The Remington Model 11-87 Euro version was a lightened gun for the European market. Note how the receiver was “shaved” in the rear to reduce weight. Although it was much lighter and made for a better upland gun, it never caught on stateside.
If an average shotgunner was asked to conjure up in mind’s eye a scene depicting an upland hunter, no doubt that hunter will be armed with either a side by side or an over/under shotgun. For the past half a century or so, we have been conditioned to think that an upland gunner should be armed with a two barreled gun. Repeaters are permissible in the wetlands when shooting waterfowl, but for upland game, double guns are what we believe are most suited. But despite all the articles and advertising about double guns, if an accurate survey was conducted, the results would show that more upland game is shot with repeaters.
The Remington Model 11-87 Euro version was a lightened gun for the European market. Note how the receiver was “shaved” in the rear to reduce weight. Although it was much lighter and made for a better upland gun, it never caught on stateside.
It used to be that the vast majority of repeaters found in the field were pump guns. However, in the last couple of decades, the autoloader has gained considerably on the pump gun in popularity. Today it is possible to find an autoloader that is priced a few bucks less than some of the pump guns. Although the most popular and best selling shotgun in North America is still the pump gun, the autoloader is not far behind, ahead of the over-under and the side by side. Interestingly, shortly after the introduction of the first successful auto-loading shotgun in America, the Belgian Browning and the Remington Model 11, the autoloader outsold all other shotguns 6 to 1 in the northeast and about 4 to 1 in the rest of the country. However, with the appearance of increasing number of less expensive pump guns, the pump gained on the autoloader, while the double continued to slide.
There is no denying that a good double gun is truly a delight in the field. In the uplands where hunters log more miles than shots, a light, fast handling shotgun is what is needed. A quality side by side or an over/under, especially one that is made in the smaller gauges, tends to be light, fast handling, and easy to carry. But please note that the key is a “quality” double, which translates to more money! A cheap, poorly constructed double gun is just that, a “cheap, poorly constructed gun!” It is far better to get a quality autoloader, than to settle for a cheap double. But just any autoloader will not necessarily be a better choice. Most autoloaders, especially those made in this country, are better suited for ducks than upland gunning.
A typical 12 gauge 7 1⁄2 pound muzzle heavy autoloader does not make for an ideal upland gun. Probably more upland game has been shot in the last 40 years in America with a 12 gauge Remington 1100 than any other autoloader. Prior to that, it was the Browning A-5 and Remington 11 and 11-48. However, they were used in the uplands more often than not, because they were the only shotguns available to the hunter, not because the gun was selected specifically for upland gunning. If any of these guns were selected for upland gunning, they were usually in the smaller bore sizes.
Ideally, for upland gunning an autoloader (or any other gun for that matter!) should be fairly light and have a balance that tends to be light up front. The arbitrary weight limit should be no more than 7 1⁄4 pounds, preferably closer to 7 or under, regardless of gauge. This eliminates some autoloaders, but at the same time, still provides adequate choice to upland hunters. Among modern gas operated autoloaders, the Beretta comes to mind in its various models. Going back to earlier 302 and 303 to current models, Berettas always tended to be light, averaging around 7 pounds with a 26 inch barrel in 12 gauge. They are not exactly barrel light, but they are light overall and handle very well in the uplands. The Benelli, of course, leads the field in light autoloaders, whether it is the Montefeltro, the M1 or M2, they are all not just light, but balanced right with muzzle lightness. The Benelli models Montefeltro, M1 and M2 weigh 7 pounds or less and the latest Ultra Light model will weigh closer to 6 pounds! There are other makes that you might find, but the bottom line is to find one that is not just light, but is barrel light.
One of the lightest and nicest 20 gauge autoloaders on the market today, the Beretta Urika model.
Among older autoloaders, there were surprisingly quite a few that were very good if not superb for upland gunning. The old Browning Double Auto was originally designed for boxed pigeon shooting and balances like a double gun. The “Twentyweigh” model weighs around 6 1⁄2 pounds and in “Twelvette” it is closer to 7 pounds, but still light enough for upland duty. There was also the Winchester Model 59 with its revolutionary fiberglass wrapped barrel that weighed 6 1⁄2 pounds in 12 gauge. The Winchester was revolutionary not only because of its unusual barrel, but also because it was the first American made shotgun with screw-in choke tubes. The Franchi 48AL could weigh as little as 6 1⁄4 pounds in 12 gauge with a plain, short barrel. Perhaps the lightest of all was the revolutionary Armalite AR-17 or the ‘Golden Gun” as it was called. The Armalite was made in 12 gauge only, and like the Browning Double Auto, it was a two shot and operated on the short recoil system. The Armalite tipped the scale at 5 1⁄2 pounds, in 12 gauge! There were other imported autoloaders that were pretty light in 12 gauge. In the 1950s and 60s there was the Breda, a unique, exceptionally well made long recoil operated autoloader. The Breda normally weighed around 7 pounds in 12 gauge but could be had in the Superlight model that weighed 6 3⁄4 pounds. So, really there never was a shortage of light, properly balanced autoloaders for the uplands.
