First Shotgun...

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

JackBauerWannabe

Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2008
Messages
28
Location
dayton ohio
I just turned 18 and I think its a good time to invest in a HD firearm more powerful than my old 22! I'm looking for a pump action shotgun that is reliable and affordable, it would be for home defense and the occasional clay pigeon that flies by. im guessing a remmington 870 or mossberg 500 but is there anything else to check out?

i dont know much about shotguns obviously. any knuckle head can throw out the 870 and 500, but which one is better? if there isn't anything that tops these guys?

Also, i have a Surefire G2 tackie, would i be able to attach a grip switch thingy and mount it somehow to my shotgun?

ONE MORE QUESTION! what shell is smart to run through these for HD?
 
I recommend a simple Mossberg 500, as I do for everyone who's getting their first shotgun OR only getting ONE shotgun. I do this because the price tag is low, it'll take a lot of abuse and you won't feel bad about the abuse you'regiving it, because of the durability but mostly because of that MUCH lower than-others price tags. Plus I like the layout on a Mossberg much better. I currently own an 870 and a Winchester Defender only, so hopefully no one thinks I'm a Mossberg maniac.

Get a Mossberg 500 w/ the extra 28" barrel and 18.5" barrel combo, and shoot the hell out of it.


Forget ALL about ANY tactical accessories for now. Go to Walmart and get the 100 round Value packs of Federal LEAD 7.5 shot and shoot your gun until you get sick of shooting it, then shoot it some more. I say lead because there's no need for steel unless you're hunting...I THINK it's harder on your barrel as well. Then learn disassembly/cleaning/maintenance. After you've broken the gun in (At LEAST 500 shells) you can start deciding what works for you tactically and all of that. If it came with a pistol grip, ignore the temptation to try it out until you've done everything I've listed above, please.


just my .02
 
Theyre both decent guns, but I'd look around for a used 500 with an 18.5" barrel in matte finish or try to find a deal on the new combo I told you about it. You'll spend a bit more than you would on the Daly or NEF, but you're paying for great customer service by Mossberg should you ever need it and a gun with a great reputation. I love 870's and 1300 Defenders but if I could only have ONE defense shotgun to last me it would be a Mossberg, 500, 590 500atp, 590a1, doesn't matter. I love em.
 
I also recommend a Mossberg 500 or Maverick 88. I bought a nice 500 last year with no scratches, nice wood, two barrels, a 28in vent rib and 24 slugger barrel for $185. I just bought another 500 with a rifled slug barrel for $125 off gun broker this Monday, wood and finish is a little rough but not too bad. i think the maverick 88's can be bought new for around $200 also.
 
My first dedicated defensive shotgun was a Winchester 1300 defender. I believe it cost me in the mid-200's, and was an excellent, excellent gun. I got rid of it during college (needed the $), and now own an 870. Another excellent, excellent gun. There's a lot of great choices out there, but whatever you go with, shoot a lot. Forget buying any more lights, lasers, or accessories for a while and focus on what will make you better with your weapon: Buy Ammo, Use Up, Repeat.
 
I own 3 870s. I have never had a Mossberg, but I have every confidence that they are great shotguns.

I have a personal aversion to buying things for a couple dollars less if there is a very good American made product for only a few dollars more. I call it the "A little more cheapness, please" syndrome.

Bottom line is the guy behind the gun is a lot more important than the actual weapon itself. Buy a bone stock gun of your choice. After you have put about 1000 rounds through it and know it like your tongue knows your teeth, then think about what kind of ninja crap you want to hang on it. I'm betting it won't be much if anything.
 
I recently bought a new Mossburg Maverick 88 shotgun several weeks ago for under 240.00. purchased mainly for HD and protection from rabid animals(we seem to get several around here each year). Won't be shot much, but reside in my bedroom closet. So far am very pleased with it mechanically. :)
 
To get back to your original question, is there anything else to check out other than the 870 or 500? Well of coarse there is, but the main difference is price. Winchester model 97, and 12, Ithaca 37, FN police, benelli nova, and a few more big names not mentioned. Also don't forget the different grades of the remington 870, wingmaster, marine magnum, police, express and the new 887. Mossberg also has several models to chose from like the 590, 590 special purpose, marine, and the 500 in everything from plain ol all purpose wood stocked blued barrel to the outragous rolling thunder. And dont forget the maverick 88, its a cheaper version of the 500 and alot of parts interchange between the two including barrels and stocks. It's all about what you like and what you can afford.

So which one is better the 500 or 870? Well there both good quality firearms but it's more about personal preference and needs. I have three old wingmasters two 12ga and a 20ga that I like best mainly because of the quality of wood and blueing, and because they where what I learned to shoot with. I also have a newer 20ga 870 express with a rifled barrel, scoped for deer hunting, it is nice and shoots great but the plain wood and matte finish doesnt look as nice, and the action is not as smooth. Thats possable because it has not been shot enough to be broke in. I also have three older 500's one .410ga and two 12ga. To me they look nicer than the 870 express and were cheaper. The main noticable difference is the saftey. The 870's are right behind the trigger and 500 is on top of the receiver.

As for what type of ammo to run for hd? Well thats another can of worms but I like 00Buck. Some say to alternate buck and slugs. You can google box of truth and see some of the tests they do and make up your own mind. Just remember your living situation, alone, with family, or friends, apartment, house, dorm whatever. I dont use slugs because they penetrate walls pretty easy and I have a two year old son here with me.

