Home defense/combat shotgun: Which'en?

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To me guns are a lot like cars...you can buy a Yugo every few years or buy a car that will last for decades...quality always costs more but tends to be worth it in the long run.
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I understand your point, but I would note that one would be very hard pressed to wear out an 870. I have one in my safe that is over 50 years old and going strong. There are guns with over 100K rounds down the pipe going that are still doing fine. Buy the time you (or more likely for most people there grand kids) buy enough rounds to wear out an 870 the purchase price will pale in comparison.

Personally for my go to stuff, if it is something I will only need to buy once I try to buy the nicest I can afford (nicest sometimes is the most costly and sometimes not).
 
I do understand jonsing for something like the Benelli. My father in law wanted an A5 lightweight in 20 gauge so bad that he could taste it, and nothing else would do, even though he had a perfectly serviceable 1100 LT 20. Poor fella, got the Browning, I picked up the 1100 and we went to do battle with them assault quail. His first shot at the covey was a resounding CLICK! He had to send it back for some parts adjustment, and was he mad! Meanwhile, Im bangin away at the coveys with that awful 1100 lol.

Id guess that 1100 aint even close to a Benelli, but I will say this. He shot that 1100 for about 6 years, never cleaned it, and it sat out in an open garage when it wasnt being fired. It never missed a beat. I finally broke it down and hosed it out. That was about 10 years ago, and now his son has it. Prolly hasnt been cleaned since I did it...his son is as hard on weapons as he is!
 
Geeez!!! My luck.......

Thanks forthe input everyone. And please keep it coming!

I have enough cash for the M4 RIGHT NOW. BUT!!! I work for Toyota. The earthquake/tsunami thing has our business pretty shaky right now. Everything in Japan is shut down due to unstable power supply. Word is several assembly plants were severly damaged and some supplier facilities were completely wiped out....... So, my budget is dwindled substantially. I have a lead on an 870 for cheap and may be able to get one for free from my dad. Shorter barrel and mag tube extension and I'm in business I guess ;).
 
I was also looking hard at an M4 a while back but I came to realize it didn't handle like I would like a shotgun to handle, and found it was somewhat difficult to load in a hurry, thanks to its stiff mag and lifter springs and thumb catching lifter design.

Also for a gas gun I thought it wasn't particularly soft shooting.

I also looked at the M2 Tactical, and was a bit more impressed with it, it handled like a dream but still had the same loading issues as the M4 and it seemed to kick as hard as a pump.

Anyways I ended up getting an Ithaca 37 and am quite happy with it, if I really wanted a tactical semi I'd get me a hot rodded Saiga.
 
If you are like most of us, once you focus on something you really want it. The natural process, at least for me, is to find what I want, compare with other 'choices' to see if I can find an substitute cheaper with the same features and then come back to my original choice. My only problem with the M4 is the price. That's a lot of money for a single purpose shotgun whose only purpose is SD.
I went with a Browning 'Tactical' for mid $300 because I already had a Browning pump and was familiar with it operation. There are a lot of choices out there and the Super Nova is what I would have picked if I wasn't going with the Browning. For HD, I would go with a pump and spend the $$$ on ammo.
 
my uncle once said "there are to kinds of benelli owner's,the one's who wished they owned a benelli,and the one's who own a benelli"
 
An M4 Benelli, or a Mossberg 500/Maverick 88 in every bedroom and both vehicles.

Not a hard choice for me.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr
 
I've had several Benelli's. M2 tac, M2 standard hunting gun, SBE, and a monti. Nice guns, can understand why they are popular.

I still have my 870 :)
 
Winchester has their new home defense pump. They look nice too. But Remington has always been a staple brand out there.
 
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Never owned a benelli, never considered one either. For a fine HD gun I prefer a pump, 870 police model. Yes people can short stroke a pump but that is the beauty of a good used police gun. $400 or less for the gun and almost $1000 for practice.:)
 
A Benelli M1 in good shape can be had for ~ $800 and it's one helluva shotgun. In pump actions, I like the Mossbergs the best, but they aren't a Benelli.

Forget the Tactical crap. All you need is a front sight and a white light for your Home Defense needs.
 
