BoneDigger
03-20-2007, 07:33 PM
I also posted this on the Stoeger forum at Shotgunworld so if you read it there, I apologize.
I am going to post a review of the Stoeger 2000 shotguns that my brother and I have. I will start at the beginning...
In 2005 I purchased my first Stoeger 2000. It was a 12 gauge, black synthetic, 26 inch barrel. I really wanted the wood stocked gun, but they did not have them in stock and factory reps said it would be a while. So I got the synthetic. I don't shoot ALOT but I put maybe 500 rounds through the Stoeger that year. I NEVER STRIPPED AND CLEANED IT! I know, that's a bad thing to do, but I just never did. I never had a single problem with the gun. I shot everything from target loads to 3" ooo buckshot through it.
Not long after I purchased my Stoeger, I was bragging to my brother about this very good, low price Benelli clone. So, he went out a bought a black synthetic 12 gauge, with a 24 inch barrel. He uses his primarily for deer hunting with buckshot (dog drives are still legal in SC) and that gun sees a lot of mud riding in a rack on the back of an ATV. Not long after he bought the gun, he had an issue with the finish and had to send it back to Stoeger. A month later he got it back with a new finish. He has never had a problem with this Stoeger.
My brother has twin sons that are 18 years old. Last year, they each purchased a 12 gauge Stoeger 2000, one camo and one black synthetic. They also use their guns for deer hunting and they get a lot of abuse. In fact, they also own Browning Golds that they had been using, but didn't want to bang them up, and that is why they bought the Stoegers. They shoot some target loads, and a lot of buckshot. Again, neither of these guns has ever had a problem.
Well, in a fit of ignorance, I sold my Stoeger because I really wanted the wood stocked gun. I sold the gun after the season and really didn't need one right away, so I held off on getting a new one. I just bought a new one yesterday, 12 gauge wood stock, 26 inch barrel. I have not shot it yet, but I'm hoping for the best.
While shopping for the Stoeger, I talked to two different people "in the know" as they say. The first person was a gunsmith at Gander Mountain. He had high regards for the Stoegers and ranked them above the Remington 11/87 in terms of reliability. He said they were as good as many other guns that cost more. In the past 2 years, he said they have only had two returned because of problems. One was a finish issue, and one was in the internal workings.
I also talked to my local independent gun dealer. Granted, he wanted to sell me a gun, but he is an honest guy, so I take his word for it. He said that in the last three years, he averaged selling 40 Stoeger 2000 per year. So, he had sold maybe 120-150 Stoeger 2000s in that time. In that time, he had only had three returned to him to send to the factory. One of these was a finish issue, one was an internal issue (carrier maybe), and one was because the slide wasn't working properly. On the latter, he said the guy had dropped the gun in the mud and rinsed it off in the creek while duck huting. Stoeger cleaned the gun and said there was "excessing packing grease in the chamber." He thinks it wasn't packing grease, but mud. But, Stoeger did it under warranty with no hassles.
So, what do I think of the Stoegers? I think they are very good guns. And, no, I won't say "for the money" because I think they are worth more than what you pay. In fact, I would rank them above a lot of other guns that cost more.
Todd
I am going to post a review of the Stoeger 2000 shotguns that my brother and I have. I will start at the beginning...
In 2005 I purchased my first Stoeger 2000. It was a 12 gauge, black synthetic, 26 inch barrel. I really wanted the wood stocked gun, but they did not have them in stock and factory reps said it would be a while. So I got the synthetic. I don't shoot ALOT but I put maybe 500 rounds through the Stoeger that year. I NEVER STRIPPED AND CLEANED IT! I know, that's a bad thing to do, but I just never did. I never had a single problem with the gun. I shot everything from target loads to 3" ooo buckshot through it.
Not long after I purchased my Stoeger, I was bragging to my brother about this very good, low price Benelli clone. So, he went out a bought a black synthetic 12 gauge, with a 24 inch barrel. He uses his primarily for deer hunting with buckshot (dog drives are still legal in SC) and that gun sees a lot of mud riding in a rack on the back of an ATV. Not long after he bought the gun, he had an issue with the finish and had to send it back to Stoeger. A month later he got it back with a new finish. He has never had a problem with this Stoeger.
My brother has twin sons that are 18 years old. Last year, they each purchased a 12 gauge Stoeger 2000, one camo and one black synthetic. They also use their guns for deer hunting and they get a lot of abuse. In fact, they also own Browning Golds that they had been using, but didn't want to bang them up, and that is why they bought the Stoegers. They shoot some target loads, and a lot of buckshot. Again, neither of these guns has ever had a problem.
Well, in a fit of ignorance, I sold my Stoeger because I really wanted the wood stocked gun. I sold the gun after the season and really didn't need one right away, so I held off on getting a new one. I just bought a new one yesterday, 12 gauge wood stock, 26 inch barrel. I have not shot it yet, but I'm hoping for the best.
While shopping for the Stoeger, I talked to two different people "in the know" as they say. The first person was a gunsmith at Gander Mountain. He had high regards for the Stoegers and ranked them above the Remington 11/87 in terms of reliability. He said they were as good as many other guns that cost more. In the past 2 years, he said they have only had two returned because of problems. One was a finish issue, and one was in the internal workings.
I also talked to my local independent gun dealer. Granted, he wanted to sell me a gun, but he is an honest guy, so I take his word for it. He said that in the last three years, he averaged selling 40 Stoeger 2000 per year. So, he had sold maybe 120-150 Stoeger 2000s in that time. In that time, he had only had three returned to him to send to the factory. One of these was a finish issue, one was an internal issue (carrier maybe), and one was because the slide wasn't working properly. On the latter, he said the guy had dropped the gun in the mud and rinsed it off in the creek while duck huting. Stoeger cleaned the gun and said there was "excessing packing grease in the chamber." He thinks it wasn't packing grease, but mud. But, Stoeger did it under warranty with no hassles.
So, what do I think of the Stoegers? I think they are very good guns. And, no, I won't say "for the money" because I think they are worth more than what you pay. In fact, I would rank them above a lot of other guns that cost more.
Todd