Ok, I know this has been beaten to death, but I have a certain set of wants and restrictions that makes this discussion a little more specific and productive.
My Wants - Let's establish this first - that I want one of these, not need. My first thought was that I wanted a light, 20ga semi-auto shotgun with plastic hardware. The top-pick is a Benelli M2 20ga, probably with a 26" barrel, with the comfortech stock. It would be a shotgun of the highest quality, would be pretty useful for several things, and would see some use. Now, the M2 Comfortech is a $1200 gun, give or take. More affordable options would be the M2 American (on sale locally for $799, less incentives and rebates,) or the Franchi Affinity ($700ish.) But then I saw an add for a Smith & Wesson M&P-Sport for $599, and it got me thinking. I'd kind of like to have an AR-15 rifle too...
Intended Uses - I originally wanted a gun that I could take to a "fighting shotgun" class without worrying about damaging pretty wood and blued steel. I have a 12ga Beretta A303 Ducks Unlimited now, which is a fantastic gun, but it is awfully pretty, and it would break my heart to ding and scratch it up. The Beretta is also 7 and a half pounds, so for a wimp like me, something light and fast would be pretty neat.
This gun would be mainly a recreational gun. I would primarily use it for weekend trap (not league shooting,) the occasional game of sporting clays, and in the future, hopefully some training classes, and maybe even a little small-game a bird hunting. It would also reside in the safe, tube loaded, for "bump-in-the-night" duty. I know that's a lot to ask of one firearm, as one gun can niether be a great trap gun, and a great "Tactical" gun. More on this later.
Important Considerations I realize that in many cases, the AR-15 carbine is the superior choice for a defensive firearm - particularly when you have to move. The AR-15 has greater ammo capacity, usually lighter weight, lighter recoil, and can adjust to different shooters fairly well and quickly. They may even be easier to learn - I wouldn't know, as I've never fired one... But, there aren't many places where I can fire and practice. There are only a few commercial ranges nearby, all of which aren't conducive to anything more than stationary target shooting. So I'd have to pay to shoot, in an extremely limiting environment. Plus, ammo is twice what shotgun ammo costs. It's hard to stomach that a full magazine costs over $15... So due to the cost of ammo, and the cost and restrictions on range time, I probably wouldn't get much range time with an AR-15.
For a shotgun however, it's quite the opposite. The nearby sportsman's club of which I'm a member, has a trap range, and is only 3-4 miles from home. I get to shoot for free (bring your own clays...) any time except Sundays, which is when the trap-shoot meets take place, and then it's $4 trap rounds, plus other fun games. There's a skeet and sporting clays club nearby also, so there's more opportunity to practice.
Now, I'm a firm believer in practicing with what you will use to fight, and fight with what you're best at using. The practice options available to me with a shotgun play into this, and would offer far greater opportunity to become familiar with the gun, and keep any skills honed and sharp. Plus, I figure if I can hit a 4" circle that's traveling 50mph with confidence, then firing at room distance should be doable...
Like I said earlier, I realize that a 6lb, 20ga with a 26" barrel isn't an ideal gun for much anything. I'm not too worried about it being a handicap on the trap range, as I shoot for fun, and not for competition. Plus, at 16 yards, how much difference would it make for an amateur anyway? I would imagine it would be ok for skeet and sporting clays as well. Again, not ideal but not much of a handicap. And with regards to an HD gun, I realize that 26" is a little long, but I'm not clearing houses either. So I don't a 26" HD gun to be any disadvantage when crouched behind some cover, or pointing down the hallway. A 6lb gun however would be great for fighting fatigue, and would be pretty welcome if I ever take up any hunting. Oh, and the M2's and Affinity's can accept magazine extensions, so a few extra rounds capacity would be welcome as well. And birdshot is still half the price of 5.56 ammo... However, the shotguns of my choice, would still be more expensive up front than the M&P Sport, so this time, the shotgun would not be the cheaper option...
And then, the little kid inside me thinks an AR-15 would be fun too, despite my best "practical" reasoning...
Ok, I think I've rambled on enough for now. But I'd love to hear your thoughts. What say you? Buy the shotgun, the AR-15, or save the cash and head to the bar?
