Quote:
Originally Posted by Fordevr
I bought a new semi shotgun and had a $1000 budget. If you want amazing quality (made by the makers of Benelli) amazing online reveiws, and comes on sale occasionally for $800 and comes with 4 or 5 chokes....you need to look at a Stoeger M3500. Comes in black or max5 camo. Love mine!
https://youtu.be/T3hLXkUjiLU |
One has to be careful how companies are affiliated. The Turkish made Stoeger 3500 holds little resemblance to my Italian made Benelli Ethos. IIRC, Beretta owns Benelli, Benelli owns Franchi, they are all distributed through Stoeger that also builds the Weatherby Semis in Turkey.
On the other side of the coin, you can often purchase high quality firearms like a Savage Milano O/U that is actually manufactured by the Italian gun maker FAIR. The Weatherby O/Us have been made by some reputable makers over the years as well, then there is the Belgium made Brownings verses the Japanese, etc. etc.
In the case mentioned above the only real comparison between a Beretta and a Stoeger is that they are both shotguns that are linked via cooperate structure. The same holds true of the Stoeger/Benelli relationship except that they are both inertia driven shotguns.
There is a direct or at least there very much appears to be a direct relationship between the Italian made Franchi and the Italian made Benelli shotguns when it comes to actual manufacturing. The Benelli being better finished than the Franchi but the Franchi still a very good quality shotgun and arguably the best in it's price range.
Reviews are a little more mixed on the Stoeger 3500 and it seems like many love them but there is some real lemons mixed in. I think if you got a good one it is as good as anything under $1000. I have been meaning to pick up for a run but just haven't found the right deal yet.