IMay have made a mistake!

[ZVP]

Ibought a 12 ga pump for a HD gun without giving thought to what if the Wife had to shoot from the hip with the chopped pump? I figgured she could handle the recoil of a 12ga at the sholder though the LOP is a little long due to a slip on recoil pad for her. However the big kick might be too much from the hip..
Thànk goodness I have a sweet Stoger 20 ga SxS that she Can handle in all phases of the shot!
we guys get feeble minded sometimes and forget that it just might be the little Woman defending US instead of the other way around!
I was lucky to have the Upland duble but for those with just one shotgun, you'd better consider this point!

Just wanted to put a Head's-up out here for ya'll,
BPDave

 

[Steve C]

Its painful in the shoulder if you hold the gun loosely and allow it to take a run at you. Recoil from the hip isn't really painful unless you have the but of the gun against that hip. The gun will jump though and you have to hang on to it. All the movement allowed by simply supporting the firearm with your arms takes up the recoil and at least with a pump there's less chance of an AD firing a second round under recoil.

The only thing that can get painful is the grip banging the palm of the hand and its been my experience that pistol grips can hurt the hand while the standard stock will slip in your hand without mashing into the web between the thumb and trigger finger.

Try a few rounds from the hip to see what to expect and let your wife try it. Just hang on and let it buck. I think she will find it doesn't hurt but quick follow up shots can be more dificult.

 

[rcmodel]

Might be better to have the stock shortened to fit both of you so she can learn to shoot it properly from the shoulder.
And actually be able to hit something with it.

Shooting from the hip is best done in action movies.

rc

 

[Fred Fuller]

IMHO any defensive shotgun should be fitted to the smallest shooter who might have to use it...

 

[throdgrain]

Indeed.

 

[Milkmaster]

You tell 'em RC! The best effective shotgun that hits the target is one that fits the shooter in the first place.

 

[JSH1]

You are not the first person to buy a HD gun that your wife can't use and won't be the last. My wife has a 12 gauge Mossberg 500 that her father bought her when she was 12 years old. Way too big for her at the time and way too much recoil. Even today as a 5'9" woman with a slim build it is too heavy and has too much recoil. While the length of pull is fine she has to reach too far forward to reach the front grip. She doesn't have enough arm strength to hold the gun for any length of time or to rack the slide with the gun shouldered. She also routinely forgets to depress the slide release to rack the first shell into the chamber. All in all a bad fit for her.

Now she has a 20 gauge (formerly 410 bore) single shot. It has an external hammer so the gun can be stored with a round in the chamber. Pick it up and it is ready to go. Plus she can actually hit something with it. Sometimes simpler is better and one round on target is better than a half dozen shot randomly from the hip. If I was to purchase a gun specifically for home defense it would be a 20 gauge side by side coach gun.

 

[ZVP]

From. The hip. I meant hat she might choose to fire it from the hip. But the gun is too long for her reach and 12! Ga kicks too hard fir her size.
The 20 ga Stogern Uplander is a better fit toi her size and the kick is light.

BPDàve

 

[MattShlock]

Yeah, I... Wait, can we see a pic of JSH1's wife please? I mean, ya know, with a shotgun of course!

 

[RaceM]

That's why I got my wife her own gun, fitted up just for her. 870 express in 20GA.