In 16 gauge, the Browning Sweet Sixteen in the old A-5 configuration is just about all that was and is available. However, it is possible to locate an old Remington 11-48 16 with a receiver that was “shaved” to better suit the smaller gauge. Savage did make a rather bulbous looking Model 775, a lightened version of 755 that weighed around 7 pounds, but it was an ugly gun and did not sell well. Whatever the case may be, in the older models it is best to avoid ventilated ribbed barrels for upland gunning. Not only does the ventilated rib contribute significant weight to overall gun weight (about 1⁄4 of a pound) but it adds weight in a crucial area, up front! A Browning Sweet Sixteen with a plain 26 inch barrel will average 6 3⁄4 pounds and handle beautifully. With a ventilated rib, the weight can increase to over 7 pounds. A 7 pound gun should be a 12, not a 16, if it is to be used in the uplands. The same thing can be said about the Remington 11-48. With a short plain barrel, the Remington could weigh as little as 6 1⁄2 pounds while with a ventilated rib it tended to be closer to 7. The legendary Remington 1100 did come in 16, but as good as the 1100 is for a variety of shotgunning, it is not the best gun for the uplands in 12 or 16 gauges. Besides being somewhat heavy, it was always nose heavy, not the best thing for an upland gun. Yet, because it points so well, it has served as an upland gun for many a successful upland hunter.
In the 1980s Remington attempted to correct the nose heavy tendency of the 1100 for the uplands and came out with their Special Field models with 21 inch barrels. But these guns, although lighter with their short barrels and shortened magazines, did not have a very good balance. Merely chopping the barrel shorter, as most manufacturers are prone to do, does not make an “upland” gun, it just makes it a shorter gun! Although there are upland gunners who swear by the Remington “Special Field” models with their stubby barrels, they are not ideally suited and tend to have poor balance. The current Remington “contour” barrels are a much better solution.
In 20 gauge, the picture changes somewhat and even the nose heavy Remington 1100 in the Lighweight 20 can make a good upland gun. Just about all the 20 gauge autoloaders are suitable for upland gunning provided that they are properly choked. Some are, of course, better suited for upland gunning than others. Perhaps the best way to separate the 20 gauges is by using three categories. The “standard” would be the first category, those guns that weigh between 6 1⁄2 and 7 pounds such as the Remington 1100 LT 20, Browning Gold, etc. These guns make good upland guns if they are choked properly. The second category would be the “Lightweight” 20 gauge autoloaders such as the Berettas and Benellis, and even the old Browning A-5 “Twenty,” commonly referred to as “Light Twenty” and the earlier mentioned Breda. These are 20 gauges that all weigh somewhere between a few ounces under 6 pounds and 6 1⁄2 pounds. They are all balanced right for the uplands and their light over all weight makes them ideal for carrying over hill and dale. The third category is what can be termed as “Ultra Light” autoloaders. Currently there are only two that can qualify for the “Ultra Light” title. Although there are Benelli M-1s and M-2s, and Montefeltros that dip under 6 pounds, to qualify for “Ultra Light” the gun has to weigh closer to 5 1⁄2 pounds in 20 gauge.
All Beretta autoloaders tend to be light. This one, although a bit flashier than the plain Urika, is still light and makes for a good upland gun.
The Benelli Ultra Light model in 20 is supposed to weigh 5 pounds 2 ounces. It is indeed a feathery, delightful autoloader, but not quite as light as claimed. Benelli achieved lighter weight by using a shorter magazine tube, shorter barrel, and a carbon fiber ventilated rib. But despite the shorter barrel, it balances very well because the Benelli receiver is longer by about an inch than the average autoloader’s, and the barrel is not seated as deeply, giving it another inch of length. Therefore, the Benelli with a 24 inch barrel will be of same overall length as a Browning A-5 with a 26 inch barrel.