My Wants - Let's establish this first - that I want one of these, not need. My first thought was that I wanted a light, 20ga semi-auto shotgun with plastic hardware. The top-pick is a Benelli M2 20ga, probably with a 26" barrel, with the comfortech stock. It would be a shotgun of the highest quality, would be pretty useful for several things, and would see some use. Now, the M2 Comfortech is a $1200 gun, give or take. More affordable options would be the M2 American (on sale locally for $799, less incentives and rebates,) or the Franchi Affinity ($700ish.) But then I saw an add for a Smith & Wesson M&P-Sport for $599, and it got me thinking. I'd kind of like to have an AR-15 rifle too...
Intended Uses - I originally wanted a gun that I could take to a "fighting shotgun" class without worrying about damaging pretty wood and blued steel. I have a 12ga Beretta A303 Ducks Unlimited now, which is a fantastic gun, but it is awfully pretty, and it would break my heart to ding and scratch it up. The Beretta is also 7 and a half pounds, so for a wimp like me, something light and fast would be pretty neat.
This gun would be mainly a recreational gun. I would primarily use it for weekend trap (not league shooting,) the occasional game of sporting clays, and in the future, hopefully some training classes, and maybe even a little small-game a bird hunting. It would also reside in the safe, tube loaded, for "bump-in-the-night" duty. I know that's a lot to ask of one firearm, as one gun can niether be a great trap gun, and a great "Tactical" gun. More on this later.
Important Considerations I realize that in many cases, the AR-15 carbine is the superior choice for a defensive firearm - particularly when you have to move. The AR-15 has greater ammo capacity, usually lighter weight, lighter recoil, and can adjust to different shooters fairly well and quickly. They may even be easier to learn - I wouldn't know, as I've never fired one... But, there aren't many places where I can fire and practice. There are only a few commercial ranges nearby, all of which aren't conducive to anything more than stationary target shooting. So I'd have to pay to shoot, in an extremely limiting environment. Plus, ammo is twice what shotgun ammo costs. It's hard to stomach that a full magazine costs over $15... So due to the cost of ammo, and the cost and restrictions on range time, I probably wouldn't get much range time with an AR-15.
For a shotgun however, it's quite the opposite. The nearby sportsman's club of which I'm a member, has a trap range, and is only 3-4 miles from home. I get to shoot for free (bring your own clays...) any time except Sundays, which is when the trap-shoot meets take place, and then it's $4 trap rounds, plus other fun games. There's a skeet and sporting clays club nearby also, so there's more opportunity to practice.
Now, I'm a firm believer in practicing with what you will use to fight, and fight with what you're best at using. The practice options available to me with a shotgun play into this, and would offer far greater opportunity to become familiar with the gun, and keep any skills honed and sharp. Plus, I figure if I can hit a 4" circle that's traveling 50mph with confidence, then firing at room distance should be doable...
Like I said earlier, I realize that a 6lb, 20ga with a 26" barrel isn't an ideal gun for much anything. I'm not too worried about it being a handicap on the trap range, as I shoot for fun, and not for competition. Plus, at 16 yards, how much difference would it make for an amateur anyway? I would imagine it would be ok for skeet and sporting clays as well. Again, not ideal but not much of a handicap. And with regards to an HD gun, I realize that 26" is a little long, but I'm not clearing houses either. So I don't a 26" HD gun to be any disadvantage when crouched behind some cover, or pointing down the hallway. A 6lb gun however would be great for fighting fatigue, and would be pretty welcome if I ever take up any hunting. Oh, and the M2's and Affinity's can accept magazine extensions, so a few extra rounds capacity would be welcome as well. And birdshot is still half the price of 5.56 ammo... However, the shotguns of my choice, would still be more expensive up front than the M&P Sport, so this time, the shotgun would not be the cheaper option...
And then, the little kid inside me thinks an AR-15 would be fun too, despite my best "practical" reasoning...
Ok, I think I've rambled on enough for now. But I'd love to hear your thoughts. What say you? Buy the shotgun, the AR-15, or save the cash and head to the bar?
)
