Ahhh!
It seems to me mate you have struck gold!
The FN Police Shotgun is the same beast as the Winchester Defender 1300. (The Defender is made under license from FN by US Repeating Arms, Co.)
Winchester 1300 Defender
FN Police Shotgun
I purchased a Winchester 1300 Defender in late November last year. I have had it for only two months and now have over 4000 shells through it without a glitch! I am currently running 2000+ without a cleaning… The action is incredibly smooth and amazingly fast right out of the box, due in part to the rotary bolt design.
After racking the pump several hundred times on mine in an attempt to ensure reliable operation after searching for burs or high spots to remove I gave up I couldn’t find any. Smooth right out of the box! You will be pleasantly surprised how the action will basically eject the shell by itself.
The FN / 1300 are know to reliably feed ALL types of shells including mini shells that will choke an 870. The FN also comes stock with a one-piece magazine that holds 7 2 ¾†12 gauge shells, no need to fiddle around with an extension of any kind.
There is speculation that the aluminum receiver will not be up to the task, I am pretty sure this is a load of bollocks. So far, after 4000 shells, I have not seen any evidence that this is the case. I believe that because the bolt locks completely into the barrel (much like the rotary bolt on an AR15, which also has an aluminum receiver I might add) there are no detrimental stresses placed on the receiver from shell ignition.
FN is one of the premier firearms manufacturers in the world. Their weapons are used everywhere. I cut my teeth in the service on the FN FAL rifles and I believe their designs to be solid and reliable. This FN police shotgun is no exception had been adopted by a number of police and military organizations around the world.
While the Remington 870 has justifiably won the acclaim of a reliable inexpensive SG. It would be remiss to overlook the FN Police / Winchester Defender when considering a HD SG purchase.
Having paid $239 plus tax for the Winchester Defender in Nov 2002 I would jump at the chance of getting an FN police for only $299 with;
Front and rear rifle sights
Receiver top drilled and tapped for installation of optional sights
Corrosion resistant manganese phosphate finish
Interchangeable chokes (Improved,Cylinder and Modified supplied)
Length of pull is shorter on the FN Police by 13 ½†to 14â€.
$60 for these extras sounds fantastic!
It seems like an outrageously good deal to me!!
Therefore I have to ask where are you looking at getting the FN Police for $299 from? You could PM me if you would like.
Edited: I have added the link to the TACTICAL shotgun mentioned by Route 66 here:
FN TACTICAL Shotgun w/ collapsible stock. Thanks Route 66
Regards,
HS/LD
