Good home defense shotgun

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Remington 870HD Express 20 ga. - 18" barrel with extended magazine. Bought one last week for $339. Not being a career shotgunner, I find its recoil quite managable - nothing to fear as I get older or for the wife to use with some training. It's accurate and definitely lethal.

I'm very happy with my choice and would recommend it.
 
I got a brand new Winchester 1300 Defender with the Fiber Optic sight for $225...I thought it was a steal!
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Nah, it's an aluminum. :D
I'll offer a different option, the F&N Police Pump. Brand new for ~$350. Has rifle sights, 18.5" barrel, 7+1 capacity. I LOVE MINE.
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The last time I checked, the FN police was the same gun as a Winchester 1300. But that was before the winchester plant closed so they may have changed models now.

Not that there is anything wrong with the 1300. The biggest problem I had with the 1300 was that nobody in my area sold them. I ended up buying a mossberg 590 for $350 instead. It's a good gun and I have no complaints.

If you want to spend $ on a HD shotgun, the 870 marine magnum is a really nice gun. So is the BPS. If you want to save money, I've recommended the Maverick 88 to a few people on tight budgets. Maverick is mossberg's bargain brand. You save a fair bit of cash, but you trade mossberg's tang safety for a cross-bolt.
 
A resounding referral to the Remington 870, that really says something. I love mine. I put a stock with a pistol grip on it and then I shortened the pump. There's only one thing I dislike about the 870.

1. I don't like where the action release is ergonomically, the Mossberg's feels waaaaaaaaaay better, but whatever you only gotta push it once for six rounds of kick.

There's a reason its America's favorite shotgun and for home defense it can't be beat. If you want something for clay target shooting, get a 20 gauge Mossberg with replaceable barrels. My 20 gauge has both an 18 and 24" barrel that came with it and take less than a minute to swap out.

Good luck.
 
shotgun

is $500 all your life worth?.screw that me and my family are priceless.i would not recomend you a shotgun i dont own for my familys protection.get a benneli super90 m1 semi auto with a flashlight handguard the fastest 7 shots i have ever fired out of any shotgun the kind of shotgun you'd take to hell and back.
just my opinion good luck
 
Remington 870

Get a REMINGTON 870 Express for about $239.00 and up. If you can find one, get a Stainless Steel in a synthetic stock w/ the extended magazine. Load that hummer up w/ 3 inch magnums w/ # 4 Buckshot. Can you say 'Crowd Pleaser'

:fire: 'Rack the slide, watch 'em hide !!!! ' :fire:
 
'Rack the slide, watch 'em hide !!!! '
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From what I have read this is terrible advice. If someone is in your home intent on doing harm to you or your family, you do not want them to know where you are and that you are armed. It looks and sounds good in movies, but in real life you are there to protect yourself.

Steve
 
yup, moss 500 ,rem 870 ,rem 870 mm ,have all 3, plus an 1100 tact2 and a ben supernova.the first 3 all have pistol grips . and there all under 20 ". the 870 marine magnum has a knoxx breachers pistol grip and all 3 pistol grips i can control well.i practice at the range alot.and if you can hit a target with a slug like i can.just about anyone can hit what theypoint at with 00buck 9 or 12 pellet,any average sized man/strong lady.pistol grips are ok in my book,ESPECIALYthe KNOXX BREACHERS GRIP. its really in a class by itself.im going to replace the other 2 p grips soon.$93.00 a shot,but worth it.if you come in my house unwanted/criminally,ill kill you with my breachers grip 870 marine magnum. thats the one i keep close.excellent set up.once you go knoxx,you never go back.you take 50% of the felt recoil off a low recoil slug or low recoil 00buck and its very controlable.(you practice with slugs,you cant miss with 00 9 or 12 pellet buck shot. plus when you shoot slugs all the time you get good with slugs all the time.but depending on you living arrangement,slugs or buck shot is the serious choice you have to make. good shootin and be safe everyone... by the way i agree with full metal's post about 2 back 100%,on both points he made.benelli m2 or m3 is next.if i can get it past the wife.no more kids at home ,son's a cop and daughter's a banker.we have the house to ourselves...soon full metal,soon.
 
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'Rack the slide, watch 'em hide !!!! '
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I was not raised, nor have I ever received any lessons suggesting this.

-I personally do not want to give away my position.
-Many shotguns I have used , including serious use, did not have a safety,
We removed them on purpose for serious competition, and same guns were used for everything, including serious uses.
-Slug in chamber, stock mag tube filled with more, and the most "faint" snick would be heard if shotgun had to come into play.

Then again I am not going to pull back the hammer on a revolver to shoot single action...
I am not going to rack the slide on a semi-auto handgun either.
1911s for instance are going to be "faint" sounding when "snicked down".

Concealed means concealed in more than one context ...
 
If you can find a dealer that's fairly deep in home defense shotguns, have him lay an 870, 500 and Nova Tactical on the counter. Pick each one up. Shoulder them. Get a feel for them. My bet is you'll walk out with a Benelli. The price point is there, the reliability is there, the tactical look and feel is built in.

Don't get me wrong, the Remington 870, Mossberg 500, Winchester 1200 are all venerable classic defensive shotguns. It's just that there are better options out there and for nearly the same dough. A bone stock 870 is of course a better deal financially and is great if you plan on leaving it bone stock. Add grips, sights and stocks and you've eclipsed the Nova. The Nova is tactical-ready out of the box, has a smoother action, less felt recoil and lighter weight. All for about 300-smackers and change. If you have the dough and can find a deal on a Super90, you'll be in cream of the crop territory.

Rarely, (if ever) will you fire a smoother, faster 12ga. Assuming however you want to stay in the 300 ballpark, don't overlook the Nova...Good luck.
 
stop overthinking

any current-production gun on the US market will serve you fine. Spend the extra money on ammo & learning how to shoot.

