Shotgun

T

tjiscooler

Joined
Mar 17, 2008
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Hey guys, i need some help from more experienced people.
Im lookoing for a shotgun and im having trouble picking what i need. Its use would be primarily "home defense" and i may do a bit of hunting as well so varietly of loads is nice.

Ive done research for a while and i hear real good things about the remington 870 12 gauge and mossberg shotguns. Im looking for a reliable pump action thats not too expensive that i can esaily modify. Not to sound like a mall ninja but...I was thinking about buying the spec-ops Collapsible Stock that suppsedly reduces recoil by 90% which is good because im not that big and itll make it easyer to handle. Also maybe a pistol grip and a magazine extender. The reason im being so anal about it is its probably going to be my only firearm for a long time, i cant afford more and who knows how long ill be alowed to purchase one.:(
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
A lot of folks won't agree w/ me but I like Mossberg better than Remington. The Mossberg is cheaper and is a very proven design, I like the position of the safety better and there's nothing on the bottom to cut your thumb on. If you don't mind buying Italian, I like the Benelli Supernova better than either. Bottom line: go to a gun shop and really handle all 3 (and Winchester too), pick the one you like the best because in pump guns you won't go wrong w/ Rem, Mossberg, or Benelli.
 
I currently have a Benelli M1 Super 90, but I'm interested in a Wilson Combat Border Patrol 870. I've had several 870s in the past and with all the aftermarket accessories that are available for the 870 you can easily customize it to your personal liking.
 
Remember that the 870 that they sell at Wal Wart, etc is different from the one you get at a gun shop. They cost more for a reason.
 
Spydiefan04 makes lots of sense. My personal experience with the 870 is that it is a workhorse. Parts are readily available and you can change/exchange parts as you time and funding permits. An easy gun to work on.

The Mossberg is another gun that is very hardy as well. Lots of accessories available for this one as well. I personally prefer the safety on the Rem. but I can see why a lot of people, especially lefties, prefer the Moss. This gun is also relatively easy to work on.

Benelli makes a great gun but the prices are typically higher. You do pay for what you get, and in this case you get what you pay for. Great quality guns. I have not done any work on Benelli's so I cannot comment on how easy or difficult they are to do your own modifications to.

If possible go somewhere you can shoot the different guns to get a feel for what you like. As far as home defense I would recommend a shorter (18-18.5") bbl. and you can buy another bbl. that you can change out for hunting.

Good luck and if you have questions try to find someone locally that you trust for advice. Don't put too much faith in what a salesman tells you. His goal is selling guns

SDS
 
The 870 is the most popular shotgun in Alaska .Considering the tough conditions there that says alot for reliability ! For HD use "reduced recoil" 00 buck and use a short barrel.
 
I'd go with the 870. I think it has a slicker action than the Mossberg.

Don't start hanging all sorts of tactical crap on a home defense shotgun. Ain't needed. You don't need the extended mag tube either.

Keep it simple.
 
I like both and have had both over the years and i'd go with the 870. it's been around a long time and parts are readily available {although most of the stuff is crap you don't need}. They used to make a home defense version which had an 18" barrel with a bead front site and cyl bore. good for defense and slug use but not for hunting. if you go this route you'll need to pick up another barrel with rem chokes in it for hunting, this is usually pretty easy to do since people often switch barrels and sell off the old ones. There is nothing wrong with an 870 from wally world it's the same one you'd buy at cabelas or bass pro. now there is a difference between the expresss and the wingmaster with the latter being much more finely finished but mechanically identical. the 870 is just a really good simple shotgun. that being said if you're left handed the safety setup on the mossberg is going to work better for you, and as i said before the mossbergs are a good gun for a good price that has also been around for quite a while and has many add ons available. if possible try to shoot both and i'm sure you'll prefer one over the other. good luck and let us know what you get. ahgar
as usual ymmv, not available in canada, or the british virgin islands.
 
BTW, don't discount the 1100. I've never, ever had one hiccup. They run like a Timex.

