Results 16 to 28 of 28
Thread: Benelli vs. FN vs. ?
-
19 August 2008, 14:55 #16Member
- Join Date
- Jan 2008
- Location
- The Republic of Texas
- Posts
- 18
- Downloads
- 0
- Uploads
- 0
The 930 SPX goes for $525 (last time I looked) at my local cop shop, GT Distributors. They don't list it in their online catalog, but I have seen it in the store. Online, they show the M590A1 at $440. They dropped the 870P lineup. http://www.gtdist.com/ProductDetail....ber=MOSS-51663
-
19 August 2008, 16:25 #17
If there is anything that I've missed that you want to know after this post let me know and I'll try to include it in another follow up. I should have an update in about the next month.
As far as a critical review, the review was actually done before I joined here. It wasn't so much a head to head comparison, but more as an attempt to provide a single source of info on the SPX. There is a ton of info on Benellis, Remingtons, and FNs out there. At the time that it was done, all the info on the SPX was basically done word of mouth and on boards. There was next to no information available. The Mossberg site was totally devoid of details, and most of the discussion was "It's a Mossberg so it's a POS" by those that either hadn't seen one or couldn't figure out how to operate one. There were several people on several boards talking about it, but that's about it.
My review was an effort to provide the details that I wanted to know before buying it to others that were considering the SPX. I did leave some info out, and now that you mention some of those, it was an oversight on my part not to relate some basic info. However, if there is another place with more info on the SPX than what I have out there, I haven't seen it.
The receiver seems to be aluminum like all of the other Mossbergs and has their advantages and shortcomings (which was mentioned). What about the internals? Do they show tool marks, are they gritty, etc...
It was mentioned the safety was plastic and from the pictures it looked like the trigger housing was plastic as well.
From that I'd guess it's more like a 500 then a 590A1, but is that true?
For the next review I'll post some pics of the SPX internals along with the other stuff I've been working on.
I would have also liked to have seen it compared with others in the same market. Price-wise, the Mossberg seems to have them beat but really what's the best value (price vs quality).
I've seen the breakdowns between the 500 vs 590A1 and the Remington 870 Express vs. Marine vs. Police vs. Wingmaster. These breakdowns have made it easier to see what is a better value and helps explain where the money is going. As a result, it makes the choice much easier.
Also, can an autoloader be a dependable when used for HD? From reading the many different shotgun threads here and there, pumps seem to reign supreme. But one has to question why. Is it's because pumps are cheaper?
I'm sure you get many who want a M4 but are only willing to pay for a Express which artificially tips the scale a bit. Even on Gunbroker, the Express covers the majority of the shogun section.
The Mossberg 930 SPX has a MSRP of $667. I know the Remington 870 Police and Mossberg 590A1 are less.
-
19 August 2008, 17:56 #18
watching this thread closely. i need an autoloader for 3-gun as well - my pump just isn't cutting it.
i should have taken the hint at my first match when i was the only competitor in the field with a pump action
leaning towards the 930, but the FN looks nice too. like Benellis, but i have a bad habit of pinching my thumb when i load them i know its a training issue, but its painful and embarrassing one, and would hurt my time worse than anything in a competition.
-
19 August 2008, 20:10 #19
Thanks for the incite. Have you used a FN or a Benelli before getting the Mossberg? The SPX really looks like a SLP clone. Outwardly, they look very similar. How would you compare it with your 590A1? Which would you grab for?
So, I'm not the only one here! Seems like a lot of lurkers here. Another stick, I'm trying to get some info on is the Benelli M2 Field 21". It's supposedly popular with the 3-gun crowd as well.
Feel free to ask anything else I may be forgetting in this thread.
-
19 August 2008, 20:37 #20
I've owned one M3S90 and two M1S90s. The M3 was a gimmick gun. The M1s were nice, and shot well. However at the time service for Benellis was total crap. I did not like being ignored because I was not making a department purchase, and parts were hard to come by from sources outside of HK. I sold all three because of a total lack of support.
I haven't used an FN shotgun. They aren't really that popular around me. That isn't saying that they aren't good; it is just that the 870, 500, and 590 pretty much have dominated for so long that there just isn't much of a market around here for anything else.
As far as comparing the SPX to my A1, I really find myself using the SPX a lot more as I have gotten used to it. The SPX handles better, at least in part because it doesn't have that heavy barrel. The 590A1 holds one more round, but it is noticeably heavier while still being lighter than a decked out 870P. The SPX seems to be a little easier on the recoil, although that really doesn't bother me much anyway. The SPX has been as reliable as my A1, but I've not yet had it for a year. Time will tell if it is as durable. The A1 I have had for 8 years. In terms of fun, the SPX is a lot more fun to shoot if that matters to you.
-
20 August 2008, 12:33 #21
Thanks for the insight. It's been a while since Benelli was imported by HK. I'm sure things have changed a bit since then. I know HK can be a bear to deal with so that probably didn't help. I'd hate to be spending 12-1300 and run into any issues. the other problem I've been reading about is if I did want to change anything on the Benelli, I'd have to make sure it's still 922 compliant and Benelli isn't helping by giving a parts count. The other problem is my state limits autoloaders with pistol grips to 4+1. I guess it's because they're too accurate when shooting from the hip. The dealer I talked to said Benelli isn't making the standard stock M3 anymore either.
So, I guess the Gods are against me getting a Benelli.