:)
 
Learn to shoot ...

I agree 100% with the last guy. Learn to shoot!
I have been in harms way enough times (I was scared every time, anyone that say's they weren't is just plain stupid) that it was only my training, confidance and bravado that saved my day. I use an 870 Police model with a 14 inch barrel but the truth is my wife's Winchester 1300 20 gauge (which has an aluminium receiver which has nothing to do with anything) would work just fine.
A good friend of mine purchased an old Steven's (or whatever) 12 gauge at the Rochester gun show for $20 and it works just fine for home defense should it come to that. For all you armchair defenders, racking the slide or whatever will not ruin your day. Missing or not correctly identifying your target will.
When my buddy with the $20 shotgun finished at Quantico, a Secret Service Agent ended up with a tattoo of a gun on his chest. It will probably heal after a while. Buddy graduated in the top 10% of his class. I trust him with my life no matter what weapon he chooses to wield!
 
I am going to suggest a Mossberg as well, but this time it is not a 500 or a 590! Rather, it is the new 930 HD, the home defense version of thier remarkably good auto-loader.

I bought the 930 Turkey which is essentially the same gun with a somewhat longer barrel & vent rib, otherwise identical. I absolutely love it, although it has not had a complete workout as yet. Once it has digested a few more cases of shells I will give it total confidence, but for now it is still very, very impressive.

If you decide to buy it, or any synthetic stock Mossberg for that matter, deep six their useless chunk of hard rubber recoil pad and go with a Limbsaver, you will be glad you did. That, and a metal safety are all the thing needs to bring it up to snuff, IMNSHO. You can purchase extended magazine tubes from Brownells/Choate meant for the older 9200 that work perfectly, BTW.

These 930's are getting a real workout in the dove fields of Argentina with glowing reports, and believe you me, if it can stand that kind of shooting, it is a tough gun.
 
On racking

-I personally do not want to give away my position.
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Listen to SM's advice.

somebody else said:
'Rack the slide, watch 'em hide !!!! '
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Translation 1: If they hear you rack, they hide;
then you have less advantage.

Translation 2: Tell your enemy where you are,
and enjoy their fear as they draw their weapons
against you from a less vulnerable position,
and they know your direction.

Where's the wisdom in that? :scrutiny:

I keep one up the pipe with the safety on.

Slide rack says, "shuck shuck".

Safety says, "click".
(Even less sound {=0 dB} if you do it quietly.)

Your choice.
 
I have one of the Marlin lever action .410's in the corner, loaded with 000 buckshot. Not a lot but at least in a built up area, and the houses here are on large (1 acre + lots), I will not get too much penetration and range. I used to keep a 45-70 handy but decidided I did not want to shoot through more than one house.
 
The best thing about a Mossburg shotgun is that the safety is on top of the receiver, very easy to use.
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In addition the Mossberg's safety doesn't use left-right mation it uses forward-backward so its easy to remember in a high stress situation. The safety has to move forward toward the target. Very easy.
 
Common Question

Shotty's take some work to use skillfully.

Dave has it right. Get something reliable, then Buy Ammo, Use Up, Repeat.

COMMAND of a shotgun will take some time. Some take to them right away, for some it takes a little more effort.

There are WAY TOO MANY "uber-tactical" models out there. Marketing focus does not success guarantee. Nor does it nullify usefulness either.

I'm a Mossberg fan. They fit me. I have short arms so I put a 12" Length of Pull Hogue Stock on mine. You can't optimally operate a shotgun that fits you poorly any more than you can win a footrace with shoes that are way too big or way too small.

I'm a big fan of Good sights or an Optic on a shotgun...I prefer Ghost Rings, but I've used the EOTech/Bushnell sights also with good success.

Some ranges will rent a shotgun to you. Might not be a bad play to get a sense of what you like and don't like.

The shotty should be comfortable to handle...when in doubt, go with something a little lighter. Over time, you'll be able to handle something a little bigger. This isn't about machismo, it's just being practical with this platform.

A good condition used shotgun (no disagreement with Remington/Mossberg as candidates) may be a good way to get started.

Again, as Dave mentioned, it's about developing a shotgunner (decent reliable shotty assumed) more than buying the ultimate shotgun.

Unlike some firearms for defensive use, you don't have to spend a bundle. Even for those of modest incomes, the value of getting into something reliable (even if replaced later) may outweigh the benefit of deferring experience by buying "the best" shotgun out there. Reliability, initiative to practice, discipline in staying with it, curiosity to ask the right questions and seek out instruction. These will help you become a capable shotgunner that can defend hearth and home. The Shotty is merely the reliable tool in your hands.

Good luck, and Keep Safe,

CZ52'
 
Thumbs Up...

CZ52 - excellent post... Cudos to Dave/Nem etal. There's a lot of mythology about shotguns and their use in a defensive situation - (ie: rack the slide and watch em hide)....Too much TV.....I think many fail to realize the impact, (in more ways than one) a shotgun can have - both negatively and positively as a tool for defense. Discharging a firearm in a 15-foot room at 2:44 in the morning will rattle your skull - so proficiency, practice and first shot placement is key. Many believe a "scattergun" will just automatically find it's target and eliminate it. Of course not true, however, it is an effective and potentially deadly defensive tool.

If the OP can surround himself with a variety of choices to make his decision - all the better. Don't buy a Benelli, 870 or 500 based solely on what you read as it can lead to disappointment.
 
Taking care of the tool...

...I'd also add, that some assertions about feature sets at time of acquisition notwithstanding, take good care of your shotty, and it will take good care of you.

Keep Safe,

CZ52'
 
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