Home Defense Mossberg... help me choose

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Dr_2_B

Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2006
Messages
1,850
Location
midwest
Hey, I'd love your thoughts. I'm looking at an 18.5 inch maverick that holds 6 rounds and a 20 inch maverick that holds 8. Because I don't keep long guns chamber-loaded (personal preference), that means 5 shots or 7.

I love the thought of more capacity - that's a big deal to me. But I also love the handiness of that 18.5 inch barrel. I don't think I'll do the pistol-grip thing unless someone can convince me it isn't painful to shoot.

I don't think the 18.5" will have any advantage over the 20" in terms of spread. I'm trying to weigh the advantage of compactness and handiness of the 18" against the extra capacity of the slightly longer, heavier 20".

I'd love to hear your thoughts.
 

Attachments

  • 18.5.gif
    18.5.gif
    15.8 KB · Views: 74
  • 20.gif
    20.gif
    15.7 KB · Views: 98
The only basic difference between the two is the 1.5" of barrel and 2 extra rounds.

Oh, and the two extra rounds make it a bit muzzle heavy.

Good call going with a regular stock. The PGO is worthless (unless you're a Mall Ninja.)

And to paraphrase someone from another thread: If you can't kill it with 5 (or 6) shots from a 12 gauge, you probably shouldn't have pi$$ed it off in the first place. :neener: I'm not going out to take and secure an entire town or village. I'm defending family, hearth and home from (a) goblin(s). If the 5 rounds I have loaded aren't enough to convince them to find somewhere else to be, I have additional ammo readily available.

I've got a Mosserick (or Maverberg) shotgun as my HD gun (12 ga Maverick receiver ,barrel and black synthetic forearm with a Mossberg trigger group and wood stock, it's an ugly, ugly gun.)
 
Last edited:
I'll confuse you more and suggest you consider the Mossberg 590 - the one with the excellent ghost-ring sights. Add the M16 bayonet and you have something to fall back on after the ammo is all gone...
 
I have the Winchester model 1300 Camp Defender speed pump with a 22in barrel. It will hold eight shots in it. The stock is long with plenty of recoil pad. When I shot number 4 buckshot two and three quarter magnums or three inch magnums I wish I had two feet more of barrel. I do love this gun. I would recommend the longer barrel of the two. Although one and ahalf inches is not that big of a difference.
 
I have the Winchester model 1300 Camp Defender speed pump with a 22in barrel. It will hold eight shots in it. The stock is long with plenty of recoil pad. When I shot number 4 buckshot two and three quarter magnums or three inch magnums I wish I had two feet more of barrel. I do love this gun. I would recommend the longer barrel of the two. Although one and ahalf inches is not that big of a difference.
 
The extra bit of barrel won't really make any difference as far as pattern is concerned. And it doesn't make a lot of difference in handling either, for anyone who can hoist a 12 gauge in the first place.

But I'm with you in liking the shorter barrel more. I really do like 18" or 18.5" barrels for working shotguns, along with a shortened stock too. My favorite 870 is 37.25" long overall (12.5" LOP), and I am a great hulking beast at 6'3" and a 37" sleeve.

As for the slightly shorter magazine tube: First thing of course, is to learn to solidly hit whatever you shoot at. That's where Dave McC's BA/UU/R thing comes into play. Don't remember who said it, but remember- "You can't miss fast enough to win a gunfight." And you CAN miss with a shotgun- in fact, it isn't that hard to do under pressure.

Second thing: find some way to put extra rounds on the gun (Sidesaddle, Speedfeed stock, or butt cuff) and start working on learning how to feed that puppy, fast. As Louis Awerbuck says, "No magazine is ever big enough."

Stay safe,

lpl/nc
 
You know what I really want Lee? I think what I'd really like is the 18.5" barrel with the longer 20" magazine. But I think it might just be a matter of time before some shot actually struck the magazine. I've seen a shottie where the magazine stuck out past the barrel, but I don't think it stuck out quite that far.
 
I'd recommend the 590 as well, with the heavy barrel.

I'm planning on a 590A1 w/ the 18.5 inch Heavy Barrel and Ghost ring sights this summer.
 
