HD Shotgun MUST HAVES

[tj_v89]

Just snagged a used Mossberg 590 20inch barrel for a smoking good price....now I want to customize....what are the thoughts out there on add ons? Side saddles, plastic or Velcro? optics? Ghost ring sights? lasers? tac lights? HELP haha...gracias in advance for any suggestions

 

[IncendiaryGunner]

A light is crucial.

Extended magazine tube and a side saddle are both great accessories IMO, but identifying your target in the dark is the only real "must have" in my mind...

Ghost ring sights and optics don't really seem to be worth it if it is simply filling the role of a home defense shotgun, and tend to only shine when you are taking longer distance shots.

Going to the range and firing the type of ammunition you intend to use to understand the patterns at different distances will likely benefit you more than anything you can hang off of it.

 

[iChokePeople]

A light is crucial.

Extended magazine tube and a side saddle are both great accessories IMO, but identifying your target in the dark is the only real "must have" in my mind...

^^

 

[lovemachine]

Here's some good ideas.

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/long_guns/175105-finished_my_home_defense_shotgun.html

 

[cosermann]

Ammo.

 

[Sierra117]

a good light and ammo

 

[scottka]

I've heard the Velcro side saddles are less likely to break or come loose, but I have ZERO personal experience with either. A light would also be my first buy.

 

[bobbittle]

A light and some #4 or #00 buck shot.

 

[mrmech]

Put a laser flash light with compression switches. I love those accessories

 

[trex75]

Good light, #4 buckshot and maybe a side saddle

 

[cmstuard]

Good light, extended mag tube, side saddle, good ammo (#4 or 00), and a reduce recoil stock. I wasn't sold on the reduced recoil stock until I shot my dads 590 with it...world of difference. Put one on my 870 and love it...I even think my wife could handle it. Oh and the stock below has another 6 rounds on the other side.

 

[tradertator]

If your house is really dark at night, a Surefire forend is a must. Tape switches suck on a pump gun, and you need something quality to withstand a shotguns recoil. Also, most firearm instructors will not advocate leaving a flash light on, and clearing your house. You want something that you can momentarily light up a room with, and then turn off. If I'm the bad guy and all I see is a flashlight bouncy around, guess where I'm shooting? My current house is in town, so with the aid of a couple cheapo LED night lights, my night time vision adjust quite well. Plus I work 3rd shift, so it's plenty sunny when I sleep.

Side saddles are a must. My favorite is Mesa, but the Tac-Star ones work well too. If you go with a velcro one, get this one:
Esstac Shotgun Card
Very high quality. You might also consider something like a Speed Feed stock, that can carry up to an additional 4 rounds. There is a common misconception that you can't miss with a shotgun, which is completely ridiculous. And since pump guns have a fairly low ammo carrying capacatity, extra ammo could be the difference of life or death in a gun fight.

As far as the magazine extension, I can't speak highly enough for the Wilson Combat ones. It's the only one I have on my shotguns any more.

Ghost ring sights are nice if you plan to mostly shoot slugs, but a bead is just fine for most 00 or #4's

 

[Jeremy1066]

And please don't mention putting a laser on a shotgun again

 

[bowtie]

And please don't mention putting a laser on a shotgun again

why not the green ones guarantee a direct hit over the red ones

 

[bowtie]

First thing I would do is shoot your shotgun with different loads so you can see which you like best and which patterns you like best. Best 00 buck out there is hornady critical defense or federal LE both have the same style flight control wad which keeps the patterns very tight.

Some like a pistol grips some dont. I'm not a big fan of collapsible stocks on shotguns. They belong on an AR 15. Get a light pref one from streamlight as they sell alot of weapon mounted lights. Keep in mind the more stuff you add the more its going to weigh.

Heres my setups I dont have a light mounted on either of them yet cause most of my attention is on my AR setups right now.

 

[fire259]

If you're going to put a laser on a shotgun, you need one with a beam like this.Amazon.com: 5 In 1 Green Beam Laser Pointer Pen 5mw: Electronics

 

[Disposable Heart]

Ammo and if your situation needs it, a light.

