Round two-technical- Waterfowl Autos? SBEII, Xtrema, Super X3 or other

[Headhunter]

Ok more shotgun questions.....

On another thread I asked about the merits of a few auto shotguns (SBEII, Extreama, SX3 & now want to throw in the mix the rumored yet to be released camo Browning Gold). I would like to refine the question and dive deeper on the technical aspects of the shotguns. On the last post I got lots of great responses, but many were about fit. I will put up another thread addressing fit, so for now I would like to focus on the following technical issues.

From an engineering, action, metrology/coating, durability, ease of takedown in the field, serviceability, replacement parts standpoint, why is one AUTO shotgun better than the other. Please don’t turn this into get an 870 or…..the just go with what fits you (we will address that later).

• Action-What are the pro/cons of one action design vs. the other?

• Metrology/coating- As we all know, waterfowl hunting is in pretty snotty weather and harsh conditions like the salt marsh or alkali of Summer Lake. Having a shotgun designed/protected from these elements is important to me. (Yeh…I now shoot an 870 Express and get to watch it actually rust in my hands…but still love the gun)

• Durability-moving parts wear out and I expect that. But some designs do so faster than others and some just flat out break more than others.

• Failure to fire- We have all heard that wonderful sound of “Click” and it usually happens when it’s showtime. Keeping a gun clean and well serviced is a given, but some shotguns take more TLC than others. Any thoughts on which autos are more or less finicky?

• Ease of takedown while in the field without having a zillion parts all over the place to drop in the marsh.

• Service/replacement parts. If a guy were to need a gunsmith to work on it, or was in some rural town and needed a gasket, spring or some other doohickey….what guns are better than other to get fixed while on the road

Shotgun selection is a personal thing and kind of like asking Chevy vs. Ford vs….. Just looking for some thoughts on the technical issues….AND it’s just fun to talk shotguns.

Thanks in advance.

PS: See other thread about fit of an auto

http://www.ifish.net/board/showthread.php?t=184782

Jimbo

[Hunt'nFish]

I'd be happy to give a review.....you all can just drop your SBE's, Extrema's and Beretta's by my place this week.
I'll be sure and get them back to you AFTER 3rd Period Goose!

No, but seriously this is a very good question Jim is asking. As a gunsmith that is part of the reason why I was willing to waste $400 on a Spartan, if Bakail can make AK-47's go boom, boom, boom...they ought to be able to make a shotgun do the same. And it seems they can.
(I put a full end of season review of my Spartan. See this thread: Spartan SPR453 Season III Review)

But what about the other auto's?
It would be interesting to get them all side by side and do a critique from a gunsmith's perspective.
Perhaps you could post up pics of your auto's innards with pro/com comments.
Where it rusts and where it doesn't. What parts fall out upon dis-assembly and so forth.
Hunt'nFish

[Tar Heel]

JIMMY,YOUR GIVING US ''FITS'' w/ YOUR Q'S! LOL. ALL I KNOW IS I NEVER CLEANED MY PUMP, AND IT APPEARS I WILL HAVE TO CLEAN MY XTREMA. GOOD ADVICE FOR GUYS USING AUTOS, BRING ALONG A SPARE!