12 ga or 7.62x39?

[Dynasty]

Which is a better choice for a first firearm? Something that will be an all purpose tool: HD, shotting at range, plinking. Most shooting will be within 100 yards. Which will bring more smiles while being nice on the wallet? Keep in mind I live in a suburb so I can't just go out in my backyard and shoot when I want. It either has to be at a range or at a friend's property which would be a few times per month.

The firearms I am considering are the Remington 870 or NEF Pardoner for the 12 ga (any other suggestions?) or the Romanian WASR-10 or Saiga for the 7.62x39 (any other suggestions?).

 

[Dorryn]

Im going to go with the Romanian WASR-10. Its a delightful plinking weapon. The ammo is reasonably cheap. Its fun to look at and surprisingly accurate!

 

[Shadan7]

Go with the shotty.

An 870 is more flexible, offering everything from sporting clays to deer hunting. With an 18.5" barrel, ideal for HD. After that, get something like a 10/22 for plinking fun - shoot all day for about $10...and infinitely 'tweakable' with all the different after-market goodies that are out there.

 

[macadore]

I agree with Dorryn. The 7.63x39 is some of the least expensive ammo you can buy and there are numerous inexpensive aftermarket parts for the WSAR-10. More importantly, they are just a lot of fun.

 

[The Deer Hunter]

I would get the 870. My first shotgun, I still love it. If you could only afford one gun, a shotgun could probably be your best bet. Most reliable shotguns can be found at a very fair price new and used.... You can get a nice used 870 for $200 used at most gun shops.

The pardner pump is a Chinese look alike of the 870 with minor modifications so its not infringing on Remington's patent for the gun. For the price of one new you could probably get a real 870 for about the same used.

You can use birdshot and go hunting, load up slugs for deer hunting and then use buckshot for HD or whatever. Very versatile, IMO.

 

[BridgeWalker]

WASR/Saiga. Not ideal imho for HD, but much more fun for the sort of casual plinking you seem to have in mind. For shotgunning you are gonna want a thrower of some kind, and in my experience it can be hard to find a place to toss your own clays, if you are lost in a maze of suburbia.

Personally, I'm a much more dedicated shotgunner than rifle shooter, but I shoot trap. Along with that comes pretty limited hours and shooting opportunities. And, also in my experience, within about fifteen minutes of starting any clay game you start wanting a gun more well-suited to it. Yeah, shotguns are the most versatile weapon/tool there is, but I think a basic HD shotgun can be had for cheap enough that you should keep that a separate gun, and until then, the WASR can serve that role.

Also, our HD shotgun is dedicated for HD, mostly because it's important it not be at the range/in the back of the truck/in peices when we need it

Also, there is a lot of flexibility in pricing on 7.62x39. Surplus, cheap imports, reloads, etc. Not as cheap as .22lr, but 12 gauge shells are *expensive*. They just don't get cheaper than about $4.50/box anymore, no matter how low end you get, and that includes reloads (unless you drip your own shot).

 

[Ian]

I would take the 7.62x39 personally. I think a shotgun has too much recoil to be a good first firearm; tends to lead to habitual flinching if you don't have good shooting habits already ingrained (for me, anyway - YMMV).

 

[Bartkowski]

The best first firearm would be a .22lr in my opinion, but of the two you mentioned, 7.62x39 in an SKS. If you want a 12 gauge, a Mossberg 500 is a great choice.

The only reason I recommended the 7.62 is because you said you wanted to plink, and plinking with slugs isn't lots of fun after 10 or so shots without a decent recoil pad, and when shooting birdshot at stationary targets, its hard to miss under 50 yards.

 

[JKimball]

Everybody should have a shotgun.

Clays are a blast, and you can hunt any kind of small game and even deer, but you don't really plink with a shotgun. Looks like you'll have to get an SKS as well. And a Ruger .22 pistol.

 

[MajorPowerchord]

Swiss Army Knives of Guns

If you want the Swiss Army knife of guns, then a pump shotgun is what you want. My buddy and I just bought 870s at Dicks yesterday for $259 (minus $30 Mail in rebate) and also get a $20 gift card through Dicks rebate.

I have a few handguns, an AR15, a Marlin 22lr rifle, and now an 870. If I had to do it over again, I wouldnt change a thing except the order of which they were procured.

Get the 870 express with a 26 inch barrel at Dicks (or wherever is cheapest). Unless you know what you are looking for, used weapons can be hit or miss. For $40 more, get the brand new weapon with a warranty and a known history.

