Shotgun Options

I'm a woman too. A couple of months ago I bought a Mossberg 20ga (18.5" barrel) and put a Knoxx recoil reducing stock on it because I have medical issues with my right arm. It is a blast to shoot! I've shot a lot of Buckshot and Slugs out of it and haven't had any pain at all - just fun!

Forgot to mention that I keep it in a quick-access shotgun safe in my bedroom.
 
Why? Price? Because other than that they're not particularly impressive.

As I said you can get barrels and stocks in almost any configuration for reasonable prices usually in stock so you might have to wait a few days at the most to do anything you can imagine with one! Try that with any other brand.
 
Beretta 1301

http://grabagun.com/beretta-j131c14-1300-comp-12-24-3in-5rd.html

Meets your requirements exactly. Beretta makes the best semi-automatic shotguns in the world. Remington has shit QC, Mossbergs are toys, and the others aren't even worth looking at. That gun will do anything you want it to.

Seems nice enough. Now how many stocks are available? I have fused wrists so vertical grips are a handicap adaptation. How many barrels are available for it? With 3 reasonably priced barrels I can handle anything a shotgun can be used for. The Beretta is a lovely gun no doubt that works wonderfully but most manufacturers make single purpose guns and if you need to do anything else you need another gun. I would get a 930JM pro which has all of the good mods already. Then add a slug barrel and a 24" barrel. With mine I run the slug barrel and 10 rnd extension with a light for HD. Add a scope or red dot for deer. Slap on the 24" with the extension and red dot minus light for 3 gun. Take off the red dot for resident goose. Take off the extension for migratory birds and turkey it is also fine for clays this way as well. I suppose having a safe full of single purpose guns is fine for many but I prefer versatility.
 
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I know this probably more a personal preference question and will likely spawn a number of suggestions.

I have an AR 15, but am interested in buying a shotgun for my home defense.

Are there really any huge advantages of one over the other from the top models (eg. Mossberg, Browning, Remington?)

There seems to be so many options out there, not sure where to start.

Thank you!!


Just use your AR for home defense, spend the $1K on a good rifle course
 
I'm a woman too. A couple of months ago I bought a Mossberg 20ga (18.5" barrel) and put a Knoxx recoil reducing stock on it because I have medical issues with my right arm. It is a blast to shoot! I've shot a lot of Buckshot and Slugs out of it and haven't had any pain at all - just fun!

Forgot to mention that I keep it in a quick-access shotgun safe in my bedroom.

Very nice!!
 
Seems nice enough. Now how many stocks are available? I have fused wrists so vertical grips are a handicap adaptation. How many barrels are available for it? With 3 reasonably priced barrels I can handle anything a shotgun can be used for. The Beretta is a lovely gun no doubt that works wonderfully but most manufacturers make single purpose guns and if you need to do anything else you need another gun. I would get a 930JM pro which has all of the good mods already. Then add a slug barrel and a 24" barrel. With mine I run the slug barrel and 10 rnd extension with a light for HD. Add a scope or red dot for deer. Slap on the 24" with the extension and red dot minus light for 3 gun. Take off the red dot for resident goose. Take off the extension for migratory birds and turkey it is also fine for clays this way as well. I suppose having a safe full of single purpose guns is fine for many but I prefer versatility.

The 930 JM Pro is a piece of shit. Horrible QC and very spotty reliability between individual examples.

The Beretta is not a single purpose gun. A 24" vent rib barrel is adequate for HD purposes, three gun, and most field shooting. It will also shoot smoothbore slugs with no issue, and is actually intended for that purpose since it is intended for three gun competition. Additional barrels and stocks are just a great way to waste more money. This gun, out of the box, will do anything that needs to be done.

Buy once, cry once.
 
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Just my .02
I was looking for a used pump action a while back and found a Mossberg semi-auto up in Kittery trading post for short money. They have a amazing (to people stuck in the people's republic of Massachusetts anyway) used gun section and decent prices. Only problem is that it's a older model (a 9200) so getting after market parts like barrels is hard

Sent from my KFSOWI using Tapatalk
 
I got my Mossberg 500 on the cheap, less than $275 and it was a simple thought process for me as my Shotgun is probably permanently stationed in my safe awaiting some dude who is kicking my door down at 3am which hopefully will be never, other than that I don't enjoy shooting any shotgun and would not be clearing my house with it if I thought I had an intruder. That being said if you plan on having fun with it and shooting it a whole lot then I would give it some thought and take my time figuring out what looks like would be the best fit for your needs,outside of that i would be looking to spend some of that money on some other stuff you might want as well
 
Look at the used rack at any gun store and you should be able to find something in the $150 range. Than spend the rest of the money on booze and dirty women.

That's a great suggestion, except I'm a woman and not into that! Lol!

Well then, booze and emotionally available men?
 
