ga. This gun will be primarily used for Waterfowl with most hunting occurring down at the Coast but with some hunting occurring over freshwater farm ponds. l have been doing a lot of research online and narrowed it down to a final list of 6 options. My budget is $900 but would be willing to spend an extra $100 over this if there is another one not listed that worth the extra money. Any help narrowing this list down further regarding your own personal experience with any of the guns would be greatly appreciated

1) CZ 1012
2) Stoeger M3500 Waterfowler Special
3) Weatherby SA-08 Deluxe
4) Franchi Affinity 3
5) Beretta A300 Outlander
6) TriStar Viper G2 Bronze

Which ever gun fits you the best is the one I recommend.

Also, you can shop gunbroker and pick up some used higher end huns like benelli, beretta, brownings for under your price point if that interest you. I've had good luck doing that.

Get a used Beretta a400. Can do that for 1k. Can shoot anything from 7/8oz dove load to 3.5" shell dor cranes and geese.

Out of those the Outlander 100%

This. No need for 3.5 shells and it’s always a good choice sticking with one of the three Bs.

This.



If this.

Whichever fits you best, and you need to include the Winchester sx3 and sx4.

Don’t count out the ATA venza from academy either. I’ve shot one the last two years and know a few people that have shot them longer. They hold up well and I haven’t had a single complaint with mine.

My middle son loves his Outlander...i'm an over under guy...3 Tristar Hunters....all 3 are twelves, just have 20 ga sub-tubes in the teal gun and 28 ga tubes in the dove gun...and less than a grand in all 3

The Beretta a350 is right at $900 at Academy

I've shot 2-4 and own 2,3, and 4.

2 - heavy, reliable for the most part, use it as a back-up gun now or a loaner to friends
3 - got one when they first came out - not sure if they still use interchangeable valves (heavy and light) - but my heavy valve failed after about a year. Weatherby sent a new one, but since then I've retired it to lighter loads - definitely like the way it fits, shoulders, and swings the best and is my go-to dove gun if I'm shooting a semi. Plus mine has nice wood that I don't want to mess up. It's a light comfortable gun, but I'd pass unless they upgraded the valves for heavier loads to be more reliable
4 - putting my first season on this one now. I have been pleased. Has been flawless so far. Much lighter than the Stoeger and I personally like the fit better.

I heard that new Franchi is bad to the bone.

The Beretta A300 Outlander is hard to beat...proven and reliable 391 action packed into an affordable gun...shim adjustable too...!

I really appreciate everyone’s opinions on this one. Based on responses between this forum and another l posted on, it seems the overwhelming majority is recommending the Beretta. So yesterday l went down to Academy and checked out the Stoeger and A300. Below are a few things l noticed about both along with some things the guy behind the counter mentioned:

Stoeger - Felt ok when shouldered but slight imbalance in the weight. I was told this is because they have a hollow stock. I slid the bolt back and it was smooth as butter. Guy at Academy said they sell a lot of them but more than likely due to price point. His friend owns one and it’s never had a failure. Also they are super easy to clean and take apart being that it’s inertia instead of gas. The sight is an oversized fiber optic

A300 - Felt good when shouldered and weight is light and perfectly balanced. The bolt was stiff and required a fair amount of effort to slide back (possibly just needs to be broken in and then will loosen up?) It’s got a bead site instead of fiber optic which l actually prefer. Apparently more complicated to dissemble and will probably be a bit of challenge for me up front, but lm sure there is an ample amount of information online to walk me through it. The guy at Academy said this is the gun he would recommend getting...Even though there was just as many pluses in the column for the Stoeger (including price)

In conclusion l think lm going to go with the Beretta. I don’t want any regrets with this purchase and feel that there is a reason that most people are saying Beretta without hesitation. I only shoot 3’s for ducks so see no reason to upgrade to A400. I was only considering the Stoeger 3500 because at that price point and with several good reviews online it seemed like it might be a steal of a deal. Thanks again for everyone’s comments and help

You’ll be glad you went with the Beretta. Disassembly can be done in ~1 min, 2 if you wanna pull trigger. Nothing hard about it. Bolt will loosen, brand new recoil spring needs to be broken in. Put a drop or two of 10w-30 on the bolt races and go shoot a case or 5.

This ^

Easy enough to take apart and reassemble after you've done it once or twice. I have an A300 and it was recommended to shoot at least a box of high brass magnum shells first to break in the recoil spring. I did this and have yet to have a fail to fire/feed in hundreds of rounds so far, even with the lightest dove loads.