To pistol grip or not to pistol grip a home defense shotgun

[Rockrivr1]

I have a Mossberg 500A set up as my home defense shotgun. 8+1 and a small minimag mounted with a pressure switch on the forestock. I've been toying with the idea of putting a pistol grip buttstock on it for a while now.

Would you put a pistol grip on your shotgun? What are the pros and cons of doing this?

Cheaper Than Dirt has them for $35 and seeing them in thier flyer brought back my interest in doing this.

 

[foghornl]

If it is the pistol grip with the full stock assembly, OK.

Otherwise, no. I find that the pistol-grip only doesn't work for me. I have fired a few rounds with a PGO, and found that if that setup was my hat, I couldn't hit the ground with it.

Oh, yeah...another painful reminder, from bitter personal experience...do not try wing-shooting with a PGO gun. I tried, and smashed myself pretty good.....I put the gun up as though it had a full stock....and well, you get the idea.

one of those days when my bulb in the chandelier was the lowest-wattage one in there. :banghead:

 

[ArmedBear]

I'd say it depends.

I wouldn't be in a hurry to change the stock on a shotgun, because I have a lot of practice acquiring targets with a conventional stock, and getting it shouldered correctly. Pistol grips seem to make me tend to hold the gun away from my shoulder a tad, or at least not hard against it like I should.

However, you might find a pistol grip to be better for you. If you have a lot of practice time with, say, an AR, it may be very natural and quick for you while a conventional stock might make you feel contorted.

...and I'll echo the last post... I'm talking about a buttstock with a pistol grip, not just a pistol grip. PG-only is for cop cars and rap videos.

 

[RNB65]

I vote no. I dislike pistol grips on shotguns. They may look all cool and fancy, but I find standard shotgun stock and forearm much easer to handle than pistol grip.

 

[Rockrivr1]

Thanks for the replies. Yes, this is definitely a buttstock with a pistol grip. I fired a few rounds from a friends pistol grip only shotgun and it sucked to say the least.

 

[Kingcreek]

In my opinion, it is an unnecessary appendadge, more likely to get in my way than assist me.
For you? might be just the ticket.

 

[1 old 0311]

They are harder to handle. That said if you want one PM me. I have one that is like new. I can let it go for $20.00.

 

[Zundfolge]

I would say no for a pump shotgun ... however for a semi auto I'd think one would be fine.

Really it depends on the shotun itself and how much non-self defense shooting you do with a shotgun. If you shoot a lot of trap/skeet/bird hunting with a non pistol grip shotgun I'd say no pistol grip.

 

[Fred Fuller]

It's a Mossberg, right?

The safety is on top of the receiver, where it falls easily under the shooting hand thumb with a conventional shotgun stock. The slide release is in back of the trigger guard, where it falls easily under the shooting hand middle finger with a conventional shotgun stock.



So you want to put a stock on it that forces you to shift your firing hand grip to get to the safety, and requires you to do all manner of gymnastics to get to the slide release.



Now WHY would you want to do that?????????????????????????????????????

lpl/nc (pistol grip stocks don't block access to the controls on an 870 though, since an 870's controls are all in the "wrong" places to start with)

 

[03Shadowbob]

quote from Foghorn "Oh, yeah...another painful reminder, from bitter personal experience...do not try wing-shooting with a PGO gun. I tried, and smashed myself pretty good.....I put the gun up as though it had a full stock....and well, you get the idea. "

Man, you made me spit beer through my nose. And here I thought I was the only one to ever do that.
BTW, you owe me a keyboard!

 

[PJR]

If you shoot a lot of trap/skeet/bird hunting with a non pistol grip shotgun I'd say no pistol grip.

Ditto. I had a desire for a pistol grip/full stock for my predator control shotgun until I tried one. It felt completely foreign in my hands compared to the standard shotgun stocks that I shoot regularly. No pistol grip for me.

As for pistol grip only stocks, everyone should own one at least once. Buy it, try it, get it out of your system and then sell it to the next victim.

 

[Chuck R.]

My Benelli M1S90 has a PG stock and I really like it. I “grew up” with the M16 family of weapons through 26 years of Army service, so I’m very comfortable with them.

One advantage is controllability one-handed. With the stock under my arm, I can operate my M1S90 one handed to open doors etc.

In your case with the Mossberg’s safety position, I’d skip it, or at least see if you can try one first.

Chuck

 

[10-Ring]

I'm not a fan of a simple pistol grip for a shotgun Now pistol grip/butt stock combo's ala the Benelli shotty's seem kinda cool

 

[Jackal]

I have a ATI pistol grip stock on my ex-military Mossberg 500. I love it.

 

[Hoppy590]

i vote no on the pistol grip unless its a full stock pistol grip.
just pistol grips tend to lead to shooting from the hip. wich is ineffective, and bad technique.

 

[Eightball]

If it is the pistol grip with the full stock assembly, OK.

Starting to see a pattern? If you really want the PG look for some pictures, or to shoot and see why you shouldn't keep PG only--get a collapsing stock. PG for the time you use it, Stock for the times you'd need to use it.