New to shotgun.

Hi all,

I'm looking for a shotgun for HD use only but know nothing about shotgun, hope you guys can give me some direction what to get and what not.

Don't have to have al the bell and whistle, just a basic reliable for HD, no longer than 20" of barrel, 12G pump action, preffer to something that need less maintainance and "rust free", less than 5 bills, I only know a couple by the name and look at them on the wall of store, may take it out once or twice a year.

ps. Does parkerized gets rust like blue with little maintainance?. All my 1911's and Revolevers are SS with an exception of couple Glocks.

TIA.

Hmmm.
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"know nothing about shotgun"

"preffer to something that need less maintainance and "rust free"

"may take it out once or twice a year"

"Does parkerized gets rust like blue with little maintainance"
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Best advice I can give, from what you have said, is to stick with your handguns for HD. Assuming you shoot them more than once or twice a year, that is.

NOT being snooty here, you asked for advice and that is the best I can give from the parameters you have laid out. Going into a high adrenaline situation with a gun you don't know quite well and don't pull proper maintenance on is a recipe for disaster IMHO.

lpl/nc

Buglight, I have to agree with Lee to a certain extent. The shotgun can be a VERY efficient weapon for home defense, but it takes a bit more than just "having" it in the home and pulling it out a couple of times a year.

The shotgun is a VERY versatile firearm. I'd suggest, if you have any friends that own shotguns, that you ask them to take you out for some familiarization-fire. That might consist of shooting clay pigeons or mere paper targets, but at least you would find out what the shoulder-felt recoil is. Heck, you might not like it!

Having said all of that, your best bet would be with either Remington or Mossberg. The "low end" shotguns from those manufacturers will only set you back about $200. The stainless steel and/or marine finish (bonded chrome) will be within the $300+ range.

Stainless steel and hard-chromed firearms STILL require regular maintenance, for they WILL rust if not properly lubed/stored.

Lastly, if you don't KNOW the liabilities or assets of a shotgun, it shouldn't be deployed as an HD weapon. In the hands of someone who is knowledgeable and has practised with a shotgun, it is an excellent tool. In the hands of someone who hasn't taken the time to find out what it can or can't do, it COULD be quite detrimental....as in being taken out of your hands and use against YOU!

Lee's post +1

May I suggest doing a search under Dave McCracken's name. I also would strongly suggest you find someone with training, knowledge and experience to take you out to a range where you can learn first hand about shotguns.

A tool is only as good as the operator of said tool.

A bone stock pump 12 ga shotgun bought used for $150 in the hands of an experienced shotgunner is more of a defensive tool than a tricked out more expensive shotgun that is never shot, never handled, never trained with.

There are folks with double barrel shotguns, even single shots more prepared to defend - one cannot buy skill, targets, or security in serious situations - it must be earned.

Kinda like condoms in wallets, having a condom ring don't mean one is a stud.

Steve

Thanks to all.

Perharps I did not put it clear, my bad. I have shot my rifle(Rem 700 PSS) during hunting season and I do shoot all of my hand guns twice a month in winter and more when it's warmer out side, I just though I like to have a shotgun and use it as HD only so it may not have use much compare to others. Guess I'll have to do more homework on this. Thanks again.

This book, by Gabriel Suarez, is pretty good and can give you a better overall understanding of the HD concepts. Get it, read it.

The thing about shotguns is that most of the big names will do you just fine. I am a Remington 870 guy. My wife is a Benelli Nova girl. The point is that either is a great shotgun but both require lots of ammo as the best accessory. Shotguns are not "No aim needed cruise missiles." They require a differently level of muscle memory and do require you to point/aim them properly for them to be effective, especially at HD distances.

For an answer to your question I recommend....
A Remingtion 870 Marine Magnum
A Mossberg Mariner
A Benelli Nova H20
A Remington 870 Police

All have finishes that are durable and capable of a certain amount of abuse/neglect.

Once again, pic a good name and shoot it lots until it becomes a natural extension. It is a big difference from a pistol or even a rifle.

Chris

Buglight,

The absolute most important aspect of any firearm is the operator. The shooter has to be able to manipulate the gun safely and properly, to load, unload, fire and reload as necessary, to utilize cover as necessary, to exercise target discrimination and engage and hit appropriate targets at will within the capabilities of the gun- which must also be learned, by the way. It takes time, training and effort to do this, it is not easy, and to risk failure at any aspect of this list in a potentially lethal encounter is nothing to be taken lightly. Regular deliberate attention must be paid to the firearm and its ammunition, it takes time and effort to match ammunition to the gun and the job, to make sure the firearm itself is in good order and clean, to rotate ammunition as needed and so on.

It isn't something that is going to be accomplished in one or two outings a year.

Neither is it rocket science. It is a skill set like any other, it has definite limits, it can be mastered and it can be taught.

It is by no means an absolute necessity to have a shotgun for home defense, many people get along just fine without one.

I and many others here will happily do what we can to help anyone who is willing to put forth the effort to learn what they need to know in order to employ what we think is the most useful personal defensive weapon available. But none of us want to bear the responsibility of setting someone up for failure in a critical incident, and would rather see someone depend on tools they have already developed some mastery over, than to add something new to their defensive toolbox without taking the time and making the committment to gain at least a minimal degree of expertise.

If you are going to add a shotgun to your personal defensive toolbox, you owe it to yourself to do the necessary work to be able to use it instinctively, as if it were an extension of your arms. You need to be as sure as it is possible to be with any mechanical device that your shotgun will fire and cycle when you need it to, that you have selected the appropriate ammunition for your circumstances and that you have made sure that ammunition is as reliable as possible in all aspects.

You cannot just load a tubular magazine shotgun and abandon it without attention for a protracted time. The pressure put on the shells by the magazine spring can eventually cause the walls of the shells to bulge outward, and they may well fail to cycle through the action and/or chamber if this happens. That is one of several reasons shotguns (as any other firearm) require reasonable attention and care, and a capable operator.

If you want to head down that road, go for it- we'll help if we can, as long as we can help you succeed and not fail.

Stay safe,

lpl/nc