Help me pick out a 12g for HD, please...

Fondle the 500s, 88s, and 870s to see which one is set up well for you. I shoot left handed so the 500s and 88s are my only choice do to the location of the action release.

If I were buying now, I'd go for a vent rib mossy or maverick and whack the barrel down to 18+ inches, add a hiviz sight for 10-15 bucks and an elastic butt for 6 bucks and call it a day. Think of what you can do with the other $200-300!

You might want to look at a youth model (1'' shorter stock) to see how it fits. Nothing wrong with 20 gauges, either.

 

You can get a 18-20 inch slug or HD barrel, the price often makes it cheaper to just cut down the barrel you have if you don't want to keep the longer barrel for sporting purposes. These days a typical good condition used 18-20 inch barrel for a 12 GA 870 is selling in the $125-$150 range and new ones often go for upwards of $200. By contrast you can often get a good gunsmith to cut down a barrel for $50-$75, perhaps less which includes moving the front bead, polishing the cut and cold blueing , and of course you can do it yourself, but if you do don't cut it too short a tiny fraction of an inch is the difference between legal and a long term stay in federal prison, this is why most commercial barrels are .5 inch over the minimum..

 

Mossberg 500 combo. 28" VR modified, 18.5" plain home security barrels. $300-400 at Big 5, or $333 at Bud's.

 

18.5" 870 barrels are just barely over $100 new...even the 18.5" blued barrels for the wingmaster are less than $150.00 new. There is also an 18.5" Remington express barrel that is threaded for remchokes and it was around $157 the last time I looked at them while the Turkish import version of the barrel was chrome lined and a few bucks cheaper.

 

Benelli nova or supernova. Tactical models have ghost ring sights. All under $500

 

Ithaca 37 defender made in Ohio. Great guns and in your price range.

 

If you have a $600 limit then I would go one of two ways. Either a used 870 Police Magnum or a new or used 590A1. New wise, the 590A1 is hard to beat in terms of build quality. You're getting heavy walled barrel, metal trigger guard and a fully parkerized firearm that you don't have to worry about rusting as easy as some of the other shotguns out there which I won't name.

 

You can't go wrong with any of these choices. See which fits you best.
And since you mentioned it, yes a Mossberg would be great, I have never had a failure of any type with mine.

 

Ithaca Model 37 Defense

 

I'll put two votes in: any Ithaca with a barrel 18-20" will serve well. I have a 1974 Ithaca Deerslayer (19") that is my "bump in the night gun". Also a new Mosberg maverick 88 goes for $199 (at least locally to me) and takes mossberg 500 barrels as long as the tube is right (5+1 I think). As said before $300-400 buys a couple of accessories and a whole lot of practice ammo which (as long as the gun fits you properly) is WAY More important than any feature, brand, bell or whistle. Good luck.

 

You can get a brand new 870 with a 7-round tube for a retail (on their website) of $428...

 

Please point out one place online that has them in stock at those prices

p.s. I just checked GB and the lowest buy it now price 18-20 inch 12GA 870 barrel I spotted was about $145 plus shipping for a nearly new take off with some scuff marks, or about $165+$10 shipping for the cheapest new. So the price may have fallen some since I last looked a week or two ago, but is still well above $100.

 

The worst Ithaca 37/87 is better then best Mossberg.

 

Direct from Remington. Call customer service as they don't list them on their website. They are cheaper direct from Remington than they are from midway.

 

I picked up both of these about 15 years ago at a pawn shop for $600.00 OTD. I've since ran across wingmasters for $250 quite often.

 

Great info, guys I appreciate it.

 

Mossberg 590A1. I prefer the 18.5" barrel with ghost ring sights. It's accurate and unbreakable.

 

as a long term shotgun user I will suggest to go with mossberg. 590a1 for me is a best all-around universal shotgun.

people around me had various shotguns, turkish made, winchesters, fabarms they all are now totally addicted to mossbergs. These are fantastic guns for its price and they have superb ergonomics. I like the location of safety and open loading port. so easy to control the safety and load the tube.

all mossbergs are very accurate and 100% reliable.

Rem870? I guess only 870 worth to buy is a police magnum. express models (forgive me my american colleagues) today are total junk. we received a huge stock of 870 models. I personally bought tactical express. well in 10 years combined I didnt have so many problems and stoppages as I got in one month with 870. Many others also jumped on them like: hey an american legend, best shotgun on the world! now few of them sell them for half price trying to get rid of them because they simply dont work!

few years ago I got an express model, early issue and it was not something special but it worked at least.

So go ahead with the Mossberg. Best utility shotgun out there.

 

Follow this and you can't go wrong. The best thing you can do after (or maybe before) is to take a good shotgun class or two. Most people own the weapon, go to the range a few times, and then figure they are good to go. That might work but you are much better off taking a few formal classes.

 

My next shotgun will be an 18" 590A1 with bead sight and speedfeed stock.

The only downside to the Mossberg: installing a pistol grip interferes with manipulation of the action release. Doesn't bother me, as I prefer the ergonomics of a traditional stock, but there it is.

R

 

I have a pistol grip on my 590A1 just because that's what I train with and what I'm used too. My target acquisition is just quicker using one. I find that the safety is harder to manipulate rather than the action release. I can manipulation the action release with the top of my thumb without the need to change my grip. It's really a moot point though since the action release isn't needed in a normal self defense situation. When it comes to the safety there are a couple oversized safety's that make it easier to manipulate using a pistol grip. Then again, the second I need to remove my shotgun from its safe under my bed, the gun is going hot. It won't return into safe mode until I'm 100% sure the threat is mitigated. At that point, it doesn't really matter that my hand needs to be manipulated to return the firearm into safe.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

 

Chevy vs Ford, doesn't anyone drive anything else like a Dodge maybe?

While I dive a Chevy, I don't want to shot it, maybe at it sometimes.

But there are other choices besides Remington and Mossberg.

No it's not a Benilli it's a Weatherby PA-459 and under $500.00



Jim

 

Stevens 350

.

I really like this shotgun. It's a hell of a lot of gun for around $300.

Check one out. It's a clone of an Ithaca M37, except it's all steel.
Very nice adjustable ghost ring back and a shielded fiber optic front.
Very smooth operating. It's a perfect fit for me. 5+1.

I put a Streamlight TLR-2 on mine and this is a now a get it gone gun,
day or night.







.

 

With the exception of alloy framed 'Ultrafeatherlight//Ultralite' models Ithaca 37/87s were (are) all steel construction with exception of sight and follower plus magazine plug on newer guns. I would take that Chinese-made Ithaca clone over Mossberg. They also make 870 clone with ghost sights and both models can be had for about $250 each.

 

My 20 inch, 8 shot 500 with a light, heatshield, ghost ring sights, side saddle shell holder and collapsable stock is long, heavy and awkward. To do it over again i would get an 18.5 inch model, +1 mag extension, mounted light, pistol grip with a bead sight and side saddle.... And that's it. This would be for in house only type social work. 20 ft or less. Like aiming at a barricaded door while crouching behind a bed.

I'm not a fan of pistol grip shotguns, but for that kinda distance and limited role, I make an exception. My opinion only.