School me on shotguns...

[chezuki]

I totally disagree with 00 buck for home defense. You need to keep in mind what is behind you in a home, and 00 buck will penetrate walls possibly hitting other occupants in the home. Possibly the neighbors. Number 4 shot is still Very effective at most home situations, 30 ft. or less. A pump is a great option, because not much can sound much more menacing than the sound of a side racking in the middle of the night.

Ok here we go:

ANYTHING powerful enough to stop a threat will also penetrate drywall. If the threat is between you and your kids in the other room, you don't have a clear shot- MOVE.

Also, this is not the movies. A blast of 00 buck is infinitely more menacing than the sound of the pump. If he hears me rack the gun, it means I missed with the first shot.

 

[Hookeye]

On racking the slide..........

If I'm to give a warning, it'd be verbal.

My shotgun will have a known round chambered before that.
Risk a misfeed, or take a live one out?

NFW

 

[fyver]

Mossy 500,in 12ga. with a youth stock for home defense, swap barrels of your choice for Ur needs, field barrel, slug barrel, I like the big red safety switch on the reciever for no guesswork selection, there light, and reliable. Train with low recoil bird shot. Do a ill research on Ken hakathorn shotgun tactics. And you'll come to love the versatility of the shotgun. And how easy the 12 ga. Is to run. And fall in love with the 500. I love the 870. But bang for the buck. And no hicups. I lean towards the 500. The 590. Kinda limits you
to HD cause of the mag tube.

Hope that helps.

Great advice here sir. Thanks.

 

[armedhoosier451]

Mossy 500,in 12ga. with a youth stock for home defense, swap barrels of your choice for Ur needs, field barrel, slug barrel, I like the big red safety switch on the reciever for no guesswork selection, there light, and reliable. Train with low recoil bird shot. Do a ill research on Ken hakathorn shotgun tactics. And you'll come to love the versatility of the shotgun. And how easy the 12 ga. Is to run. And fall in love with the 500. I love the 870. But bang for the buck. And no hicups. I lean towards the 500. The 590. Kinda limits you
to HD cause of the mag tube.

Hope that helps.

Good advice here. Let me also say that the 500 has a user serviceable screw in ejector where as the 870 is riveted in and is not easily changeable. Also on a 500 the "loading flap" is always up to load and is not prone to jams, unlike the 870 where you could possible cause a jam when loading fast and not pushing the shell all the way in the mag tube where it pops back out, and gets stuck against the flap.

 

[Jordan]

So I'm looking at an entry-level shotgun, primarily for home defense but possibly for hunting later on. I'm relatively small frame so I was considering 20 gauge over a 12 gauge. Anyone have any suggestions?

Currently own a 10/22, Glock 19, and Colt 6290, but nothing in shotguns right now. Thanks for everyone's thoughts!

Take a look at the Mossberg SA-20. Its semi auto which will help with recoil and its a 20ga. Its offered with pistol grip or traditional stocks. I would go for the traditional stocks and loose the rifle sights. My set up at home (on an M500) consists of a bead backing up a quick detach pistol sized reflex sight for simple single dot POA at night.

 

[hrearden]

Good advice here. Let me also say that the 500 has a user serviceable screw in ejector where as the 870 is riveted in and is not easily changeable. Also on a 500 the "loading flap" is always up to load and is not prone to jams, unlike the 870 where you could possible cause a jam when loading fast and not pushing the shell all the way in the mag tube where it pops back out, and gets stuck against the flap.

Those are good points. I used to be a 500 12ga man for cost and all the points you mentioned. However, Ive found the 870 just as reliable. Ive found the little added weight soaks up a little recoil and the ergonomics are a hair more appealing. And I can get used ones for $300 or under. As I use my shotguns for a lot, this is what I prefer.

As far as the ejector goes, Ive often wondered why a gun designer would put in one that is difficult or impossible to replace as is the case on several long and handguns. However, I have yet to have any firearm I have worn an ejector out on. Especially a pump shotgun that kicks ass on both ends. Ive only replaced an ejector on a Mossy when someone lost it due to cleaning or lost the screw. Ive never seen that thin piece of sheet metal wear out.

As far as the carrier on an 870 getting in the way, I havent seen that either. Maybe in a high stress situation. Either way, its not enough of a concern for me to switch. Thats also why they made whats called the "flextab" system. If you look on the bottom of the carrier on some 870s, youll see a rectangular cutout that is flexible. If a jam like that occurs, release the slide and bang the recoil pad on the ground to force rack the slide and clear it.

The most horrible jams Ive ever encountered in pumps were in John Browning designs like Stevens 520/620 and Winchester '97's. The 620 happened to me while hunting.

 

[Tula47]

If your looking for a good shotgun that won't break the bank, maverick 88 is great gun for the money.

 

[hrearden]

If your looking for a good shotgun that won't break the bank, maverick 88 is great gun for the money.

The best part about the Mavericks is that they are just a 500 with cheap furniture and a different safety. All parts but the safety will interchange.