Shotgun for home defense and 3gun...

[Ian]

I'm getting into 3gun, and I realized that I'm very close to being able to shoot "heavy metal" with what I already have. All I need is a pump 12ga (instead of my autoloading Beretta, which I'm planning to swap for this hypothetical pump). In addition to the 3gun use, I also want this gun to be a practical home defense gun.

I had a Mossberg 590 for a while, but found it too heavy and unbalanced to be comfortable. OTOH, I'm lefthanded, and the Mossberg controls are the handiest of the major shotguns for me. The Winchester 1300 setup is good, but I don't like the 870 controls (I can't reach t he slide release without changing my grip).

So, what would you guys suggest for a base gun and add-ons? My thinking is that I should have a pretty big mag, a dedicated light, and maybe ghost ring sights. At the same time, I would like to keep the gun as light and handy as practical. Any suggestions?

 

[Black Majik]

For what you described it sounded like the 590 was a good option. It has the highest ammo capacity out of the box (9) and was most user friendly to you. While it is heavy, it will also absorb more recoil than the lighter weight shotguns. The 590A1 w. ghost ring sights sounds like a superb choice for you if you can get over the weight. Remember, heavy = less recoil

The Winchester 1300 Defender. Similar controls, but lighter. Noticeably lighter. You might wanna check into this? Might recoil more but I've never shot one so I wouldn't know.

I'd pass on the Benelli Nova, I handled one and it felt like a brick. And ugly too. Fugly fat looking receiver.

If it was me however, I'd still go for the 870. It has a proven track record, steel receiver and I'm used to it. Plus it has the biggest aftermarket accessories for it. But I would try to keep the accessories limited. Say, sidesaddle, maybe sling and thats it. I believe you can switch the safety to be left hand friendly, but I'm not entirely sure?

Either Mossberg 590A1 or Win. Defender.

 

[Chris Rhines]

Heavy Metal is not an "offical" 3-gun class - what that means is that the rules may vary a little bit from match to match. Most places, a Heavy Metal shotgun is basically a pump-action IPSC Standard shotgun.

What you need for a Heavy Metal shotgun is a stock that fits you, 8+1 capacity, and interchangable chokes. Everything else is strictly in the nice-to-have category.

The Remington 870 and Winchester 1300 are equally good for 3-gun. If you prefer the Winchester, I'd get one of the plain Black Shadow models, chop the barrel back to 21-22", thread it for choke tubes, and mount a +4 magazine extension.

I have light mounts on both my shotguns (Picatinny rail bolted to the foreend,) but I very rarely actually mount a light. I don't care for dedicated fore-end lights. I prefer to leave the light off unless I'm actually going to use it for a dark-house stage or something like that.

I like ghost ring sights. Some people prefer a simple bead, but I have enough trouble shooting slugs. Don't want to make it any harder on myself.

That's about it. You'll need to work out some method of carrying ammunition, reloading, etc., etc. But that's all in the future.

- Chris

 

[richardschennberg]

I was thinking the same thing, so I went with a Remington 870 12 guage 21" barrel. I added the Dave Metal Works extension that gives 8-shell capacity for 2.75" shells, purchased from Shooters Connection (see Favorite Links on Schennberg.com). The total tube length is 22", so it is IMG He-Man legal with flush choke tubes. I personally chose extended choke tubes from Trulock to make the effective barrel length almost 22" and just about even with the mag tube extension.

You don't need this exact setup for USPSA Standard Division or IPSC Standard Manual Division, but it does satisfy these as well as IMG He-Man rules. The Remington 870 is a good choice if you prefer pumps over autos.
Richard

 

[kmca]

Remington makes the only truly left handed pump guns. It's available as either a Wingmaster or an Express.

 

[Ian]

kmca - Can you elaborate? I looked at Remington's web site, but didn't see anything about any left-handed shotgun models...

 

[Fred Fuller]

http://www.remington.com/firearms/left_hand/lefthand.htm

Hate to always sound like a broken record, but build the HD shotgun and use it as is for three- gun. A security gun needs to be 100% reliable, period. It needs to be set up for the job at hand, perhaps for multiple users depending on who in the household might have to shoot it. And the more paractice you have with it, the better you will be. Gaming takes back seat to real world IMHO.

An optimal game gun and game gear is a different animal altogether. And it might not do as well in the HD role.

As always, YMMV-

Stay safe,

lpl/nc