Good spare 12ga shotgun

[DZL HOG]

Hey guys.

Right now my only shotgun is my 11-87 which I use for everything. Back in Sept we had a family G2G at the house, my cousin was over there and my dad and I got to talking to him about dove hunting while we watched the birds fly into the field. We told him to go get his gun and we could shoot some after the crowd left. Then he said he didnt know if he even had a shotgun at the lake house. His "home" is an hour+ away in NC, where the rest of his guns would be. I got to thinking, my dad has his Browning and I have my Rem both 12ga, but the only other shotguns here are 20ga, and they rarely get shot and we only have a box or 2 of 20ga shells. So I dont have anything to lend out or use if something breaks.
Any suggestions on a decent spare 12ga thats not too expensive? The only downfall is Im left handed, and do not want to reach under/around the trigger guard to turn off the safety. So it has to be a top safety or lefty model. Im used to an auto loader but not against a pump.

Thanks

 

[camoman33935]

Mossberg 500

 

[DaleCooper51]

We keep an H&R Topper Deluxe Classic around as a spare.

 

[Dave McCracken]

870.....

 

[earlthegoat2]

20 ga is perfect for doves or anything else that is not waterfowl or turkey

 

[ArmedBear]

870 Lefty model

Should fit and feel about like the 11-87, with the same safety, etc.

Or Mossberg 500, which has a tang safety. Of course, this will be different from the gun you're used to.

 

[Frog48]

Any pump shotgun would be fine, and most are relatively inexpensive.

 

[Dave/hoff]

+1 on the Mossburg 500 - check the pawnshops this time of year and I'll bet you find one for $150 or less.

 

[35Rem]

Yep, I shoot an 11-87 and the Mossberg 500 isn't a bad substitute. It fits about the same, is lefty friendly and just works. It's plenty cheap, too.

 

[Milkmaster]

I would choose the Browning BPS pump gun if I were a lefty. Bottom eject, proven design, been around for a long time, top quality, affordable. My second coice would be a used Ithaca 37 pump gun. Basically the same design as a BPS, but a used 37 might be a bit cheaper. Either is great for hunting with a partner.

Bottom eject is easy on lefties and keeps your empties from getting thrown in the partners collar!

 

[Speedo66]

PM sent.

 

[Rmart30]

If your wanting a spare to keep for someone else to use get a Mossberg maverick...... new at Walmart $147.

 

[DZL HOG]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

Milkmaster,
My mom has a BPS 20ga, Im not crazy about the bottom ejectors. I like to be able to press check, to see if the chamber is "hot". Just personal preference. I only shoot with one eye anyway(yea yea I know thats not proper), so ejected shells dont bother me on either side.

Mossberg seems to be popular. I had an old Mossy 20ga pump when I first started hunting. It was a good gun, only prob I had was the tang safety was so hard for me to operate. But Im slightly stronger now than I was then.

Ill definitely look around some for whats available at a decent price. Ive got a few other things I want to pick up first, so it may be a while before I pick up another shotty.

 

[evbutler462]

Every shooter needs 2 guns. One for uplands and one for still hunting and clays. One needs a light gun that can be toted all day for uplands. A heavy gun will make for a miserable day as it gets heavier by the minute as the day gets longer. The other gun should be heavy due to the volume of loads and its less felt recoil shooting in a blind or busting clays.

For me, I prefer the Franchi 48 for uplands and the Remington 11-87 for those shoots that doesn't require a lot of walking. My medium gun, one that I use for both, is a New Model Stoeger 2000 with a Limbsaver.

These guns are inexpensive and have been totally reliable. In fact, one of the Franchi 48s is over 40 years old and never a hiccup. I bought it used, so it had seen action before I bought it. IIRC, every gun I own was bought used except for a couple of Stoeger 2000s that I bought new. My sons use them but I get to use them from time to time.

 

[357wheelgunner]

I would get either an 870 or one of the inexpensive doubles, with short barrels. You can get either for less than $300 new, less if you shop around.

 

[Girodin]

Where I hunt pheasants we keep a Mossberg 500 as the spare shotgun. It is a good gun, inexpesive and as others have said has a tang safety.

 

[akodo]

I don't get it, why not lend him a 20 gauge?

aside from that, one of the Montgommery Wards, Coast to Coast, Sears and Roebuck, or other 'catalog shotgun' you see for $99 in the used rack would fit the bill

 

[brasskeeper]

Remington 870

 

[DZL HOG]

I don't get it, why not lend him a 20 gauge?

The safety is broke on my old Mossy, so thats out. The BPS is usable but I doubt we have more than a couple boxes of 20ga shells here. The 20s dont get shot much around here.

I had forgot about the Stoegers, my boss has one, seems to be a good gun.

 

[Gunfighter123]

Mossberg 500/835 ---- seen used ones go for less then $200

 

[Almond27]

a local pawnshop had a very nice 870 express magnum for $189 looked barely used and I know I could have walked out the door for around 175 so there are good deals out there

 

[maclean]

Wow! Back when I bought my 12ga 500 I paid a whopping $186 NIB. Either I'm getting really old or something's wrong with gun prices these days.

I've got a matching 20ga (500A?) that I won in a raffle ... cost me two $1 tickets.

Back OT: While I'm not a lefty, I prefer the action of the 870s to that of the Mossbergs. The Remmies just feel smoother and better built. I'd love to find an Ithaca 37 at a good price though.
Jack