Shotgun recommendations

[chaseguitar]

I've got two 870s, one 12 ga. and one 20 ga. combo, both are great guns...they go boom every time I pull the trigger, they don't jam, they're easy to breakdown to clean... the list goes on....really the gold standard of pump shotguns....

 

[camacho]

Well, the 870 is obviously undisputed leader. I still have some times to decide but not too much (my B-day is coming). It will be between the Mossberg 535 and the Remington 870. Thank you all for your input!

 

[ArmedBear]

870 hands down, especially over the 535, for what you want.

The 535, no matter how good it may be, is not a common gun. Barrels, chokes, stocks, etc. are all much harder to find, sometimes impossible to find in the configuration you want.

If you want a multi-purpose gun, the 870 wins hands down, no comparison.

For the 870, many vendors make high-quality aftermarket parts (e.g. Hastings Paradox slug barrels with sights or scope mounts, with rifle-like performance), and a huge variety of configurations (e.g. stock sets from Ram-Line, Cabela's, Hogue, Boyd's, Wenig, B&C, Remington, Knoxx, ATI and more, including folders, Monte Carlos, thumbholes, every kind of camo, synthetics, walnut, laminate, even high-end customs). You can find a lot of it on eBay, too.

For the 535? A few barrels, from Mossberg. That's it.

 

[obxned]

Any of the inexpensive pump guns will have removable choke tubes, so the one barrel will work for many different situations. You'll want an extra-full for turkey, and more open for upland game or ducks with steel shot. You can get a short, iron sighted barrel for slugs for not a lot of money for most of these guns. I like Mossberg, but could live with any of the others without a problem.

 

[MCgunner]

The 535, no matter how good it may be, is not a common gun. Barrels, chokes, stocks, etc. are all much harder to find, sometimes impossible to find in the configuration you want.

I don't know about the 535, but stocks, barrels, etc for Mossberg 500s are common as dirt! In fact, chokes are interchangable between Mossberg, Winchester, and Browning. With a Remington, you have only Remchoke. So, there's more variety and more chance of finding chokes for a Mossberg than an 870! There's more tacticool crap out there for Remingtons, I couldn't care less... I ain't into tacticool shotguns. I'm a hunter and hunting shotguns can defend your life. You don't need barrel shrouds, bayonet lugs, rifle sights, other such BS. If you can't end the threat in 5 rounds with a friggin' shotgun, take up knitting. 18.5" barrels are available for Mossberg 500s and that is all you need to put on the 500 for self defense.

Me, for defense, I've got a twice pipe coach gun. It also is going to be a dove hunting gun, general purpose knock about shotgun, whatever. Talk about hard to find accessories for, it's a Remington Spartan made by Biakal, but it came with four chokes and that's really all I need.

 

[ArmedBear]

In fact, chokes are interchangable between Mossberg, Winchester, and Browning.

Nope. Not the 535. Furthermore, it's not true for Browning, either. I have an old gun with Invectors, but Browning hasn't made 12 Gauges with Invectors for years. The Invector Plus is for their newer overbored barrels, and doesn't fit the other guns.

535 is overbored. That's the catch. I don't think it fits the new Browning chokes, either, but I could be wrong. CHECK BEFORE BUYING!!!

500 accessories are pretty easy to find, though not nearly as wide a range as 870 accessories, particularly when you are talking about hunting/clay stocks and the like. Since this is in the Hunting forum, I'm assuming that Tactical Tommy add-ons aren't a priority, but slug/turkey/waterfowl/clay stuff could be.

The 535, though, has no essentially aftermarket support, and only a few barrels even from Mossberg. It's a good gun, AFAIK, but it's not a foundation for a multi-use gun in the way an 870 is. When a lot of vendors make parts, they're easy to find and cheap. When you have to hunt for something, it's generally not quite what you want, and it's more expensive to boot.

 

[MCgunner]

Well, I've never seen a 535, so I ain't up on it and Brownings are out of my price range anyway. The invectors are what I was referring to, they essentially copied the Winchester Winchokes. My Winchokes fit in my M500, too. I prefer the external (what the 500 originally came with) knurled knob type Winchokes, can easily screw up in and out with your fingers. Everything is internal now days, though. At any rate, Remchokes fit nothing, but Remington to my knowledge.

I've been tempted to try one of those ported external chokes that's supposed to reduce recoil in the Mossy. Wonder if the things work worth a toot, though? I've heard they weren't worth what they cost.

Far as slug stuff goes, I don't really care about that either. In Texas, we use rifles for deer hunting. Shotguns are for rabbits and birds.

