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Remington 105 CTI II Review (Long Term)

46K views 301 replies 33 participants last post by  norcalhunter13 
#1 ·
Thought I share a review on the New Remington 105 CTI II shotgun and how it compared to be SBE II. First of all I am by no means a shotgun expert, this are just my thoughts and opinions about this shotgun and my SBE II.

I was at first very hesitant to purchase this shotgun. Remington is know to have quality control issues and the first version of the 105 had a LOT of problems. Also I had a recent bad experience with a Remington 870 that was absolute garbage.
However I really liked this 105 CTI shotgun and I am not sure what drew me to it...but I had to have it for my collection... :lol3: Also this new version of the 105 CTI was supposedly fixed up, and did not have all of the problems like the previous version. I personally loved the looks of the 105 and how well it shouldered for me (gun fit is always one the most important parts in buying a shotgun). I also really liked the idea of bottom ejection.

So after shopping around I found a steal of a deal $899, the MSRP for a new one is almost $1600!! The shotgun I purchased I think may have been used ( the ad did not state if it was used or not) but was in excellent condition with very few minor dings (the 105 CTI 2 was released in March, so it is not that old). The shotgun came with a nice little plastic case with a few choke tubes.

Before I took the gun to the range I thoroughly took it apart and cleaned it. The shotgun was not very hard to take apart following the instructions. Thankfully Remington also designed the shotgun to only be taken apart and put back together one way, so it is almost impossible to put the shotgun back together the wrong way. The shotgun looked liked it had not been cleaned very well by its last owner (besides the barrel). I even found what appeared to be some original factory grease on the action. Fortunately it looked liked the owner had not fired very many rounds through the gun or used it very much. It may had been just test firing from the factory.

I inspected all the parts quite thoroughly, looking for metal burs or potential future problems. I was quick surprised that the quality was not that bad. As fare as internal working parts goes and functionality, on a 1 to 10 scale, 10 being the best, I would give it a 9.5. For the outside looks, wood, finish ect. I would giver it a 7 out of 10. There were only a couple of manufacturing flaws on the outside that I found concerning. One was that there was evidence of excess glue on the barrel where the sight bridge is attached. But is not that noticeable. The other problem was the wood on the fore end. On one side it has a small stained gold circle that looks out of place but it looks like this is part of the manufacturing process, because I have seen it on all the 105 cti's in pictures. Also when the wooden fore end is attached to the barrel it is ever so slightly lose, but most semi's due slightly rock even my benelli. The other problem is the inside of the wood on the fore end is exposed to the gunpowder and gases. So I don't know how well the wood will hold up over time with constant exposure to this. :huh: The only other noticeable problem is that the sight bridge on the barrel does not line up perfectly with the sight bridge on the receiver. It is slightly to the left, however it not at all noticeable when you are in a shooting situation, it is just a minor detail that Remington overlooked but should have fixed.

So after cleaning the gun I was ready to take it to the range and see how it performed in comparison to my SBE II. The manual says that the gun needs at least a 2 3/4 inch shell with 2 3/4 dram eq. 1 1/8 oz of shot and 1290 FPS in order to ensure proper cycling. I bought one box of shells that met this requirement and tried some shells that did not meet this requirement.
At the range on the very first shot with the recommended shells the shotgun failed to cycle the next round in the chamber all the way. This was concerning to me, but after my next shot the gun cycled fine. (it may have been excess oil from cleaning the gas ports or something that caused it not to function the first time). The shotgun points and shoots like a dream for me. It comes to the shoulder very well and the balance is good, but the forward end of the gun feels a bit heavy.

