Im looking for some recomendations on a new shotgun, its purpose will be soley for "self-defense" and will be kept in the house prolly 99.9% of the time. Needs to be Smallish, light, easy to use, under 350$ but still have decent stopping power, also needs to be suitable for my girlfriend to not be afraid to use it. Any recomendations guys? THX

 

Winchester 1300 Defender 12GA with 8 shot capacity

Loaded with 2 3/4" 00 buck shot.

Simple, cheap, and very effective.

 

I'd recommend the Mossberg 500A or 500C.
The A can be had at most sporting goods stores for $200. The C comes with a 9 shot capacity and synthetic finish. I think its a bit cheaper.

The A comes in 12, 20, 28 and .410 gauges (2 3/4" & 3") and caliber (2 1/2" and 3"). Also comes with two choke tube
The C comes in 12 gauge, 2 3/4" and 3" has an 18" barrel, and is fixed cylinder choke.

 

My question would be ,have either one of you used a shotgun before?Do you want a shotgun that will hold more than 1 round?A shotgun will make quite a mess at close range.A 12 ga would be my choice.

 

Yes John, the pointy end goes where you want the noise to happen.

I did a bit of competitive skeet shooting when I was in college.

 

I didn't mean you guys as in you posters.I was refering to Explorer.lol.Sorry for the confusion.You guys just replyed the same time i did

 

It's okay, I was just kiddin.

"hey john, where you goin' with that gun of yours...."

 

remington 870 is a good all around shotgun,they can be fitted
with many options. pistol grips,folding butt stocks and others.
thats what we used in the marines and they held up very well.

 

Remington 870

 

remington 870 with the new 3 and 1/2 magnum

 

if the g/f is going to need to be comfortable with it, maybe you should go with a 20 guage. they have more then enough stopping power at close range. a bead sight would be better in the home for quicker aiming. i am 6 foot 1, 190 pounds or so, and own 3 Remington 870s. 2 of them are full sized 12 guages, and my 20 guage is a "youth model" i cant believe how well it fits me though... its lite as hell, short, 21 inch barrel. i can shoulder it and aim really quick. mine has a 21 inch barrel, you might want an 18.5 inch barrel if possible. get a smooth bore so you can use any round you want to put through it, slugs or shot. i cant remember what i paid for it, but with a wood stock you could definantly get one for well under $350. if the gun store doesnt have the exact gun you want behind the counter, order one to suit your needs. they should be able to get one to ya in a week.

if you put a sling on it, get a basic 1" or 1 1/4" nylon sling. those tactical slings are great, if youve been trained to use them right. in my opinion they can be clumsy and get in the way if you dont really know how to use them quick ( like me ) i hate those slings... my 20 guage holds 4 rounds in the tube, one in the chamber. you can get magazine extenions for them, anywhere from 20-50 bucks. just dont get a plastic one. to install them there are some dimples on the magazine tube on the 870s you have to drill out and sand down, no big deal takes a couple minutes. cant even see it after its done.

im basically suggesting a remington 870 becuase ive owned 5 of them, think they are great. i know mossberg makes a great gun but ive never owned own. on second thought... if your g/f is a strong woman, maybe a 12 guage would be ok for her. just use lighter loads and get lots of practice with it. good luck

 

The Mag 10 Roadblocker is my weapon of choice in that situation. However, an 870 is good and I think Ithaca makes a nice little 12ga double barrel 18" swings around the corners and doorways nicely.

 

"Winchester 1300 Defender 12GA with 8 shot capacity

Loaded with 2 3/4" 00 buck shot.

Simple, cheap, and very effective."






My thoughts exactly!!

 

Remington 870 come in a home defense model. Its the normal 3" chamber w/ 4 round magazine, plus the 18.5" barrel. Ofcourse the barrels can be switched out as any 870. I much enjoyed mine.
Some guys will tell you to get a gun with 8-10 round magazines. Yea, sound neat. If you cant hit your target the first time, you shouldnt have one. The Home Defense model is much more agile than a 28" barrel with a magazine running the full length.
Thats my opinion anyways.
Oh, and 'smaller' than 5 shot is kinda scary. Four or less tends to go thru house walls too fast and hit what you didnt mean to hit.

 

Mossberg 590, 12 gauge with extended magazine, used by MPs, etc., loaded with eight rounds of #4 buckshot.