first time buying a shotgun

[sandmanx408]

Hey guys I am curently in the market for a shotgun, I have multiple handguns but ive always been told shotgun is the way to go for home defense, I do agree with that statement, would need some training like i do with my handguns, but overall i do agree with that.

I am looking for something not too expensive, currently I have in mind the 870, mossberg 500, and benelli supenova, as im not wanting to go too crazy on them and ive heard the entry level shotguns are still amazing.

I guess what i really want to know is is it worth it to just buy one with a long barrel, as i would like to go trap shooting with them, or buy a tactical model and buy a longer barrel later, a friend of mine said just buy a tactical, and buy another shotgun with a long barrel altogether down the road.


anyways i do live in nevada so there no BS that you guys back home have to deal with, what setups wold you recommend and why i guess is what i would want to know, also what loads woul you run, currently i do live in an apartment complex, just regular drywall, i dont know if that really matters or not, im not to familiar with balistics of shotguns as i am with handgun rounds, so any insight wold be appreciated

so any recommendations would be good, looking to get this as soon as i have the cash in hand for it

[Frito Bandido]

Big 5 sells a Mossberg 500 kit that comes with both 18" and 28" barrel for like $300... barrel swaps really easy on the 500.

[Jpzum]

+1 for the big 5 special.
But you'll probably end up with a collection of shotguns.

[DArBad]

I am also new to shotguns, been a handguns shooter for many years.

The Remington 870s, Mossberg 500/590's are acceptable entry level shotguns. I just bought the Mossberg 590A1 last July. It was the US Service Model with a 20 inch heavy-walled barrel and 8 + 1 shot capacity. I bought mainly for home defense as I don't hunt. My HD load is a Remington Pheasant Load 2 3/4, 5 shot at a velocity of 1330. It is a hotter load than the birdshots but milder than the 00 buckshots and the slugs.

As to your question: My suggestion is to get a longer barreled shotgun rather than the shorter 18.5 inch tactical length. There are " combo " models such as the Mossberg 500 Field/Security models that come from the box with a long 28 inch barrel and 18.5 inch.

If you are leaning to the Remingtons, in your budget range and buying brand new, I would get the Remington Express 870 Field use with the 26 to 28 inch barrel. Wood stock or synthetic, your choice.

Good luck, its a fun endeavor looking for your first shotgun.

[MrSam]

The 870 is a good choice. I got the Tactical for under $350 last black friday.

[CSACANNONEER]

Get a 500 or an 870 with a 24" or longer barrel first and start breaking clays and hunting with it. Later, you can get a shorter barrel or another dedicated tacticool one if you still feel the need for it.

[L84CABO]

First and foremost, decide whether you want a Remington or a Mossberg.

Then figure out if your priority is defense or clays. Get the appropriate barrel first and add the other later. With these two guns, there's no need to get a whole second gun later...unless you just want to.

If it were me, I'd get a short barrel and configure it for KISS home defense gun. If you want to start adding pistol grips and integrated forends, and the like, then yea, you may actually need a whole separate gun for Trap.

Also, Big 5 usually has deals on the Mossberg combos with a short and long barrel. This could be a really good way to go but only if you really like the Mossberg. It's only a deal if you really want the gun. Don't SETTLE on it if what you really want is an 870.

Oh...and you can do the same thing with a Benelli M2 when you're ready to step up to a semi auto. A nice M2 and a couple of barrels and you're good to go for most anything. But with that said, the Benelli M4 is a joy to shoot but there are no longer barrel options...sadly.

[ricemanff]

I recommend the super nova. It is field dress able. The Remington is a very good choice also. The moss erg is a lot heavier and the action is not very smooth. It also has a tendency to jam a little more. The super nova also has shims to fit it to you. Try them out, shoulder the gun with your eyes closed, then open your eyes and see if it lines up. Good luck

[SDM44]

I've owned both a Mossberg Maverick 88 and Remington 870 Tactical Express. The Mav88 was only $179 at the time (Turner's holiday sale) and the 870 was $319 (again a Turner's holiday sale, and after a Remington $30 MIR).

