[Newton]

I'm thinking Remington 870 with a 7 round tube.

But seriously, what's the pump action that you guys would recommend for general all round home defence and self defence.


Thanks

[chuckusaret]

I recommend a Mossberg 500 12 ga pursuader 20" barrel 7 +1 for around $300.

[9mmepiphany]

my personal choice in a pump is a 20ga Mossberg 500.

why subject yourself to the extra recoil of the 12 ga?

[RatDrall]

why subject yourself to the extra recoil of the 12 ga?

Good question. Why not just use low recoil buckshot, then have the ability to load up later on when you get used to the gun?

Many 20 gauge shotguns are so light that they recoil as badly, or worse, than a 12 gauge shooting similar loads. The 12 allows you to load up or down for the situation, the 20 gauge doesn't offer nearly the versatility. 12 gauge is also much cheaper to shoot, making practice more economical.

A Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 will work just fine. Get whichever is easiest for you to operate (pay attention to the location of the safety).

[Rshooter]

Remington 870, Mossberg 500/590 about covers it.

[SnakeLogan]

Benelli Super Nova with pistol grip, ghost ring sites, and 18-inch barrel.

[mljdeckard]

I use the Remington, but I haven't talked myself into the extended tube yet. I have the sidesaddle with three more #4s and two slugs pointing the other direction. I guess when I grew out of hi-cap pistols and went back to a 1911, I just kind of conditioned myself that reloading is part of combat.

[Dave McCracken]

There's lots of choices, many of them good.

I suggest reading the sticky On Fighting Shotguns at the top here.

Then,after picking a shotgun, learn it until it's ingrained in your synapses.

The best HD tool in the world is between our ears...

[jakemccoy]

I recommend a plain 870 Police with an 18" barrel and no magazine extension.

http://i44.tinypic.com/16742rs.jpg

[wrs840]

I recommend a Mossberg 500 12 ga pursuader 20" barrel 7 +1 for around $300.

Yes indeed. This one: http://www.mossberg.com/images/Mossberg_Guns/930/NEW/50577.jpg

I own this Mossberg 50577 (and six other pumps), now my brother and dad have a 50577 too... and it is the best all-around IMO.

Les

[Vibe]

It's a shame the Posiedon shottie never really got off of the ground. It was a 12 guage series designed around the Aguila 1-3/4" mini shells. Good velocities from a reduced recoil package.

[JFrame]

Any love for the NEF Pardner 12-gauge 5-shot pump gun...? :confused:

I bought one a couple of weeks ago. It seems like a well-built piece of machinery, and a pretty good value at the price...

[mgkdrgn]

Anything that goes BANG reliably will do the job. And, a good used gun will go BANG just as well as a new one.

That said, if you ever think you want to use the gun for anything -other- than HD, then you likely want to stick to the major brands where you can get interchangeable barrels and such.

At SD distances (ie, 25 feet or less, unless you are trying to keep the Zombie horde off your ranch), 16, 20, 12 gauge ... pretty much all same same. Puts big holes in BG and a real mess on your walls.

12 gauge, however, ammo is generally cheaper, more plentiful, and in a larger variety than 16 or 20.

Single shot, double barrel, pump or semi-auto; all will get the job done assuming you use them correctly.

Personally, I prefer the pump, and have 2 older (as in late 60's early 70's) Remington 870's. The HD gun lives with an 18.5" hand cutdown barrel on it. When I want to shoot trap/skeet I can grab the same gun and in 30 seconds swap out the barrel for something better suited. I hunted with the same gun when I was in HS (and it was new then), and shot trap/skeet in a league for several years with it.

[mgkdrgn]

Any love for the NEF Pardner 12-gauge 5-shot pump gun...? :confused:

I bought one a couple of weeks ago. It seems like a well-built piece of machinery, and a pretty good value at the price...

I haven't actually -seen- one of those yet, but I have heard good things. I have owned other NEF products in the past that I liked a lot.

