# franchi affinity vs SBE 3



## leroy

Affinity is Half the money but is SBE worth it?


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## Arrow3

I'm highly considering selling my Beretta A400 12 gauge and buying a Affinity 20 gauge.


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## bluedog71

I have the intensity model in 12 ga and my youngest has Affinity in 20ga. Been hunting with them for 3 years in the Delta and not a single issue.


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## northgeorgiasportsman

I've owned a bunch of different shotguns over the years, made by several different makers, and the SBE 2 is my all-time favorite.  It has become my go-to for just about everything.  I couldn't tell you the last time I even pulled a Beretta out of the safe.


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## Long Cut

You wanna tell guys at the bar that you shoot a Benelli or just need a gun that goes boom?


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## leroy

Long Cut said:


> You wanna tell guys at the bar that you shoot a Benelli or just need a gun that goes boom?



No, i want to know does the benelli offer any advantages over the franchi? And if so are they worth it?


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## rnelson5

Both are great guns. I will vouch for the affinity though. I have owned one for about 6 years now. It has probably had somewhere around the neighborhood of 20 cases of shells through it. I have had ZERO function problems out of it. It has been from coast to coast, down to about 12 degrees snowing, saltwater, mud, ridden around in the bottom of the boat with no case, etc. and has always went boom and ejected the shells. Now I know the more expensive Benellis will do the same thing, but I am speaking from experience with the Affinity. The rail is all bent up and about 1/2 of the camo is gone, but it functions flawlessly.


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## Long Cut

leroy said:


> No, i want to know does the benelli offer any advantages over the franchi? And if so are they worth it?



Just a heftier price tag


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## BeerThirty

Franchi has a better warranty.  7-yrs to be exact, think that's the best in the industry.


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## mattuga

I've had mine 7 years or so and love my SBE II, it does shoot high and a little left (wanna fix the left but haven't yet as it is very small).  I worked on floating birds and it's no big issue now but would be to some and it did force me to change my shooting style as I came from a flat shooting Sears 12 ga, not sure about the affinity in this regard.  The couple jams I've had came from an inexcusably dirty gun shooting light loads.  I've had no problems in the years since I've kept it relatively clean.  All of that to say I'm buying a 20ga eventually and hear too much good stuff about the Franchi to pony up for a Benelli again.


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## killerv

Those 20 ga affinities have quite the break in period. A buddy and I both bought one and they are only reliable if you are shooting magnum or heavy loads. My buddy is ok with it, since he got his for turkey/ducks but mind is only good as a single shot on the skeet field. All franchi can tell me is to continue feeding it heavy target loads until starts to function properly. Aggravating. The money I've spent on winchester AA heavy target I could have put towards a M2.


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## king killer delete

S B E is good but the Affinity shoots great


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## Dub

Arrow3 said:


> I'm highly considering selling my Beretta A400 12 gauge and buying a Affinity 20 gauge.




I'm hear to tell ya.....that I absolutely love my A400.  Their KickOff system is mighty nice on my destroyed right shoulder.  It is the ticket.   Lot of adjustment with their supplied shim kit + spacers.  Outstanding shotgun.    You won't be disappointed.

A 20 gauge Affinity would be a mighty nice turkey gun.  Super reliable and very light toting.


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## Buford_Dawg

We have 3 affinity 20 gauges.  Love them.  Great guns at a reasonable cost.  I can't speak for the SBE, but it gets great reviews from what I hear.  It just depends on how much $$$ you want to spend.


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## Gator89

Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, Buick, etc., all under the GM Corporate logo.

Franchi, Benelli, Beretta, Uberti, etc., all under the Beretta Corporate logo.

The argument about which gun to buy is very similar to which vehicle to buy.  Does a GMC do the job that much better than a Chevrolet? Yet some folks like to roll with a GMC Denali.


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## Mark K

Always figured you get what you pay for...seems to hold true with guns. All Benellis shoot high because the Europeans don’t blot out targets with their guns, they swing under the target. As far as left and right I’ve never had an issue. I do know of a man that’s still shooting an SBE 1 after umpteen years. He said when it quits killing ducks he’ll buy another. My SBEII seems to be killing everything the last 10 years or so I’ve had it with no hiccups at all along the way.


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## Arrowed14

Well I must have got a bad Affinity I bought one 3 years ago and it was nothing but trouble from the start. I didn't think it was all that comfortable either once I got to hold it with the trigger lock off. The breaking point for me happened when it turned in to a single shot with birds dropping in the hole. Life is good now with the maxus!!


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## leroy

BeerThirty said:


> Franchi has a better warranty.  7-yrs to be exact, think that's the best in the industry.



Went with the benelli SBE 3,  is for sons high school graduation present. Hopefully it will last him a long time.  Benelli has 10 yr warranty.


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## king killer delete

leroy said:


> Went with the benelli SBE 3,  is for sons high school graduation present. Hopefully it will last him a long time.  Benelli has 10 yr warranty.


It will


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## Mark K

I’ve shot everything from trap loads to 3.5” knock your shoulder out of socket loads in an SBEII and I’m rocking past 10 years now. She looks a little worn, but still works just like the day I got her. My kids are already discussing who gets it when I die in about 50 more years.


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## jdgator

Franchi Affinity in 20 gauge is a great choice if you ever plan on hunting flooded timber or beaver dams and there is a possibility the gun will take an unexpected bath. I've seen it dropped in freezing water and still work fine 30 minutes later.


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## WOODIE13

Not a fan of the SBE3, my buddy got one and had issues with it from the beginning, been sent out for work twice and still not great.  He bought it when it first came out and understand the will be issues initially.

Caught the Affinity on sale for $400, picked it up for my wife, never an issue.

I personally like the Vinci.


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## SC Hunter

My hunting buddy has an Affanity, he is a one shotgun type of guy and is really good with it. I've never seen his jam or misfire of any kind and he abuses it. I've heard several people complain about SBE3 not shooting to point of aim.


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