Biggest thing: Training. Get out there and practice, practice, practice. Practice isn't goofing off with a box of birdshot and 1 slug (for big boom) at the range. Practice isn't fire a box of 5 of buck to see how it patterns, then load a second box into the gun.

A shotgun is a versatile, yet very limited in scope weapon. It runs out of ammo quick, if you aren't shooting, you are loading. It has limitations: magazine capacity, requirement for slug change over to engage targets at long distance, scatter on looser choked guns causing pellet misses on targets (and potential liability with each).

If you choose to run a scatter gun, know it inside and out. Shotguns are very deceptive in it's ability to lull you into thinking that it will make up for your lack of training and practice. You see it's boom, you hear the asinine tales of cocking shotguns and sodded pants of bad guys upon hearing the sound, you see what it does to paper, etc... But you can get killed VERY quick if you tote a scatter gun and don't know what it can and cannot do. It is NOT a claymore on a stick. It is NOT a one hit killer. It is NOT solely a deterrant based on sound alone. And so on.

Adding parts onto a shotgun will tailor it to more and more adverse situations, but realistically, most of those additions will make it a more potent weapon OUTSIDE the home than INSIDE the home.

Slings are helpful outside the home for transitions to sidearm or climbing over obstacles, but inside a home, liability (grabbing onto door handles or providing something for bad guy to grapple with).

Pistol grips (not pistol gripped full stocks), while shortening the overall length and making it more handy, are horrible for follow up shots (read: recoil) and add nothing to accuracy.

Side saddles can be cumbersome in the closer confines of a hall when trying to load the shotgun, but add vital firepower in and outside of the home. Problem is, you have to learn how to run them and practice loading from the side saddle first, then load the saddle.

Lights are universally helpful, but get a good one, not some UTG piece of crap (and yes, some people will now spout off about how theirs didn't fail after a single box of birdshot, blah blah blah)

If capable of taking chokes: Spend a solid day collecting various ammo and pattern them through a variety of chokes, finding the one that is the tightest.

Ammo: Get solid 00 buck (I actually like #4 buck, not bird, for inside the home, 00 for anywhere out and about). Esperge the desire or advice to run heavy dove loads or similar dreck. You will die if you **** off the wrong guy by causing severe skin wounds with birdshot.

Recoil reducing stocks: Some people like em, I don't. They add weight in many cases and throw off the balance away from my liking. If you like em, go for it, but it's not vital (remember, you should have trained into that recoil, remember?)

Ghost ring or rifle sights: Absolutely awesome for an outside the home gun, not needed in my mind for a home gun. Trijicon used to make a tritinum "bead" for simple shotguns, get one if you can. If not, train into it. A trained man should be able to cover a chest of a bad guy with slugs at 50 yards with a bead sight. If you cant, you need to put down the shotgun, relegate it to bird duty or learn to shoot it right.

Extended tubes: If you can, go for it, but make sure it's reliable. Wait, that means you have to train with it!! lol Every extra round could be that one you need and shotguns have notoriously small capacities.

All in all, end of the day, training first, gizmos second...

 

[VN Vet]

And please don't mention putting a laser on a shotgun again

How about a HD Sluggun then?

I have 2 3/4 shells with #8 birdshot in my HD Shotgun. Birdshot? some will ask. Yes. Ever see what it does to hog?

 

[chezuki]

How about a HD Sluggun then?

I have 2 3/4 shells with #8 birdshot in my HD Shotgun. Birdshot? some will ask. Yes. Ever see what it does to hog?

Was the hog hopped up on PCP and charging down your hallway?

 

[tradertator]

If you're going to put a laser on a shotgun, you need one with a beam like this.Amazon.com: 5 In 1 Green Beam Laser Pointer Pen 5mw: Electronics

Great idea. Your also going to need a roll of duck tape to attach it, and a package of shims to jam between in there to adjust it

Great rant Disposable Heart .

One other thing I thought of is your not going to want a pistol grip styled stock since you went with a Mossberg, due to the location of the safety. Also, if you plan on having both shot and slugs on it, be sure your familiar with how to do a change over, since it's different than that of an 870.