A sleeper in this group of super light autoloaders is the Franchi 48AL. The Franchi was always considered to be the lightest autoloader one could get. It used to be advertised as the world’s lightest autoloader and I suppose it is still true today. Benelli Ultra Light is very light, but it is a few ounces heavier than the Franchi. The Franchi has excellent balance combined with feathery weight. A typical Franchi 48AL 20 gauge (the earlier model without screw-in chokes) with 26 inch ventilated rib barrel weighs 5 pounds 4 ounces. With shorter barrel (Franchi made 24 inch barrels) it would weigh-in at the advertised 5 pounds 2 ounces. Today’s guns, because of the screw-in chokes, tend to weigh a few ounces more, although they are still feathery. The Benelli Ultra Light 20 gauge with 24 inch barrel averages around 5 pounds 6 ounces, 4 ounces more than the advertised 5 pounds 2 ounces. Perhaps Benelli’s advertising claims are a bit overly optimistic. Still, at less than 51⁄2 pounds, it is plenty light!
The classic Browning A-5 Sweet Sixteen was a great favorite with upland gunners in the past and still makes for an outstanding upland gun.
In 28 gauge, there is the Remington 1100 and the Franchi 48AL. The Remington tends to be heavier, averaging around 6 1⁄2 pounds, but still makes for an excellent upland gun, as does the discontinued Remington 11-48 which is lighter and averages 6 pounds in 28 gauge. The Franchi is the lightest 28 gauge autoloader on the market today. It is built on the 20 gauge receiver and weighs about the same as the 20. It make for a delightful upland gun with an average weight of around 5 1⁄2 pounds. There’s also the Charles Daly import, a gas operated gun that appears to be pretty good, but the gun has not been around long enough to provide adequate assessment.
There are a number of inexpensive double guns on the market today that cost less than the pricier autoloaders. But as the old saying goes, “you get what you pay for.” The inexpensive doubles may very well be durable, but you can rest assured that they will more than likely be crudely finished or with a lot of glitz to cover up poor workmanship. Balance and handling qualities will not be something you will find in these cheaper doubles. It is far better to spend your money on a quality autoloader than on an inexpensive double gun.
One constantly hears about how autoloaders are unreliable, etc. Any gun can be unreliable if it is not maintained properly and used improperly. The biggest cause of autoloader jamming is lack of cleaning! In a way, the lack of proper or sometimes total lack of cleaning by autoloader owners keeps many gunsmiths in business. Majority of jobs that gunsmiths have before each season is cleaning guns! Most gunsmiths will tell you that some guns that are brought in had not been cleaned since their purchase a decade or two earlier! Amazing that these guns functioned at all!
All guns must be cleaned and maintained in order to function properly. Double guns too must be cleaned! With gas operated autoloaders it is crucial to keep the gas system clean in order to keep the gun functioning properly. Unfortunately many new gun owners simply run a patch through the bore and wipe the outside and never clean the gas piston and other vital parts. Almost 95% of gas operated autoloaders that find their way to a gunsmith for repairs are those with dirty, gummed-up gas systems and chambers. If a gas operated autoloader is cleaned and maintained properly, it will last as long as any other gun!
A pair of classic 12 gauge upland guns, the Browning Double Automatic and the Franchi 48AL. They may be “oldies” but they still make for excellent upland guns.
One of the reasons that the Benelli inertia operated guns are so popular, besides the aggressive advertising, is because the Benellis tend to function even when they are dirty because there is no gas cylinder or pistons that get carbon build-up or gas escape holes in the barrel that get clogged from lack of cleaning. The old long recoil autoloaders like the Franchi 48AL and Browning A-5s also do not have those parts that gas operated guns have. However, the long recoil guns with the exception of Remington 11-48, have friction rings that have to be properly set up to handle high or low powered loads. Amazingly, many owners of long recoil autoloaders have shot their guns for years with improperly set up friction rings. Some have been known to shoot their guns without friction rings! The short recoil operated guns such as the old Browning Double Auto and the current Beretta UGB 25 do not have friction rings. One other autoloading system also requires regular cleaning. The Winchester Model 50 and 59, both long discontinued, used the slipping or floating chamber action. The barrel remained stationary at the shot, but the chamber slipped or moved back and started the operation of the action, i.e., ejection of spent casing and loading of fresh round. In this action, the chamber area had to be kept clean. As long as the chamber was kept clean, the gun would function literally forever. Those who maintained their guns properly swore by the Model 50 and 59, those who let the chambers get dirty and gummed-up, which caused malfunctions, provided their gunsmiths with business.
Like the Browning Double Automatic, the Winchester Model 59 was ahead of its time. It had an alloy receiver and a fiberglass wrapped barrel which made for a very light gun. It also used the first versions of the screw-in chokes, the “Versa-lite chokes” which later became Win Chokes.
If you are in the market for an upland gun, check out the autoloaders. You’ll be amazed how well some of them handle. Don’t forget the used gun racks! There are some real jewels to be found, if you know what to look for. Some of the lesser known brand names like Franchi and Breda can be real bargains.
This article originally appeared in the Gun Digest 2012, 66th Edition.