Benelli Nova

[DelDuck]

Ok guys , I was thinking of going back to the basics and getting a new pump shot gun. My question is what is the opinon about the nova? Pros, Cons, what kinda price, does it have a full line of after market bells and whistles like the 870 does? and does Beretta have a pump, if so whats the deal with it?
I have an 870, but i wanna get a nice pump, and I am not as confident in remington as I use to be, and I have heard nothing but good so I wanna see what you guys think.

[fabsroman]

Beretta doesn't build a pump, and I do not have much experience with the Nova. I have one friend that owns one, but I do more hunting and shooting in a year than this guy will ever do in a life time. As good as my SBE is from Benelli, I would think the Nova has to be pretty decent.

[DelDuck]

Thats was my thinking also, but if they are only maginaly better the the 870, then I am not sure the difference in money would be worth it.

[Mil Dot]

I own a Nova and it's light weight and reliable. Easy to break down in the field and clean up if you get it gunked up. I use it mainly as a goose gun (28") and haven't had a problem. You spend $ on this gun like you do the S-90 or Black Eagle. In fact you can probably pick one up in Black for around $299.99 or less and Camo for under $350.00.

[chapster1]

iown 2 novas 12 bore and 20 bore best damm pump ive owned ever,
sorryguys but it beats the hell out of the bps 12,
£399 here in uk

[DelDuck]

Cool ty guys!! To be honest I was not expecting the price of them to be in the 300 +/- range. I was thinking more along the lines of 500 +/-. Hmmm they just may be 2 new guns in the near future.:D

[fabsroman]

Yeah, I think I remember my buddy paying a little less than $400 for his Nova at a gun show.

[gd357]

We picked up a couple of them last year for my younger brother and sister in 20 gauge. Flawless function, shot or slugs. So far they've taken deer, turkey and rabbits with them, no problems. I'd expect nothing less from Benelli, even if they are their "entry level" priced shotguns. I wouldn't hesitate to pick one up if I needed another pump gun.

gd

[Mil Dot]

Those 20ga are light as a feather. I wouldn't mind having one for the daughter.

[Steverino]

Although I have never actually shot one, I have handled the Nova on a couple of occassions and the forend on both guns rattled like a box of rocks. I wanted to like it-just couldn't get over that rattling forend.

[fabsroman]

Yep, the forearm does rattle, but so does the one on my BPS, albeit not as bad as my buddy's Nova.

[Mil Dot]

By the time the geese hear the rattler ....

Would be a tad bit more important to the turkey folks.

I have the same type problem with my auto 5 sounds like a haybailer to me. I can use it if necessary but prefer my S-90.

[chapster1]

i must have the only 12 gauge nova with the forend that dont rattle,
the only problem is benelli should make a 10 gauge nova whooooa that would be sweet

[fabsroman]

I don't think any of the Beretta owned companies, Benelli and Beretta also included, manufacture a 10 ga. or I would have bought one already.

[TreeDoc]

The Nova is far superior to the 870 in form and function yet it's cheap because of their manufacturing process, it's a one piece plastic stock/receiver with the receiver having a metal lining where necessary. Pretty space age. It also has a very fast action. See if you can find a video of Tom Knapp, Benelli's Exhibition Shooter, setting a world record with his Nova back in 2000. 8 clay pigeons stacked and thrown in the air with one hand while holding the Nova in the other, 8 shots, 8 broken birds in 2.1 seconds before they hit the ground. His record is 9 in 2.3 seconds with an M1 semi auto. I doubt you'll find a pump gun with a faster, more fluid action than that of a Nova.

On the other hand, it's a slug, IMO. It feels light at a first but when it's loaded it feels very forend heavy to me personally. Add the recoil reducer to the stock which if you have any intention of shooting 3.5" shells you'll want to do and it becomes a weighty combination. It even kicks your ass shooting 3" loads, especially Turkey loads but I'm confident that's a characteristic of many lighter weight pump guns where there is no bolt reaction to absorb inertia.

chapster actually does have THE ONLY Nova without a rattle trap forend. I have not seen nor heard one without this characteristic. Perhaps they sent the quiet ones to the Brits, afterall they get to use silencers and we don't! If Turkey is your forte then expect to muffle some sound and be cautious.

I have never owned a pump gun nor shot one in my life till I bought my Nova for some strange reason about a year and a half ago (it was just to cheap!). It was to be a designated turkey gun and it served me well on my first Turkey outing by dropping my first Tom at 40 yards, one shot. Even though it worked so well I vowed never to try the pump experiment again. It was just to weird and unusually balanced for my style and liking. No reflection on the gun.

My good friend up in Sacramento, CA has been shooting a Nova in the duck blind for probably 4-5 years. I always gave him sh*t about his rattley plastic gun! Last year I shot in his pit and was looking at his Nova in between flights. It looked like a stick of mud shaped somewhat like a shotgun. I asked him a question that only someone who had stripped down a Nova would know the answer to. Keep in mind this guy is not majorly gun or mechanically inclined. He stared blindly into space because he had no clue about the interior of his gun. It had NEVER been taken apart and cleaned, only 4-5 years of a "chance" wipe down from the outside in! It has never missed a beat.

You can't go wrong with the price these sell for new. You can steal them on the used market too. I have a young kid that's saving up to buy mine for $300 with the recoil reducer. It's in the safe waiting for him. If you're in the market for used, drop me a PM and I'll refer you to a sight where they pop up frequently.

[Dom]

Interesting information on the Novi, I like how TreeDoc called it a "stick of mud shaped like a shotgun", hehe, my chuckle for the morning !! Since I started shooting o/u's many years ago, I don't have a lot of use for a pump anymore. There must be some way to take the rattle out of the foreend, I know I'd be trying all sorts of stuff as I don't like noise no matter what I'm hunting.