 

[poppeye]

stoger

stoger p-350 is a 200$ dollar pump gun no that wasn't a typo. it comes with 5chocks plug and is made by benilli i bought it and it is awsome!

 

[kmrcstintn]

the only quirk that I would address is the fact that if you get heavy into waterfowl, you may want the additional ooommmppphhh that 3 1/2" shells produce to help you with those longer shots...if you need or want recoil reduction, you may want to lean toward Mossberg since they make it a regular feature to port their barrels and this will help with felt recoil and muzzle flip;

I have owned shotguns on and off; I have owned Remington 870's, a Mossberg 500, a Mossberg 835, and a Benelli Super Black Eagle...most got sold to pay for several moves here and there; my current is a Remington 870 with 3" chamber...I have liked everything that I have owned, but I should have gotten a shotgun with a 3 1/2" chamber for maximum versatility since this is most likely the last shotgun that I will purchase (I am at a point in my life where impulse spending is terminated and I have to really think thru my purchases before I make them...EG: what I buy is here to stay)

Whatever you decide, good luck...any American made shotgun is a good choice; alternate choices that offer higher quality are Benelli and Beretta from Italy

BTW: accessories abound for the Remington 870 & Mossberg 500 in pumpers since these are heavy sellers

 

[bclark1]

i'll throw in a vote for the mossberg 835. 12ga, super-mag chamber. covers everything. doves to turkey it's had me covered. i've got a slug barrel for it as well, that shoots quite nicely with just the blade sights at 100 yards, but i've always used rifles for deer so haven't used it in the field yet, only at the range.

winchester sx2 supermag is by far my favorite gun. if you've got the money, i'd push you that way. but especially for a first shotgun, you can't get wrong with a pump, and a 12ga will take anything under the sun. the 870's obviously got its fans, and i think it's a great platform. perhaps the best - perhaps. but it's not the only choice for a venerable, do-all shotgun.

honestly, any major-brand pump in 12ga will do you fine. if you're interested in turkey i'd get a 3" if not a 3 1/2" - you probably won't need it, but when you're learning to hunt it's a nice confidence booster to have a little extra umph behind your shots. parts really aren't an issue - any big sporting goods store will have most of your bases covered, and midway, cabelas, etc. will get everything out to you pretty rapidly.

anyway, let us know whatcha' end up with.

 

[Pumpkinheaver]

I know they make a slug barrel as I looked into buying one so I could hunt Ft Leonard wood where it is archery, muzzleloader or slug only.

My gun has never given me any problems other than when new it would not cycle reliably with light 7/8 oz light target loads. After a few boxes of shells it runs with everything I've fed it.

 

[Pumpkinheaver]

Also B-Square makes a scope mount for the 2000.

 

[camacho]

the only quirk that I would address is the fact that if you get heavy into waterfowl, you may want the additional ooommmppphhh that 3 1/2" shells produce to help you with those longer shots...if you need or want recoil reduction, you may want to lean toward Mossberg since they make it a regular feature to port their barrels and this will help with felt recoil and muzzle flip;

That is the reason I wanted to go with the Moss 835 or the 535. They are versatile since they shoot the regular shells as well as the 3 1/2. The 535 seems to be lighter as far as weight and even though the recoil will be worse it is still easy on the carrying. Just a thought. Have not bought yet but got to decide soon. My B-day is coming

 

[Clipper]

Oh well, here's my voice in the wilderness...Hunt around and see if you can find a nice used Winchester M-12. If you take care of it it will never lose value, and even after all these years, and in spite of having a single action bar, it's still the pump that all other pumps are measured by.

 

[MWenzel]

I have heard Benelli is the best gun you can buy. But if you are looking for a quality firearm for a reasonable price I would go with the Remington 870. I have a Remington 870 Wingmaster 16 gauge and i love it. I also have an old Remington Model 1100 12 gauge that I inherited from my grandfater and it is a very good gun. The Remington 870 is the best gun for a great price.

 

[MCgunner]

I'm primarily a waterfowl hunter and I don't have a 3.5" gun. I think the new non-toxics like Remington Hevi Shot and Hevi Steel, Bismuth, Federal Tungsten-Iron etc have pretty much made the 3.5" gun un-necessary. You simply don't need more than 2.75" over decoys in early season, though 3" 2s work better in late season with decoy shy birds.

 

[jcord]

I like 870s but love a good side by side double barrel. Since I purchased a Stoager coach gun My 870 hasn't left the safe. Remington is importing some really nice ones from Russia at good prices.

One thing I do with my SXS that you can not do with a 870 is use full length
barrel inserts in rifle calibers.