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Home Defense and 3-Gun shotgun.
- Thread starter dadman
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Preacherman
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What magazine size do you have - the 5-round or the 7-round? That will affect the choice of barrel, as some sizes are not available for the longer mag. My personal choice would be the 5-round mag. Model 500 with an 18½" barrel and the Mossberg ghost ring sights. Short, handy, light, manoeverable.
Andrew Wyatt
Member
I've the 20 inch 7 shot magazine and it's lighter and handier than an 870, if both just have sights and sling. mine, with a forend light, sights, sling and butt cuff weighs almost exactly what a stock wingmaster with an 18 inch barrel and extended mag tube does.
OrvilleYertleson
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You can get the 18.5" barrel from mossberg, they call it the 'security barrel'
Mine is has an improved cylinder bore, and it is definitely not slugs only.
I have a basic Mossberg 500 w/ 18.5" barrel and for home defense I couldn't be happier with it, although it is somewhat inconvenient for combat shotgun matches. I have resisted adding a mag extension or any accessories except for a buttstock shell holder because I want my shotgun to be as maneuverable as possible. I am happy with the improved cylinder choke....It is wide enough to give me a nice pattern shooting the length of my hallway, but narrow enough that I will still be able to reliably engage anyone anywhere on my property. I am not an uber experienced shotgunner, but this setup seems to work very well for me. Your needs may be different.
Mine is has an improved cylinder bore, and it is definitely not slugs only.
I have a basic Mossberg 500 w/ 18.5" barrel and for home defense I couldn't be happier with it, although it is somewhat inconvenient for combat shotgun matches. I have resisted adding a mag extension or any accessories except for a buttstock shell holder because I want my shotgun to be as maneuverable as possible. I am happy with the improved cylinder choke....It is wide enough to give me a nice pattern shooting the length of my hallway, but narrow enough that I will still be able to reliably engage anyone anywhere on my property. I am not an uber experienced shotgunner, but this setup seems to work very well for me. Your needs may be different.
OrvilleYertleson,
Sounds like what I have in mind.
The inconvenience you mention for matches is the mag capacity. I think I'll keep it at 5 rounds.
How does the barrel perform/pattern in matches?
Do you ever use slugs at the matches?
What type of sight(s) are on the security barrel?
Thanks all for the helpful feedback.
Sounds like what I have in mind.
The inconvenience you mention for matches is the mag capacity. I think I'll keep it at 5 rounds.
How does the barrel perform/pattern in matches?
Do you ever use slugs at the matches?
What type of sight(s) are on the security barrel?
Thanks all for the helpful feedback.
OrvilleYertleson
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- Nov 20, 2003
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Bearing in mind that I am more or less a novice when it comes to shotguns and I have only been to a couple of shotgun matches (they were side matches at IDPA shoots).
My barrel patterns very well, regardless of what I am firing....even the cheap buckshot patterns relatively uniformly. The barrel is a quality barrel, it's just not super fancy.
The security barrel just has a basic brass bead, no fancy sights or anything. I guess you could have some sights installed if you wanted to...
I have shot slugs out of it, and I never do very well with them during the matches...I keep pulling my head up and shooting over the target, but when I sat down and shot some off the bench to figure out what I was doing wrong, the slugs grouped just fine, about 5 inches at 25 yards, and right where they should be. I don't know how much of that was me, the sights, or the weapon, but I am sure those groups will drop a little bit after I get more practice shooting without true sights.
I hope this helped a little bit, there are probably several dozen members who can give you a more complete answer than I, but hopefully this was helpful.
My barrel patterns very well, regardless of what I am firing....even the cheap buckshot patterns relatively uniformly. The barrel is a quality barrel, it's just not super fancy.
The security barrel just has a basic brass bead, no fancy sights or anything. I guess you could have some sights installed if you wanted to...
I have shot slugs out of it, and I never do very well with them during the matches...I keep pulling my head up and shooting over the target, but when I sat down and shot some off the bench to figure out what I was doing wrong, the slugs grouped just fine, about 5 inches at 25 yards, and right where they should be. I don't know how much of that was me, the sights, or the weapon, but I am sure those groups will drop a little bit after I get more practice shooting without true sights.
I hope this helped a little bit, there are probably several dozen members who can give you a more complete answer than I, but hopefully this was helpful.
I have the Maverick 88 (Mossberg's entry-level value-price shotgun line) with the 18.5" barrel. Pretty good with both slugs and #4 Buckshot. Plain barrel, "cylinder" choke [i.e. NO choke] bead sight. Can order direct from Mossberg for $74, + tax & freight.
Works 4 me, and the 18.5" barrel is much handier in a 'things go bump in the night' scenario that the 28" modified choke barrel that the Maverick came with originally.
Works 4 me, and the 18.5" barrel is much handier in a 'things go bump in the night' scenario that the 28" modified choke barrel that the Maverick came with originally.
For quick-and-dirty close range with buckshot a bead is just fine but ghost rings really help for slugs. From the prone I can keep three shots in the head of a silhouette with slugs at 100 yards, or body hits all day (much easier).
The 5-shot capacity is handy but the extra two-shot capacity does help and doesn't affect the balance much (my first shotgun was the 18.5" 6-shot Mossberg) I have a 5-shot capacity Benelli Nova SP at the moment with GR's and they're fast but I was reloading like every other shot to top it off in an IDPA sidematch (Boom Boom pause reload Boom Boom Boom pause reload) the extra two rounds would have been handy.
The 5-shot capacity is handy but the extra two-shot capacity does help and doesn't affect the balance much (my first shotgun was the 18.5" 6-shot Mossberg) I have a 5-shot capacity Benelli Nova SP at the moment with GR's and they're fast but I was reloading like every other shot to top it off in an IDPA sidematch (Boom Boom pause reload Boom Boom Boom pause reload) the extra two rounds would have been handy.
vette_lover2004
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- Apr 22, 2004
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Just for you folks who are thinking of adding magazine extensions to your Mossbergs.........Forget it, it's impossible. You can't add a magazine extention to mossberg 500 6 shots. You would have to buy a replacement 8 shot magazine, spring and 20 inch barrel. That Mag extention is only for the Remington as far as I know. As for a general response, Build your gun how you see fit.
MY 870 is built up for shotgun matches. For home defense I would just use XS sights, a 4 rd side saddle and a surefire forend. No mag extension and no sling for HD. The shotgun gains weight fast with too many accessories and this slows the presentation. Your first shot may need to be quick for HD.
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