Out of the box, the 1100 and 1187 have the softest recoil, with, in my opinion, the factory 1187 trap having slightly less felt recoil.<br>
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However, with a simple modification, the 1100 can have a bit less felt recoil. All you need to do is get an 1100 magnum action sleeve (the large cylinder that slides over the mag tube) and swap out the lighter mag tube on the non-magnum model. This provides a bit more dampening and dwell time for the recoil impulse.<br>
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As to which trap gun, well, there are a lot of model variations. My vote would be, in this order:<br>
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A used but excellent condition 1187 trap gun. These have a 30" step rib barrel that is factory backbored, and has special screw in choke tubes. These tubes are interchangeable with standard Rem chokes, but are marked to take into consideration that the backbored barrel steps down .018" in front of the choke tube, providing an already built in mod choke. The backbored barrel is .745", stepping down to .727" in front of the choke tube. My 1187 trap gun (which was built out of a field gun) has one of these barrels and it patterns nicely. Because it will never open up more than a mod, I'm using the original 28" light contour field barrel for sporting clays.<br>
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An older 1100 trap gun. Make sure it is in excellent condition. Many have had a lot of rounds put through them. There are numerous variations on these guns. The barrels were made in several configurations over the years. The most prized barrels are the fixed choke (mod or full) backbored barrels with a step rib, but thse are hard to find. There were also some 34" goose barrels converted into trap barrels by altering the gas ports for lighter loads. Typically, though, the barrel will have a flat rib, be 30", and have either a fixed or screw in choke tube. For the non-backbored 1100 trap barrels with screw in choke tubes, they can be used for sporting clays, but are a bit on the heavy side, so you'll probably want to get a second lighter barrel for sporting clays.<br>
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If you want new, that pretty much leaves the 1100 Classic Trap. I put this in third place simply because the internal machine work is not as well done as it is on the older guns. The older 1100s were glass smooth for operation. The new 1100 is not a bad gun, but for the money involved, you can get a damn nice 1100 or 1187 with accessories like an adjustable comb and buttplate, etc. One advantage to the 1100 Classic Trap is that it has a light contour trap barrel. This weighs about 6 ounces or so less than a standard trap barrel, and can thus be used for sporting clays as well, meaning you would not have to purchase a second barrel for sporting clays.<br>
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There is a limit to how light of a load an 1100 can cycle. However, it is possible to cycle even lighter loads if the gas ports are drilled oversize. I have an old 1100 trap barrel that is set up this way. It will cycle loads that no factory 1100 or 1187 will. The drawback is that heavy trap loads will have more felt recoil, and higher bolt velocity. Once altered in this manner, you pretty much have to shoot the load you've customized the barrel for, though you can always get another barrel if need be. (This can also be done on an 1187 trap barrel, but I would not recommend it on a regular 1187 barrel because of the gas compensating system.)<br>
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Another advantage of the 1100 family is that many repairs can be done by the owner. And it is the Chevy small block of the shotgun world. There are gobs of factory and aftermarket parts and accessories for them. Anyone who says an 1100 doesn't fit him or her must not have enough imagination to alter it to fit.<br>
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I won't candy coat the gas system. You will have to regularly clean it. About every 400 to 600 rounds depending on how clean your powder is and how much of a charge. Most owners shoot the gun "wet", meaning the entire gas system is covered in a thin layer of lube, like Break Free. This keeps fouling soft and easy to clean up. I can clean my gas system in 15 to 20 minutes this way, and at a long shoot, it could simply be wiped down and relubed if you had to.<br>
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Some say the design on the 1100 is outdated. Well, yes, but on the other hand, millions of these guns have been working well for millions of shooters over the past 46 years. A poor design does not last this long. And it should be noted that many of the more modern guns that are "superior" to the 1100 are no longer in production. The 1100 outlasted them.<br>
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Obviously I'm sold on the 1100 and 1187. I have several of them, and so do my kids. Mine range from nice polished blue models with semi-fancy walnut stocks to fully camo'd models, in 12 and 20 ga. I use them for shotgun sports, upland, turkey, big game, small game, coyotes, varmints, defense, and tactical shoots.