Remington 11-96: The Forgotten Lightweight

When most people hear the name Remington shotgun, a few models immediately come to mind. The Model 1100 is one of the most recognizable semi-automatic shotguns ever produced, while the 11-87 became known for building on the 1100's proven design while adding the ability to reliably handle both 2¾-inch and 3-inch shells.

But there's another Remington semi-auto that often gets overlooked entirely: the Remington 11-96 Euro Lightweight.

Produced for only a few years in the late 1990s, the 11-96 was Remington's attempt to compete with the increasingly popular lightweight semi-automatic shotguns coming from European manufacturers.

The result was an interesting shotgun that took the familiar 11-87 platform and essentially put it on a diet.

The History Behind the Remington 11-96

To understand the 11-96, it helps to look at the two Remington shotguns that came before it.

The Remington Model 1100

Introduced in 1963, the Remington Model 1100 became one of the most successful gas-operated semi-automatic shotguns of its era.

The 1100 developed a reputation for its smooth operation, relatively soft recoil, and familiar handling characteristics. It became extremely popular with hunters and target shooters and eventually spawned numerous variations.

One limitation of the original 1100 design was its inability to reliably handle different shell lengths with the same versatility that later designs offered. Remington eventually addressed this with its next-generation semi-auto.

The Remington 11-87

In 1987, Remington introduced the Model 11-87.

At first glance, the 11-87 looked very similar to the 1100, and that was intentional. Remington retained much of the 1100's familiar fit, feel, balance, and controls.

The major advancement was Remington's pressure-compensating gas system, which allowed the 11-87 to reliably cycle both 2¾-inch and 3-inch loads.

The 11-87 became another major success for Remington.

But by the 1990s, the shotgun market was changing.

The Lightweight Shotgun Competition

European manufacturers were producing semi-automatic shotguns that were significantly lighter than traditional American designs.

A typical 12-gauge 1100 or 11-87 could weigh a little over eight pounds. While that weight isn't necessarily a disadvantage for a clay-target gun, it becomes much more noticeable when you're carrying a shotgun for hours while hunting.

Anyone who has walked several miles through fields, woods, or rough terrain carrying a shotgun knows that a pound makes a difference.

Remington wanted to compete in that lightweight market.

Rather than completely designing a new shotgun, however, Remington took an existing platform and started removing weight.

That shotgun became the 11-96 Euro Lightweight.

Putting the 11-87 on a Diet

The basic concept behind the 11-96 was fairly simple.

Start with the proven 11-87 design and find ways to reduce its weight without completely changing the shotgun's characteristics.

One of the most obvious changes is the receiver.

Rather than switching to an aluminum receiver like some competing lightweight shotguns, Remington retained a steel receiver. However, significant material was machined away.

Those distinctive cuts in the receiver aren't simply cosmetic.

They're there to remove unnecessary material and reduce weight.

Remington also shortened the magazine capacity, giving the shotgun a three-shell magazine capacity plus one shell in the chamber.

Other weight-saving measures included the use of Claro walnut, along with a lighter-contour barrel.

All of those changes added up.

The result was a 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun weighing approximately 7 pounds.

Compared with an 11-87 weighing more than eight pounds, that's a meaningful reduction for someone carrying the gun through the field.

Remington 11-96 Specifications

The 11-96 was a relatively focused model rather than a shotgun offered in a huge variety of configurations.

It was produced in 12 gauge and was available with either a 26-inch or 28-inch vent-rib barrel.

The barrels were designed for Remington's interchangeable Rem Choke system.

The shotgun retained the familiar controls and general handling characteristics of the 1100 and 11-87, making it immediately recognizable to anyone already familiar with those guns.

The 11-96 also featured the same basic pressure-compensating gas-system concept that made the 11-87 capable of handling both 2¾-inch and 3-inch ammunition.

In other words, Remington didn't reinvent the shotgun.