Once I got the feel for the shotgun I was busting clays left and right. I then switched to using 2 3/4 3 dram eq. 1 1/8 oz of shot at 1200 FPS, it cycled the 200 rounds I put through it flawlessly. I had a slight problem with putting shells into the magazine tubes sometimes it was a bit tricky to feed it in right, besides that it was fine. The "auto loading" feature where the shotgun puts a shell right into the chamber for you is very nice. The recoil pad is a limbsaver that comes standard, and does a good job of absorbing the recoil.
I also took the time to shoot my SBE II to compare it to my new shotgun. First thing I noticed was that even with the comfort tech pad the 105 cti had a LOT less felt recoil overall and muzzle jump (I even tried a few 3 inch duck loads to see how it worked). However with that being said I definitely could feel the the benelli comfortech spread the recoil throughout my entire shoulder area where the 105 cti was a bit more concentrated. Despite recoil and muzzle jump the SBE II points a lot easier then my 105, I think partly this is because I use the custom shim kit on my SBE II, to give me that perfect fit. This is something that the 105 unfortunately lacks. The other thing I noticed is that the SBE II had the weight very well distributed throughout the entire shotgun, while the 105 cti's weight was a little bit more concentrated (the fore end and and the butt particularly), however it comes up to my shoulder a lot better than my SBE II. The other thing I quickly came to like a LOT on my 105 was the bottom eject feature. It was much easier to do follow up shots and concentrate on my target, without having the distraction of excess gases and shell casing flying in front of my face. In other words I found I could get back on target quicker and faster for follow up shots then my SBE II. So overall in my opinion the 105 is very competive in shooting performance when compared to the SBE II, however the shim kits make the SBE II have an advantage over the 105, because you can get that perfect custom fit (like I said earlier gun fit is very important).

If your are a trap enthusiast I would not really recommend this shotgun. Only because loading from the bottom all the time is a bit more difficult to do. However after some practice loading the 105 cti should not be that much of an issue. I got this shotgun for primarily upland game and occasional waterfowl, and this shotgun should be perfect for doing just that. It is slightly lighter then my SBE II and I like the fit and looks.

Well that is about it. I hope if you are considering buying this shotgun or another this helps you in some way. Any questions or comments feel free to add. This is for the information and benefit of everyone because there are not too many indepth reviews online about the 105 CTI 2.
 
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#2 ·
I think you are the first person I've ever heard about even owning a 105 CTI or 105CTI II. Thank you for the review, I share your hesitation to buy another remington product.

I've liked the idea of a bottom ejecting gun, especially in the blind. Hopefully remington's QC issues have been corrected, so people will actually buy one of these things.
 
#3 ·
I hope Remington gets on track like you said and improves their QC. If you really want to buy a 105 I would recommend inspecting it very well at the gun shop, before you get it.

So far I have not had any problems I got almost 500 rounds through it already. Just got done using it at the sporting clay range today and I shot it just as well as my SBE.

Also a HUGE thank you to Remington for excellent customer support!!! I called today and told them my recoil pad was a bit sticky, and they are sending me a brand new one, straight to my house for free! I don't have to send them the old one or anything! Way to go Remington!! :thumbsup:
 
#4 ·
Thought I give an update on my 105 CTI 2. I have cycled close to 1500 rounds through it..... And I have done regular maintenance on it. That is when a serious problem started... :mad: For some reason the shotgun will not feed in the 2nd shell all the way into the gun. It gets stuck in the "carrier" prongs. I contacted Remington and they are going to have me send it to Remington to get looked at. They are paying for the shipping cost too. They said they would try and probably adjust the feeding system, and even probably test fire it....to make sure it works correctly. To make their job easier I took pictures of a shell jammed in the carrier. I am hoping they will be able to fix it... (fingers crossed) The reliability of Remington shotguns has me concerned but I have to say Remington so far has been excellent in stepping up to the plate when there is a problem with their product. I will keep you guys updated.
 
#5 ·
Sorry to hear about the new problems. At least they are taking care of it. Seems like their off the line QC could still use some work.
 
#7 ·
I would love to have one for the layout blinds when my buds are close by or for when I am hunting in a small blind, they seem like they would make an awesome upland and clay gun more than anything, just my perspective. I might save up for one when they are enough guys giving it the thumbs up.
 
