Used Gun

Remington 1100 28 bore

SMALL-BORE SWEETIE

The Remington 1100 has long since been superseded by the Model 11-87 in 12-bore form but it lives on in the small gauges. Richard Rawlingson asks whether the diminutive 28-bore has a place in competition shooting and tests a mint example.

When Alan Rhone answered a reader's question last month about the pros and cons of using a 28-bore for clay shooting it got us thinking. What were the options open to anyone looking for a 28 and could we find one to test? Leaving aside out-and out game guns and hugely expensive made-to measure models it soon became clear that the choice was not exactly huge.

For the over-and-under user of average means both Browning and Beretta have affordable small-bore versions of established guns; Beretta with the ever-popular Silver Pigeon and Browning with a relatively new introduction, the Elite. Both are nominally game guns but in fact would be perfectly at home shooting skeet or sporting. neither though is a true scaled-down 28, being based on 20-bore actions, making them heavier than they might otherwise be. On the plus side this makes them even better for the recoil sensitive because the weight is being used to absorb the recoil of a very light load. The Browning for example weighs in at about 6 ¼ lbs (2.8kg).

On the used market you will find the occasional Beretta but it is too soon to see many Elites surfacing second-hand. From time to time you may come across the odd Citori made for the American market. I know of one shooting school which has two of these which are highly regarded for corporate days and lessons for youngsters and slightly-built ladies.

Then someone suggested the Remington 1100 - and even better produced one for test. It has a lot going for it as a low-recoil alternative, offering not only the benefit of the light 28-bore load but the 1100's gas operating system into the bargain. If 12-bore gas autos go a long way to helping reduce felt recoil, what could a tiny 28 do?

As Alan said last month, one of the appeals of the 28-bore is that it punches above its weight thanks to the fundamental ballistic efficiency of the load and bore size combination. Bob Brister in his famous book 'Shotgunning The Art and the Science' postulated that 28s throw rather shorter shot strings than other gauges, resulting in greater pellet density in the pattern and the impression of very solid kills. It was an impression we were certainly to share when we put this little Remington to the test...

Model History

The Remington 1100 is one of the most influential guns of the post-war period. Although not the first of the gas-operated semi-automatics, which finally broke the grip of the 'long-recoil' Browning Auto 5 and its clones, it was certainly the most successful. Introduced initially in 1963, it replaced the Model 58, Remington's first gas auto, and soon became an enormous hit in America where it is said to have won more trap and skeet titles than any other autoloader. It had balance and handling qualities not seen before on an automatic shotgun and a basic 'shootability' that endeared it to almost everyone who picked it up. Over three million would be sold.

Originally, small-gauge versions were built on the same frame, but from 1969 scaled models were introduced in 20 and 28-bore and also in .410, which was a popular choice for NSSA Skeet shooting. In 1987, the 12-bore evolved into a new model the 11-87 which remains in production today in many different forms. The 11-87 however has never been offered in small gauges and the 1100 continued on in its original form in these sizes. In 1994 the 28 and .410 disappeared from the catalogue, but the 28-bore has now resurfaced as the Sporting 28. It will be interesting to see if Edgar Brothers, who have taken over the UK distributorship from Hull Cartridge Company, will be bringing in this model.

On Test

Our test gun is a skeet model with a fixed choke barrel. It weighs in at  a surprisingly hefty 7lb 5oz (3.3kg), although it feels lighter on first impression. The barrel is 24½", roughly equivalent to 28" on an over-and-under, and has quite a high raised rib. The balance point is towards the front of the receiver giving the slightly weight-forward handling that is characteristic of the Remington and an in-built steadiness. That said you do still have to work at the gun to get a consistent swing; it is still easier to get started -and hence to stop - than a 12-bore and you have to make sure that you follow right through on every shot. do that and the results will be very impressive. Even with just the skeet choking the gun made short work of a wide range of targets, including a nasty edge-on quartering bird that would have been a challenge with any gun. I matched it to some Express 21 gram 9 shot cartridges and got excellent kills and this would be a good combination for general club sporting and skeet targets. With only three grams less than a typical 20-bore load and the 28's legendary ballistic efficiency, this gun is at little disadvantage to anyone shooting light loads in 12 or 20-bore.

The one big advantage is the almost complete lack of recoil. Light load plus relatively heavy gas auto equals one of the softest shooting guns you will find anywhere. This would indeed be an excellent choice for introducing ladies and youngsters to the sport without fear of damaging fragile confidence. It could also put the fun back into shooting for anyone with chronic neck or shoulder problems.

At 14" (355mm) the stock is on the short side for most adults, but easily extended with a recoil pad (which would also make it even more comfortable to shoot if that were possible). Stock drop is reasonable at 35mm comb, 55mm heel.

The trigger pulls are rarely the strongest points on semi-automatics and this one is not the crispest you will see, but at 4½ lbs it is reasonable weighted. It has the safety catch in the conventional auto position in the trigger guard directly behind the blade.

The gun performed faultlessly during the test and to be fair there is a much narrower choice of ammunition in 28-bore so cycling problems should be rare. We had a lot of fun shooting this baby Remington and it is easy to see why it has stayed in production for all these years.

Buying Second-hand

Remington 1100s are pretty robust beasts; there are plenty of parts that will break but the good news is that none of  them cost a fortune to fix. Those who shoot them in competition often keep a set of the most needed spares with them in case of problems, but the basic structural parts are generally trouble free. Common problems lie with the extractor claws, piston and sealing rings and the link arm, which runs from the rear of the block to the compression spring, and is a little fragile. These, plus normal wear items such as springs and firing pins, are the prime suspects.

 A whole cottage industry has grown up in America around the 1100 and 11-87, supplying parts and accessories as well as maintenance books and videos. I have one supplier's list in front of me as I write and it includes an emergency repair kit containing all the parts that are prone to breakages for just $32. A check around some of the American shotgun sites on the Internet should yield suppliers of all sorts of goodies.

Apart from the 'consumables' the main area to check on any Remington is the gas cylinder and ports on the barrel. Ensure that the rim of the cylinder itself is clean and undamaged and that the ports are not choked with powder residues. Anything more than light pitting or damage should probably be avoided - it could mean scrapping the whole barrel in worst cases. The barrels are not chromed internally so make the usual checks for pitting and of course for any dents to the barrel or top rib. If multi-chokes are fitted check the threads carefully and the surface of the choke tubes.

The woodwork should give little cause for concern. The fore end is reinforced with resin and a brass pin in vulnerable areas and seldom gets damaged unless badly abused and cracks in the stock are rare. Factory finish on the stocks was gloss lacquer but many have been stripped to reveal some quite fancy wood when oil finished. The test gun was a case in point with a surprisingly good piece of walnut for the stock set off by the fancy chequering pattern on both stock and fore end.

For more information on new Remington guns and spares contact:
Edgar Brothers, Catherine Street, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 6SG
Tel. 01625 613177