Home-Defense Shotgun

[Guest fastshotivy]

Whats a good one for this? Looking for something I may saw the barrel off some.. Looking at a Pump also. Like your info. and input on it..

[Smith]

- Mossy 500 - Academy sports and dicks usually have some. GFA has the desert camo "cruiser" for $360

- Rem 870 - Walmart has some for $350

- NEF/H&R Pardner Pump (870 clone made in China. Usually around $250-$350 locally) GFA and ASP in Joelton had some - $350ish

- Charles Daly Field/Tactical (just got one for $200 and it is perfect for your purposes. check Gunbroker.com or Bellshire) http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/SearchResults.asp

- Centerfire has a pretty good deal on Armscor 12g right now. http://www.centerfiresystems.com/rockislandm5tactical12gashotgunpartac-sgn-m5.aspx

of course these are in and around Nashville and I'm sure where Reagan is. I'm sure Hero Gear has plenty of everything. there are also more expensive shottys like FN's etc, but for HD i can't see much reason for spending 1k on a 12g pump.

Edited January 12, 2009 by Smith

[Oh Shoot]

If you buy a Rem 870 with 18.5" barrel, you don't have to cut anything down. And you can always get a longer barrel w/choke for bird hunting etc. should you want to.

You can get a Synthetic Express for about $300 6+1 capacity, 18.5" barrel, for example.

The cheapest 870 is standard Express, around $250, 4+1 capacity, but will have 26 or 28" (ribbed) barrel w/ choke.

You can get various Mossbergs with similar capabilities generally for somewhat less.

- OS

[Almond27]

If you don't mind buying used you can find a good deal on a shotgun in a pawnshop and could cut the barrel down on one as long as you follow all ATF rules.

[Guest Traumaslave]

Get the Remington 870 combo, 26"shot/20"slug. Great package for whatever you will need. Home def with the slug. Works great for 00. Should run $4ish.

[Oh Shoot]

Get the Remington 870 combo, 26"shot/20"slug. Great package for whatever you will need. Home def with the slug. Works great for 00. Should run $4ish.

Well, note that this slug barrel is rifled, with sights, designed for the more expensive sabot slugs, which of course are more accurate at longer distances for hunting, but AFAIK give no advantage at HD distances over the much cheaper rifled slugs and cheaper smooth barrel.

Also, it's my understanding that lead buckshot fouls rifled barrels almost immediately, and that steel buckshot can damage the rifling?

- OS

[Guest Traumaslave]

- OS

No lands or grooves in my sluggo.

[Guest Jennings382]

Mossberg 500a Persuader with some Hornady slugs. Great combination.

[Guest Todd@CIS]

Hard to go wrong with a Remington 870 or Mossberg 590.

I prefer the 870 for the controls placement.

[Oh Shoot]

No lands or grooves in my sluggo.

Well, then you just have a plain shotgun barrel, eh?

With or without choke threads.

I've never head of a "slug" barrel that wasn't rifled?

...and the only combos I see on Remington site are all rifled slug barrels, with sights on the barrels.

EDIT: Oh, okay, I do see verbiage on Remington site re getting a 20" improved cylinder "deer barrel". But it seems mainly touted because it has sights on it.

- OS

Edited January 12, 2009 by OhShoot

[gtssilver]

Cant go wrong with the 870! Get the synthetic stock model with the 18 inch barrel and later you can swap the stock for a knoxx industries ar style that has springs to take out the recoil. I did this a year or so ago and I love it!

The clay pigeon guys would hate this but I took mine to shoot skeet one day and the gun dose just as well as my longer barreled bird gun. It just looks a little funny at the range.

Edited January 13, 2009 by gtssilver

[et45]

Well, then you just have a plain shotgun barrel, eh?

With or without choke threads.

I've never head of a "slug" barrel that wasn't rifled?

...and the only combos I see on Remington site are all rifled slug barrels, with sights on the barrels.

EDIT: Oh, okay, I do see verbiage on Remington site re getting a 20" improved cylinder "deer barrel". But it seems mainly touted because it has sights on it.

- OS

Remington makes a 20 inch rifle sight barrel with Rem-chokes that come with a rifled choke tube.I have that barrel on my 870 with the Modified tube installed.It holds the shot together for a tighter pattern and works great with slugs as well.

[Fadex]

My 870 with an 18 inch barrel is made for slugs and buckshot. No rifling at all.

