Time To End Snobbery On Semi-Autos?

They are a vital tool for keepers and fowlers but could semi-automatics also one day feature on driven days? Simon Reinhold gets radical

- Simon Reinhold

Semi-automatic shotguns are enduringly popular with the gun-buying public. For people coming into the sport of shooting, they tick many boxes.

They are relatively cheap, so first-time buyers are immediately drawn to the attractive price tag. Also, it should not be overlooked that the option of a third shot is a lure to newcomers. This is especially true in a pigeon hide, where many start on coming into the sport.

As we gain more experience, we discover that the third shot is rarely used other than in desperation, but it is part of human nature to automatically think three is better than two. Very few beginners can shoot a ‘threefer’ — three shots for three cleanly killed pigeons.

For gamekeepers, the semi-auto is often the tool of choice and extra shots can make the difference between downing the partridge-predating crow or not. Most semiautomatics are robust and up to taking the mud-spattering that comes with life across the handlebars of a quad bike.

Many keepers favour multi-shot semi-automatics that require a firearms certificate for fox drives in the spring as handling matters less on ground level. Running quarry and the number of cartridges expended in pursuit of the elusive fox isn’t a factor, as long as the fox is stopped. There’s no room for finesse in fox drives; it’s about getting the job done.

Ten-shot semi-autos are not best suited to flying quarry, as the point of balance changes with every shot. They are highly versatile guns and, with a few exceptions, parts tend to be cheap, which helps with affordability. They are also easy to fit together.