I need a HD shotgun

[AegisDei 2]

Ok...so it's painfully obvious I love my Saiga. In a SHTF situation, it'd be the gun I would most like in my hands with a 5rnd mag full of slugs, and an 8rnd mag full of 00 buck. However, I care for my Saiga too much and would cry until I died of dehydration if I were to lose it, so I keep it locked up all the time. I don't even let it out of the safe at night because I'm worried I might forget to return it the next day which could be that one day in my life where my apartment is robbed. So I sleep with my .45 by my bed, but I feel more confident with a scatter-gun close at hand.

 

Thus, I need a good home-defense shotgun. I want something 110% reliable, something not too unwieldy, and something that I can leave out of the safe and not worry much about. I can write off a loss of a few hundred bucks if I have to, but my S12 is one of a kind and I can't write it off for anything. So please help me decide on a good shotgun that I won't over-protected as much as my S12. Thanks for any help y'all can offer!

[Wolverine 10,360]

Ok...so it's painfully obvious I love my Saiga. In a SHTF situation, it'd be the gun I would most like in my hands with a 5rnd mag full of slugs, and an 8rnd mag full of 00 buck. However, I care for my Saiga too much and would cry until I died of dehydration if I were to lose it, so I keep it locked up all the time. I don't even let it out of the safe at night because I'm worried I might forget to return it the next day which could be that one day in my life where my apartment is robbed. So I sleep with my .45 by my bed, but I feel more confident with a scatter-gun close at hand.

 

Thus, I need a good home-defense shotgun. I want something 110% reliable, something not too unwieldy, and something that I can leave out of the safe and not worry much about. I can write off a loss of a few hundred bucks if I have to, but my S12 is one of a kind and I can't write it off for anything. So please help me decide on a good shotgun that I won't over-protected as much as my S12. Thanks for any help y'all can offer!

 

 

If you don't mind a pump and are watching the budget why not buy a used Remington or Mossy pump. Sort of a knock around. Hell you can buy a new 12 gauge Mossy with a ported slug barrel with sights at Wally World for $199 + tax. Or for more firepower Dunhams sells the Mossy 590 that holds 9 rounds for around $350 on sale. But I bet you could find a very nice used Rem for $100-150 depending on condition. They'll get the job done. Just the sound of racking a round is enough for most banditos.

 

Wolverine

[AegisDei 2]

What model Moss or Rem would you suggest? Both are reliable?

 

I would ideally like to convert it to a p-grip stock of some kind, either scorpion or CAR or another stock that has both the rifle butt-stock and the p-grip. That is about the only desire I have for it. Pump is fine, auto-loading is fine (it's only going to be defense so it'll never run any ammo except 00 or slugs), whatever is affordable and reliable. Thanks for any help y'all can offer!

 

BattleRifle...didn't you used to have a sick-nasty pump gun? I remember seeing something that made me tremble in fear-bayonet; big, mean, and scary; flash-light; etc? What was that puppy?

Edited January 13, 2006 by AegisDei

[jtoddellis 2]

I bought a remington 870 for my wife. It has an 18" barrel and it has a 7 round magazine tube. It was about 300 dollars brand new. I also have a 28" barrel 870 that I bird hunt and squirrel hunt with. I gave 150 dollars for it at a pawn shop. There are plenty of pistol grip stocks available for the 870. I used to have a top folding stock on one of mine.

[dinzag 31]

I had both Mossy 500 and 835 pump guns. 835 allows 3 1/2 magnums, probably overkill for close quarters.

I still have my 870 Rem pump. Either way there's a ton of aftermarket stuff and their used prices are cheap as there's a ton of them.

 

I don't think there are dunham's down there, but they always have tons of cheap pumps & double barrels for a little over $100.

 

If you aren't going to mod them then consider this:

I bought a Century SAS-12 chinese box-fed semi-auto shotty on gunbroker for $100. Those can be had for $100 to $150 and the 3 & 5 round mags are $12 at SOG. I say not mod, because the stock is similiar to a winchester pump, but would take a little work to fit. No other accessories would match up either - without work. Plus you have the 922 thing to apply. I seen Dunhams has those for about $160 - black furn with combat sites & brown with vent rib.

