light recoil 20g for wife's HD

[bronco1500]

Im looking to get the softest shooting 20g I can get for the "boss." She is 5'4" 105 lbs, hates recoil, and hates me more when I submit her to it.

Id prefer a wood & steel gun, but its not a deal breaker. I have no experience with the 20 but I am not new to guns.

I like the 11-87 youth compact, but its plastic. I also like the Weatherby sa-08 its wood, but I dont know the quality or recoil ability.

If somebody has an idea please help

Thanks Gents

[smokeyfs]

My wife is the same size I used target loads when I took her to the range using my 12g coach gun. No problem. But when she put the shotgun under the bed for home defense I secretly put 00 buck in it for her. I figure if something bad is happening her adrenaline is gonna kick in and she won't even feel the recoil.

[shovelon]

Winchester makes an AAA Featherlite 20 gauge shot shell. Has a velocity of some 980 FPS. My daughter really likes them. Not cheap but she does not shoot as much as I do.

It has been mentioned here that Fabarm XLR series autoloaders have a mild kick and can cycle the ultralite shells.

[tankarian]

I recommend a gas piston shotgun like a Beretta, Winchester or maybe a Fausti Stefano. Here is a really nice looking one listed on Gunbroker http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=458120794
Fausti are really nice Italian shotguns but they don't have the name recognition like Beretta so they are less expensive than they should be.

[-hanko]

I have an idea...

Why are you selecting the weapon for your wife?

Why isn't she finding one that's perfect for her?

Inquiring minds, etc.

[bronco1500]

She puts up with my hobbies but rarely participates. She loves the AR tho, but it lives inside the safe. The 20g would be for getting "to" the safe. Ive used super light 12g loads in a weighted Beretta & she still gives me **** for it. I thought it was reasonable.....Im gonna try a light 20, then a .410, then I give up....

[Thefeeder]

She puts up with my hobbies but rarely participates. She loves the AR tho, but it lives inside the safe. The 20g would be for getting "to" the safe. Ive used super light 12g loads in a weighted Beretta & she still gives me **** for it. I thought it was reasonable.....Im gonna try a light 20, then a .410, then I give up....

Have you tried any shotguns that actually fit your wife? or is she being beat up by guns made for the average male 5' 10" or youth.

[Bill Steele]

The truth is, the more she shoots a shotgun (ideally one that fits her), the less recoil will be an issue. Even better, if she shoots it with a purpose, she likely won't even feel it.

My recommendation would be to get her involved in a clays game (skeet, trap, sporting clays) with some instruction (not you) up front. Once she starts breaking a few clays, all the discussion about recoil will melt away.

Then just get her a nice gas operated 12ga fitted by a competent smith and some reduced recoil buck shot for the under the bed time.

[NATEWA]

If she likes the ar15, then hook this up. Get some cheap electronic earmuffs to put on there too.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00H9DYIXQ/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/176-5501925-1379322

[bronco1500]

Then just get her a nice gas operated 12ga fitted by a competent smith and some reduced recoil buck shot for the under the bed time.

What make/model would you recommend ? What are the quality gas 20's that are being produced nowadays ?

[renardsubtil]

You might want to rent a few shotguns to see what she feels is right for her...I know a sporting clay place south of San Jose where you can rent shotguns, I don't recall if they have anything other than 20g over/under shotguns though....

[bigbearbear]

If your wife is familiar with the AR-15, why don't you make it the primary HD firearm instead? It is because the AR-15 you have is rather expensive so you don't want it mounted outside the safe? If that's the case, perhaps get a cheaper AR-15 instead? A cheap S&W M&P Sport might be useful here.

If a shotgun is the preferred solution, maybe a 20 gauge Weatherby SA-459 TR? I've handled the SA-459 at Weatherby's Paso Robles office, you should pay them a visit and try out all the guns they have. Handles just like a AR-15 as its LOP is fairly short and the sights are also similar to AR-15 too. There's also a picatinny rail if you want optics on it.

[bigbearbear]

You might want to rent a few shotguns to see what she feels is right for her...I know a sporting clay place south of San Jose where you can rent shotguns, I don't recall if they have anything other than 20g over/under shotguns though....

Its in Morgan Hill, Coyote Sporting Clay. Their rental shotguns are all break-action double action types as far as I know, Brownings.

They do have newer semi-autos that are "demo guns". These are more expensive to try, its for people who are shopping for shotguns and want to try shooting them first.

[aippi]

Since this is for HD and based on your other statements an 870 20ga Jr would serve well and they make a low recoil buckshot in 20ga now. Or, put the best recoil reducing stock in the world on it along with an M4 Limbsaver pad and it is like shooting a .410. The stock is also adjustable with a simple pull of a lever so she can use it and you can have a blast (pun intended) with it also.

You get the 20ga 870 6+1 HD from your LGS, get a Mesa LEO Stock set and the Mesa Lucy Adapter and it would look like this but with an 18.5" Bead sight barrel.

[Bill Steele]

What make/model would you recommend ? What are the quality gas 20's that are being produced nowadays ?

I think one of the best gas operated 20's ever made for a smaller framed person was the Beretta AL391 Urika Youth model.

The only downside to that gun is the LOP is still 13.25". If she is 5'4", that still might be slightly on the long side, but any competent smith can take a half inch off and fit a nice gel pad.

The Weatherby SA-08 is a very similar (copy) of the Beretta action, the youth model has a very short LOP (easy to make longer). I am not sure if the Weatherby comes with stock shims that allow you to fit the gun more closely, the AL391 Urika Youth does, but otherwise, I think that might be a good choice.

I sold one of the Beretta's above on GB a while ago for $950, they show up occasionally.

There are a lot of youtube videos out there on how to tell if a shotgun fits and what can be more easily or less easily done to adjust ones that are not ideal. Check them out, they will give you a lot to think about when you are standing together at the gun rack trying short LOP models out.

Good luck.

PS - Found it: http://www.weatherby.com/product/sho..._sytheticyouth