I have a Saiga-12 (with over 10,000 through it) and a Mossberg 590. The 590 will be reliable out of the box and has a US-based customer survive, it's also a little tougher built then the 500. The S-12 is fun and can be reliable with some work, also spare parts aren't as available so I wouldn't recommend it to a newer shooter for home defense.

On a side note, have you though about or tried going through your house with a shotgun at the ready in a home defense situation?
 
I have a Saiga-12 (with over 10,000 through it) and a Mossberg 590. The 590 will be reliable out of the box and has a US-based customer survive, it's also a little tougher built then the 500. The S-12 is fun and can be reliable with some work, also spare parts aren't as available so I wouldn't recommend it to a newer shooter for home defense.

On a side note, have you though about or tried going through your house with a shotgun at the ready in a home defense situation?

You don't need to actually hit anyone with it, just fire two shots from the front porch and the intruders will run away terrified!!!
 
Bought a used Mossberg 590A1 a few years ago & wound up trading it because I didn't use it. It was the 20" barrel model, with 8+1 pump-action.

I was without a shotgun for a couple of years & just bought a (new) Mossberg 500 combo w/ a 28" vent rib barrel & 24" rifled barrel for slugs, came with 3 chokes & two cheek pieces (one higher for using optics on the slug barrel).

I like it very much!

Yesterday was the first time at trap breaking 20 clays! I've been under 15 for the past two months.

Honestly, if you're anything like me - you're going to want to use your new "toy". It isn't very fun trying to break clays with a short barrel and a cylinder bore.

just my $.02

YMMV
 
The first question I have to ask is this 1000.00 dollar shotgun JUST for Home Defense? That is a lot of cheese for a firearm you'll only shoot once or twice a year. I suggest buying the platform you want with a second barrel so you can shoot trap, skeet or hunt down the road.

I have a number of shotguns. One is a HD that I bought used off this forum. I added a used 21in VR barrel with screw-in chokes and a standard magazine spring and magazine cap. So most of the time it is in HD mode with extended magazine and 18" barrel. But it is also the next shotgun my son will move to, as he gets older, and he shoots it today on clays in a hunting configuration. I do like the idea of having a HD shotgun but in my mind shotguns should be multipurpose and most brands allow for that with accessory barrels and parts.
 
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Shouldn't you be shooting your home defense gun a lot, given that it is the gun you are relying to defend your home.

You are 100% correct. But how many times have you seen folks shooting them at the range? How many ads on this site have you seen for HD style shotguns with less than 50 rounds fired? I visit 2 or 3 ranges over the course of the year and I have never seen 1 person shooting one except me. I suppose you can argue that most folks use their deer guns for HD but most times they shoot 5 to 10 rounds and call it good. Note my HD shotgun is not my deer shotgun.
 
Shouldn't you be shooting your home defense gun a lot, given that it is the gun you are relying to defend your home.
This. I shoot probably over 1200 shells a year between skeet and the occasional 3gun and I'm going to start hunting soon too. And I don't even use my shotgun for HD [laugh]

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I'd go with an Ithaca riot gun that will slam fire...but then, I have one. [smile]

Is it a left-handed gun?
 
You are 100% correct. But how many times have you seen folks shooting them at the range? How many ads on this site have you seen for HD style shotguns with less than 50 rounds fired? I visit 2 or 3 ranges over the course of the year and I have never seen 1 person shooting one except me. I suppose you can argue that most folks use their deer guns for HD but most times they shoot 5 to 10 rounds and call it good. Note my HD shotgun is not my deer shotgun.

Part of the problem is that a large number of people go to the range to shoot static targets from a standing position in a line. I have seen people spend an hour with a rifle then pop off a few rounds with their 870 on the rifle range, hitting nothing, and call it a day.

People as a rule don't take it seriously and don't train seriously. I'm not sure if they believe the movie version that a shotty can clear a room with no practice or if they are plain lazy. Either way, I would take that $1k and spend half on a 590 or 870, $300 on ammo, $200 on target stands, and train like a boss. At HSA we have several pistol bays that are perfect for setting up a multiple target course.

Buying a HD shotgun and not being able to use it is more dangerous than not having one. $0.02
 
Ithaca's bottom eject so they go both ways. Most skeet ranges don't allow barrels under 20" and many regular ranges don't allow shot. Of course having your own private range can be particularly nice.
 
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Unless you're willing to practice with the pump until you're confident that you won't short stroke it under stress, buy a semi auto. The saiga is a semi auto based on the ak-47. It uses 5 and 10 round magazines but only the 5 is legal in Ma
 
Ithaca's bottom eject so they go both ways. Most skeet ranges don't allow barrels under 20" and many regular ranges don't allow shot. Of course having your own private range can be particularly nice.

Could you name some of those skeet ranges that don't allow barrels under 20"? I have yet to come across that rule.
 
Or ranges that don't allow shot? That's absurd. Cmon stop talking out your ass. There are plenty of non fudd ranges in MA.
 
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