[Guest grimel]

Well, note that this slug barrel is rifled, with sights, designed for the more expensive sabot slugs, which of course are more accurate at longer distances for hunting, but AFAIK give no advantage at HD distances over the much cheaper rifled slugs and cheaper smooth barrel.

Also, it's my understanding that lead buckshot fouls rifled barrels almost immediately, and that steel buckshot can damage the rifling?

- OS

Fouling of rifling would be the least of my worries, the spinning of the shot wad will make for a rather crappy pattern.

[Oh Shoot]

My 870 with an 18 inch barrel is made for slugs and buckshot. No rifling at all.

Yeah, mine too...

But these 870 combo offerings have two barrels...with the shorter barrel either rifled or not, apparently, although I can only find the rifled ones actually listed. Also, these are the barrels that have both rear and front rifle type sights....

I remember looking at those on Rem's website when I was deciding on what to do about shotguns. Anyway, after buying the Express Synthetic, I actually bought a regular Express last month during Dick's sale, got it out the door for about $230 after rebate and whatnot, couldn't resist at that price, just put it unfired in closet against possible ZombieTime. Matter of fact, this is a perfectly adequate HD gun, 4+1, just has a 28" barrel instead of 18.5, so it's not as user friendly in tight quarters, but overall is all anyone really needs. And since it has RemChoke, can be better used for all kinds of hunting.

- OS

Edited January 13, 2009 by OhShoot

[Guest edge3343]

I have Winchester Defender Model 1200, that I picked up for used in very good condition for a 100 bucks. With an 18.5 inch barrel and a tac. light.

You can find a lot of good shotguns for home defense for a few hundred dollars that you won't have to cut the barrel down on.

If you can't find what your looking for take a look at The Judge by Taurus.

[ZenDog]

Here's a great audio show about home defense shotguns. Two guys who do part of the show (Massad Ayoob and someone else) have written books about shotguns and train people in defensive shotgun use, so it is not just a couple of good ole boys chewin' the fat (although nothin wrong with that).

One of the points I found interesting was that the 20 ga has a similar destructive pattern at home defense/close ranges (under 30 feet). It has 55% less recoil, so it is easier to handle for smaller people or less experienced shooters.

And another good point- if it is going to be JUST a home defense weapon (no hunting, no skeet, etc), it doesn't need to be a $1200 beauty. If you shoot a dozen rounds or so 3-4 times a year to stay familiar with it, a less expensive weapon will do just fine for those on a bugdet. I have a Maverick I got used for under $200- I trust it just fine, it will go bang when I pull the trigger. BG will not notice the difference.

I like listening to podcasts when I have the time- I can download than and play them on my car stereo or I will listen to them when I am working on my 2009 fatloss program on an exercise bike.

[Guest Traumaslave]

SOG has some good condition (used) plain jane 20" 6 shot 870s for $180. 870 clones new for $170, 18.5" 5 shot.

[The Average Joe]

The Remington 870 and the Mossberg 500 (my personal favorite) are favorites among the TGO....but have you ever read this?

httphttp://existingthing.blogspot.com/2006/09/bats-shotguns-and-knives-oh-my.html://

This guy makes a good point and although, I don't agree with him always, his whole site is a pretty good read.

[poak]

Cant go wrong with the 870! Get the synthetic stock model with the 18 inch barrel and later you can swap the stock for a knoxx industries ar style that has springs to take out the recoil. I did this a year or so ago and I love it!

The clay pigeon guys would hate this but I took mine to shoot skeet one day and the gun dose just as well as my longer barreled bird gun. It just looks a little funny at the range.

Is the recoil difference w/ the Knoxx stock really that noticeable?

[Guest Chip Holland]

Is the recoil difference w/ the Knoxx stock really that noticeable?

Hugh difference!

[gtssilver]

big difference!

Knoxx offers 2 models one with the springs and one without the springs. The one without springs is considerably cheaper.

If I shoot bird shot I cant really feel the springs move much but if I shoot OO or a slug I can really feel the springs do their job.

[Guest 2HOW]

I keep a Winchester 1300 9 rds

[mhm2a]

I inhereted a Winchester Defender 1300 and replaced the pistol grip with synthetic stock and it has been dead nuts reliable for the last 12 years or so. Keep it simple and effective. One in the chamber and 8 in the tube and possibly a tactical light and mount.

[Guest Linoge]

Well, a Remington 870 Express Synthetic with the 2-round extension built into it seems to have followed me home from CCA last night, so I guess that is my vote .