[Skunkabilly]

If all your rifles were no longer available and you were forced to use a shotgun as a rifle substitute- for both home defense and community defense, would you change anything on it? Better sights? Even optics?

I've always thought of shotguns as my barricade weapon. Point it towards the door and wait for the cavalry to show up and have it set up as such, but never went through the mental exercise of replacing a rifle with it.

Your thoughts?

[Zak Smith]

I would not feel poorly armed with my Benelli M1S90 "Tactical" (#11261): standard stock, 9 total capacity, ghost rings, 18.5" barrel, reliable as all get out.

I believe the capacity can be increased to 11 with an extended tube. To get the barrel to match length, I believe it's a 21" or 22" barrel. The only other changes I would make would be: a good rifle trigger (not possible) and a few ergonomic adjustments.

An Aimpoint on a shotgun would increase its effectiveness, IMO -- that's one reason why "Open" 3Gun/IPSC shotguns shooters go faster.

-z

[El Tejon]

Skunk, around here a bunch of guys do use their shotguns as rifles every Fall.:D

[Andrew Wyatt]

This is the one reason why i have sights on my mossberg. if i need to make longer range shots with it, i can.

[Zak Smith]

Along with what Andrew is saying, it's not that hard to hit an IPSC target at 70-100 yards with slugs, with just a little practice.

-z

[Poodleshooter]

Thought about it? Yup. Thought of that concept when I bought a 24" rifled iron sighted barrel and started casting my own rifled slugs.
I can hit what I aim at out to the effective accuracy range of those home rolled slugs. Substitute for a rifle it can, but replace, never.

[Skunkabilly]

While I admittedly suck with long guns (not enough opportunities to practice and train as I do with handguns which are my love anyway) does anyone else find the large rear aperture on the Benellis a challenge to place slugs with at 100+ yards?

[Zak Smith]

Skunk,

Yeah. I fact I have the same problem with the large-aperture ring on AR's. Cheek weld consistency should help.

Another option is to low-mount a "Doctor" or "JPoint" sight. If mounted load, it should not raise the aiming plane over the bore plane much, and it will appear to float on the target. They can be looked through if the batteries die.

-z

[CWL]

My Beretta (same as your Benelli) has rifle sights. I find this set-up very easy to use & shoot for slugs and buck.
I feel no need to modify this firearm in any manner other than attaching a buttcuff.

I feel the same way about my Remmy 870 MM. While I'm not as good with the bead sight (psychological probably), I would not change this set-up either.

Either would serve me in aforementioned home & community defense applications.

[Dave McCracken]

It's difficult to imagine a real world situation where this could happen, but here goes....

In a word, yes. Both my HD 870 and its backup have peep sights, good triggers, and I know what slug to use in each. Neither meets the 3" at 100 yards milspec, but neither misses by that much either. Most SKS/AK type weapons do worse.

These of course, stand double duty as deer guns and have for a while. Using a tool that's already brought in truckloads of meat does wonders for confidence.

And back in the day, we used to plink with slugs at a pony keg set up at 130 yards where we used to shoot. Using bead sights, hits on this were common offhand, and not too hard from a rest. Setting the bead on the top of the keg usually meant a hit towards the bottom of same.

[redneck2]

we use shotguns here for deer...rifles are a no-no

there's slugs, then there's SLUGS

if you get the older style lead Federals or Remington Sluggers, you can hit the kill zone of a deer at anywhere from 30 to maybe 75 yards (consistently) depending on the particular firearm and sights. I've seen shotguns with lead slugs that will drill a pop can about every time at 35 yards and some that couldn't keep the shots in a wash tub. Accuracy is a crap shoot.

Step up to the new sabots with rifled barrels and you're in a whole other league. Approximately 500 grain slugs at 1900 fps...these would qualify as an African Big Game round. I helped my roomy sight in his shotgun. Three shots at 125 yards could have been covered with a tennis ball (and remember the holes are .712)

I used my rifled barrel 870 to drill a running coyote at 130 yards two years ago. I've got a 1.5x6 scope in it.

IMO, performance is as good or better than a .45-70....and they were used for buffalo at 800 yards

I help a little at the local gun store from time to time. Advances in technology in the last few years in slugs is amazing.

Word of advice...make sure you've got a GOOD recoil pad if you're using high performance sabots. FPE has to exceed 3,000#. These babies kill on both ends.

[EricO]

Skunk, for anything short of a riot I feel perfectly comfortable with a shotgun. I've done some local 3-gun matches with mine and also taken a 2-day (est 600 rnd buckshot/slug - ouch, motrin helped the 2nd day!) course from Walt Marshall (www.awt-co.com). Mine is a Rem 870 Marine Magnum, with a Speedfeed replacement stock, sidesaddle, Sage tritium ghostring sights, Giles sling and porting from a local smith. If I had to do it all over again I would perhaps prefer a VangComp'ed custom 870 with the LPA or previously used sight from their shop. A Wilson Combat standard model would be nice also. Actually, all I really need to be perfectly comfortable would be the Surefire replacement forend and to remove my factory orig. extended mag to lighten this thing up a bit.
I've been in several stages where most of the targets are within 15 yards but then a surprise plastic gallon filled with water at 50 yards would require a quick slug select. The Remington reduced recoil slug loads that I fired during my class saved my shoulder from some additional abuse during prone sighting in. They were accurate through my barrel as well.
EricO