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

Mossberg 590a1 with rifle sights or Remington 870p (rifle sights)

Keep it plain both guns are very good

Make sure you have a buttstock too

[357mag.]

There is no better gun for home defence than a pump 12ga.loaded with buck-shot IMO.

[Towboater]

Why does everyone love the 500 so much? Granted it shoots great but to me it's a pain in the butt to clean. I vote for the Winchester 1300 defender, you can still find them fairly regular if you look. Or a Saiga 12 would be cool too for an auto loader!! Those things are super sweet!!

[wrs840]

I have a Winchester 1300 and I think it's great and IMO the prettiest pump I own. My three 500s are loved because they're simple, available, and uber-reliable... and I don't understand why you think 500s are difficult to clean. Explain that please?

Les

[Towboater]

Well let me rephrase that , not hard to clean just hard for ME to get back together. I think it might be my large fingers but trying to get everything to stay in the right spot while sliding everything in place becomes an excersize in anger managment for me. My friends make it look easy but it gives me hell. mine is the .410 though too, not sure if the 12 gauge would be easier or not. God I hope so as the .410 is the sweetest little shooter I've seen in awhile and was thinking about a 12 ga.

[highorder]

I use a Model 12 that was born in 1947.

The barrel is 19" long, and the mag still holds 6 shells.

It just works.

[JFrame]

That would be one of the 870 clones I just mentioned. They're fine shotguns for a budget price but getting another barrel to go shoot skeet or whatever is a tough thing to do. You'll have to send it back to the factory to get another barrel for it. That's a shame really because they would be so easy to change.

The only complaint I have with mine is that the sights are off pretty bad. But with practice you can learn where to aim and it won't be a problem. And any HD shotgun should be shot many, many times for practice.

I'm going to see what I can do about the bead sight being off. I might even go with a red dot or something I can adjust. The good thing about the Pardner Pump is that it comes ready to mount a scope or a red dot or whatever.

Thanks for the input! :)

[sterling7c]

You might want to look at JD's work : http://www.aiptactical.com/

[chuckusaret]

It's a shame the Posiedon shottie never really got off of the ground. It was a 12 guage series designed around the Aguila 1-3/4" mini shells. Good velocities from a reduced recoil package.
__________________
I tried the Aguila 1-3/4" mini shells in my Mossberg pump and Remington semi auto, both guns experienced loading/extraction problems.

[Vibe]

I picked up a box of the 4B/1B 1-3/4"s. I cycled some thru, no live fire tests yet. The elevator needs some work to keep them from swinging nose down, but I had no extraction issues. A shorter action designed for these would be sweet though. Standard 5+1 Mossie 500 held 9 +1 of the minis.

[Ben86]

I'd say the the Rem tactical is a great choice for home defense. However I recently went with an H&R Pardner because it is a little smaller and $140 cheaper.

[Water-Man]

Remington 11-87

[bearmgc]

My Rem 11-87 turkey gun does double duty.

[gtoken]

Why does everyone love the 500 so much? Granted it shoots great but to me it's a pain in the butt to clean. I vote for the Winchester 1300 defender, you can still find them fairly regular if you look. Or a Saiga 12 would be cool too for an auto loader!! Those things are super sweet!!

I went with the Saiga 12. :D

http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss254/gtoken/IMG_0792.jpg

[9mmepiphany]

Why does everyone love the 500 so much?

i would think, mostly the location of the thumb safety

[augustino]

Shotguns and just about all firearms in general are like shoes. I find it best to try them on before I buy one. And for most of us we buy the one that fits us best. I love the Winchester 1300 Defender I've owned for years. Granted it isn't manufactured any longer but they are still available if one shops around.
They're good looking guns. It comes to my shoulder quickly and W/O any effort. I can acquire my target in a natural manner. The 1300 handles any/every shell ever put through it W/O any issues. Yes it even accepts the extra short Augila shells without any issues at all. Which by the way those short Augila shells are really great when it comes to HD. The pump action is darn near that of an auto! True what's said about the speed pump. Pretty simple to break down and clean.
But nothing is perfect. IF there was one thing about it I could change, that would be to have the safety from the Mossy on my Defender. The Mossy safety is perfectly placed/located and all shotguns should have the safety located precisely as the Mossy does. Of course this is simply my humble opinion. Otherwise it's reliable, extremely fast action and handles every shell ever put down the tube.
BUT what I hope to convey is that most shotguns from reputable makers will serve you well if they fit you and you fit them. Use it, know what to expect, know what to feed it for reliable cycling and keep it clean. I personally do NOT like adding a lot of "bells & whistles" but that's me.
Be safe!