#8 ·
Yeah..I have to say the bottom eject feature is pretty sweet. It does awesome for sporting clays..and I am looking forward to using it in a duck blind this fall after I get it back from Remington. And to answer the other question.. it is not the brass that is getting stuck... it is down by the crimp where it is getting stuck...(about a 1/4 inch down from the crimp) is getting wedge between the carrier prongs. It seems to be a friction problem and it gets wedge just enough so it is not able to feed it up all the way into the chamber. I think Remington will just have to grind down or tune the carrier prongs just a bit and it will be great! :thumbsup:
 
#10 ·
Thought I should give an update on my Remington 105 CTI 2 like I promised. Finally got around to shipping it back to the factory. Remington just got it yesterday, and when I called today they told me that it was on the gunsmith's bench being worked at 6 AM this morning! Which was good to hear.
I also called Remington again today to inquire about the R3 recoil pad that I had asked for. It had been pretty much a month since I had asked for one, and I still did not get one in the mail. The guy told me he never saw an entry in the computer, and he went ahead and ordered that another one be sent to me. Hopefully one shows up this time!

Also I learned today, that based on my firearms model number that is actually a Remington 105 CTI. It is not a 2 version. Let me clarify what Remington did. When they sent out the original 105 cti it had a boat-load of problems!! So what Remington did was make and updated version of the shotgun and if your shotgun had problems you could send it in to be updated for free. By fixing the problems and upgrading the parts. Saved Remington a ton of money in the respect that they did not have to manufacture brand new shotguns from scratch (smart business move if you ask me). All they had to do was change out the parts. In addition some of the 105 cti's later on began to be stamped with a 2 on the receiver. However they are also producing brand new ones that are fresh from the factory with all the proper parts as well, that are not refurbished like the old 2's. The main differences are: A length of pull kit, an "R" on the bottom of the stock of the new ones vs a commemorative stamp on the old ones. The wood on the fore stock on the new ones will have a "II" engraved while the old 105 cti 2's do not. Because mine was not a newly built 105 cti 2 model, it did not come with the adjustable length of pull kit, and they currently do not have that on their spare parts list, so I am not able to acquire one! I would like to have the kit so I could adjust it for my father to use. (if anybody has one of these kits and does not use it let me know I will take it!). Other then that, I am just waiting to hear back from Remington on the verdict for my shotguns repair.

Just to clarify they are a total of 4 versions of this shotgun that are available. There is the original 105 cti without any updated parts or maybe a few updated parts depending on when it was sent back to the factory or if at all. Then there is the old 105 cti that was updated and laser engraved with a 2, that has all the necessary updated parts. Then there the 105 cti 2s that are brand new and has all the necessary parts.
 
#11 ·
I went thru a lot of jamming with my first CTI . It was such a piece of junk that they sent me a new one.This one was better but still had a few minor problems. Back it went again. This time it seems to be ok,after I got the casting slag off the bottom of the bolt. They converted it to a CTI 2. They also replaced the cracked forearm with a new style. As a side note ,it will now cycle cheap 1oz. loads. I too asked about a shim kit,they sent me one for $3.85. This was about three weeks ago. I sure hope this does it,cause I shoot this thing better then anything In my cabinet .I gave $1200.00 for it ,but if it doesn't work out,it's going the way of a ugly stepchild. I do have to say the folks at the repair shop have gone out of their way to help.
 
#12 ·
When you say "shim kit" are you talking about a adjustable length of pull system" or are you talking about something that can adjust the cast of the shotgun? (aka lower the buttstock?). Either way do you know what it was specifically called or the part number? Thanks for your input and insight. I appreciate it.
 
#13 ·
It is a l.o.p kit. The item number is f301973. The cost is $4.50 plus tax. It consists of three shims about .25 inch each.As a side note I patterned the impcyl tube at 40 yards with the new Heavy Metal bb's.I got 18,16,&19 hits in a 10 inch circle.It does almost the same with Black Cloud 3's.The only time I'll change tubes is at the trap range.
 
