Winchester Defender review

[Big D]

Hey yall, I new here and was just wanting to ask a few questions. I am thinking about buying a HD shotgun this summer, and the Winchester Defender is one of the shotguns on the top of my list. I was just wanting to ask what the general opinion on this gun is. I have never shot a 12 gauge before, and was also wanting to ask what kind of recoil yall are getting with the Defender. I'm about 6'2 without my boots, and 295lbs, so I dont think recoil would be much to worry about, but I'm not for sure. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Preacherman]

Welcome to THR! You'll find a lot of good information here.

First off, use the Search function and see how many posts there have been mentioning the Winchester Defender. There has been quite a bit of discussion about it.

Basically, it's a fine shotgun, and will give you good service. However, don't buy any shotgun based on its looks or its reputation - try out as many as you can at a range, and buy the one that fits you best. My personal preference in pump guns (as for many of us here) is the Remington 870, but the Winchester and Mossberg are also good shotguns, and will serve you well. Preferably shoot each of them at a range, or talk to friends who can let you shoot theirs, and get a feel for how each of them handles in your hands. That will give you a better idea of what's best for you.

Also, fit the gun to your body. You may need a longer or shorter buttstock than the standard factory size for the gun to fit you well. You'll find Dave has addressed shotgun fit in his 101-series threads in this forum.

Again, welcome, and good luck!

 

[ReadyontheRight]

"What Preacherman Said"...plus:

As far as recoil goes, any pump action shotgun will be pretty similar in terms of how much recoil actually transfers to the buttstock. Get out and get a feel for the safety, pump action and slide release. They are all significantly different.

Recoil is tamed either through a heavy weapon, an autoloading system that uses some of the gas to reload or through a good fit so your shoulder and the buttstock of the weapon are in the best position to absorb recoil.

 

[bud45]

I LIKE my Defender!

...and it's a dandy with a few accessories added! I added an ATI stock with pistol grip, a shell holder, a small lithium flashlight and a sling. The added feature with this weapon is that it'll feed & shoot Aguila MiniShells with NO modification to the elevator, unlike other shotguns. The stock gives me added control, the light is blinding & effective out to 100'+, the sling allows me to free one hand, if need be and the shell holder, with a fully-loaded gun & one in the chamber, gives me 23 rounds! This means all the rounds are nose-to nose in the shell holder. I did find, however, that the two shells on either end of the holder would work out in a "live" session, so I replaced them with a single 2-3/4 "00" shell/slug in the front & back position...seemed like the plastic "finger" on each end wasn't strong enough to hold the nose-to-nose MiniShells effectively.

Needless to say, the MiniShells are loaded to 12 ga. SAAMI specs, but have only a 20 ga. recoil. I've found that in simulated practice sessions when using these shells, I'm not as sore as when using full loads- and yes, I find them very effective in CQB situations. I'm 5'10" & 225 lbs., but I still look for all advantages in controlling my shotguns!

BTW, I got mine for $200 a few years ago & it had only been shot three times!

 

[TrapperReady]

Our family HD shotgun is a Defender. It's a good, reliable shotgun that has its controls in the same place as my beloved Winchester Model 12s. My only gripe with it is the original equipment recoil pad. It is the hardest, least useful piece of junk I've ever used. I literally prefer the plastic butt-plates on many old Model 12s.

One of these days (too many projects and too little time right now), I'm going to cut the stock down to a 13" LOP and install a Kick-Eez Rocker pad. That should make a good gun even better.

When I first got the it, I didn't care much for the clip-on "glow-worm" front sight; however, I've come to like it for this particular application. Although, this fall I'm going to be doing most of my deer hunting in a shotgun-only area, and I may have a smith install either a ghost-ring and front-blade, or a Williams peep sight.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Not my first pick, but a darn good shotgun. The three or so I've rung out had decent triggers and did all that was asked, glitchless.

D, size does matter with shotguns but it's not the overriding element. Get the Winchester fitting right and the kick shouldn't bother you if your form's good. See the 101s for mounting, stance,etc....

 

[Big D]

Thanks yall. My other choice besides the Defender was an 870 HD, and if I got it it would prob. be 7 shot model with the magazine ext. I know how to properly hold any shoulder gun, its just that I've never had the chance to shoot a 12 gauge, only a single shot 20 gauge. What is yall's opinions of Remington's HD model? The thing I liked about it is that its a bit heavier, but it cant automatically take Mini-Shells, which the Defender can. Seems like a toss-up, hehe.

 

[Dave McCracken]

I've managed to do a lot of shotgunning over the last 50 years and have yet to need minishells. I regard them as toys rather than life saving equipment.

The various 870s are the standard by which all other pumps are measured. Perhaps 2 million of the 8 million made are used by Police, Military and those who depend on arms to keep the forces of evil at bay.

Pick the one that feels best.

 

[mathyoo]

Im 19, 5'4", 150lbs soaking wet and I can bust water jugs with slugs all day with no more than a sore shoulder the next day. Its all about form and fit, you wont have any problems.

 

[TrapperReady]

Im 19, 5'4", 150lbs soaking wet and I can bust water jugs with slugs all day with no more than a sore shoulder the next day

When I was 19, I did all sorts of stuff all day long with no lasting ill effects. At double that age, I'm a poster-child for ibuprofen and I'm glad whenever any injury doesn't result in chronic problems. It's one of the reasons why I tend to shoot 7/8 oz target loads most of the time.