Shotgun Stock Type and Safeties Question

[4DSJW]

This question is probably for the folks who use a shotgun regularly in competition or in tactical/defensive training since they have had to deal with the safety on/off issue over and over in many different scenarios.

When you do "most" of your shooting with the shotgun do you prefer a traditional stock or one with a pistol grip? The reason I ask is that if a traditional stock is preferred then a safety like the ones on the Mossbergs seems like a better choice as your thumb is always right there. If a pistol grip is preferred then a safety closer to the trigger would be a better location.

I would really appreciate hearing what you have learned about what works well and what only SOUNDS like it will work well, LOL.

Thank you for your help!

[prc77]

I prefer a short LOP and a traditional stock. I shoot long guns lefty, so the Mossberg is a perfect fit for me. I now use a FN SLP for competition. and had the safety flip-flopped for a lefty.

[Ricky-Ray]

Personal preference. When I started taking defensive shotgun classes I had a pistol grip on there. 1/2 way thru the class I realized that the pistol grip stock I had on my 870 made the entire shotgun too long for me to hold properly and shooting it in certain way's was very difficult on my wrist. I switched back to the factory stock and everything is much more comfortable for me now.

[4DSJW]

Thanks for the comments so far.

Ray, I have to agree/disagree with you. Personal preference is why you put the pistol grip stock on... personal experience is why you switched it back. This is exactly the kind of how/why information that I'm hoping for, thank you!

[aippi]

Close quarters is point shooting. Imagine grasping your convenstional stock and putting your finger on the trigger. Look> Your finger is pointing down 45 degrees. Now imagine it with a Pistol grip stock like the Speedfeed IV. Your finger is just like you would point at something (except of course the tip). It is also just like a hand gun so if you shoot a lot of hand guns you have an edge here. These stocks make it easier to point shoot for me. Maybe not for you but dang sure work for me and have for many years. Also easier to cover a threat one handed if need be.

So yes, pistol grip stock like the SF IV, IV-S and even III or the SpecOps or the Mesa. Add the fact that weapon retension is better if you get jumped and are in fight to hold on to your weapon and these are the better option for close quarters.

[OliveDrab]

I just put a hogue short stock on my 870 and I like the maneuverability!

[G-forceJunkie]

Short bantam stock, no pistol grip, and a butt cuff. No other crap hanging, strapped, or bolted to any of my defensive shotguns.

[BigDogatPlay]

I prefer conventional stocks, wood or synthetic for the most part and in general. Either a crossbolt or a tang safety is easily trained with to proficiency. On the 870, particularly the trigger finger when indexed should fall across the safety. If you put an oversized button on, such as a Vang Comp, you should find it very natural. The tang safety is also well positioned with the thumb up grip on a conventional stock.

On a .mil or LE application, pistol grip is usually best. This is where the crossbolt safety, such as an 870, shines. As aippi suggests above there are several good options for pistol grip stocks. Most of my experience (LE) is with Speedfeed and IMO they are tops. These are not as good with a tang safety and take a lot more familiarization.

FWIW, I tried a Speedfeed and (unfortunately) an ATI stock on my Mossberg 500 and was never able to get comfortable with running the tang safety.

[esskay]

Hate to say it but competition tends not to provide too much practice with running the safety. Particularly with shotgun, I dare say most guys will unsafe the weapon at standby and not touch the safety again throughout the whole stage. Personally with rifle and pistol (if running a 1911 style) I will actually safe the weapon when running between positions but a lot of guys don't.

As for shotgun, Aippi has good points, but I find with a shotgun for me they point more naturally with a straight stock. So I prioritized the shooting aspect and this was the biggest factor for me in going with straight stocks, given the type of shooting I do (or might do) with shotguns.

I run a Benelli for competition now and prefer a straight stock (side benefit with Benellis is that their PG stocks have a very long LOP which is mitigated with a straight stock). For defensive purposes my 870 has a youth straight stock (I used to have a PG Knoxx stock on it). I have run several types of shotguns hard in matches, training, etc, and I suspect that after a full training day running any of the systems you will become proficient at working the safety regardless!

[RDT72]

My experience with a patrol 870 was that it had a conventional stock that was excellent in preventing recoil, but LOP was horrible for a shorter guy like me, the entry team's less lethal (bean bag) 870 was a pistol grip with no stock for higher mobility in close quarters. My home defense Mossberg shotgun is getting a pistol grip over the top folding stock to replace the collapsible stock it came with.

I currently PREFER the mobility of a pistol grip with the OPTION of a stock. Haven't shot or converted to the new configuration yet but it makes sense in my head

[aippi]

esskay - You make a very valid point and I think guys with a lot of conventional shotgun shooting can use the conventional stock better and point shoot better with it. Especially the trap, skeet and them Sporting clay guys. Those sporting clay guys would be some of the most deadly shotgun shooters you could face in a fight. They just think about you and hit you. So those shooters should stay with what they have already mastered.

I watched my team doing weapon retention drills and was sold on the SF IV. These days I run the SF-IVS and Mesa and even a SpecOps (did not have these fine recoil reducing stocks back then). I also saw the worth of a pistol grip stock in recovery drills and other drills. For me it is the only option for my Defense shotguns. Not for everyone but I would recomend a guy new to this looking for an HD start with a SF IV or IVS unless he has done a lot of sport shooting.

[4DSJW]

Thank you for all the thoughtful replies and comments. I appreciate your insights. I am a Trap shooter, but not frequently, and would love to try Sporting Clays. But this information is for HD use.

The reason I ask is because I will be buying another HD shotgun. I had two Winchester 1300's w/18-1/2 " bbl's and straight stocks. One of them was recently stolen in a burglary and I want a replacement. I like the idea of having two HD shotguns and want to keep the same platform for obvious reasons.

My conundrum is whether or not I want to find another 1300. In the defensive shooting classes I have taken I like the weight (AL receiver) and balance of the 1300 but I found the safety to be poorly placed at the FRONT of the trigger guard. I like the placement of the safety on the 870 but not the weight or balance (steel receiver w/20"bbl and mag extension).

And to really gum up the works... I have always thought that the placement of the safety on the Mossbergs, a 590 if I buy one, was well placed but I have never fired one. I also would need to sell my Winchester 1300 to purchase a second 590 to keep the two HD shotguns the same.

So without going into a "Which is Better" thread that always seem to get out of hand, LOL, I was looking for experienced information on stock and safety use/style. Comments are of course welcome.

Thanks Again!

[Barabas]

I like my 870's to have the traditional stock and a mushroom safety. I like the positive feel and first time users have an easier time finding it without taking their eyes off the target. The trigger finger naturally disengages the mushroom cap as it engages the trigger.

I chose the 870 because I teach new shooters with Marlin .22's and the safety setup is identical. It's an easy transition from one to the other, especially if we've spent enough time on the Marlin's to develop muscle memory. I've found that some shooters have a hard time with the thumb safety because they have to change their grip to disengage. I would imagine these same people would have a harder time reaching it if the shotgun was pistol gripped.