#14 ·
And these shims fit the 105 cti? Are they curved in the middle like the 105 cti's stock is, to fit? Sorry for the questions, just want to make sure it compatible before I try and order it.
Funny you should mention patterning. I have not had the chance yet to pattern, I hope to begin doing it once I get it back. I put the MOD choke into the gun when I got it, and it did a great job at the sporting clay range, however it is just a hair to tight sometimes, so I was think about ordering a Light MOD choke. It also came with an extended skeet choke tube that I shot for a little bit, but the pattern was two open, for me, it did not really crush the clays, just kind of nicked them and I sometimes swear there was holes in that pattern.. :lol3: . I think I have the improved cylinder choke as well, which I will also try. I typically prefer the MOD choke even though they pattern a bit tighter, it is good for most scenario's for hunting. Thanks again for the information! :thumbsup:
 
#15 ·
This kit is definetly for the 105 ,and only for the 105.they're curved to fit the butt ,they also interlock.It makes for a nice fit and they look pretty good on the gun.I'm 6ft2 and one shim did the trick for me. I'd be real interested to hear how a light modifed patterns,especially with trap loads.Goodluck.
 
#16 ·
Hey I called today, and they said that the part number did not exist. Then after a moment of more looking he found it, and it is ordered and on its way! Cost like $15 bucks for the ENTIRE kit, but that is cheaper then Winchester Sx3 plastic spacers, those things are expensive! Thanks again for the info! I have called them twice before asking about a Length of Pull Kit for the 105 and they said it did not exist. Having that part number sure did help a lot! :thumbsup:
 
#17 ·
Hope you got your gun and parts back.I put mine thru the ringer the other day .Ishot about 300 rounds thru it . It cycled everything without a problem even cheap 1 oz Winchesters that it wouldn't have anything to do with before it went back to Remington.One thing Idid notice it kicks a little more with the II upgrade but no big deal.I did shoot a 1187 a couple of times for comparison its a little milder but way heavier.Right now I wouldn't trade for anything on the market.
 
#18 ·
I have not gotten my gun back yet. This is the start of week 4... All last week the status was that is was being serviced by a repairman. So somebody is working on it now. Before it was just sitting on the work bench..I did get my replacement recoil pad for free..and the LOP spacers have arrived... I am seriously thinking it might become my primary waterfowl gun because it points so well..and hardly kicks at all! However I need to get back first.....
 
#19 ·
Just checked the status today. It is shipped and on its way home! :thumbsup:

Called Remington and inquired about what was done to it. They said: "They found that it was not feeding properly"! :thumbsup: "So they adjusted the action." Also they found that something was "disconnected riding over the link"?? :huh: Something like that ..not sure what that is. Also they put some new parts in it. Hopefully it will run smooth! :clapping: I am just glad that they were able to figure out the problem. A lot of times when you bring something in to get fixed they can't seem to figure out the problem. (like that mystery rattle in your car that always disappears whenever you show up at the mechanic's shop)
 
#20 ·
Gun is back home now. :thumbsup: It says in the official report that they only problem they found was "will not feed properly". The only thing that they did to it was "adjust action...disconnector is riding over link". Hope whatever they did fixes the problem!
 
#21 ·
norcalhunter13 said:
Gun is back home now. :thumbsup: It says in the official report that they only problem they found was "will not feed properly". The only thing that they did to it was "adjust action...disconnector is riding over link". Hope whatever they did fixes the problem!
Take it to the range first. Don't wait until opening day to take it to the blind and have it screw up. I've done that one before and thank goodness I had a backup gun.
 
#23 ·
I would prefer the 105 cti 2 to be honest with you. But don't let that be you deciding factor in getting it. See if you can find both of them in the store. Figure out which one fits you best. This is the most important thing. If they both fit like a glove, then you can start weighing the pros and cons of both products.
In my opinion I really like the bottom eject feature because there is not distraction what so ever...after each shot vs the M-2.

