The best second-hand semi-autos for under £850

Remington 1100

Option 2 Remington 1100

• The 1100 set new standards for semi-automatic shotguns. The gun’s handling was just superb.
• I’ve often said that if I had a £1 coin for every 25-straight at skeet on both sides of the Atlantic, and a further £1 for every woodpigeon shot in the UK by 1100 owners, I might be contributing my articles from a luxury apartment in Monaco.
• Early guns weren’t without their faults, which included fragile extractor claws and bolt followers, but I haven’t heard of these faults for years now.
• The model illustrated is the synthetic-stock sporter, which is also available with traditional woodwork.
• At 8lb-plus it’s a bit heavy for a sporter, but its handling is set to live up to the standard set more than half a century ago.