[Skunkabilly]

Does anyone find these stocks useful, or do you prefer the solid stocks?

[Sisco]

I've been researching tactical shotguns on the net in order to trick out my Mossy 500. Found this bit of information at http://www.angelfire.com/tx/ShotGun/TTS.html
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Carrying spare ammunition on the shotgun is a good idea and there are several ways to do it. The most common way is through the use of an elastic buttstock shell carrier. These are a very inexpensive way to pack 6 spare rounds on the buttstock. Using this method, though, interferes with your ability to shoot from the offside and shells will sometimes fall out of the holder. But, in all, it's not a bad system for the price.
A more advanced version of this is the Speedfeed stock. This is a replacement stock which holds two shells internally on each side of the stock in spring loaded tubes. It's a lot more expensive than an elastic buttstock shell carrier. But, you can shoot the gun from either side. The downside is that it's a very slow system and it too will drop shells out. This happens when a tube only has one round in it. Under recoil the round will move back against the spring just enough to move past the shell stop and gravity does the rest.
The worst set up is the sling which holds 20-25 shells. Next time you get a chance, pick up a box of 25 shells. Now, imagine that box swinging beneath your gun like a pendulum. It definitely tends to spoil your aim. Stay away from these.
The best means of carrying spare ammunition on the shotgun is the Tac-Star Sidesaddle. This unit attaches to the left side of your gun and holds 6 rounds in a perfect position to extract them, move about two inches and feed them into the gun. This is the neatest piece of gear I've ever seen and I'm so impressed with it that I have one on all of my shotguns and I'll have one on every shotgun I ever own.
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I have no personal experience with any of the methods mentioned in the piece.

[SDC]

I've got a solid Speedfeed for my 870, and like it; I'd also heard about the likelihood of the butt-stored shells popping loose under recoil, so that's why I went with the solid buttstock and a sidesaddle.

[stevelyn]

In a word.......Worthless. The SpeedFeed stocks themselves are great. Don't waste your money with the ammo carrying version.
You would be better off with an elastic shellholder on the buttstock or better yet a sidesaddle carrier.
Blackhawk has a nice sling I like for $20.00 and it has loops for 15 shells. They also have a nice buttstock pouch/cheekpiece w/ shell loops sewn on. I'm ordering a rifle version for my Ruger No.1.

[Onslaught]

Geez Skunk, are we related???

I get a thigh holster, you get a thigh holster... You get a leg rig, I get a leg rig... I get a SpeedFeed, you get a SpeedFeed... You ponder leg rig/chest rig/full vest... I'm still going back and forth too... Where will it end?

:D

FWIW, I handled the SpeedFeed with, and I thought it was a bit cheap-feeling. I really like my solid SF.. IF they'll ever get the right length ;)

[CWL]

The elastic holders work well but they tend to slide forwards from recoil and bunch up next to the grip. Under repeaded firings and movement, the shells will slip out a bit but I haven't had any actually drop out.

The elastic holds up for about 5-years or so before becoming too loose.

[FPrice]

My new Mossberg 590 has the speedfeed stock and i am curious how it will work. I am also in the process of buying a sling with elastic holders from Skunkabilly so I will have two options.

My Savage 69RXL pump SG has an elastic holder on the stock which works fairly well for me. It's old but still holds the shells tightly.

I can see that I have a lot to learn about "tactical" shot-gunning and it looks like it could be a lot of fun.

[Sisco]

FPrice
Check my post titled "links". I found some interesting stuff searching the web.
Using Google, do a search for tactical shotguns you'll find more than you can read!

[Erick Gelhaus]

We've encountered three problems with the stocks that hold two rounds on either side.

1) Lefties can't shoot the gun well. That left side opening can slice & dice, or beat up the shooter unnecessarily. If you're not a lefty or will never shoot the 'gun left-handed, this may not be an issue;
2) The rounds left in the tubes can be beat up while shooting - if not removed - or they get mashed to an unacceptable width from sitting there over long periods;
3) You can't shorten these stocks. No way to do it because of the tubes.

[Onslaught]

The elastic holders work well but they tend to slide forwards from recoil and bunch up next to the grip.
For the cheaper "WallyWorld" shellholders that do this, what I did was remove the sling stud at the bottom of the stock, put the shell holder where I want it, poke a small hole through the elastic into the hole where the stud was, then replace the stud.

Most of your higher end ones (BlackHawk, CQB Solutions) have a strap that goes on the end of the stock to keep it from sliding forward.

The CQB solutions one also incorporates a side sling attachment point, which is nice! And my favorite part about CQB Solutions... great customer service, and all their products are available in LEFT HAND versions!

[ACP]

I've got a 590A1 on order with a Speedfeed; I'll let you know how it turns out.

I've used the buttstock elastic carrier for a while and like it. Like anything else, it takes practice to use. Yes, it will shift a bit under hard use. Notching a hole in the bottom rear and sliding it over a swivel stud, if available, will help.

I've also used the TacStar side shell carrier, or some such copy. Also good. Throws the balance off a bit. Takes practice, like everything else (see above).

I specifically sought the Speedfeed for my new Mossy for two reasons: a) LOP is 1/2 inch shorter, and I need it, and b) the textured foregrip. I believe for a HD scenario, whch I use a shotgun for, I won't be mashing rounds or leaving them in the stock too long. As for a single round popping out under recoil, my guess is I'm going to (learn to) load two at a time. Again, I will train the way I envision using the gun in a real life encounter. I usually fire two to four rounds (kneeling) in my SD training at the range, then top off the shotgun while keeping my eyes on the threat area and the safety off, finger alongside the trigger.