They refined an existing design for a very specific purpose: reduce weight while retaining the characteristics shooters already liked about the 1100 and 11-87.

Why Did Remington Only Make the 11-96 for a Few Years?

This is probably the most interesting question surrounding the 11-96.

If Remington had created a lightweight shotgun that worked well, why was it discontinued after only a few years?

The answer appears to come down largely to price and competition.

The 11-96 was positioned closer to the premium end of the shotgun market.

That created an interesting problem for Remington.

If you were already a Remington enthusiast, you may have owned an 1100 or 11-87 and had little reason to spend considerably more money on a new shotgun that performed a similar role.

On the other hand, if you were shopping specifically for a premium lightweight semi-auto, there were already established European options from manufacturers such as Beretta, Browning, Benelli, and Franchi.

The 11-96 was caught in an interesting position.

It had the Remington name and familiar design, but it was priced in territory where buyers could choose from some very established premium competitors.

Ultimately, the 11-96's production run lasted only from 1996 to approximately 1999.

A Short Production Run Doesn't Mean a Bad Shotgun

One of the things that makes the 11-96 interesting today is that its short production run can sometimes make people assume that it must have been unsuccessful because of mechanical problems.

That's not necessarily the case.

In fact, the 11-96 received significant recognition during its brief production run and was named 1997 Shotgun of the Year by Shooting Industry.

Its short production history appears to have been more about its position in the marketplace than the basic design being a failure.

And that makes the 11-96 an interesting piece of Remington history.

The 11-96 Today

So, what makes the 11-96 interesting more than 25 years after it disappeared from Remington's catalog?

For collectors, there are several reasons.

First, it's a relatively uncommon Remington model compared with the 1100 and 11-87.

Second, it represents an interesting period in Remington's history when the company was responding to competition from lightweight European semi-automatics.

And finally, it has the familiar Remington 1100/11-87 feel while being significantly lighter.

For a Remington collector, that's a pretty appealing combination.

Is the Remington 11-96 Worth Owning?

For a collector or Remington enthusiast, the answer is pretty straightforward: the 11-96 is an interesting piece of Remington history and a unique addition to a collection.

It essentially gives you a progression:

1100 → 11-87 → 11-96

The basic handling characteristics remain familiar, but the 11-96 takes the concept in a lighter direction.

For someone who simply wants a modern shotgun for upland hunting, there are obviously many options available today. The 11-96 is more than just a tool for that buyer.

It's a piece of Remington history.

And there's another interesting fact that makes the 11-96 particularly special to collectors.

It was the last new Remington shotgun design introduced during the 1900s.

Remington would go on to develop additional semi-automatic platforms, including the 105 CTi, Versa Max, and V3, but the 11-96 represents the end of an era for the classic 1100/11-87 family of designs in the twentieth century.

Final Thoughts

The Remington 11-96 Euro Lightweight may not have achieved the legendary status of the 1100 or 11-87, but that's part of what makes it so interesting.

It took an already proven Remington design and approached the problem from a different direction.

Instead of replacing the steel receiver with an aluminum one or completely redesigning the shotgun, Remington carefully removed weight while retaining the familiar characteristics of its popular semi-auto platform.

The result was a roughly seven-pound 12-gauge that was easier to carry in the field while still offering the familiar operation of the 1100 and 11-87.

Its short production run means you don't see 11-96s nearly as often as their more famous siblings.

For a Remington collector, that's part of the appeal.

It's uncommon, historically interesting, and represents a fascinating moment when Remington was trying to compete with a growing market of lightweight European semi-automatic shotguns.

Have you ever owned or shot a Remington 11-96?

What do you think of this often-overlooked Remington? Is it something you'd add to your collection, or would you choose a newer semi-auto instead?

Let us know in the comments.

And if you want to see the 11-96 up close and hear our complete thoughts on the shotgun, check out the Remington 11-96: The Forgotten Lightweight video on the Average Joe Armory YouTube channel.