I agree with milkmaster on the 37 defense model. The new Ithaca's coming out of Ohio are fantastic. They may be a little hard to come by in some areas, but if you can get one I would. They don't have a lot of custom features but that's how I personally like my SGs. Their customer service is outstanding as well. I know some guys think the new 37's don't compare to the old one's but that's not true. The new Ithaca uses better grades of metal and a better manufacturing process. And one last thing. Unlike most companies today they don't cut corners in their products. Some will say they do because of the mag tube and the barrel on the 37 Defense, but I love the fact that the barrel is fixed to the receiver. I've seen way to many new SGs with barrels that move around in the receiver after they been tighten down. That's really bugs the crap out of me.:cuss: This is just my two cents:rolleyes:
 
Really, what do you want to here?? Want one, buy one!! Are you trying to convince yourself or impress the rest of us with your "wallet"? Too harsh?? You have to decide.

Cars, Boats, Golf clubs, and I could go on and on. If you sharpen your pencil with buying the latest, greatest, and most expensive; then have at it. But don't try to fool the foolers with logic or need to justify the purchase.

Unless you live in Detroit [sorry Detroit] or Uganda, unless you deal in diamonds, or unless you have really angered your neighbors; you don't need an expensive HD shotgun. But they sell $500k cars just like they sell expensive shotguns. Sounds like you have the bug. Do you have a place on the wall over your big screen to hang it?
 
451 Detonics said:
what a true statement...lol...

If you like the Benelli operating system but are on a budget i would suggest finding a Beretta 1201FP, under the skin it is the same operating system as a Super 90. The buttstock will interchange and most Benelli accessories will work as well. And they can normally be bought for around $400.

1201FP.jpg
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+1 for the 1201FP if you can find a clean used one. I bought mine new and it's still my HD shotgun 20 years later. My stock looks a little different, it's the Choate brand that came with it from Beretta.
 
... Unless you live in Detroit [sorry Detroit] or Uganda, unless you deal in diamonds, or unless you have really angered your neighbors; you don't need an expensive HD shotgun...
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Pretty much, this^

I was in much the same boat, wanting a shotgun for home defense. After looking at the M4 and others, I started thinking about the odds of a break-in or a SHTF scenario really happening. I could buy a shotgun that would realistically sit in the safe for all eternity, or get a "real" shotgun and have fun actually using it, learning skeet shooting (something that an 18" barrel will be useless for.) If things really do get ugly, a "tactical" shotgun is only a hacksaw away. You're choice, safe queen, or something that's actually useful on a weekly basis.
 
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It's not overly cost prohibitive to get into something like this:

l.jpg

*Edit to add, I grew up in Detroit, so that should explain my HD shotgun choice ;)
 
If you really want the M4, get the M4. You could get something else and save a boatload of cash, but you won't be happy with it. But, I'd recommend getting your hands on an M4 and putting it through the paces if you haven't already.

Personally, a Mav 88 fits the bill. If you have the money and can afford to drop it on the M4, I say go for it. A half dozen or more other guns won't fill the M4 shaped hole in your heart.
 
RailDriver - Aren't you undergunned when you go back home. Sorry just can't help myself. Detroit gets all the bad rap. But in todays world, you probably need something big just to go to the grocery.

870 at every door
 
bassdogs said:
RailDriver - Aren't you undergunned when you go back home. Sorry just can't help myself. Detroit gets all the bad rap. But in todays world, you probably need something big just to go to the grocery.

870 at every door
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Not in the least... When I go out of town I don't leave my guns at home... I take them all (among others, a Colt 1911 Commander as EDC, a converted folding stock Saiga 7.62x39, and the Saiga 12)

I must admit, if I'm looking at pump action shotguns, the Mossberg 500 Mariner is about the best all around "toss it in the closet or under the bed until you need it" gun. It's light, holds 8+1, and is stainless. Semi-autos, though, the S12 takes it. And as far as skeet goes, no it's not too good for that in its current configuration, but when I take off the rail, scope and light, and swap the stock out for the original, it's a lightweight slightly front-heavy semi-auto ... It takes some getting used to on the swing, but if you can shoot a double well enough, you shouldn't have any problems shooting this thing equally well if not better. Great for triples (or is that trap rather than skeet? bah shows how often I shoot clays)
 
I'm not understanding? You want a shotgun for HD or to show off? I picked up a Winchester 1300 Defender (Wood furniture not crazy pistol grip) in fantastic condition for $200. It'll make Mr. Badguy have just as much of a bad day as that $1800 show off toy ;)
 
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