If the Speedfeed ends up being a problem, I can always slap the elastic buttcuff on there, or a Sidesaddle. At least I'll always have the proper LOP and won't have to pay a gunsmith or take my time to cut the stock and re-shape and reassemble the pad.

[Gordon]

I have been to Louis Auwerbach, and John Satterwaite's shotgun training. I grew up in 50's shooting ducks and geese and upland game. Shot skeet and trap in college and like others do for golf till now.I'm pretty good at sporting clays. I won a few 3 gun matches and side shotgun matches in mid 80's on left coast. I totally DISAGREE on attaching ammo to anything but the internal magazine on a shot gun. The few times I had to PRESENT a shot gun for SERIOUS work the butt cuffs , side saddles and speed feeds all distracted me . When I shot my last 3 gun match shot gun stage THESE items were the things that distracted or let me down. Also it exposes those soft plastic tubes(shells) to the elements and bumps ect.Leaving them on constitutes a 'loaded gun'. I feed my shot guns now(last 14 years) from a 50 round leather Lawrence bandaliero . You throw it over your off shoulder across chest. Belt slide devices work well too. Some vests work well(as in hunting) and bandaliers are available in heavy nylon combat grade.Just a hint from somebody whos been there and done that.

[ACP]

Gordon, actually, a bandolier would be my first choice for "esconced" home defense. No shortage of ammo there!

[FPrice]

"I feed my shot guns now(last 14 years) from a 50 round leather Lawrence bandaliero ."

I have always wondered about the utility of a bandoleer for SG but have never heard any comments one way of the other. Your comments make sense. Thanks.

[Mannlicher]

My Mossberg 590 has the speed feed stock. I like the handiness of keeping 4 slugs at hand. In all the thousands of rounds through that gun, I have never had a shell shake loose from the shell slots.

None of my other shotguns have shell holders mounted, or attached. I carry the extras in an across the chest bandoleer. I never did like those attached shell holders mounted on the gun.

Except for an old cut down Stevens 16 ga SxS, all my shotguns are pumps now.

[LeadPumper]

Bought one of those neat pistol gripe sets for my Mossberg 500, figured it would be a cool cheap 'Tactical" toy.

Wrong! The stock lengthened the pull to an uncomfotable distance and changed the way it swung.

I didn't realize how well balanced the 500 was until I put a different stock on it.

Don't know how well the feeding design would've held up under recoil, I never fired it with the stock on. I put my wood back on and shelved the speedfeed.

Hope you'all have better luck.

-LeadPumper

[Sisco]

I put a pistol grip forend on my Mossy 500, liked it until I shot a 3" mag turkey load. 'Bout ripped my thumb off!

[Andrew Wyatt]

I find that bandoliers work best when you load them such that only every other loop has a round in it. this allows for easy access to the base of the shell.

[Nippy]

Just some input on my experience.
I got a 11-87 and I have a elastic shell holder on the stock. Don't like it much because when I shoot, the strap chaves against my cheak. I also think it is easier to pull shells out of a side saddle rather than the elastic shell holder on the stock. Bandoliers sound good but as for home defense (not that I'm a expert or anything) I just feel better about having my extra shells ON my shotty because then I only need to grab two things. My glasses and my gun. :)

[Andrew Wyatt]

i hang the bandolier on the same nail as the shotgun. when i grab for the shotgun, the bandolier comes with it.

[Gordon]

Well don't get me wrong , the bandolier goes on when I go outside on patrol . Inside, 5 which stay loaded(in my 7 round extension) is plenty IMHO. Speed of presentation and low drag is what a SG inside a house is all about. I have a MiltSparks butt cuff or two that were supposed to be THE deal in early 80's. Now they are reserved for SASS Cowboy events on doubles. Yes I still keep a Lupara with one. On serious HD guns or competiton guns no attached shells outside of mag for me. I think a heavy duty nylon Bandolier would be better than my leather ones as long term ammo storage builds up crud on brass , if it touchs leather. Best to shoot up old ammo practising anyway.I carry 25 00buck and 20 Brenneke slugs and 5 #6bird in the 50rd Lawerence Bandolier when I go out dressed. I can drop back to where it is co-stored with SG indoors in bedroom/strong room.

[ktd]

I have had a speedfeed on my Mossy for about tenish years. Being left handed, I found the cut in the comb to bite, as was noted by others. I fixed it by putting a nylon shell carrier on the stock to cover it. I put it so that the shells were low, allowing me to shoot right handed if I had to without hurting too much. The carrier also gave me a "secret stash" of speedfeed ammo under it. I guess the carrier is also why I have never had any problems with the shells falling out of the speedfeed. As I download things, the speedfeeds carry only one shell a piece, so I have never noticed any shell damage. I keep some shells with the gun to top off the speedfeed and the magazine if I have time. I think all this is fine for a house gun but for field work I, like some of the others here, would rather carry most of the ammo on my person.

[Coronach]

We use Speedfeeds on our cruiser shotguns, so I set up my HD shotgun with one as well.

I dislike it. The LOP is quite long and the shells do not seem to come out of the tubes in a consistent and predictable manner. One will require a fair amount of force to rip out of the tube, another will seemingly pop out and going sailing off through the air of its own accord. Annoying, truly.

Mike

[Shawn Dodson]

Most of the 870's in my agency were fitted with Speedfeed stocks. My personal 870 is fitted with both a Speedfeed stock and a 6 shell sidesaddle. The only problem I've encountered with Speedfeed stocks is wear on the rim of the shotshell crimp, which is easily solved by rotating ammo. I've never experienced shotshells ejecting themselves under recoil.

Shotgun cartridge capacity is important to me, which is why I have both the Speedfeed stock and sidesaddle. The Speedfeed stock gives me an extra four rounds I normally wouldn't have.