 

I recommend the 870 over the 500 for fit & finish & overall feel for a pump.

(my opinion)

Edited March 8, 2006 by dinzag

[G O B 3,516]

Mossberg Maveric>$199. PG and AK stock for same about $60-$70. Cheap gun, made ie Mexico-reliable,cheap, and you ain't out much if it get stolen/confiscated.

 

G O B

[Tokageko 8]

Can't let this go by without suggesting my personal favorite.

 

Buy a used Ithica 37 hunting shotgun and cut the barrel back to 18". You can find them for less than $200. They're well balanced and point easily. It was designed by John Browning and has admirably served the military and police since WW2.

 

You're not likely to find a pistol-grip or folding stock for one, but you don't need them. For home defense, you're not talking about long range, so don't worry about the sights.

 

If you must have something with higher capacity, Dunhams sells an improved Chinese copy for $150. It has an 18" barrel, 5 shot magazine (2 3/4" or 3", no sheel shot), ghost ring + fiber-optic blade sights, and it's all black. It suffers in weight and point-ability compared to the originals, but hey, there are always trade-offs. You'll know which one it is because there is no ejection port (on either the left or right side).

 

Oh, and the shotgun you reffered to in BRG3's post is a Mossberg 590.

[ironhead7544 35]

The Mossberg 500 with ghost ring sights. I wouldnt bother with the pistol grip or folding stock for your purposes. Some type of light would be good.

[IndyArms 10,186]

NO ONE mentioned the ABSOLUTE MOST OBVIOUS PERFECT SOLUTION....

 

 

BUY ANOTHER SAIGA!!!!!!

 

 

One for the safe, one for the bed... no worries, done deal! :up:

 

 

[scoutjoe 276]

BattleRifle...didn't you used to have a sick-nasty pump gun? I remember seeing something that made me tremble in fear-bayonet; big, mean, and scary; flash-light; etc? What was that puppy?

 

 

It was a Mossberg 590, i can't remember which model number he had/has though. I personally have kept a 590 behind the door at school (bad neighboorhood) it has the bayo lug, speedfeed stock and ghost rings.

[BattleRifleG3 16]

That is correct, it is the "Special Purpose" model that comes with a bayonet and a barrel with either a heatshield or rifle sites. Mine had the heatshield but I would have preferred the rifle sites.

 

My current setup is a Remington 870 that I am working on putting into a similar configuration by making my own accessories.

[ironhead7544 35]

The Saiga 410 would work ok with the OO or OOO loads. There are 3 and 5 pellet loads that I know of. I have seen new 410s around here for 199-219 dollar range. If you handload, you can make 6 pellet loads with .350 round balls. With the 10 round mag, the 410 would be able to loose 60 round balls quick.

[Wolverine 10,360]

The Saiga 410 would work ok with the OO or OOO loads. There are 3 and 5 pellet loads that I know of. I have seen new 410s around here for 199-219 dollar range. If you handload, you can make 6 pellet loads with .350 round balls. With the 10 round mag, the 410 would be able to loose 60 round balls quick.

 

 

Sounds like Indy's home defense solution. I believe he relies on a loaded .410 for night creepers.

[IndyArms 10,186]

Indeed so!!!

 

I use either of the above mentioned loads... and precisely that solution. I love that lil .410!

 

One is a 2.5" shell... the three ball 000 buck, and the 5 ball 00 buck is a 3" shell

 

Either one will send ouchies to anyone in front of it...

 

 

 

[G O B 3,516]

The wife's bedside companion is a S-.410 with underfolder, loaded with #3buck and slugs. Two chances to play nice, and then .41" diameter holes will appear!

 

G O B

[RobDennis 0]

I have a Mossberg home defender 500. Best gun I ever had. I dont have anythign on it like ammo holder or pistol grip. jsut a plain shotgun. it holds 8 rounds its a 12ga and I basically have it loaded with buck shot and slug ammo. I've fired this gun numerous times with both bird shot for skeet ( didnt work too well short barell) but for slugs/buck its devastating. i tore apart a rail road tie with slug ammo. best thing it was only $189 at wal mart. so even if it breaks and/or gets stolen im still not out that much $$.