I have hunted the fields and marshes with a remington 1100 Special Field. It has a short little barrel that handles really quick, it looks sharp, and recoil is easy. It is now my only shotgun.

The only downfalls are that it's limited to 2 3/4 shells (no biggie), and it will hold 4 shells, vs. the normal 5. (Again, no biggie) If I can load while pass shooting ducks, and still hit well, it gets a pass.

There's three of them on gunbroker now that seem a little high priced, but if you consider the cost of the goodies you might add, it's worthy of consideration.
 
farmboy said:
I'm curious. Why is it do you think they cost less at Walmart?
Click to expand...

Biggest factor is fit and finish, inside and out. When I had my shop and someone would bring in an 870 to sell or trade I could tell if it came from a gunshop or a Mart, there is that big a difference. Is there anything wrong with the Wal-Mart guns? No...it is normally a cosmetic difference.

I would buy the 870, it is by far the most common pump with the most available parts and accessories out there. The only other pump I would prefer over an 870 is a Winchester Model 97 Trench. I like the exposed hammer for a HD gun and that fact you can trombone it is also nice. You can also slam fire the Winchester Model 12.

Of course I like my HD shotgun better yet, H&K 121 with an Trijicon Reflex sight on it, tho for years it was my 11 shot 1100 that lived in the corner behind the headboard.
 
I have an 870 wingmaster that is 20+ years old and shoots as well as it looks. Very lightweight, a nice hunting gun for pheasants, quail, etc.
 
My home defense shotgun is a Mossberg 500 in 20ga. with an extended tube. Loaded with 7&1/2 sized bird shot... lot's of pellets to pick out of the bad guy, assuming he lives, and has limited penetration through the second layer of drywall. Kinda important when you have young-un's on the other sides of those walls.
 
farmboy said:
BTW, don't discount the 1100. The only downfalls are that it's limited to 2 3/4 shells (no biggie), and it will hold 4 shells, vs..
Click to expand...

No folding stock option on an 1100, as the action system protrudes deeply into the stock. I have cut one down, maybe pulling 4" off the back of the stock. The plastic ones are cheaper and you don't feel so bad about doing it.

There are magazine extension tubes for these that reach all the way to Iowa.

The "Magnum" models will operate 3" shells, the have "M" suffix serial numbers. Maybe the SP Special Purpose 1187's. I don't know what advantage using a 3" shell has, nowadays.

I've used an 1100 twice in negative personal interchanges with marked success. On a third day, one of our guys outshot some clown with an Uzi with his .410 1100. Makes me think of that Moss 500 .410 cruiser model with the sporting stock in the same box. That was a devastatingly effective round, no less so than any 12gge. When you hit, you hit.

I also had access to a SPAS12 but I didn't have Ahnold along to carry it for me. Too many moving parts, Benellis included.

You really can't go wrong with any of the better names, whether it's an 870, or a 500, or even an old S&W 3000. Just pick to one that you have access to the accessories and stock mods. Cheap barrel availability is nice, easy to cut one down to minimal length, but do it like the field mods in Nam~ make them shaped like the potato digger spoon.
 
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mack_t_knife said:
I also had access to a SPAS12 but I didn't have Ahnold along to carry it for me. Too many moving parts, Benellis included.
Click to expand...

I'm a gun guy, as well as a knife fanatic.....pistols, check, rifles big check, but count me as a shotgun man....it is simply my preferred firearm.

I have a Mossberg 590 Marinecoat with a parkerized, lugged, Vang comped barrel, heat shield, ghost rings, poly follower, Wolff springs.....'bout 4000 rounds through it. Have owned Remington 870 Police, just don't care for it.

My Benelli M3 Super 90 is by FAR the finest shotgun that I have ever used......it is light, functions flawlessly, and is very simple to break down and clean. The ergos are unparalleled It has four mods....longer mag tube, oversized bolt handle, mercury recoil tube in the stock and a tritium front sight. Expensive? Absolutely....but is also my go to gun, and I love it, it is also INSANELY accurate.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Just a totally random thought, why not check out a Saiga if you are really wanting a defensive shotgun.
 
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