Semi auto, love em / hate em.

[westley]

I have a Beretta 303, that only needs ammunition to keep it going  !

 

[chippy]

I have a Beretta 303, that only needs ammunition to keep it going  !

Show off

 

[philpot]

I remember Duncan Lawton getting the world first 100 straight at sporting with his Remmy 1100 and him carrying loads of spares with him, on occasion doing a few repairs on site to keep it going to finish the competition of the day.

 

[Mike]

My first auto was an 1100, a mate at our local shoot had a KFC auto and I had a shoot with it and the lack of recoil compared to my s/s as we all shot 32gms in those days.

I bought another mates 1100 and really enjoyed shooting it. Hull cartridge were the importers in those days and they were very good posting spares to you with an invoice which I paid for with a postal order.

O rings were the biggest failure on mine and the action bars fractured too. You had to be careful when cleaning inside as the rails were razor sharp.

Beretta's were next starting with a 303, the last new one I bought was a blue action A400 which was better mechanicly but I did not like the grip and it felt a bit numb.

So I went back to twenty year old 391's and I don't need to carry any bits around with me 

 

[DolphinCTC]

Love semi auto's. My go to gun for teaching  people  how  to shoot  is a Berretta 303. Put 450 shells through it on Saturday, no problem at all. The one I use for shooting  myself is a Remi 1100 monte carlo trap 28". Shot some  of my best scores at Sporting with it, very user friendly, but fragile! As for safety,  all guns need to  be handed safely and if they are there won't be an issue. 

 

[ColinD]

Love semi auto's. My go to gun for teaching  people  how  to shoot  is a Berretta 303. Put 450 shells through it on Saturday, no problem at all. The one I use for shooting  myself is a Remi 1100 monte carlo trap 28". Shot some  of my best scores at Sporting with it, very user friendly, but fragile! As for safety,  all guns need to  be handed safely and if they are there won't be an issue. 

Glad you have a favourite for shooting yourself 

 

[DolphinCTC]

Yes, could  of worded that a little  better! "The one I use when  I fancy using an auto " perhaps I also have a 301 30" Montecarlo trap,  that shoots great too and isn't  fragile at all.

 

[Les53]

I agree with you Les and as said it is not for use with a line of competitors, I was being light about it. There is a catcher available but they only work on certain guns and not that great. 

Well each to his own. As a trap shooter I won’t shoot anywhere near someone with an auto. 
It wouldn’t be so bad if the spent shells weren’t spat out all over the place, someone once told me that there was some sort of shell catcher made for autos, probably in America. Such a device would seem like a good idea. 

 

[westley]

Love semi auto's. My go to gun for teaching  people  how  to shoot  is a Berretta 303. Put 450 shells through it on Saturday, no problem at all. The one I use for shooting  myself is a Remi 1100 monte carlo trap 28". Shot some  of my best scores at Sporting with it, very user friendly, but fragile! As for safety,  all guns need to  be handed safely and if they are there won't be an issue. 

Have YOU ever witnessed an incident involving a semi auto  ?   In the 17 years I ran a ground, ALL of the handful of incidents we had involved break open guns.

With regards to a 'catcher'  the only one I have ever seen was an American device that fitted over the ejection port. It only caught one cartridge, but that caused the second one to jam. As American Trap is only 1 shot, it didn't really matter over there.  I did have a 'catcher' but he grew up and went to New Zealand.............that's Grandkids for you  !

 

[Mike]

I found this video made in the U.S.A, talking about why these American champions shoot a semi auto instead of an O/U.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/CajeSkMEqZY?feature=oembed

 

[DolphinCTC]

Have YOU ever witnessed an incident involving a semi auto  ?   In the 17 years I ran a ground, ALL of the handful of incidents we had involved break open guns.

