The Defensive Shotgun

My HD shotgun is the venerable Remington 870 Express 12 gauge. Had it fully modded as tactical for years, but now am refinishing it back to matte black (no more camo) and replacing the old Choate folding PG stock with a standard style laminated stock & forearm. The 8 round mag extension and side saddle shell carrier will remain. The original barrel was long ago shortened to 20 inches, to fit the mag tube.
I carried an 870 on security duty on my Navy ship, and have the old 16ga 870 from my early hunting days, as well as my late Dad's shotguns (including his 12 gauge 870 Wingmaster). The 870 and I are old friends from way back.

 

Right now in shot guns I have mostly antiques I can't even use modern charges with ,all except a single shot H&R short barrel .
If I ever get the money together, what I want is a circuit judge in 410 /.45 perfect for home defense.
Not what you'd call a survival weapon for hunting, or returning fire on snipers, but for the range of 410 and 45 cal. even those wearing body armor @ close range would feel it.

 

ex GI - Stevens 520 riot gun with a cuts compensator

 

I don't have shotguns covered yet in my defensive strategy. A shotgun likely also means a whole new slew of reloading equipment in my prepping supplies as well as just the gun (sigh).

I've been thinking a while about the Mossberg SA-20 tactical model. It's small, light, and for home defense a 20 gauge should be adequate. It's also something my wife or any other small framed person can handle more easily, plus I can get two for about the same price as a single 930 12 gauge tactical gun. My last thought is that when we had the last ammunition panic, all the 12 gauge was gone from the shelves, but I could find 20 gauge almost everywhere.

 

Rem 870 Express "Tactical" with the 7 round mag and black stock...nothing fancy.
Also have an old 28" Savage pump in my "decoy" gun rack on the wall for hunting.

 

3M

I have 930 SPX and the 590SPX (both 12ga) and both are great weapons.

The 930 sometimes has issues with low base rounds. But as long as you are shooting hibase you are fine.

The ghost ring sites are great

I paid $400 for the 590 (on a Virginia firearms website from a Tech student) and $450 for the 930(gun shop used)

 

My ideal defensive shot gun is my Winchester 1300 with 13 inch barrel.
I tried a pistol grip but it just work better with the full stock.
Legal 18+ plus barrels are just too long.

 

Here is mine

 

Sooo you get your ammo from the evidence room at the local PD?

 

I hear they've got some great stuff in that room but the wife's son won't give me a key..

 

BTW! The 590SPX does come with that Bayonet. The wife asked why I needed one with a bayonet........ I answered "Because it has a bayonet". NUFF Said

Then she just walked out of the office mumbling

 

590A1 - 9 Shot SPX | O.F. Mossberg & Sons

MOSSBERG 590A1 50771 W/ BAYONET LNIB PENNY : Pump Action Shotguns at GunBroker.com

The Mossberg 590 shotgun is the pump action shotgun you can count on. They have the credentials and track record to prove it. The Mossberg military 590 model is the only pump action shotguns ever to pass all stringent U.S. Military MilSpec-3443 standards. Featuring parkerized finish, entended magazine, 3" chamber and thumb safety.

 

well that gun was taken from me it took me two years to get it back and I keep the evidence bag as a reminder.

 

Sorry to hear about that...but it's a great example of why one needs to not only have more than one firearm...but not to keep them all in the "same basket" as it were.

 

After watching the review on You Tube, I bought a Mossberg 930 SPX. Even though I'm way heavy in shot guns (owning Remingtons, Mossbergs and Winchesters in all configurations). After wringing it out on the range, I think this may be my new "go to" shotgun. Check it out.

 

Besides the badass bayonet, its a millspec barrel which is about 2x as thick as a standard barrel.

So if you run out of ammo, and break the blade off in someone(doubtful) you can always beat the crap out of them

I really like the way the front site is protected in its cradle to save the fiberoptic from damage.

The barrel is also "ported" which helps keep the muzzle down for follow up shots.


Some will argue that any porting can ruin night vision so YMMV