That leaves the Winchester SX2, FN SLP MKI and possibly the Mossberg SPX. Oh and maybe the Benelli M2 Field 21" since it's more 'friendly'. The Winchester SX2 would be a bit harder to find though since they have discontinued it. The only difference between it and the FN is it has the 22" barrel and has Ghost Sights. I'm not sold on either the rifle or ghost yet. Think an Aimpoint would do well on there? Maybe a H-1 or T-1?
-
1 September 2008, 03:16 #22
I think i might take the plunge on the 930 SPX this week. will either get another Aimpoint Micro for it or perhaps a Burris fastfire.
Since i'm getting it for 3-gun i think the Choate mag extension is a must-buy. just not sure if i should go for a 3, 4 or (gasp) 5 round mag extension.
12+1 does sound pretty good to me tho. any drawbacks to a 5 round mag extension, besides the weight, balance and strange aesthetics? i think i'd be able to live with all of those just fine as long as the reliability wasn't effected and the handling wasn't made too awkward by the 5 round mag extension.
-
1 September 2008, 13:14 #23
Cool, let us know how that turns out.
I'm still on a temporary hold. I found a 930 SPX locally but they wanted too much. For a bit more I could jsut buy the FN, which is probably want I'll be eventually doing.
I've got a few more things to buy for my AR before I can move on.
-
2 September 2008, 11:35 #24
I paid $565.95. Just got it today, hope to shoot it very soon.
I'll try not to repeat too much of what m24shooter has already stated in his excellent 930 SPX review here. My initial impressions are that its definitely a Mossberg and as such it seems to be a great value item. It exhibits same look and feel that any Mossberg owner is already used to. everything is right where you'd expect it to be.
fit and finish is also Mossberg though and through, in that its very good, but not perfect. The finish is a black manganese phosphate and is very evenly and thickly applied. My fit issue is with the plastic handguard on the fore-end, there is a little play there and the furniture feels cheap. There are no visible tool marks on the exterior of the weapon and more importantly, very few tool marks on the interior of the receiver and bolt.
The bolt itself is very smooth, with gloss black finish and has a grooved, flat charging handle, with an oval profile. I'm not crazy about the charging handle. I wish there was more to grab. A beefier, round bolt handle, such as on the Benelli Super 90 would be much better.
The bolt release is a large, checkered button with positive feel when disengaged. The placement is a bit far forward for my taste, it is possible to have your hand whacked by the bolt handle when slammed home, but thinking of it another way, this is good placement for the button when you are reloading...when the mag is full your thumb is already right at the button.
Like m24shooter, I find that I really like the cocking indicator inside the trigger guard. The trigger itself has a much lighter pull and is more crisp than the 500/590.
The only other semi automatic shotgun I have experience with is the Benelli Super 90 M1 and M3. In comparison the 930 SPX is lighter. The 930 is much much much easier to load for me (my major gripe with the Benelli). The 930's safety is in a better location for me, but the bolt handle is inferior to the Super 90. The 930 is much less expensive. However,the Super 90 feels much more solid. It feels like you could bang in railway ties with the Benelli all morning and then shoot a few hundred slugs in the afternoon without a hitch.
I purchased an Uncle Mike's 5 round shell holder, cuff style on the butt stock. I just need some more shell holders to go around the fore-end...I'm also kicking around the idea of adding a round or two with a magazine extension.
All said and done, I like it a lot. Much cheaper than an FN SLP, Super 90, 1100, Franchi....hopefully it will hold up and shoot well. If it does, I will be very happy with my purchase. Thanks alot to m24shooter, I had been very curious about the 930, but his review really helped out my decision making process and as of right I don't think I could have made a better choice. Thanks!
-
2 September 2008, 11:59 #25
See, that's a lot cheaper then what they want for one here. The place I went to had it for $650. Which is only $29 less then a FN SLP MKI from RT. Not to mention, there won't be the 8.25% tax on it. Then there is the DROS which is $65-75...
-
2 September 2008, 15:45 #26
It seems like an easier way to look at things is to figure what you can spend, and then go from there.
Whats your target price range?
-
2 September 2008, 17:00 #27
-
2 September 2008, 19:18 #28
Thanks for the praise.
My fit issue is with the plastic handguard on the fore-end, there is a little play there and the furniture feels cheap.
I'm not crazy about the charging handle. I wish there was more to grab. A beefier, round bolt handle, such as on the Benelli Super 90 would be much better.
The bolt release is a large, checkered button with positive feel when disengaged. The placement is a bit far forward for my taste, it is possible to have your hand whacked by the bolt handle when slammed home, but thinking of it another way, this is good placement for the button when you are reloading...when the mag is full your thumb is already right at the button.
Are you right handed? If so try loading with your left hand, that should help with the issue as well as being faster and keeping your firing grip on the shotgun. Feed the first round into the ejection port from underneath the receiver cradled across your fingers and slapping it into the open port. As you bring your hand downward press the bolt release with your index finger. On mine this is a little easier after cutting the foreend back. It provides a natural mechanical stop to index my hand on for hitting the bolt release and also when tube loading. Then feed the rounds into the mag with your left hand.
The trigger itself has a much lighter pull and is more crisp than the 500/590.
I purchased an Uncle Mike's 5 round shell holder, cuff style on the butt stock.
Thanks alot to m24shooter, I had been very curious about the 930, but his review really helped out my decision making process and as of right I don't think I could have made a better choice. Thanks!