Help me buy a tactical shotgun!

[Youngunner]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have been looking for a home defense shotgun. Something I can modify with a bunch of stuff I don't need and people will probably make fun of me for.

My top choice so far, with many recommendations by friends is the Rem 870:

On the other hand is the Mossberg lineup. Cheaper, but I assume like most things, you get what you pay for:

Are the pistol grips and AR style buttstock really worth it on a shotgun?

Thanks folks!


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[Pedro]

if you go with the AR style stock and grip, get the Rem. Otherwise the mossberg 500 or 590 will suit your needs.

Reason: The safety is on the back of the tang, and requires strange contortions or your off hand to activate/deactivate it.

 

[Bigfoot1963]

IMHO, The Mossberg is the best 'BANG' for your buck. And its still family owned and operated. I have tried all the accessories on my Mossberg's and I have found that the regular stock is the most ergonomic (for me),ghost ring sights, and barrel shroud is all I need. However, there are a lot of aftermarket accessories available for the Mossberg. If you have a Big 5 sporting goods in your area, they should have the standard Mossberg's and the tactical in stock for you to see what fits you best.

 

[Bigjerm]

I have the mossberg except it has a bead on the barrel sight and a heat shield on it. I have put several hundred rounds through it with 0 issues so far. Only thing I have done is a flashlight on the end... i mean cant be tactical without a flashlight!

1 thing I do like is the adjustable stock so me at 6'5" can use the same weapon as my wife 5'5" and fit us both pretty good.

 

[NothingClever]

I like my Mossberg 500.

Mine is set up with a pistol grip, a Side Saddle on the receiver for ammo options and a pressure switch-activated white light under the barrel.

Although this is configuration is more for ballistic breaching and as a non-lethal complement in confined spaces (i.e, turret), it works great for home defense as well. If you go with this configuration, just plant your pistol grip hand slightly forward of your hip and that will make up for the lack of a shoulder stock.

 

[BIGdaddy]

Mossberg vs. 870 is like pepsi vs. coke.

Whichever you prefer is the best choice.

I chose an 870 wingmaster, and it served for 10 years with 1000s of rounds down the tube, and absolutely no failures.

So the 870 would obviously be my preference, but I wouldn't look down on anyone who chose the mossberg, cuz they'll get the job done equally as well.

 

[dwh]

I had a Mossberg a few decades back. It was a kit from Big 5 that came with a wood stock and a pistol grip, as well as a modified choke barrel - IIRC, 28", a shorter open choke barrel and a wooden dowel to restrict magazine capacity.

At first, I though it was a bit cheezy and the action definitely had some slop to it - but I took that thing everywhere and beat it up and cycled it a whole lot of rounds through it and it never screwed up. Not Once.

I would not hesitate to own another Mossberg.

At home, I set it up with the pistol grip and open choke barrel loaded with buckshot, in the field I set it up with the wooden stock and mod choke barrel and normally had it loaded with #6 for whatever rabbits, squirrels or birds happened to cross my path.

 

[wcdu]

The "A" answer is a Remington 870 preferably set up by Hans Vang down in Chino valley, AZ. The reason the 870 is so popular and totally dominates police work is that it has a steel receiver. Benelli, mossberg, etc are alloy (aluminum). It is the only gun authorized by BLM personel for use in Alaska.

The pistol grip does one thing and one thing only well; makes it easier to reload / select slug. For everything else, especially shooting things that are moving, it really sucks. Ghost ring sight are a real plus but make shooting moving targets a bit more difficult. Side saddles are okay but make the gun a bit clumsier balance and weight wise. I use a 1 shot extension and go to some pains to keep the weight down. Don't forget a sling and a carry sling will be best. I would advise that you attach the lower sling swivel mount on the botton of the small of the stock (pistol grip).

Wood stocks are generally better as they are easier to adjust for length of pull. If you are, say 6'2" or taller, that is not normally an issue. Just remember that a short lop is easier for a long armed person to shoot that a too long lop for a short person. Here in Colorado we factor in the frequent coat and of course on the business side, the protective vest.

In a perfect world buy the 870 wingmaster not the express with the sewer tube barrel. There are plenty of both on the used market. Don't hesitate to buy used. Here abouts I would expect to pay approx $300.00 for a new express grade and about the same for a used wingmaster.

Good luck. As I often say at classes:
"I like my pistol and I like my rifle, but I love my shotgun."

Last but not least consider a 260 class at Gunsite Academy inc. Some say it is the most fun you can have legally and with your clothes on.

Steve

 

[bcrez]

The marines use the Mossberg 500/590... and the Benelli M4.... and the new AA-12.

 

[bobcat charlie]

I'd look for an older Ithica 37, one built before the interconnect was mandated. The Ithica has fewer openings to let dirt in, action is incredibly smooth, and without the interconnect you hold the trigger down and pump away!

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Question: Do you hunt with a shotgun? Shoot Trap or Skeet?

Under stress - like, oh, somebody trying to kill you - people sometimes "short stroke" a pump gun. That is, they don't run the slide ALL the way forward and back. This leads to a malfunction and an inoperable gun.

People who shoot a pump gun a LOT build up the correct "muscle memory" and this isn't a problem for them.

I don't shoot a shotgun a lot, so my combat gun is a Remington 11/87.

The military and police like the pump because it is more tolerant of crappy ammo. You can force it to feed shells that are so moldy or swollen that a semi-auto would choke on them. Thus, they are inherently more reliable on the battlefield.

With good, clean ammo, this is not a problem.

Semi-auto's generally recoil less than pumps, allowing for faster second shots. I do hear that the new Knox stock alleviates a lot of the recoil on pumps, though, so this may no longer be as true as it was in the past.

Pistol grip no butstock shotguns are at best a specialists breaching tool and at worst an affectation by people who think they "look cool". You won't hit a damn thing with them except by dumb luck.

Just my never particularly humble opinion.

Regards
John

 

[theicecreampeople]

cant beat a good old rem 870 ,the one gun i totaly trust ,she has been a hunting gun for 20 plus years ,now 18in barrel ,home ,travel gun ..i tried pistol grips ,folding stocks etc in the end im back to a wood stock cut to fit me perfect ,wood just seems way more solid and for some reason i cant hit anything with a pistol grip stock ,just doesnt feel right to me ...mossberg has come a long way though ...i have a beretta and benelli but use for hunting ,870 to protect...:sombrero:

 

[BeachinFJ]

If I lived in a free state, I'd buy the new Kel-tec KSG to mess around with:coffeedrink:

 

[dwh]

Pistol grip no butstock shotguns are at best a specialists breaching tool and at worst an affectation by people who think they "look cool". You won't hit a damn thing with them except by dumb luck.

True for the most part. But there is always the exception to the rule. I shot clay pigeons thrown from a tire-mounted thrower with mine. With the 28" barrel. One-handed. Broke the clays too. But then, I am a 6'4" gorilla with 14" forearms.

I also shot clays two-handed using a whacky modified weaver stance with my offhand on the forestock. I was able to break doubles that way. BAMchuchuckBAM.

Takes a little practice, but not all that much.

 

[Fireman78]

I used to be a fan of all things tactical, then I got older and wiser and realized that the chances of me actually NEEDING the tactical version vrs. a plain ol' version of a gun are a million to one. Hell, even actually ever NEEDING a gun ever are pretty darn slim. (Although I am a fan of guns and am a Life Member of the NRA, but I am also realistic.) So do yourself a favor and buy a regular ol' Remington 870. It's somehow survived being bashed around in police squad cars for 30 years and will be fine in your closet. Spend the money you saved on something for your expo rig, it'll get used a lot more.