[Jack2427]

Pick a gun that fits you. And make that pick from among the well known and well distributed makers. You want this so as to always have a ready supply of parts(replacement not aftermarket rocket launchers). Mossberg and Remington seem to have the corner by that definition, with Winchester/FN not all that far behind. Among those you WILL find a fit, and you will not have to go to an altered stock unless you are built very differently or have a handicap.
12 gauge seems the most popular, only if even because of load variety. You will be able to select a power/recoil acceptable load in 12.
Keep it simple, a light and butt cuff at the most, spend the goody money on ammo and train with your gun. After you have 200+ rounds under your belt, plan on at least 25-50 rounds per year to stay trained.
Train with what you are going to shoot, i.e.: If you are going to use #4 buck for serious social intercourse, train with that round. Do not train with bird shot then use buck for HD, there will be a vast difference in pattern and point of impact. And remember, you CAN miss with a shotgun!

[Newton]

Went with a new Rem 870 with 7 shot mag tube, only problem so far is that the mag refuses to go past 6 rounds.

Is this gun really a 6 + 1 ?

[chuckusaret]

Why would you need to field strip and clean a HD shotgun if it is never fired. I have a browning A5 with 1,000's of rounds thru it and has never been field stripped and cleaned in the last 40 years or so. I have a Mossberg 12 ga persuader that has at least 1,000 rounds thru it and has never been field stripped and cleaned. I sometimes use dry air to blow them out and run a patch thru the barrels and wipe down the externals. Neither gun has ever failed to fire for any reason.....

Food for thought: Why have an expensive shotgun that is no more reliable than a cheap Mossberg/Remington for HD. If in the event you do use your gun in a HD incident it will confiscated until the investigation is over, which in some cases takes years.

[TheFallGuy]

BPS hicap or Ithaca M37 Riot but I am a lefty so I like bottom eject.

[ilbob]

http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/Safir_Arms_T-14_Compact_.410_Guage_Upper_Half.html

Nothing like an AR lower .410 upper with a 15 round mag.

[4thPointOfContact]

Usually a tossup between this and a High Standard M10B bullpup.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f159/unnamed-source/dsc01096xcn.jpg

[jhco]

870 is good but 1187 is better

[kyo]

I recommend a Mossberg 500 12 ga pursuader 20" barrel 7 +1 for around $300.
I am putting a down payment on this tomorrow...at my store it was only 235.xx for an 8 shot 12 gauge all black just like you described.

[52grain]

I really don't like the idea of a dedicated home defense gun. If you ever had to actually use the gun to shoot an intruder, you will most likely get sued by either the intruder or his/her family. A shotgun with a wood stock and a 26" or 28" blued vent rib barrel and bead sights will look much less menacing to a jury than a tricked out dedicated home defense gun with an 18" barrel and a high capacity magazine and will work every bit as well (how many rounds does it really take to stop an intruder?).

[Vibe]

I really don't like the idea of a dedicated home defense gun. If you ever had to actually use the gun to shoot an intruder, you will most likely get sued by either the intruder or his/her family. A shotgun with a wood stock and a 26" or 28" blued vent rib barrel and bead sights will look much less menacing to a jury than a tricked out dedicated home defense gun with an 18" barrel and a high capacity magazine and will work every bit as well (how many rounds does it really take to stop an intruder?).