With regards to a 'catcher'  the only one I have ever seen was an American device that fitted over the ejection port. It only caught one cartridge, but that caused the second one to jam. As American Trap is only 1 shot, it didn't really matter over there.  I did have a 'catcher' but he grew up and went to New Zealand.............that's Grandkids for you  !

The only  thing I can recall was someone who had put 3 in then walked  off the stand having  killed the pair with  one still up the spout. Putting  3 in is just something  you don't  do when  you've only  got two targets  to shoot  at for this very  reason.  Handle correctly and there's  no issue.  Fortunately  I was right there and spotted it. The person shooting  was very  experienced and was testing a new gun for cycling but made an error which could  of been serious.  

 

[Les53]

The only  thing I can recall was someone who had put 3 in then walked  off the stand having  killed the pair with  one still up the spout. Putting  3 in is just something  you don't  do when  you've only  got two targets  to shoot  at for this very  reason.  Handle correctly and there's  no issue.  Fortunately  I was right there and spotted it. The person shooting  was very  experienced and was testing a new gun for cycling but made an error which could  of been serious.  

Yep, I’ve seen similar things too. 

 

[AW13]

I sold my semi auto so I would just use an o/u  - the one gun philosophy.

But, I still like semi autos and I got really fed up with picking up cartridges. So decided to get rid.

Thankfully I have never seen a serious problem with semi auto users, quite a few of my friends use them, they are all very diligent and safety aware, some have even completed the CPSA safety course.

The only time I have come across any possible issues is at a shooting ground where a group of 'young' people have been having a good time and then become less aware of barrel awareness etc.  A quiet word usually sorts them out with suitable apologies. 

I used a large bright pink/red safety flag that could be seen miles away

 

[spartina]

As the number of incidents correlates directly to the number of users shirley it is beholded of the clubs to encourage more people to take up SA shotgun shooting

Now lets not get started on camo guns AND slings

Pure snobbery.

 

[wisdom]

I have a Beretta 303, that only needs ammunition to keep it going !

The same here.

 

[philpot]

As the number of incidents correlates directly to the number of users shirley it is beholded of the clubs to encourage more people to take up SA shotgun shooting

Now lets not get started on camo guns AND slings

Pure snobbery.

I do have a full camo / cerocote Browning A5 humpback and love it but only for the pigeons not the clay pigeons...........

 

[westley]

As the number of incidents correlates directly to the number of users shirley it is beholded of the clubs to encourage more people to take up SA shotgun shooting

Now lets not get started on camo guns AND slings

Pure snobbery.

AND Stop calling me Shirley.......

 

[lh8611]

I have an ATA venza with the fonex (synthetic wood) finish. I got it for an elderly relative to use. He used to rough shoot as a young man, and wanted to have a go a clay shooting, but found the recoil of an over under to much to manage (he's nearly 80). I find for the money it's a fantastic bit of kit cycles 24 and 28 gram cartridges no problems. Shoots well, well made and looks the part. It cost just under £500 new with a 3 year warranty.

 

[spartina]

I have a Beretta 303, that only needs ammunition to keep it going !

Same with my 3.5 franchi.
Hoping to get down to 24grams with some internal treatments but will see how it plays out.
Just now sublime handling with minimal recoil on 28g Fiocchi ones...

 

[spartina]

Well each to his own. As a trap shooter I won’t shoot anywhere near someone with an auto.
It wouldn’t be so bad if the spent shells weren’t spat out all over the place, someone once told me that there was some sort of shell catcher made for autos, probably in America. Such a device would seem like a good idea.

Oh dear some DEEP sports psychological weaknesses there.
Be a bugger on your last trap, gold medal shootoff to be against a semi on your left.
If they aren't careful with tilt they could have some buggars eye out, let alone bouncing their empties of your fore-end.

tsk, tsk.

 

[Jan Powell]

Oh dear some DEEP sports psychological weaknesses there.
Be a bugger on your last trap, gold medal shootoff to be against a semi on your left.

Not likely, for obvious reasons they’re forbidden at ISSF events.