So I've never owned a shotgun, but I've spent plenty of time 'wishing out loud' and apparently my wonderful future wife has paid attention. She agrees that we need a shotgun in the house for HD. So here is the great part: She wants to go out and buy one with her tax return (Did I mention I love this woman?). So here is the part where is gets a little sticky: She's never bought a gun before, and said she just wants to go to Dick's Sporting Goods and pick one out.
I told her she was unnecessarily limiting herself as far as price and selection, but for whatever reason, she's not interested in going into a gun shop and buying one. She's been in gun shops a couple of times, but Dick's must feel more like a 'retail' shopping experience to her, and is more in her comfort zone. Irrational, I know, as we have some very nice gun shops in my area. But that's just how it is. So, I checked out the selection at the local Dick's with her, and here's what we saw:
Remington 870 HD: $499
Mossberg Mariner: $420 (Her first choice because it has a 'pretty' nickel finish)
Mossberg 500 HD: $300
I think the Mariner is nice, but I don't really want my first shotgun to be a boat gun. The 870 and the 500 are both configured similarly from what I can tell (7+1 and all that), but I didn't handle them. I assumed because of the price tag that the 870 was not the Express model (tag just said 'Remington 870 Home Defense), could I be wrong about that?
If I let her decide, we will get the Mariner. If I aggrevate her too much, I may not get a shotgun at all! If you were me, would you risk it trying to talk her into the 870 or let her get the 'pretty' Mariner?
I told her she was unnecessarily limiting herself as far as price and selection, but for whatever reason, she's not interested in going into a gun shop and buying one. She's been in gun shops a couple of times, but Dick's must feel more like a 'retail' shopping experience to her, and is more in her comfort zone. Irrational, I know, as we have some very nice gun shops in my area. But that's just how it is. So, I checked out the selection at the local Dick's with her, and here's what we saw:
Remington 870 HD: $499
Mossberg Mariner: $420 (Her first choice because it has a 'pretty' nickel finish)
Mossberg 500 HD: $300
I think the Mariner is nice, but I don't really want my first shotgun to be a boat gun. The 870 and the 500 are both configured similarly from what I can tell (7+1 and all that), but I didn't handle them. I assumed because of the price tag that the 870 was not the Express model (tag just said 'Remington 870 Home Defense), could I be wrong about that?
If I let her decide, we will get the Mariner. If I aggrevate her too much, I may not get a shotgun at all! If you were me, would you risk it trying to talk her into the 870 or let her get the 'pretty' Mariner?