A longer shottie may look less menacing to a jury, but the added encumberment may also mean that you get carried by 6 and won't have to be worried about being judged by 12. In my neighborhood it is not unlikely that to have one round per perp you will need a high cap mag and then some.

[chevyforlife21]

i have a benelli nova tactical 18 inch with the ghost ring sights and let me tell you its pretty corrosion resistant its chrome lined, and has some black painted on type finish,and its plastic in the spots that dont matter and will help.its almost slip proof as far as handling.since its a 3 and a half inch gun it takes longer to pump it and sometimes you dont go back far enough then the gun will not fire since your used to the 3 inch stride of most shotguns. i dont like the 4 shot capacity of the gun very much though. and ive fired 300 rounds so far and out of 25 rounds there will be a few jams happening with the shell not going into the chamber straight then getting stuck in the action.anyone else have this problem? I also have the mossberg 500a persuader 20 inch 7+1 shot and this gun feeds flawlessly i just put a vang oversize metal safety on it as well.it does requires more attension so it doesnt rust over the benelli because of the traditional blued finish. i have also had a rem 870 express and that had about 500 shells through it without a single jam. my mossy only has a hundred through it so far but its been perfect. i do hate the rattle of the forearm and how hard it was to take apart and put back together compared to the benelli or rem. Granted all these guns are good in there own ways i dont have a favorite still

[DKA]

I personally have a Remington 870 Wingmaster with a 20" Barrel. An 870 Wingmaster is here for the long haul, holds 5, 00 Buckshot with no extension, but most any dependable pump will work.

[Pack]

Will the gun be just for you, or for the house as a whole - and therefore potentially be pressed into use in the hands of a wife, kids, etc? This makes a difference.

Let's assume there are other folks, non-shooters, in the picture. Many will say - indeed, I used to insist - that this dictates the use of a 20 GA, perhaps a youth model. I might well agree with the 20 GA part, but that's where I now depart.

I think that the inexperienced people in the household who potentially could have an urgent need to defend themselves with the weapon take precedence. For this reason, I'd also recommend a Saiga - in 20 GA, even. This is because the manual of arms is much simpler as compared with a pump action, and so they will be more likely to retain the knowledge of how to operate the weapon effectively since they likely won't practice often.

Even for those of us who do shoot with regularity, which is easier under pressure - shoving individual shells into a magazine tube and operating a slide release and slide (short-stroking is a possibility for the inexperienced, too), or simply inserting a magazine and racking the charging handle? This is just applying the same logic that dictates the house handgun - for the benefit of the wife and kids, should be simple - a DA wheelgun or a DAO pistol, but in any event not a tricked-out single action .44 magnum, etc.

Further, the AK-style safety on the Saiga is likewise foolproof and, as a final bonus, the gas system serves to render its recoil lighter than a pump of comparable weight, etc.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=133862154

[Girodin]

I'd also recommend a Saiga - in 20 GA, even.

I would avoid the 20 gauge saiga at this point. It doesn't enjoy the aftermarket support of the S12. I also believe they are less reliable than the S12, although this can be addressed.

This is because the manual of arms is much simpler as compared with a pump action, and so they will be more likely to retain the knowledge of how to operate the weapon effectively since they likely won't practice often.


I do not agree with that assessment. Knowing how to run an AK platform well takes practice. Getting the hand of quick reloads with a Saiga takes practice. Take out even a gun savy person and ask them to insert a S12 mag and it will likely take them a minute to get it right at first. I have seen more than one claim that a mag cannot be inserted on a closed bolt. That is of course wrong but you have to be familar with the angle to get it in there.

I personally think running the S12 is less intuitive than pumping a pump shotgun. I own a saiga and it is currently my main HD shotgun BTW.

[Girodin]

As to the question of the OP, my favorite is a 870 wingmaster. That said there are a number of them that will be up to the task, mossberg 500, Benelli super nova, etc.

[sammy_adams]

Mossberg 500 with a knoxx stock.

Takes all the sting out.

[Legasat]

Any of these will do great! Remington 870 or Mossberg 500/590.

Inexpensive & reliable.