Good 20 Gage for defense ?
- Thread starter cj42
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earlthegoat2
Member
Id say the best 20 gauge for HD is a youth Remington 870. The short stock is good for point shooting or tucking it into your elbow and the short barrel is nice too.
jlv08
Member
I bought my wife a NEF Pardner Pump Compact. $249.00 O.T.D.
Dark phosphate finish,real walnut furniture,solid aluminum trigger guard,and excellent fit and finish.
I compared it to a Maverick,a Mossberg, Stoeger, used Winchester 1300, etc.
The Pardner came home with me.
I'm happy with it and even bought a 12 gauge.
The 12 is a hoss of a shotgun and is overbuilt,as is the 20 gauge.
I was reticent due to the "issues" of it being Chinese made, but I got over that real quick as the gun shoots well and handle well.
I didn't mention the Remington express due to some bad quality gaffes in a previously owned Express.
Dark phosphate finish,real walnut furniture,solid aluminum trigger guard,and excellent fit and finish.
I compared it to a Maverick,a Mossberg, Stoeger, used Winchester 1300, etc.
The Pardner came home with me.
I'm happy with it and even bought a 12 gauge.
The 12 is a hoss of a shotgun and is overbuilt,as is the 20 gauge.
I was reticent due to the "issues" of it being Chinese made, but I got over that real quick as the gun shoots well and handle well.
I didn't mention the Remington express due to some bad quality gaffes in a previously owned Express.
emmie
Member
I use a Rem 870 youth with a xfull extened tube. useing rem #3 buck can hold all 20 pellets on 8 1/2 by 11 note book paper at 12 yrds. opens a little more at 25yrds
have 3-870/20ga and 2-1100/20ga set up same way.
emmie
have 3-870/20ga and 2-1100/20ga set up same way.
emmie
Fred Fuller
Moderator Emeritus
With some judicious shopping, that budget will get you a good used Remington 1100 in 20 gauge. If recoil is an issue, that would be hard to beat. Otherwise your choice of pumps would be pretty much wide open for that money. Biggest thing is to make sure the gun fits, a number of youth models with shorter stocks and barrels are available that might work better right out of the box/off the rack.
lpl
lpl
I know this doesn't really answer your question, but.....
Why not a 12GA? Guns are much more available, accessories are more available, many more (readily available) ammo options, etc. If recoil is a concern, there are quite a few reduced recoil loads out there for the 12GA.
With all that said, I just don't see the need for a 20GA unless it's a matter of personal preference, but that's just me.
Why not a 12GA? Guns are much more available, accessories are more available, many more (readily available) ammo options, etc. If recoil is a concern, there are quite a few reduced recoil loads out there for the 12GA.
With all that said, I just don't see the need for a 20GA unless it's a matter of personal preference, but that's just me.
Mike U.
Member
swampboy,
The reasons may be because the 12 gauge kicks like a mule and that bothers some people too much. He may have a wife or S.O. who wouldn't use that gun in an emergency due to fear of the gun's significant recoil.
A 20 gauge is plenty good enough for HD with the added benefit of not having that mule kick recoil. Even with the reduced recoil loads. Sure, it kicks, but not as much as a 12.
If he's getting the shotgun first and foremost for HD, the 20 is a good choice. Faster follow up shots, easier on the shoulder and nearly anybody in the house not sitting in a high chair could use it.
The 20 is a good all around family gun. At least, IMHO.
BTW, I have a 12 and wouldn't trade it for anything. Love it too much.
The reasons may be because the 12 gauge kicks like a mule and that bothers some people too much. He may have a wife or S.O. who wouldn't use that gun in an emergency due to fear of the gun's significant recoil.
A 20 gauge is plenty good enough for HD with the added benefit of not having that mule kick recoil. Even with the reduced recoil loads. Sure, it kicks, but not as much as a 12.
If he's getting the shotgun first and foremost for HD, the 20 is a good choice. Faster follow up shots, easier on the shoulder and nearly anybody in the house not sitting in a high chair could use it.
The 20 is a good all around family gun. At least, IMHO.
BTW, I have a 12 and wouldn't trade it for anything. Love it too much.
Mike U.,
Absolutely, a 20 GA IS most DEFINITELY "plenty good enough". My guess was also that his desire for a 20 was based on a concern over recoil. That's why I suggested the reduced loads. Personally, I prefer the flexibility that the 12 offers, for the reasons I stated earlier.
Absolutely, a 20 GA IS most DEFINITELY "plenty good enough". My guess was also that his desire for a 20 was based on a concern over recoil. That's why I suggested the reduced loads. Personally, I prefer the flexibility that the 12 offers, for the reasons I stated earlier.
mgkdrgn
Member
20 is plenty, but the recoil is going to be about the same as 12 due to the lighter gun. Also, you can purchase reduce recoil loads for a 12, but I've never seen them for a 20. Also a wider variety of ammo for the 12 in any case.
Say again why you wanted to go 20 rather than 12?
earlthegoat2
Member
I know this touches the realm of unacceptable for most people but the second I started reloading for 20ga all that talk about the 12 gauge being more versatile went right out the window. Handloading makes it happen. There is almost no obstacles as far as ammo is concerned to the handloader
Thread hijack, maybe. So it goes....
Thread hijack, maybe. So it goes....
mgkdrgn
Member
Oh ya, "rolling your own" changes the equation totally ... as long as you can get the components you need. I reload 12, and am shortly going to start on 45 Colt and 9mm.
Hungry Seagull
member
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Wife found my Marine Magnum 12 gauge to be "too fat, too big, too heavy." But the Mossberg 500 Bantam with the youth stock and 22" barrel does the job very well. Both guns sit ready at a moment's notice and recieve a wipe down, safety check each week.
But dont look too hard for these two guns, the .45 S&W M&P gets alot of patrol duty about the house as we go about our daily living inside the dwelling.
The moss uses the reduced recoil for a time until I stepped spouse up to full velocity loads. Now we just have Brennekes for both guns. They will do the job... the problem will be the clean up, splash back of gore from the BG and overall messy. Along with the future after. =)
Home Defense in teh Castle Doctrine is great.
But dont look too hard for these two guns, the .45 S&W M&P gets alot of patrol duty about the house as we go about our daily living inside the dwelling.
The moss uses the reduced recoil for a time until I stepped spouse up to full velocity loads. Now we just have Brennekes for both guns. They will do the job... the problem will be the clean up, splash back of gore from the BG and overall messy. Along with the future after. =)
Home Defense in teh Castle Doctrine is great.
Dirty Bob
Member
My choice is an older Remington 870 20ga., on a 12ga. frame. The gun's heavier than many 20ga. pumps, but still light and quick. I was shooting buckshot from it and a 12ga. Winchester a few days ago, and the 870's recoil was much lighter than the Winchester's.
I believe Remington used the 12ga. frame on everything until sometime in the early 1970s. The easy test is look at the ring on the bottom of the barrel that goes around the magazine tube: if it's big enough to pass a quarter through, it's the older style.
Regards,
Dirty Bob
I believe Remington used the 12ga. frame on everything until sometime in the early 1970s. The easy test is look at the ring on the bottom of the barrel that goes around the magazine tube: if it's big enough to pass a quarter through, it's the older style.
Regards,
Dirty Bob
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