As for the surefire. I know you can buy a mount that just clamps to the barrel on one end and the flashlight on the other and its pretty cheap. I don't if its any good or if you can add a pressure switch.http://cgi.ebay.com/REMINGTON-870-S...66:2|39:1|72:1205|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50
 
The 870 & 500 are the Chevy & Ford of the shotgun world.

More aftermarket parts and accessories are made for those two guns than all other brands combined.

The only other one even close is the Winchester 1200 series.
But they are no longer made, and probably not as good as the first two anyway.

Consider that the NEF's & Charles Daly's of the world come and go, and factory parts may or may not be available for them on down the road a ways. And there are very few aftermarket parts made for them now.

rc
 
+1 on shooting the bajeezus out of the gun before adding any of the "tactical" stuff to it.

I started out with an 870 HD model, added a Knoxx SpecOps stock and a red dot, then a sling and side saddle. Before I knew it the thing weighed a ton and was unpleasent to shoot, making me less apt to practice.

Its now sitting by my bed in the factory configuration with a walnut stock set on its way, quite the opposite of tactical huh?! :neener: The aftermarket companies dont want you to know the greatest tactical accessories you can have are practice and the thing between your ears.

Luke
 
Look into large-diameter steel shot (BB, BBB, T, F) as a cheaper alternative to buckshot (unless you have a WalMart nearby, where they still sell 15 00buck rounds for under $10, at least around here).
 
MY first shot gun was an O/U. I'd have one of those for HD, but they are expensive, and don't come in 18.5".....

Have a bolt mossberg and a saiga 12 (pistol grip adj stock on it for 922r compliance, 10 round mags)

But I keep wanting a plain old black remington 870. Enough rounds, light, reload on the fly, reload from the ejection port. Seems like a perfect sd gun.

Also for a HD gun I would prefer wood stocks over the tacticool plastic. And shorten the length of pull and add a nice recoil pad. Only tactical feature I would want is some nice ghost rings, but a bead is fast and good enough.
 
I see a couple people have already suggested it, but how about a higher-end Mossberg 590? They cost about $600 MSRP. CZ also has a fancy new semi-auto in the $400 range.
As for shells, how about bird shot or 28 gauge or something small like that? When you think about it, someone is not gonna put up much of a fight if he is scared and being peppered with little pellets, no matter how "underpowered" they are. I know I'd hit the road in an instant if I had to choose between your TV and being dead / badly wounded or leaving without your stuff and maintaining my health. With a less-powerful gauge, you also minimize the risk of collateral damage from pellets piercing through walls. Let's not ignore the lethality of guns here. Take into consideration that you're not hunting big game here; you just wanna get someone away from your stuff and home in the unlikely circumstance that someone breaks in while you're there.
 
People will argue Mossberg vs Remington till the end of days.

I own a Mossberg 500 and my friend was trying the whole time i was shopping for it to get me converted to a Remington 870 because thats what he owns. After shooting my gun, i think maybe he'll give Mossberg a little more credit next time hes shopping for a gun.

As far as Home Defense goes there seem to be MANY different options for the Mossberg that come straight from the factory and not quite so many for the Remington. Im sure if you add in aftermarket parts you would end up in a dead heat though. So really i would recommend picking up both guns and even if you know someone going and shooting them to see how they feel. The Mossbergs tend to be a little lighter ive noticed.

As far as your usage goes, id say go with a 20-gauge, 20" Barrel and the Knoxx SpecOps recoil reducing stock. That will make you a nice light gun that doesn't hardly kick (marginally easier to fire off a whole tube, since the gun wont be jumping around on you.). Also going less than 20" on the barrel will give a massive accuracy dropoff im told and that wont be good for trap shooting.

Thats my opinion, take it or leave it.
 
FWIW, I have a Mossberg 500 in 12 gauge that I have put goodness only knows how many rounds thru since I bought it USED in 1976....yeah,...1976. It's my go to long gun, and the HD shotgun still today.
 
I would also recommend the 500. Very tough gun. I've had a couple and its one of those shotguns that I never really felt bad about roughing up. My newest addition is the Mariner. Excellent shotgun, but unfortunately alittle on the pricey side at around 400. Still not that bad in my opinion for a very resiliant shotgun! Plus it looks mean as hell! Good luck :)
 
Get 870 express super mag. I hear some of the mossbergs have plastic in them for some reason or another. You have interchangeable chokes with the 870, but not with the 500.
 
Has anybody had any experience with the Winchester SXP..
I think thats what the ad said. The defender model is the one I seen. It claims 3 shots in a half second. Something about inertia assisted pump. I'm curious to hear about it. It also was on the cheap side if I remember right.
 
I bought a new 870 for $300. It is a great weapon. Go to WalMart and buy those bulk 100 round target loads; shoot those for a while just to practice and get used to how a shotgun operates. The shotgun is one of the most versatile weapons in the world and also one of the easiest weapons to maintain/operate. I believe every man should own a shotgun.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

I
  • Locked
First Shotgun, Remington Express 870 18"?
2
Replies
27
Views
2K
john1911
J
V
  • Locked
"My" first shotgun
Replies
24
Views
1K
Vicious-Peanut
V
H
  • Locked
Winchester Shotguns
2
Replies
45
Views
4K
bannockburn
bannockburn
V
  • Locked
Another first shotgun question
2
Replies
32
Views
1K
SouthernWake
S
S
  • Locked
Remington 870 or Mossberg 500
2
Replies
28
Views
2K
Big_E
B
Back
Top