Benelli Nova??? Suggestions???

[jgcoastie]

A friend of mine is offering me first dibs on his LNIB Benelli Nova 12ga. with camo everything. Comes with three chokes I believe (full, imp cyl, and mod). He says he hasn't fired but about 10 rounds through it, looks to be in great shape, looks brand spankin new. We're planning to go shoot some skeet with it this weekend to try it out.

He wants $400 for it. Go ahead and jump on it? Or there's better deals to be had?

I've always been a Remington 870 and 11-87 kind of guy, but through various trades and sales I now find myself without a shotgun and I'm looking to expand my horizons a bit with a better quality shotty. Is this the answer?

 

[xdtactical]

I have a Nova, great shotgun but I believe you can buy one new for 400.00 I bought the 18.5 home defense w/slug barrel for 339.00

 

[jgcoastie]

This has the 24" barrel I think...

I know they can be had new for about this price, but nobody has any Benelli's up here for less than $600, and by the time I bought one on gunbroker or similar site, paid the FFL transfer fees, and shipping; I think it'd come out about the same if not a little more expensive to buy online vs. this one...

 

[BigJimP]

The Benelli Nova is a decent pump gun / but there are 2 versions the Nova and the SuperNova. List price new on the Nova synthetic is $409 / $499 on the super nova synthetic - and add about $100 for the camo finish. There is a big difference in the guns - with the Super Nova having the Comfort Tech recoil supression system in the stock - and I like that system.

Nova's and Super Nova's come in 24", 26" and 28" - and for hunting or casual Skeet shooting the 26" might be ok / but the 28" would be a lot better - because the longer sight plane will give you better follow-thru on a moving target for hunting or Skeet. A 28" barrel on a pump or semi-auto will give you about the same overall length in a gun as a 30" barrel on an Over Under.
The 28" barrel version also gives you a gun that is around 8 lbs - which is a plus - heavier guns follow-thru better and they absorb more recoil than lighter guns. Most people that shoot lighter or shorter guns - find they have trouble keeping them on the plane of a moving target / and they get a little to "whippy" vs a nice solid feel.


Personally, for an Over Under, I like a 30" barrel ( and a gun that weighs about 8 1/2 lbs ) for upland bird hunting, Skeet and Sporting Clays.

But the Nova or Super Nova are decent guns / although my personal preference in a pump gun is the Browning BPS Hunter model - also in a 28" barrel.

The problem with all pump guns - is the angled stocks they have on them ( the 870's and the Browning too ) have a lot of drop at the comb and the heel - and they aren't really adjustable. You will find an outfit - a vest, over a windbreaker, etc - that will put your face at the exact spot on the comb - so it shoots where you look. If you shoot in a T shirt / it moves your face forward on the comb - and causes the muzzle to move up or down - and it changes your point of impact. Putting a stick on pad on the comb - can fix it - but they're ugly ... and don't stick too well ...

So fit on a gun with an angled comb is critical - and they don't come in one size fits all. I don't recall one there in the 70's when my ship was in Kodiak - but if you have a Skeet or Trap field on the base - spend some time out there talking to shooters and see what kind of guns they're shooting. My CGA class was '74 ....I'm just a cranky old bas---- now .... / good luck to you .....and have some fun picking out the right shotgun for yourself.

 

[jmr40]

In that condition and living where you do that is probably a fair price. Make sure you handle it a while before laying down your cash if you are used to an 870. I have used the 870 most of my life and as much as I like the Nova I just cannot get used to it. I've bought, and then sold 3 of them. Each time getting a great deal that I could not pass up and actually made money on 2 of them and broke even on the other.

I think they are good guns from a mechanical perspective but the fat, long receiver combined with the fat ugly forend just did not work for me. I simply shoot the 870 better and gave up on the Benelli. If I had started on the Benelli I may well love it.

 

[inSight-NEO]

The problem with all pump guns - is the angled stocks they have on them ( the 870's and the Browning too ) have a lot of drop at the comb and the heel - and they aren't really adjustable.

Im not sure about the Nova, but the SuperNova I have (w/Comfortech stock) is adjustable for drop and cast (to a limited degree), using the various supplied shims. There are also additional inserts you can buy for the CT stock which allow for a higher comb. However, the SteadyGrip stock they sell (which is now on my gun) is indeed non-adjustable. This is also the case for the SpeedFeed stock which came factory mounted on my Mossberg 590.


-Regarding the original post-

Im thinking that $400 isnt too bad for a Nova, although Id probably barter down to $350 cash given that it is a used weapon. However, if it is financially feasible, Id suggest opting for a SuperNova instead.

 

[jgcoastie]

Thanks guys.

 

[BigJimP]

The shims are only going to give you about 1/4" of adjustment - but it is better than nothing, you're right .

 

[chris in va]

I didn't care for my 20ga Nova. Action is quite clunky and I missed many shots at the range due to that feature. Lightweight so recoil was considerably more than I would have expected from a 20ga.

You also have to buy everything special order for the gun, can't just run down to the local gun store for whatever you need.

I tried...just couldn't warm up to it.