 

There is a Big% sporting goods place by my house that sells this patriot shotgun for 149$. I know nothing about it but thats abotu as cheap as i ever saw a brand new shotgun.

[Rmacin247 0]

FN Herstal SLP

Ok maybe i chopped them a little

Edited March 8, 2006 by R Mac

[AegisDei 2]

That is a sweet gun, no doubt. But then again, it's also an expensive gun. I ended up with a synthetic stock Mossberg 500A. Simple gun, and cheap enough that it doesn't have to dwell in my safe. It sleeps above me on my headboard. I'd be pissed if I lost it b/c it's a good value, but I wouldn't cry like if i lost my AR, H&K, or Saigas.

[lunadam 0]

That is a sweet gun, no doubt. But then again, it's also an expensive gun. I ended up with a synthetic stock Mossberg 500A. Simple gun, and cheap enough that it doesn't have to dwell in my safe. It sleeps above me on my headboard. I'd be pissed if I lost it b/c it's a good value, but I wouldn't cry like if i lost my AR, H&K, or Saigas.

 

 

Let's see a pic!

 

I'm picking up my Mossberg 500A tonight. Gonna get the M4 stock put on it and a heat shield attachment.

 

They are nice, moderately cheap shotguns that have a lot of potential if you want to mod them up.

 

Oh yeah..the home defense thing isn't too bad, either...

[pistonring8 1]

Nice choice. It will look bad ass too!

[AegisDei 2]

Let's see a pic!

I'm picking up my Mossberg 500A tonight. Gonna get the M4 stock put on it and a heat shield attachment.

They are nice, moderately cheap shotguns that have a lot of potential if you want to mod them up.

Oh yeah..the home defense thing isn't too bad, either...

 

Have you seen the ATI heat-shield with ghost rings? It's a pretty good idea and cheap way to get ghost ring sights on the gun. I'm waiting to get a buttstock sleeve for extra ammo and a barrel clamp to put on my flashlight, then I'll have pictures. It's nothing too special, but it's effective and cheap.

[BattleRifleG3 16]

The ATI Heatshield with ghost ring sites is plastic junk. I have seen them and felt them. A universal plastic heatshield with sites should set off a few red flags.

 

Thankfully ATI does make many other shotgun accessories that are decent. The integrated pistol grip and buttstock are fine with me if you want such a thing, though my use is sporting. For tactical capability, I prefer a standard stock.

[DaGroaner 2]

I used to shoot a lot of trap with a couple of 870s. I broke the ejector springs on both of them more than once. I don't know if they made a bad lot of those springs or not but after the fifth or sixth time I sold them both and replaced them with a Mossy 500. I planned on getting another one but never got around to it and have never needed a backup. I quit shooting trap and changed the 30" barrel to an 18" and changed the wood to folding plastic but I have put tens of thousands of rounds through that gun in the last 18 years and haven't even replaced the firing pin. Now that I think about it I think I'll replace the firing pin. It's probably a failure waiting to happen especially now that I've opend my big mouth. Funny I haven't shot that old gun since I got my S-12s, I wonder why?

[AegisDei 2]

Hrm...I'm glad I didn't go with the heatshield + ghost rings, thanks for the warning BR3. I'm keepin' mine as plain and cheap as possible, but I'm happy with it. I'm surprised at how mild the kick is: I was expecting a lot more because most of my shotgun experience has been with an inertia operated benelli (kicks like mule) or saiga (milder than the mossy).

[chris410 0]

Personally I use a Mossberg hs410, I picked up a used one for $175 and you can usually find them for that much or so used. It already comes with a forward pistol grip and I modified a ATI M500/590 PG stock to fit it pretty easily, I plan on fitting the M4 style to it.

Its light and pretty short, and I dont care about it getting confiscated. Also my wife, who is on the small side can mangae it just fine.

It is damn reliable, the only probs I had with it were in a subzero day in a icestorm the action was a little rough after about 80 rnds or so. They feed 2.5" and 3" no problem except for the steel hulled russian ones, which dont even eject from my NEF single shot (or saiga). As for optics (if you wanted) a M500 mount (I used a convert-a-mount) can be modded to fit. In my mind this is the ideal home defense shotgun.