 

[George Hill]

Get the 870. For a first gun, it's the best choice. Multi purpose, mission flexible, and devastating for home defense.

 

[esmith]

Once you start shooting with a shotgun or 7.62, you are probably going to get the other. A shotgun has more versatility so i say shoot for that first. 870s are nice, as are mossbergs line. I say shoulder both and see how they feel. I think i like the 870 over mossbergs 500 and such just because of how it fits me. Ammo for both a shotgun and Saiga/wasr will be a few cents close to each other, depending on what type you buy. You should also consider a .22 of some sort. I think you should just end up buying both of what you want.

 

[rbernie]

Get the 870. For a first gun, it's the best choice. Multi purpose, mission flexible, and devastating for home defense.

While I think that a dedicated HD shotgun is a fine idea, it's been noted above and bears repeating that it's really kinda hard to 'plink' with a shotgun set up for HD.

Get a WASR or Saiga and have fun. For pure trigger time and reasonable utility in multiple areas (HD as well as just plain shootin' at things), they're hard to beat.

If you decide that you want a dedicated HD shotgun - buy a short 870 and take defensive shotgun classes. If you decide that you want to blast things flyin' around in the sky, buy a 26" for the 870 and find someone to throw clays for you.

 

[chris in va]

Wow, that's a tough decision. You can 'plink' with a shotgun by shooting clays, one of my favorite activities. Makes a FINE HD gun.

But my Saiga in x39 is also great to shoot and can be used for HD with softpoints.

My advice? Get both!

 

[revjen45]

Mossy 500 + SKS won't cost too much.

 

[Never No More]

Tho the 870 is a superior firearm platform. Its not much of a plinker.

Any of the chi-com stuff are good plinkers. It would be way faster loading.

Id take an 870 in an urban situation, over just abouth anything, but then I used one in the jungle, and then took it to Europe. Heck used the same receiver for the US Army Sheet team (my practice gun, cant use pumps for comp).

 

[birdbustr]

These two are so unrelated all I can say is WHAT??? How do you narrow down from thousands of available calibers to two that are so distant?

If you are only allowed one firearm, it would have to be a shotgun.

 

[marlin1888]

Buy a Savage combo combo gun, with the rifle barrel on top and the shotgun barrel on the bottom. They are fun, fairly accurate, and you can shoot a shotgun (like 12-guage) and rifle (like .223 Remington) at the same time. My first hunting arm was one in .410 shotgun and .22 Long Rifle (I wish I still had it). They recent ones even come with synthetic stocks now.

 

[xjchief]

I'd personally start with a ruger 10/22 if you're just looking for plinking. They're cheap and fun to shoot.

That said you're looking for a multipurpose firearm so really the AK clones will do everything you want a single firearm to do.

 

[10 Ring Tao]

The shotgun is simply unsurpassed when it comes to versatility.

You can do everything a rifle can within 100 yards, then you can take it to the clays range and have some fun hitting moving targets out of the sky, and then take it home, load in some 00 buckshot, and sit it next to the bed to be ready in case of uninvited guests.

You can do all of that with the same barrel, or with a couple barrel changes do it all even better.

 

[artyboy]

I'd get a shotgun first. They're more versatile and using a rifle for home defense in the burbs probably isn't too smart. Get a .22 next then round out your arsenal with an SKS or an AK later.

 

[strat81]

I think a 12ga as a first gun would give you a nasty flinch. A pump with the wrong (i.e., Heavy) loads can be nasty to your shoulder. Even target loads have some oomph.

I vote for one of the new WASR-10s with the Tapco G2 trigger.

 

[B. Adams]

Personally, I'd go with an 870. 7.62x39 was plinking ammo a few years ago, but the price isn't so attractive now. 1,000 rounds of cheap 7.62x39 will cost you about the same as 1,000 rounds of cheap 12ga target loads. For that same investment you could get about 10,000 rounds of cheap .22lr.

If you're looking for a real plinking gun, go with a 22. If you're looking for an all-purpose gun, you can't get more all-purpose than a shotgun.

7.62x39 is a great centerfire round. Even though the price has gone up significantly, it's still cheaper than other centerfire rounds. I think an SKS would be a great choice for a first rifle, if that's what you decide to do. But if you're looking for the most versatile gun you can get, then go with the 870.

 

[Average Joe]

Shotgun was my first firearm.