Both shotguns were great and I regret selling both.... don't really regret selling my Benelli SuperNova Tactical for a few other reasons, but for HD setup the Mav88 and 870 were perfect.

IMO, the $100-$150 difference may or may not be that much of a difference for some, since you have to buy extra parts like a forend action tube and parts if you want to change out the 1-piece forend in the Maverick. Still, the Maverick is much cheaper overall when both are setup the way I like them. Also, both equally shot everything I fed it and I would trust either with my life. One of the main downfalls for both were that I couldn't add a mag extension to either.

If I had to pick one over the other IF price wasn't a factor, I would get the 870 again because I liked the asthetics better, and it just felt like a better built shotgun. That's not to say I wouldn't buy another Mav88, as I definitely will when I see them on sale again at either Big 5 or Turners, since I want another budget/cheap but reliable spare HD gun setup elsewhere in the house.


While those are my opinions from 1st hand experience with both the Maverick 88 and 870 Tactical Express, ymmv.

[sanjoseskater]

Mossberg 500 is a great shotgun. I have two with 1000s of shells never a problem. Get the big 5 silver combo set that comes with a 18.5 barrel for home security and a 28 barrel for busting clays. Sign up for big 5 email they had that set on sell Oct 6, 7, and 8 for $299.00. Don't spend more than 320 and with the money saved take a tactical shotgun class or lessons at a sporting clays place. Also a mossberg 500 or 590 with a built in foreend light can be had for 400-450 great idea having the foreend light so you can turn on and off light without taking hand off of pump.

[chuckdc]

Mossberg vs Remington is 6 of one/half dozen of the other, really. The Remington costs more, but if you want to "accessorize", there's more stuff available for it. The Mossberg costs less (generally, the combo kit runs about what an 870 Express would cost), and is marginally easier for a lefty to operate because of the location of the safety. The Remington has a steel receiver, the Mossbergs are alloy. Can't extend the magazine on Mossberg because of how the barrel attaches, but it is also a little easier to take apart than the Remingtons (in my opinion).

Either one, if taken care of properly, will last a lifetime and more. I know of one 870 that has in excess of 100K rounds through it and still works. The owner was an avid Trap shooter and went through most of a thousand rounds a week with that gun. I have one of each flavor. I like the Remington (won it at a Ducks Unlimited dinner), but I've owned the Mossberg longer and I shoot it slightly better.

[rromeo]

Like a lot of people, I bought a shotgun with an 18.5" barrel, then soon started searching for a 28" barrel so I could go shoot clays.
I've had 3 Mossberg 500s, and I love them.

[sandmanx408]

I have fired the mossberg 500, at the range and busting clays, i believe my friend had the big 5 combo, and it felt fine, my old room mate recommended me the 870, cause it is tried and true, one thing i id really lke about the mossberg was the location of the slide release compared to the 870, but i felt the overall worksmanship of the 870 was better so it is kinda hard to decide, and i know this topic has probably been talked about so much over the last 30 years or so. I know i will go the shroter barrel first because home defense is an everyday thing and i dont have the time to go busting clays as much as i would want.

i will say this it is pretty excitin just thinking about getting another type of firearm platform, havent felt this way since when i bought my first pistol 2 years ago

[Rosereader]

I'm also in the 500 camp, very rugged and simple (just dont go messing with the trigger group).

If you don't mind not having a longer clay/bird barrel the 590 or 500 Persuader (cheaper version of the 590) are excellent options that give you a greater tube capacity than the standard model.

[sandmanx408]

I'm also in the 500 camp, very rugged and simple (just dont go messing with the trigger group).

If you don't mind not having a longer clay/bird barrel the 590 or 500 Persuader (cheaper version of the 590) are excellent options that give you a greater tube capacity than the standard model.

how many more in the tbe are we talking about?