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On going review and death test of a Stoeger m3500

184K views 251 replies 62 participants last post by  mudpack 
#1 ·
Hey guys I just got a Stoeger m3500 and thought that I would keep a up to date journal of how this weapon performs, conditions, patterns, and kills. Just thought I would share my knowledge of my experiences with this gun.

I bought a 28" Max-4 version, I wanted a 26" APG but was told that those are back ordered till September didnt want to wait that long so I bought this one.

 
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#2 ·
First things first guys I must let you know a few things about this gun as far as what other things will work with it. The threads on the Magazine tube are the same as the beretta xtrema II so if you are wanting to put a mag extension on it those will work. I plan to put one on mine for snow goose season and run it through that ringer as well. The choke tube threads are beretta/benelli mobile threads just like the m2000. I will be putting a foiles strait heat choke tube on this very soon and posting patterns as soon as I get it in.

It comes with 5 Tubes skt, imp cyl, mod, full, and x-full tky.

Just a side note I bought this gun for $618 after ks tx.

Easy gun to assemble and disassemble just make sure that the bolt is closed when you are taking off the barrel, it is the only way it will work. I knew this from my browning a-500r that has a rotating bolt like the m3500.

Very nice swinging gun, seems to be just a tad front heavy but not enough to make me want to spend $1000 more just to get a more balanced gun.

Another little note about this gun, not that I will be doing this, but you can float a 4th shell in this there are videos on youtube showing how its done, I did it while shooting clays and it works. Just wanted to try it out, might come in handy for one more round come snow goose season.
 
#3 ·
Alright took it out of the box and and assembled it, it comes with the skeet tube already in it so I left it in there. I also put the recoil reducer in it to start off with because I plan on shooting 3.5's alot out of it. So the plan was to get it out and shoot some clays with it and see how it does. First things first I didnt lube it or anything out of the box, just slammed it together.

So we get out and get ready to shoot some clays, I threw a 2.75 in the chamber and a 3.5 in the mag to see if the recoil from the dove load would cycle the goose load up. She worked flawlessly, much to be expected out of a new gun, I kept this same loading sequence for about 10 shots, no problems. So now I go to try to float the 4th I get the gun all ready and push the bolt forward and yell pull and it goes click. I thought crap ***, well I eject the shell thinking that I was a light primer strike, nope no primer strike. I do this again and the same thing. I get to thinking that I didnt let the bolt slam shut and it wasnt locking in, that is what happened, cus I slammed the bolt forward with the palm of my hand and yelled pull again and she went boom, boom, boom, boom. It will do it just have to get the user error out of the equation. I ran 1 box of Federal blue box 2.75", 1 1/8oz, 3 dr., 8's, dove loads, 1 box Winchester Xpert HV 3.5" 1 1/4oz, 1635fps, BB's goose load, and 3 Federal Premium flitecontrol 3.5", 2oz, 1300ish FPS, 5's turkey load through this beast. I must say you do know when you are shooting the goose loads verses the dove loads, and WOW the Turkey loads made me realize why I dont hunt turkeys that much holy crap. But all in all the first right out of the box test se performed flawlessly!!!!

So far so good as long as we keep the operater error out of the mix we shouldnt see much problems hopefully.
 
#5 ·
I dont know what real patterns it throws but at about 20 yds with the skeet choke and 3.5 BB loads the pattern appeared to be about 3', that what I saw when I shot the ground shooting a low flying clay. I havent patterned it at all so i dont know yet, waiting on getting an after market tube to actually buy different loads to pattern it. I am going to retire my Browning A-500r for ducks but will still use it for pheasants, and retiring my Charles Daly maxi-mag for geese, of course I will keep them with in arms reach if something were to happen to the Stoeger but I have my doubts that I will need them. I do clean my guns after alomst every use, especially after duck hunting in the marsh.
 
#7 ·
Ok guys I took it out for another round of abuse today, I left it in the car all day while I was building my boat and forgot about it. Go to get it out of the car and it might as well have been on fire, holy crap it was hot today. I thought well lets see how she does at 120 degrees. Well not owning a Benelli/Stoeger before I dont remember if you hit the release button or not to make it cycle instead of holding open. I believe I screwed up the first few "fail to feeds" I shot it about 10 times and it wasnt just quite right, handed it off to my buddy and it cycled every shell thru, I grab it back and it acts up again. This was a total of 25 federal 1.125 #8s that cycled fine the last time I took it out. We decided that it was just way to hot and took it inside and let it cool off. I also cleaned the recoil spring and tube there was some crap on it from the last time because I was lazy and didnt clean it. We waited abotu 2 more hours, ate and then after dinner I said lets go break it. So we went back out and shot 2 more boxes of shells through it with no problems. So I am chalking the fail to feeds up to 2 things, being a lazy operator, and it being way too hot to function as a proper weapon, it had to have been over 120+ degrees on the reciever when you touched it you immediately had to pull your hand back because it was that hot. Again both things are user error, I should have never left it in the car on a day like today and expected it to cycle that is just plain dumb.

On a side note I have fell in love with the skeet choke, I need to put it on paper but I only missed 2 rocks out of 25 today, which is really good for me.
 
