semi auto

[ips]

this is a serious question posted for debate......

what reasons do people have for shooting an auto ?

do people consider that they shoot differently to an OU and if so in what way and is there anything beneficial in it ?

the above is intended to promote a discussion on the way an auto shoots, I am not interested in going off topic with talk of the litter they spray out or any perceived safety issue.

 

[AW13]

Where to start.

1 barrel to clean, Gas guns can be dirty and intertia very easy to clean.

Recoil, I have both interia and gas and owned several makes. All shoot softer than an o/u in my opinion.

You have a single POI/POA... no converging barrels. Hope this wont cause a debate in it's self.

Possible disadvantage is only one choke at a time.

The main reasons for me are they tend to swing better, can often be lighter, never worry about weather or knock damage if you buy a synthetic. They are also extremely reliable if maintained per instructions.  They also hold 3 shells which can be an advantage....depending on the course/type of shooting you are doing and whether it is allowed.

Personally I just like the way the feel and shoot. O/U's to me tend to be much heavier and less quick to mount and swing. It's a feel thing and until you have tried a few this comment might not make sense.  In my family at present we have Franchi Affinity, Remington 1100 and a Mossberg 930, we sold the Beretta as no one could shoot it very well, an odd family trait I suspect.

May I suggest you shoot a few and then you can be the best judge on whether they suit you on not. 

 

[Doctor Lecter]

best auto for sporting ?

 

[westley]

this is a serious question posted for debate......

what reasons do people have for shooting an auto ?

do people consider that they shoot differently to an OU and if so in what way and is there anything beneficial in it ?

the above is intended to promote a discussion on the way an auto shoots, I am not interested in going off topic with talk of the litter they spray out or any perceived safety issue.

I am surprised that you are asking this really, you had first hand experience of how an auto can shoot when at the West Mids., last year.  The auto has far less recoil, handles totally different to an O/U due to a lack of overall weight, especially up front. If you have shoulder or recoil issues, then an auto can allow you to continue shooting until a much RIPER age !  There is a group of 'older' shooters that attend at Catton Hall most Wednesdays (when they are not attending Hospital appointments !)  most , if not all, shoot an auto, and to pretty good effect too. Why you added "the litter they spray out" when I think we both know that most of the empty cases littering the shooting stands,  have NOT come from an auto ?   I challenge you to come to Ribble Bank, one Sunday morning and shoot my Beretta (YES I did say BERETTA) 303 auto and find out for yourself. I will even supply the maroon shorts for you to wear IF you do not hit more with that, than your O/U  !

best auto for sporting ?

Beretta 303  !

 

[Jan Powell]

this is a serious question posted for debate......

what reasons do people have for shooting an auto ?

do people consider that they shoot differently to an OU and if so in what way and is there anything beneficial in it ?

the above is intended to promote a discussion on the way an auto shoots, I am not interested in going off topic with talk of the litter they spray out or any perceived safety issue.

For goodness sake, not again. The semi auto question has been done over and over again. 

I'd have thought a man of your experience would know the answer already but here you go...

+ They're usually cheaper than an O/U.

+ They're softer to shoot.

+ They suit rough shooting where heavy loads are used.

- They spray cases everywhere.

- You can't use them for trap (unless you have a shell catcher, a very understanding shooting buddy or like competing on your own) Please, please don't anyone start another thread to discuss this.

- Depending on the mechanism they often won't cycle light loads.

- Without weights they're light in the barrel making them not particularly pointable.

 

[CharlesP]

Actually Jan I find the lighter barrel on my Outlander makes it rather more pointable (as in "quick to point"), rather than less so. It is a little less stable.

My Outlander will cycle light loads (24 gm) but with an auto there's absolutely no point using a light load anyway as recoil is much softer.

They don't spray cases everywhere, they eject them a few feet to the right and forwards.

It's a gas operated gun and there really is no problem cleaning it.

As I tend to use the same choke in both barrels of my O/U the fact it only has one choke isn't an issue.

BUT - I don't like the empties bouncing off the cage side and clouting me on the head, especially when I'm about to shoot the second of a pair.

 

[ips]

westley

a challenge eh ?

jan

I have shot with a few autos over the years (not for about fifteen years at least though) think they were mainly remmies and a Beretta. I cant really remember how they shot other than I remember a strange inertia effect which I found off putting. I know what the benefits are supposed to be etc etc but as I made clear in the first post this isn't the usual semi done to death thread I was more interested in the handling characteristics and if anyone found anything about them to be better than an OU. I assumed there was some attraction other than the recoil being less which I fully understand is the main attraction for many.

 

[balltrap]

I did say autos were for gay people but forgot to mention pensioners!........so if you see IPS and Westley shooting one I was right in both cases !

 

[westley]

I did say autos were for gay people but forgot to mention pensioners!........so if you see IPS and Westley shooting one I was right in both cases !