Also in my opinion the M-2 will kick more... even with the fancy comfort-tech stock. This is because it is inertia driven. However the inertia driven M-2 will be a bit easier to maintain and can go longer without cleaning. For me this does not really make a difference because I clean my shotgun after each use anyway. You have to decide if that is important to you. I personally now like my 105 cti better then my Benelli Super Black Eagle 2. Especially how much better the trigger is on the 105 cti along with the excellent balance and swing of the gun.
There are also a number of other reasons for this, that you can see in my review above. One thing the M-2 has that the 105 cti does not have is the shim kit that allows you to adjust the angle of the stock to better fit the shooter. However Remington now does have an adjustable length of pull kit to better fit the shooter, but you still cannot adjust the angle of the stock. For me however this does not matter because the 105 cti already fits me very well.
The one thing I cannot promise you is the reliability of the 105 cti. Some people seem to have zero problems. Including the first generation of the shotgun. Other people seem to have a lot of problems with the firearm. I just got mine back from the factory, and I hope it does not ever have to go back again. The one thing that I do know is that once those people who own the 105 cti shotgun get it working right, they absolutely love it. And I absolutely love mine.
So once again it goes back to gun fit. Then determine what you are going to use it for, and if it fits those needs. For waterfowl hunting you might want to consider the M-2 because of the synthetic stock. However you can put some extra work into the 105 cti stock, by putting some protective coats of oil on it, and you can make it almost just a resistant to wet weather at the synthetic stock.
Then the question comes down to if you are willing to take a risk on the initial reliability of the firearm. The M-2 is going to have a lot less chance of having reliability issues than the 105 cti. But if you are willing to be patient if you end up having to send your 105 cti back to the factory, then this should not be that big of an issue. Because the firearm should function without problem afterwords, and reliability will no longer be an issue. Also it will not cost you any money to send it back because it will be under warranty. Remington pays for everything under their two year warranty, including the shipping cost. The only "cost" to you is not having your shotgun for about a month. Benelli has a 5 year warranty which is great, but I have heard that it takes FOREVER to get parts, or repairs done, due to manufacturing being overseas. So you might be without a shotgun even LONGER if you end up having problems with a Benelli. Fortunately most people do not seem to have too many problems with their Benelli's. But those who have, sometimes had to wait several months for parts, or repairs. I have not read or heard of anyone having to return there second generation 105 cti's back to the factory yet.
If you do decide to get a 105 cti make sure you get the second generation of the 105 cti, and make sure it has the metal "R" logo on the stock of gun, and not the fancy plate that says "100 years of autoloading". The one's with the "R" logo are brand new factory ones, and are not the older ones with upgraded parts, it also comes standard with the adjustable length of pull kit. These new 105 cti's should function without any problems, but like I said it seems to bit hit and miss for reliability. I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions.
 
#24 ·
My father had a chance to go out and test fire the 105 today. He said it fired the first three heavy pheasant loads without a problem! :thumbsup: Then he loaded up three more, and had a problem... He fired the first shot, then when he went to fire the second shot the shotgun went "click". Looking on the ground he saw that the shotgun had unloaded both the empty hull and one of the unfired shells.
He is not very familiar with the shotgun, but he thought he might have "misfed" the second round in the magazine tube. He thought he might not of pushed the second shell all the way into the magazine tube, so the second shell might not have completely locked in place. This may have caused the shell to come out too early... then when he fired the first shot it caused the shotgun to release the unfired shell early...therefore ejecting both the empty and unfired shell. This is my guess, but I don't know for sure yet. It started to rain so he will be doing more test later to see if this problem continues. I hope it was just a misfeed. I will keep you posted on the outcome.
 
#25 ·
I really hope I don't jinx myself but since I got my cti back from remington after a total upgrade the thing shoots anything including cheap 1 oz loads,and several different 3''steel loads.The only thing I noticed was it kicks a little more,but not much for such a light gun.As a side note ,a guy could change the pitch by shaving one of the L.O.P.shims.Oh yea I've got some mallards hanging that don't like it very much.
 
#26 ·
I hope to find some mallards that don't like my 105 cti soon! :hammer: Also great idea for adjusting the stock pitch! I did not think of that possibility! What kind of steel loads are you putting through it, that are giving you a good pattern for those mallards? Just curious..
 
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