Originally Posted by
Gutshot John
Really? They suck?
You sure you're not overstating the case just a little bit? I know it isn't Italian, but suck? Really? What happened to those guns? What parts broke? How long were they down?
All I've used for skeet/clays/3gun everything for years and I inherited 2 of 3 from a grandfather who was a fanatic skeet/clays shooter. They're still pretty popular though not as popular as they were. Clays guns go through way more use during a season than most 3 gun competitors. No one ever complained that they "sucked".
The only ones I see fail are ones that aren't properly maintained, even then the fix is usually two minutes and you're up and running typically after a bit of lube or a new gas ring.
An 11-87 is a perfectly adequate and reliable shotgun. Like any other gun, it has to be maintained to be reliable.
If I had the cash, and was new to the game, I'd perhaps go with the Versamax too, but I see no reason to swap out what I have. Let's not pretend that you're going to die if you shoot an 11-87 instead of something Italian. I've seen those Italian semis go tits up as well, even the vaunted M2.