my own "Tactical Turkey"/HD shotty

[TexAg]

Ok, the name is silly but, to be honest, I kind of liked the feel of the Mossberg Tactical Turkey I hefted at Cabela's. The ability to adjust the length of pull and the 20" bbl made a pretty nice handling gun.
Now I had an 870 Express Hd (7 shot), but never really liked the feel of it as it was too nose heavy when loaded up, it had the j-hook lock/safety and it had a fixed cylinder bore which is great for HD, but I like to be able to cahnge my chokes and have the ability of potentially using the gun for hunting. I could have gotten another barrel which would have cost me more than I really wanted to spend and I wanted a Marlin 336ss, so I sold the 870 for a $20 loss (I figure I rented and used the gun for a couple years for $20, not bad!).
Now I of course want a multi purpose shotty again and I kind of dig the adjustable stock Tactical Turkey with a changeable choke and 5+1 capacity. It seems Mossberg makes them in the 500, 535 and 835 varieties. I don't need to shoot 3.5" shells ever really (I've slain a half dozen Turkey using my grandfather's 1912 with 2 and 3/4" shells and a fixed modified bbl) and I would like to have the capability to shoot slugs, so I think I have narrowed it down to the plain ol 500. Since the 500 Tactical Turkey is a little hard to find, I thought I might just get a "Grand Slam" model 500 (from Wal-Mart since its in their catalogue or maybe a gun show or Cabelas) for around $270 and add a Knoxx SpecOps stock to it and get the added benefit of reduced recoil and still fall under what I have seen some of the Tactical Turkeys listed for.
What do you think, a 20" adjustable stocked turkey/hd shotty?

 

[ReadyontheRight]

You'd better not appreciate that Mossberg marketing too much. "Tactical Turkey" high-capacity shotguns may just join "Sporter", "Varmint" and "Tackdriver" on the next gun ban list.

Unfortunately, I am only partially kidding.

Back to your idea. It sounds like a good one. Off the top of my head, with little experience patterning a variety of barrel lengths, I would have said that 20" seems short for turkey, but it seems like a great length for a multi-purpose shotgun.

The trade-off from 3.5" to slugs makes a lot of sense. I have an 835 and I hate the idea that I cannot shoot slugs through it.

Just an idea...After you pull together this set-up, you may want to keep your eyes open for a 28" or 30" barrel for upland game or trap/skeet. You could easily put the old stock back on, slap in the longer barrel and have a "classic" hunting rig. Or you could just keep your eyes open for a ~$100 Mossy 500 or old Wingmaster.

Enjoy! How do you like the 336SS?

 

[TexAg]

AWB II?

Yeah, I thought about the possible next AWB and I imagine pistol grip shottys will be one of the potential victims. Not to mention possible adjustable stocks or capacity over what 2, 3, 4? Honestly, I also know a camo "turkey" gun will be more accepted by the non-tactical old school hunters than an all black tactical HD gun thats occasionally used for hunting...but thats another story (hello Zumbo-itis).
The 336ss is awesome. I shot two 100lbs. pigs last fall and they have made great eating (ribs, chops, breakfast sausage). It was a real blast working that lever on those multiple targets of the pig litter.
Another reason I thought of creating my own Tact. Turk. was that the Mossy version's pistol grip and stock felt on the cheap side and I think the Knoxx will be better. And the Mossy will be a better set up for my wife than the heavy 870 what with a recoil reducing stock and the ambidexterous tang safety (I am righty, she is lefty).
And you're right, I probably will keep an eye open for another bbl down the road.

 

[PITBULL]

why can't you shoot slug's tru a 3 1/2 inch. barrel?

 

[marksman13]

It's not that he can't shoot slugs through a 3.5. It's that he can't shoot slugs through the 835 because the 12 gauge barrel is bored out to 10 gauge.