Just as well have barrel and magazine tube pretty much equal for all the difference it makes. It comes out to about 6 of one/half dozen of another. And no worries about shooting your mag extension within a few inches of the muzzle (unless you bend something), if you decide you want a Pinnochio shotgun.

With the Mossberg 500s you are stuck with factory offerings of barrels and mag tubes unless you want to get a 'smith to do $ custom work. And far as I know there's no way to get a magazine tube longer than a barrel given how the barrels attach on Mossberg 500s. It's fun to speculate about thisses and thats, but sometime sooner or later you bump your nose on practicality.

Best advice I can offer: pick one or the other of the Mossberg offerings you like, doesn't really make much nevermind which. Shoot it, clean it, and repeat every chance you get. Learn the gun 'as is' out of the box, then start adding stuff that really helps you run it better. Take a shotgun class or two when you can. Become one with your gun, and those seemingly important details re. hardware won't matter nearly so much.

And if you ever have to pick up a box stock loaner gun/issue gun from someone else in a pinch, you won't be all flummoxed into uselessness because all your very favorite absolutely necessary bells'n'whistles aren't on it. Please note the last two lines in my sig... 8^).

lpl/nc
 
Lee Lapin has it nailed. Particularly as regards the barrel length - I too find I love the 18.5" cyl bore on mine for HD work. 5/6 rounds is sufficient, and a simple butt sleeve or caddy/sidesaddle of some sort is there with a full reload, if you think ahead. (Besides, you *do* have a substantial pistol on your belt, right???)

7
 
Oh Shadan, do I have a backup pistol on my belt? Take your pick of 3 GLOCK 45's, 2 GLOCK 40's, or more likely, the GLOCK 9mm with the 33 round mag (not to mention all the non-GLOCKs). And would you believe I have that 9 stoked with black talons? Yes, I'm a true gun geek.
 
Mossberg 930 with the 18.5" barrel.....

I really like the idea of having an autoloader, just keep pullin' the trigger 'till it's empty.

I have the regular version and it has been flawlsess.

930_-_18_5in_barrel.jpg
 
I'd go for the 20". The 1.5" isnt that much of a difference.

I use a 20" 590, but I've cut a little more than 1.5" out of the stock.

attachment.php
 
Matheath - I like the way you think, though my 'backup' with the 33 rounder is a Sub2000 carbine... :D (and in truth, it just depends on where in the house I am whether I grab the Mossy or the Kel-Tec). Oh, and I load mine with a mix of GDs and these super-hot 90 grain sintered copper shells made by Speer (full story on those over on the Rohrbaugh Forum here - go to the third page.)

7
 
Well, after agonizing over it and pacing back and forth in the gunstore for a half-hour today, I opted for the 18.5 inch 5-shooter (5 + 1 rounds officially). It's just so compact. Odd thing, it feels smaller than that 1.5 inch difference when compared to the 20 inch. Though the stocks are the same length, it somehow finds my shoulder better. I like a slightly shorter stock than the average shooter. There's obviously a psychology to it (or what we in the shrink-world call psychophysics).

I really want to stoke it with #4 buckshot, but I have #00 for now.
 
I have a Mossberg 590 and a Remigton 870 HD. The 870 with a 18.5" barrel feels shorter and handier than the 590 with a 20" barrel. But I won't give up the 590.
 
Smitty,

Very interested in the Mossberg 930 Home Security. When did Mossberg release it? Any reviews of it yet? Any word on street price? Anybody selling them yet? Sorry for the 20 question.
 
Kony,

I don't know, it's in their new catalog and they had one at the NWTF convention last week-end.

My guess on price wouls be around $400, that's what the standard 930's are going for.

Smitty
 
I like the shorter 18-1/2" barrel version.....see below

I was first trying out the idea of a Home-Land Security shotgun, and I only had the 28" mod-choke original barrel for my Maverick. Well, I was trying sneaking around the house like I was trying to clear it, etc. (Shotgun VERIFIED empty, of course)

When I came around one corner, I forgot how tight a turn that was....OOOOOOPS. I now had a perfect hole in the wall where I poked the muzzle through....

Let's just say that Mrs. Foggy was.....well, not happy. Fiberglass webbing, spackle, drywall 'mud', and a gallon of paint later, some semblance of peace was restored...and the $68+tax for the short barrel was not an issue any more.

:D :evil: :D :evil: :evil:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top