#10 ·
Have been busy and hadnt had a chance to take it out, I will need to this weekend to prime up for doves though! I will update it after I shoot and then after dove hunting.
 
#11 ·
I ran a box through it on Friday afternoon, no issues and went 25/25 with it on clays about 30 yds out with the skeet choke in, i love that thing!!!
 
#12 ·
Took it out for the dove opener yesterday and had 0 issues and shot my limit, while it took me 2 boxes (would have been less but racking out the 3rd shell at marginal distance birds isnt good for the shell/bird ratio) she functioned just fine. I did notice that if I push the shell release with the light 1oz loads it really helps the cycling of the shells. So far so good. I started reloading my own dove loads that I am getting 1475 fps out of 2.75" 1 1/8oz #8's man that load crushes them. Thank god I have ran through all the cheapo federals.
 
#13 ·
So I just figured it up and I have ran 10 boxes through it now, 6 boxes of cheapo Federal, 3 Boxes of home dove loads, and 1 box of Xpert 3.5's. The only problems with it seemed to be operator error. Looking pretty damned good so far out of this really inexpensive 3.5 weapon.
 
#14 ·
won a 2000 in a pheasants forever banquet last year. while I am a remington 870 guy I thought I would give it a fair chance (if I tought I could like it I might use it as as my mud gun in the Bottoms. there is a reason why Pat at Pats in Ogden (where I often buy,trade and wish) calls 'em a JAM O' MATIC. At least it was the case with mine. sold it on a auction this spring, good ridence . Sure wasn't the quality of my 1100's or my sx3. problems cycling heavy goose loads when real poor weather conditions, also iffy on light 2 3/4" clay loads. I guess I am just used to my od wingmasters and 1100's that go bang everytime regardless of weather and loads. Hope they have corrected the jamming in the 3500's but as a earlier post said "save your reciepts" and dang sure turn in the regiestration in case you have to do warranty work.
 
#15 ·
I have a 2000 and it works great. I've fired it in 90 degree heat and the single digits during goose season and it was flawless. I heard that the older 2000's were notorious for jamming but they fixed the problem in the newer generation stoegers. I'll vouch for mine its been a great gun for an even better price. And no I don't work for them or anything I have just been impressed everything about it. It is simple to dis assemble, clean, works great and was cheap. The only thing I wish they did to mine was drill and tap the receiver for a scope to go along with the slug barrel that mine came with but I'm pretty sure they do it to the 3500's now.
 
#16 ·
Took it out again today and ran another 35 shells through it, cycled flawlessly. I also finally cleaned it for the first time today and it was really easy to break down completely.
 
#17 ·
Wasted another box of shells whiffing at doves this afternoon, It was my "bad" day finally, very FREAKING FRUSTRATING. We all have one in the bag just hope that it is the only one for me this year!
 
#18 ·
any more news ? im currently lookin into buying one , got $600 saved up..just kinda waiting to see if any problems arrise ... in your honest opinion , would you say its a good first semi ? ive been using a 870 20 guage and want a 12 semi...dont like the new 870 as they dont work as well as my 20 year old 870..
 
#20 ·
pozerzsuk said:
any more news ? im currently lookin into buying one , got $600 saved up..just kinda waiting to see if any problems arrise ... in your honest opinion , would you say its a good first semi ? ive been using a 870 20 guage and want a 12 semi...dont like the new 870 as they dont work as well as my 20 year old 870..
I have not had any issues with this weapon and I have suggested it to anyone that asks the sleet choke and my home reloads are deadly on doves.
 
#21 ·
I went to Cabelas earlier to look at this gun due to your posts about it being a good gun. I found one in the used gun racks and was messing with it. I like the way it shouldered on me and the way it swung. The price isn't bad either.
 
#23 ·
Took it teal hunting for the last weekend of teal season and she functioned perfectly! Crushing teal with #4's with the skeet choke.
 
#25 ·
Ok guys I recieved another pm about this gun about the 10th since season started, and my reply is below.

??????? said:
hey man how goes it i have just read the post about your 3500 and was just curious how its shooting in the colder weahter and if it is still shooting good im looking into buying one for waterfowling in Utah and it gets snowy and cold here also how does it shoot trap and skeet
I dont really use it on the range, mainly because I dont shoot skeet, but I have put over 3 cases of hunting loads, mainly Winchester 3.5 bb, through it to date. So far it hasnt been too cold yet, no snow to accumulate yet. BUt we have had days of 20 degree weather tho while out hunting. It has yet to fail me. I have dunked it times in the marsh and ponds, I have only cleaned it once. No malfunctions. It has been used as a paddle and to thump cripples when they are trying to swim away. Needless to say I love it, I also like my Charles Daly maxi-mag pump it has been through hell and back 4 seasons now no issues with it either. I would reccomend the stoeger because it is still in production. And a heads up if you hunt snows it has the same threads as a Beretta Extrema II, I am not sure how tight it gets as I can make a shim but I checked to see if the threads were the same and they are. No need to get an aftermarket choke the cheap winchester experts pattern nicely in the mod #2's and BB. I shoot the 3.5" 1 1/4oz @ 1625fps and get great patterns. I havent put it on paper but when water swatting, someone elses, cripples it is TIGHT!!!!

GET ONE!!!!
 
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