Delduck, since you can now get two since you've got some spare change left over, pick up a UGB25, a break open semi-auto, and let us know what you think of it !! Course, you'll need to rob more than just the piggy bank, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid181/pdb03b5775f3f5e81d03868f62d7c022e/f2e30463.jpg

[DelDuck]

Thanks TD Not to sure I am real hip on the rattle trap fore end, I have not handled one in person yet so I will reserve my judgement till then. But I have looked at the Beretta 391 Xtrema2 KO So with the price of that one It will be back to just 1 gun:(
But with everything happening in my life the past few months I have not had time to shoot like I want to, So if it is just 1 new gun I guess I'll suffer through it.;)

That sure is a nice looking gun but that will caus me to pass on a used 4 wheeler I am considering also. But it sure will be something I keep in the back of my mind for when I get rich one day.:D

[fabsroman]

Dom,

I will never buy that gun from Beretta. First off, I think it is ugly. Secondy, the only reason for the break open style is to make it "safer" on the clays range.

The gun is a two shot, and two shot only auto. The reason it is an auto is for reduced recoil.

When I want to buy a gun that breaks open and it only capable of firing two rounds, I'll buy another o/u and stick a recoil reducer in the stock if I cannot take the recoil.

I'll take the reliability of the o/u over this new auto from Beretta. With that said, I really love my Teknys 391.

[Dom]

I agree with you 100% Fabs, and I'll never have one either. Now, if somebody had one on the range I'd take a few shots with it just to see how it shoots, but you know that outfit costs over 3k -- which will buy a really nice double.

I think it's definitely for a specific market of competition shooters, trouble is, you still gotta pick the empties up off the ground. And on top of that you're still stuck with ONE choke. Naah, I'll stick with doubles.

I've also noticed over the years the invasion of high-tech 'plastic' on a lot of weapons, and not just the more affordable versions like the Nova, especially the trigger guards. Guess you'll never wear the bluing off, but I personally like the added touch of use apparent when it wears off. That means you shoot a lot, and there ain't nothin' wrong with that.

[DelDuck]

Well I was not real impresse with the Nova and how it rattled so I got the 391 xtrema2:D It felt really nice and I liked alot of the features on it. I got the camo x4 or what ever the newest greatest camo is called. I have been really hesatent to go over to the darkside and try one of the other B guns:D , but it really felt so natural when I was shouldering the gun I was sold. I am going out to the sporting clays range Sat. to try it out.

Thanks for all the imput guys!!

[TreeDoc]

Good call, Del!
Pump guns are for Strokers anyway! ;) That Extrema will serve you well for certain. I have a few friends that use them for Duckin' and they wouldn't trade 'em for anything.

[DelDuck]

WOW what a gun:D This has to be one of, if not the best handling and feeling gun I have ever shot. I did fairly well at the sporting clays, I shot a 66/100 I know it is not as good as some of you pros:p but I typically don't do well at the range. Too much hunting style in me to adjust to the range I guess. but boy was it fun to get out and shoot. And boy was this gun fun to shoot.

[fabsroman]

66 ain't bad for sporting clays and I am glad that you like the Extrema2. When I bought my Benelli SBE, it was one of the only 3 1/2" guns out there (i.e., the Beretta hadn't come out yet and I never would have bought the Browning Gold 3 1/2").

[Steverino]

After shooting my buddy's 391 Urika Optima a couple of seasons ago, I broke down and bought one myself. The only difference is mine is synthetic in the MAX-4 camo design. It's now my main waterfowling gun. I don't shoot 3-1/2" shells otherwise I would have opted for the Extrema. Enjoy!:p

[TreeDoc]

In my opinion the 391 Urika and the Extrema are worlds apart. They definitely are in mechanics and feel. I can't shoot an Extrema well, it's too big in the handle and weighty for my taste. Without a doubt, with it's newer design it is awesome equipment though. The Urika's are more my style.

[fabsroman]

TD,

I agree that the Extrema has a bigger build than the 391. I held one once while goose hunting and it felt a lot bigger than my SBE. The 391 kind of feels like my SBE but it doesn't kick quite as much.

[DelDuck]

I think the wieght was one of the big issues I had with the SBE. Acouple of my buddies shoot them and I could just never get over the wieght thing. So I assumed the all of the other B guns would be like the SBE. I have pretty much been a Remington man, with a couple Brownings thrown in, So I have always had wieghty guns. I think If the Xtrema had a smaller frame I doubt I would have gotten it. Guess I am kinda stuborn that way.

[TreeDoc]

That bit of additional weight will play in your favor, Del, especially if you plan to launch those 3.5" shells from it! It can sure help with that follow through too. I would have to say, of my two critical points of the gun, the handle size and shape was my biggest dislike and that is predicated on the size of my hands more than anything.

[fabsroman]

Trust me, the weight will really help with those 3 1/2" shells. For 6 or so years, I would shoot the big shells out of the SBE and wonder why my back hurt so bad the next couple of days. Two years ago, I put a recoil reducer in the stock and the recoil feels much better. When I shoot slugs out of the gun, I put another recoil reducer on the magazine cap.

[razmuz]

Their still made the old way and will last a life time. Might be the strongest pump made today, no pressed medal.

[Aim to maim]

Originally posted by razmuz
Their still made the old way and will last a life time. Might be the strongest pump made today, no pressed medal.

According to a couple of sources, Ithaca Gun Co. has been closed and in receivership since June. Nice thought, though.