Anybody considering buying a shotgun to give to a hunter for Christmas may want to check out a Top 10-Plus 1 list of semi auto shotguns in Outdoor Life.

Joe Genzel, who wrote the “The Best Semi Auto Shotguns” published online Tuesday, hits the nail on the head when he points out an extensive selection can make buying a new shotgun confusing. After all, he points out, gun manufacturers introduce a “new” auto-loader nearly every year.

Duck hunters, upland bird hunters, turkey hunters and clays shooters like semi auto shotguns because they fire rounds efficiently and cycle fast, plus semi auto shotguns soak up recoil and swing to birds and clays naturally, he wrote, even on a relatively light platform.

Genzel praises John Moses Browning, who debuted a long-recoil Automatic-5 in September 1903. In no time at all it became the world’s first successful production auto-loader because the design was just about flawless.

Browning’s Auto-5 was a favorite until it was discontinued in 1999, after it survived two world wars and was manufactured on three different continents – Europe, Asia and the U.S (as the Remington Model 11). A new, redesigned version was introduced in 2014.

That Auto-5 is the gold standard, obviously, for the magazine’s senior editor from Illinois. The Teche Area’s veteran, accomplished hunters who have been around a long time might want to see how his Top 10-Plus 1 stack up against theirs on this first Sunday of December.

-Best Overall: Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus

Genzel said it made the cut because hunters can use it for any hunt that requires a shotgun. He called it “one of the softest shooting semi autos every designed.”

Why? Gas driven. 3 ½-inch chamber. Three-spring hydraulic Kick-off Mega recoil system. Available in 20- and 12-gauge.

-Best for Waterfowl: Benelli Super Black Eagle 3

The author noted “the SBE platform is the most popular shotgun among duck hunters because it’s reliable, durable and low maintenance.”

Why? Inertia driven. 3- and 3 ½-inch chamber variants. Available in 28-, 20- and 12-gauge. Comfortech recoil system.

-Best for Upland: Browning A-5 Sweet Sixteen Upland

According to Genzel, it’s a light, 5-pound, 12-ounce shotgun “that’s easy to carry afield with above average pattern density.”

Why? Inertia driven. 2 ½-inch chamber. Invector DS choke system (3 chokes). Inflex recoil pad.

-Best for turkey: Mossberg 940 Pro Turkey

He said there are more turkey shotguns on the market now, mainly due to the fact Mossberg set the trend by building specialized repeaters, like the 940 Pro, at a reasonable price.

Why? Gas operated. 3-inch chamber. 18.5- and 24-inch barrel options. RMSc micro-dot sight-ready.

-Best for deer: Winchester SX4 Cantilever Buck

Unlike many other shotguns, the cantilever scope base is attached to the barrel of the SX4 rather than the receiver, which results in superior accuracy, Genzel reported.

Why? Rifled barrel. Gas-operated. Adjustable iron sights. Cantilever scope base.

-Best for home defense: Benelli M4 Tactical

Genzel said the M4 is a civilian version of the weapon relied upon by the U.S. Marine Corps. The sole difference is ammo capacity (military M4s hold eight 2 ¾-inch rounds while civilian variants hold six).

Why? 3-inch chamber. Gas-operated. Front post and rear ghost-ring sights. 7.8 pounds.

-Best for small game: Weatherby SA-08 Deluxe

He admitted Weatherby shotguns aren’t widely popular but the SA-08 should be because it’s a well-built semi auto that’s a steal for the price.

Why? 3-inch chamber. Gas-operated. 6 pounds (12-gauge). Aluminum receiver.

-Best sub-gauge: Beretta A400 Xplor Action 20-gauge

The author wrote the A400 Xplor Action is almost a fail-proof semi auto that doesn’t need to be cleaned as much as competing gas-driven shotguns to function.

Why? Available in 12-, 20- and 28-gauge. 3-inch chamber. Blink gas operating system. Walnut stock and fore-end.

-Best for clay shooting: Remington 1100

According to the author, it’s hard to beat the Remington 1100 because it’s built like a tank and one of the most popular skeet and trap auto-loading shotguns ever manufactured.

Why? Available in 2 ¾- and 3-inch models. Gas-driven. Built in 12-, 16-, 20- and 28-gauge, plus .410.

-Best value: TriStar Viper G2 Wood Walnut

He said the TriStar imports workhorse gas-driven auto-loaders or under $700.

Why? Gas-operated. Available in 12-, 16-, 28-gauge and .410. 3-inch chamber (2 ¾-inch 16-gauge). 6.9 pounds (12-gauge).

-Best for youth hunters: Franchi 48 AL

The Franchi 48 AL is a light, long-recoil operated semi auto with few moving parts, which means it’s simple for new shooters to use, according to Genzel.

Why? Long-recoil operating system. 2 ¾- or 3-inch chamber. Available in 12-, 20- or 28-gauge. Youth model weighs 5.4 pounds (20-gauge).

That’s it in a nutshell, potential shoppers.

DON SHOOPMAN is outdoors editor of The Daily Iberian.