Best of the cheap 20 gauge shottys?

[TresMon]

My wife is working & staying in a very remote place in very rural Canada right now.

 

I want to get her a cheap but reliable 20 gauge to leave in her vehicle/have at her Basecamp.

 

Pump or semi. What's the best low price budget 20 gauge that is reliable? One of these Turkish imports?

 

I know, buy once cry once...

I'm just looking for something that can be used and abused until she's out of that bear & wolf infested base camp.

 

Thanks 

T

[pop pop]

I like Mosberg mdl 500 pump shotguns. At around 350.00 I wouldn't call the cheap, maybe reasonable. Stoger makes a good cheapish shotgun if you can find them. 

I have no idea about Canadian laws though. Can she carry it across the border? 

[Scotty]

The words reliable and Turkish when talking shotguns are an oxymoron. Could get lucky, the majority of the internet has nothing good to say. 
 

https://dahlonegaarmory.com/product/maverick-arms-88-vr-youth-pump-20ga-22-3-blk-synthetic-stock-black

Maverick 88 is universally agreed upon as the best cheap shotgun. This is a youth version which may fit the wife decently if shorter arms. Same site has multiple lengths  

They’re a drop shipper. Think it’s usually $20 ship and no tax at least to TN.

I have a couple of the 88s, 500 and 590 and no issues with them whether it be critters or shooting buck and slugs.  

 

[RED333]

11 minutes ago, pop pop said:

I have no idea about Canadian laws though. Can she carry it across the border? 

https://thegunzone.com/can-a-u-s-citizen-take-a-firearm-into-canada/

1 hour ago, TresMon said:

My wife is working & staying in a very remote place in very rural Canada right now.

3 options

1) Bring her home from that anti 2nd place. My guess she is making good money, but is it worth it? A question only yall can answer.

2) She should hang out with people that has firearms.

3) See the link to the site above, do the paper work, get the permit. Might have to leave the shotty in Canada.

[Sleep profit]

Mossberg vote  maverick in 20 gauge 

[TresMon]

Thank you for your responses.

 

I know the rules and regs of Canada.

I've gone to visit her a few times there and stay with her at the camp. And hunt.

 

I have the correct RCMP form;

I've taken a long gun each time. No trouble at the border, they hardly even slowed me down.

But to my original question- can somebody actually reccomend a/few basic shotguns?

 

 

[TresMon]

2 minutes ago, Sleep profit said:

Mossberg vote  maverick in 20 gauge 

Thank you Sleep P.

[RED333]

1 hour ago, Sleep profit said:

Mossberg vote  maverick in 20 gauge 

 

1 hour ago, TresMon said:

But to my original question- can somebody actually reccomend a/few basic shotguns?

Gets my vote as well.

[phiferran]

I vote Mossberg as well.  Also have a police trade-in Remington 870 that looks rough but functions flawlessly but I doubt I’ve ever seen one of those in 20 gauge. 

Edited November 11 by phiferran

[10-Ring]

I think Maverick is the best thing going on the cheap side right now. I have a 88 Security. Despite it probably being one of the cheapest shotguns I own I trust it. I've fired it a lot. It's seen a ton of truck miles and several hundred trail miles via ATV and SXS. What it hasn't seen is a lick of maintenance outside of wiping mud of it. It's never failed to go boom. If I lost it today I'd buy another tomorrow. 

[Grayfox54]

I go along with the Mossberg/Maverick guns. Not real expensive and completely reliable. 

[TresMon]

Thanks 10-Ring.

You're secretly a Mossberg salesman aren't you? Lol.

 

That's a great report. Thanks.

 

[TresMon]

thank you all. Maveric it is,

[Tom B]

Maybe a used 20 ga coach gun? Nothing to jam or go wrong.

[Tjbgooding]

I bought a Tristar Raptor youth model 20g (semi auto) for my kids to pack squirrel hunting. I chose the semi auto for help with reducing recoil over a pump. Bought the shotgun and ran a couple boxes of 3” shells through it. There is no telling how many rounds it has through it now and I’ve never had the first issue with it. It eats everything you put in it from #8, #6, buckshot, and 3” Turkey loads. I love this shotgun and might buy another one soon. Had a youth model 870 before this and loved it BUT it was too heavy for my kids. Love an 870 youth model too. 

[TresMon]

Wow. Thanks so much for the response and thorough details.

I really appreciate that.

[pop pop]

I also have had a Maverick, and it was very serviceable. Cheapest gun I know of and Stoger double brl comes in second if you can find one. I traded the Maverick for a youth model Mossberg model 500 20 Ga priced at 350.00. It had an 18 1/2 inch brl so I ordered a hunting brl with 3 screw in chokes for it from Mossberg and gave it to my grandson. I decided to thin my collection so my wife will not be bothered with them should I go first. He and his dad hunt with the 20 ga with the 26" brl often. He is 16 now and has his own car, and him and 3 of his buddies spent the night in a National Forrest, near Charleston SC, last week and he had the 20 with him on a duck hunt. They got 4 ducks around first light. They can only hunt until 10;00 AM.

Oh, the memories that brings back to me hunting and fishing with my dad. We were trot-lining on the Licken River located in Eastern Ky and camping in a big tent. The river is now under Cave Run Lake as they dammed it and put in an electric power station. We traveled to a close by market and purchased some Ice as our food was in a cooler, which needed the ice. We were out there deep in the country. The man at the store asked my dad what we were doing, and dad told him we were camping in a tent up the road. 

As it turned out we did not know it, but 3 thugs were listening to the conversation. Well, they got liquored up and then we had uninvited guest show up at our camp site later that night. They were there to rob us. Scared me to death as I was around 12 Y O at the time. As the old truck speed toward our campsite dad to his friend to get a shotgun and step back out of sight. I didn't know the even had a gun.  Dad and I was sitting next to the fire and the driver got out and grabbed a tire iron out of the back of the truck and the other two guys got out one with a long piece of wood or a ball bat, and the driver came strolling up and told dad they were there to relieve us of what they needed. I could smell liquor on them. Dad pulled a SW snubby out of an ankle holster and dad's friend racked the slid on the shotgun then the guys stopped in their tracks. Dad told him it was time for them to leave and so they did. 

It was good training for a 12-year-old kid. Like I state, OH, the memories. I am sure you guys have the memories also. 

Edited Wednesday at 03:18 PM by pop pop

[TresMon]

Thank you for sharing your story & info.

[jpx2rk]

Not many sounds will convince someone to change their mind/intentions better than the sound of a shotgun being cycled.  I speak from experience gained during my younger/dumber days.

[pop pop]

Dad's friend was in a small patch of brush trees and the thugs could not see him. The shotgun's slide locking back into battery really got their attention. When they were trying to see where he was, then dad came out with the snubby, and it was over. They turned and left without saying a word. I will say, in the dark the sound must have been frightening for them. There is no mistaking that sound if you have ever heard it before. 

I learned a lot, that night. I have a Mossy 12 Ga riot shotgun loaded with 8 00 buck rounds, with 6 extras in the side saddle.

Edited to add; Pray, often, I will never need it in an emergency. 

Edited yesterday at 02:50 AM by pop pop