DHart
Member
Hey... any 1300 Defender fans here? I've been a Mossberg guy for many years, but recently discovered this superb pump gun line. Tough to get noticed with all the 500/590/870 hoopla, which makes this a sleeper pumpgun. I'd heard a little about them for awhile, but it took some time for them to move up higher in my radar. Lee Lapin's excellent review on his FN Tactical Police Shotgun (TPS) was instrumental in moving me toward the 1300. They offer some unique features that are sweet indeed. Now that I have one, all I can say is wow... this is a great shotgun indeed!
This gun is a little beefier than you might expect - because they are based on a semi-auto shotgun design, they are slightly overbuilt for a pump gun. The action is very smooth and quick. It offers an 8-shot capacity in an 18" pump gun (rare!). The mag tube is a solid, one-piece tube (no extensions to tack on). Available with deep high polished bluing and a beautiful hardwood stock set. The pump action is inertia-based, so the moment you fire a round, the gun begins the cycling stroke for you. This sample was very clean with very little apparent use. Picked her up for a little over $300. Prices are low on these because these are not on very many shotgun buyer's radar.
The only mod I plan for this 8-shot 18" beauty is to refinish the furniture with an oil finish. The factory finish is beautiful, but just a bit sleek and slippery for my liking. And I'm betting once the factory finish gets stripped away and a rich oil finish gets into the wood... there will be some really nice character to discover in the wood.
Just thought I'd share this... to anyone who doesn't know much about the Defender... check 'em out! The doo-dad accessory aftermarket isn't quite as vast as it is for the ubiquitous 500/590/870, but if you're like me, you don't need nor want a lot of doo-dads hanging all over your pump gun. If you like them clean and simple, you'll want for nothing with this gun. Of course you can get a variety of stocks, grips, lights, rails, etc. to fit if you really want them. The FN Tactical Police Shotgun (TPS) is virtually a re-badged Winchester 1300 with some different features and finishes, so pretty much anything for the FN TPS works with the 1300 as well.
This gun is a little beefier than you might expect - because they are based on a semi-auto shotgun design, they are slightly overbuilt for a pump gun. The action is very smooth and quick. It offers an 8-shot capacity in an 18" pump gun (rare!). The mag tube is a solid, one-piece tube (no extensions to tack on). Available with deep high polished bluing and a beautiful hardwood stock set. The pump action is inertia-based, so the moment you fire a round, the gun begins the cycling stroke for you. This sample was very clean with very little apparent use. Picked her up for a little over $300. Prices are low on these because these are not on very many shotgun buyer's radar.
The only mod I plan for this 8-shot 18" beauty is to refinish the furniture with an oil finish. The factory finish is beautiful, but just a bit sleek and slippery for my liking. And I'm betting once the factory finish gets stripped away and a rich oil finish gets into the wood... there will be some really nice character to discover in the wood.
Just thought I'd share this... to anyone who doesn't know much about the Defender... check 'em out! The doo-dad accessory aftermarket isn't quite as vast as it is for the ubiquitous 500/590/870, but if you're like me, you don't need nor want a lot of doo-dads hanging all over your pump gun. If you like them clean and simple, you'll want for nothing with this gun. Of course you can get a variety of stocks, grips, lights, rails, etc. to fit if you really want them. The FN Tactical Police Shotgun (TPS) is virtually a re-badged Winchester 1300 with some different features and finishes, so pretty much anything for the FN TPS works with the 1300 as well.
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They're very stable, well-designed shotguns. You will enjoy it, I think.