OKAY. OKAY..............WHICH one is the bloody Pensioner then  ?????

 

[VicW]

I used a semi auto for almost all of my thirty years of sporting clay shooting. I had brief dalliances with an o/u but for reasons I can't really put my finger on I always felt more comfortable shooting an auto with which I shot reasonably well.

I never saw having only one choke as a disadvantage, it was one less decision to make and one thing less to worry about and to blame for poor performance. I settled on 3/8ths as my choice of choke and 71/2's.

I used Beretta autos exclusively and agree with a previous comment that the 303 was probably the best, it was definitely a case of 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'.

I eventually had to give up shooting because of shoulder trouble regardless of having used an auto but I am a lot better off financially !

Vic.

 

[ips]

I used a semi auto for almost all of my thirty years of sporting clay shooting. I had brief dalliances with an o/u but for reasons I can't really put my finger on I always felt more comfortable shooting an auto with which I shot reasonably well.

I never saw having only one choke as a disadvantage, it was one less decision to make and one thing less to worry about and to blame for poor performance. I settled on 3/8ths as my choice of choke and 71/2's.

I used Beretta autos exclusively and agree with a previous comment that the 303 was probably the best, it was definitely a case of 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'.

I eventually had to give up shooting because of shoulder trouble regardless of having used an auto but I am a lot better off financially !

Vic.

good post Vic ?

OKAY. OKAY..............WHICH one is the bloody Pensioner then  ?????

not sure but worried which of us is gay ?

 

[Oldblaster]

Feel a weeny bit irritated with the hold ups in shooting, whilst shooters clear there autos after jamming, then having to shoot the pair again! Once they jam 9 times out of 10 they keep on jamming till oiled or cleaned properly or repaired.

 

[AW13]

Feel a weeny bit irritated with the hold ups in shooting, whilst shooters clear there autos after jamming, then having to shoot the pair again! Once they jam 9 times out of 10 they keep on jamming till oiled or cleaned properly or repaired.

I rarely see the above with people I shoot with. Like any machine if it is well maintained it will work as long as you follow the instructions. If you don't clean any gun it could fail and with some autos using 21 or 24 cartridges my cause a cycle issue. And some don't like 67mm carts, you just need to understand the "tool" you are using.

My gas and inertia autos are very reliable. The R1100 gas gun is nearly 60 yrs old and the inertia Franchi is only 3 months old.  I can only think of 1 jam this year and that was user error!

 

[westley]

Feel a weeny bit irritated with the hold ups in shooting, whilst shooters clear there autos after jamming, then having to shoot the pair again! Once they jam 9 times out of 10 they keep on jamming till oiled or cleaned properly or repaired.

I quite agree, it is almost as irritating as the O/U with faulty firing pins or sunken cartridge caps, both of which or a combination of both, can cause long hold ups.

 

[schmokinn]

Feel a weeny bit irritated with the hold ups in shooting, whilst shooters clear there autos after jamming, then having to shoot the pair again! Once they jam 9 times out of 10 they keep on jamming till oiled or cleaned properly or repaired.

I find there is only one way i can respond to that BOLLOX  :angel:

I see more people with over an unders spending minutes discussing whether the cartridge was hit by a light strike or not,discussing other possibilities and vehemently denying it has ever happened before....since the last stand anyway :lol:

 

[Paul120]

Feel a weeny bit irritated with the hold ups in shooting, whilst shooters clear there autos after jamming, then having to shoot the pair again! Once they jam 9 times out of 10 they keep on jamming till oiled or cleaned properly or repaired.

Sorry, as Schmokinn has said that complete B...... 

Had  a Beretta for 5 years and it's never jammed. 

 

[balltrap]

Sorry, as Schmokinn has said that complete B...... 

Had  a Beretta for 5 years and it's never jammed. 




 

:angel: but you have not shot it !

 

[VicW]

In my many years using a Beretta auto I only had one period when the gun jammed and this was after I decided to change from my 303 to a new 391. 

This model had a design fault that prevented the second cartridge from feeding from the magazine up to the breech. Unbelievedly it was cured by fitting a cartridge carrier from a previous model ! Fortunately I had kept my 303 so went back to that until Beretta brought out the Outlander, a modern version of the 303, that served me very well until I gave up shooting.

Having done a bit of refereeing I found it surprising how long some shooters took to get the job done as part of their preparation for shooting every clay or pair. Lining up the writing on the cartridges was quite common, difficult to do with an auto. As for ejected cartridges, when shooting competition you don't have time to pick them up but I would say that o/u users were equal culprits for litter. Try refereeing when the shooter ejects their shells in your face !

Vic.

 

[schmokinn]

"Try refereeing when the shooter ejects their shells in your face !!

I find that when they bounce off the back of there head they get the message  :smile: