Stoeger pump and Nova pump fans?

[BlindHog]

I assume the Stoeger pump version of the Benelli Nova is about the same as its fancy I-talian cousin. Can anyone say how they compare?

Also anyone want to weigh in about recommending either?

Son is thinking about one of these.

[duckmanJR]

Carl...shoot my son(ironeyes) a PM and ask him about his NOVA...... I won't bash it since it is not mine..but he will give you AN EARFULL!!!

I would stay with a tried and true 870

but my son has shot a model 500 Mossburg his whole life
( shot a 20 ga from age 11 til age 23!..has a 12 the past 7 seasons) and loves them...cheap and durable...no issues!

[CHRISJ]

I have a nova with no complains. It's been very good to me for the past two years. I wouldent trade for no other gun.

[ironeyes]

Dad's too polite to bad mouth the nova...but I'm not. If you gave me ten of them for free I would still go buy a 500 or 870 and use the nova's for paddles and anchor stakes.
I am admittedly hard on my equipment, but as my father wrote I have shot thousands (I EARNED my nickname) of rounds through 500's and have NEVER had a single problem. I even used to shoot shells by Dad's beretta wouldnt fire. My displeasure with the nova comes only in the QC for it. I won a black synthetic stock nova in the Band the Slam tourney a few years ago. I shot it for that season and before the end of the season I had shot a BULGE into the barrel. Not a simple side bulge but a perfect ring around the barrel indicating a weak point in the steel. I had shot a few boxes of 3" but mostly 2 3/4 and NO 3.5"
The weapon fired wonderfully and was easy to shoot but the quality really disappointed me.
As I have yet to hunt Pterodactyl I dont see a need for the 3.5" shells and havent had anything to do with the ulti-mag or super xpress
Im sure that the nova's are a fair weapon, they just aren't the weapon for me.

[novaalex]

Although I didnt have the QC issues that Ironeyes had, I didnt like the feel of the gun. I have an ExtremaII now and it is synthetic camo and it feels more natural than the Nova ever did. I sold my Nova for 200 and kept the name on the website for posterity. When you compare the Nova to and 870 or a Model 37 Ithaca it is a clumsy beast. It's also a noisy gun. Although it never malfunctioned and I shot all kinds of loads through it, it never was very confidence inspiring!

[Andy]

i absolutely love my nova pump, very smooth shooting gun. but id rather shoot my max-4 extrema 2 w/ K.O. over any shotgun any day!

[Randy Clark]

had an old 870 wingmaster pump that i got when iwas in the navy along time ago nothing bothered it always worked and still works over 30 years of abuse.now my son bought me another 870 that hsots the 3.5 shells wouldnt trade it.

[krimmie]

I won a black synthetic stock nova in the Band the Slam tourney a few years ago. I shot it for that season and before the end of the season I had shot a BULGE into the barrel. Not a simple side bulge but a perfect ring around the barrel indicating a weak point in the steel. I had shot a few boxes of 3" but mostly 2 3/4 and NO 3.5"


Where exactly on the barrel was the bulge? Usually this occurs if;
1). an obstruction in the barrel, 2). choke tube not screwed in tight.

Cut it off at the end of the bulge and you got a blunderbuss!

[duckbone]

I sold my Nova for 200 and kept the name on the website for posterity.
Really Alex you should change it to extremalex.

[David B]

Carl,

I had, yes had, a Nova pump. I won it at a DU banquet. I decided to hunt with it. Having shot pump guns most of my life, I felt it was worthy of earning a place in my blind.
Now I am not a little guy nor a big guy. My arms are long and my hands are large.
What I found with the Nova was that it cumbersome. Actually almost awkward. The gun was always kept clean and lightly lubricated as per the manufacture.
Cycling the pump required more effort than one would expect. I thought that it might be my gun. I tried a second one that my hunting buddy's kid has. The same thing there.

It seems that Benelli made an oversize tight gun that just doesn't fit well or perform as smoothly as many lesser value guns do. The Nova is somewhat heavier than most any other 12ga. pump gun I have owned or shot.

I concur with Joey and those who say, that an 870 or 500 will do the same for you and much more.
I sold the Nova for $250.00 and went straight to the gun store and bought another 870.
Good luck with your choices. Shoot each one if you can before you make the purchase.

[over/under]

Every one is going to give you an opinion, this is the most valuable info you can get

Carl,


Good luck with your choices. Shoot each one if you can before you make the purchase.

[duckbone]

My opinion is pumps are outdated as a repeating shotgun.

[duckmanJR]

My opinion is pumps are outdated as a repeating shotgun.


But you LOVE your O/U ..don't you! :)

[duckbone]

Key words repeating shotgun and yes I love my over/under but that is a completely different animal. Only two shots but the best balance, multiple chokes, least moving parts, safest, least amount of maintanence by far and most reliability by far. Quite possibly the perfect waterfowling gun. They haven't changed because you just can't improve them. Auto's have improved to the point that cost and reliability have made pump guns obsolete.

[David B]

Auto's have improved to the point that cost and reliability have made pump guns obsolete.


Try posting that comment on the Refuge forums and see what responses you'll get there. The new $1000.00 + Remington state of the art CTi 105 comes to mind, nothing but trouble or some of those Benelli autos or even some of the Benelli family guns that get such rave reviews by the folks. Sure autos have advanced in technology. But the top of the line auto still use some of the earliest designs of the auto loading shotgun.

Pumps will always have a working spot for the waterfowler. They take the abuse in the muddy field and the snow and ice lands of big ducks.

Now O/Us are the gentleman's gun of choice.:icon_tong

[duckbone]

I'd post it, I believe it. Some are junk just like some pumps are junk. I'm not a Benelli fan I've seen a few with problems and they are an old design. Still a better gun than a pump though. The remington is crap but it will lead to further advancements like carbon fiber new lighter materials and recoil reducing tech. One day the 12 auto's will shoot 3.5" weigh 4 or 5 pounds and kick like a 28. Pumps will still be pumps. I'm a Beretta guy and the Extrema/Urika has evolved from older designs in the 80's that were ground shaking then by not using any rings like an 1100 or auto 5, just one moving piston. It's not anything like any of the early auto's never was. I have a Browning B-80 which was that same Beretta design I shot for over 20 years at everything I hunted. I still shoot it today and it never had a problem. A gentlemans gun you can shoot all your life and your kid can shoot it all his life and his kid can shoot it then sell it for more than you paid for it. Try that with anything else. Not bad for a hundred year old or better design.

[duckbone]

FYI the pintail is a 70's benelli design. All the other cheap russian guns are a derivitive. They are really good at stealing designs. It was originally a SL80 I believe. The precurser to the line today. The only thing they changed functionally is the rotating bolt, big whoop, and then charge all that money for them. I love mine It's skinny and light and fits me well. Doesn't have that stupid raised rib.

[duckmanJR]

There is only so much "new" you can get in Auto design.
I personally have three Berettas( A-390's) Gas autos
but also have a matched pair of franchi AL 48's ...super light but recoil op makes them "kickers". I also have three Ithaca model 900XL's in 12 ga..one is my long dead Dads gun( we each bought one at the same time..1970 I believe) and one is a slug gun. Theses are also recoil guns and will kick the holy snot out of you..especialy the slug gun..it is a punisher!
I only have one old gas auto..an Ithica SKB that is no longer shootable( barrel bulge) but Weatherby took the design and still made it up till very recently. I didn't like it that much..it was heavy and a pain to clean..but it fit well and i shot it well....If I find a barrel cheap I will put new gas rings in it and shoot it.

I will get an O/U someday (soon)..... I never did because I used to be rough on gear...old age has slowed me up a little :)

[ironeyes]

You're still too rough on gear for anything nice, look at your boat!:eek:
But you should definitely get one. I only ask that you don's shoot it except at the range so I can have it in pristine condition some time later.:booty:
No matter what hammer you use, its still just a hammer. Most shotguns, whether a pump or an auto or one of the lovely doubles, serve the purpose. They all have fans, heck, I like all types, but since its still just a hammer, the plain old one will work just fine.


Krimmie, the bulge is halfway down the length of the barrel and there was no obstruction nor was the choke tube not seated fully. I make plenty of mistakes but not this time. Sometimes things are just flawed, no big deal, but still frustrating.

[duckbone]

Doesn't mean it was the barrel. Might have been the shell. Double the pressure on a steel load and your talking serious high numbers. You say they are kickers Joe but compared to what? I doubt any of the recoil guns kick as bad as the 870 hammer. I started with an 870. It's still around but I did wear it out and in alot less time than that B80 which is a 390. You can shoot it like an auto if you want just hold the trigger down and keep pumping. It's also very fast because the bolt doesn't lock forward anymore so the charge pumps it back for you. I call it a gas assist pump.

[ironeyes]

when he says "kickers" he means it. Those xl900's and featherweights kick harder than any shotgun I have ever fired and that includes the 870's and also the 835 ulti-mag and nova throwing up 3.5"
At the range sighting the slug guns in one day I watched my dad knock himself silly on the first shot.

[N. Cook]

You don't know how much a shotgun can kick until you shoot one of the old single shot 12 gauge hammer guns....

Probably weighed 4 to 5 lbs.....usually a short stock....L. C. Smith, Harrison and Richardson brands come to mind....

I have shot 30/06s that did not "hurt" so bad.

[duckbone]

The hardest kicking gun I've ever shot is an 870 youth model 20 gauge with synthetic stocks. Poor kid he never complained, I was getting him 3" kents and that thing kicked harder than any 12 gauge I ever shot. He's shooting a hand me down 1100 12 gauge this year but he's grown alot and can handle carrying it this year.

[ironeyes]

Newton, I will agree with the single shot being a mule. I shot my dad's old Harrington and Richards single shot 20 when steel became mandatory at the refuge. The only problems was it was too big for me with the recoil pad on it so I had to shoot it sans pad....ouch!

[BlindHog]

Ironeyes, that is COLD making plans to inherit Joe's guns.:laughing1 He isnt even in the ground yet and you are getting ready to shoot his stuff.

[D Duck]

I had a Browning 12ga O/U Citori Featherweight some years back that kicked harder than anything I had shot. No recoil pad, ultra-light gun (designed for upland).... I traded that sucker away as soon as I could.

[ironeyes]

Tact has never been one of my strengths.
The old guy will surely buy something nice and go and beat the snot out of it just for spite.

[duckmanJR]

You're still too rough on gear for anything nice, look at your boat!:eek:


The boat was a salvage job from sea tow...It was not very pretty to start with....now it is a functioning skiff.

[duckmanJR]

You say they are kickers Joe but compared to what?


Pat, I've shot scatterguns my whole life..a considerable time :laughing1 Trust me when I say "kicker"!
The AL 48 are super light..the 20 ga is just a hair over 4 lbs! .. the 12 ga is a tic over 5 ....with hard butt plates!

The Ithacas are right at 6..... and why the slugger barrel is so bad is a mystery...but Joey is right..I was shooting it at the range one day with him..and i was all ready but it still whacked me so hard it temporarily scrambled my brain...Joey said " dad, are you OK? " It took me a couple seconds to know for sure :laughing1

[duckbone]

If you carefull where you step. :smileinbo

[duckmanJR]

The old guy will surely buy something nice and go and beat the snot out of it just for spite.


No, I'm going to keep it nice so your Mom will have something nice for your NEW DAD! :laughing1:laughing1:laughing1:laughing1

[ironeyes]

I guarantee, Mom will NEVER marry or date someone who hunts and fishes ever again; so I'm not worried.:tongue1:

[snookduck]

I love my 20 gauge AL48 but I can't imagine shooting duck loads out of it.

Back to pumps, they are what they are. What do you want out of it. I always found a premium in a gun cycling without jamming. I started out with a Remington 870 and it never jammed. For the duck loads I like the Nova because it has some beef to it. It is built tight as a drum. I grease and lube mine to death to get a nice smooth rack on the shells. I sent my auto loader in 2 years ago for gunsmithing so I picked up the Nova to get me through the season. (Just an excuse to buy another gun.) Ever since I have dragged it around without any complaints.

But let's be serious, the autoloaders are hard to beat and the cycling reliability is much improved in recent years so but for the money issue that is the way to go.

If it wasn't for the salt and water damage I would drag an over/under to the duck blind. I just can't see taking a gun that costs more than my truck into the swamp. (exaggeration intended.)

[duckbone]

I do. Tri-Flow is my friend and it doesn't rust. I even dropped it in once and this is water thats saltier than ocean water. Guns are meant to be shot, some are mean't to be shot alot no matter how pretty they are. I look at it this way that gun is gonna be here shooting long after I'm gone so I might as well leave a few marks on it.

[snookduck]

Tri-flow is great stuff for sure. I think Hitch put me on to it. But a word of caution, don't put it on your bike chains because you will make a mess of your tennis shoes and socks and pants and whatever else you are wearing.

[D Duck]

Use White Lightning on your bike chains.

[snookduck]

:occasion14