School me on shotguns...

[686 Shooter]

I own, or have owned several "home protection" shotguns, my favorite are Remington 870's, I bought 3 "retired" police guns and restored or modified them into guns that I was comfortable with (shot straight, reliable, no frills). Another gun that I owned in the past and just recently acquired another one, is the Baikal / USSG "Coach Gun", shorter than the 870 so able to maneuver around the tight confines of a typical house and equally as effective.

 

[Hookeye]

I'm not a one gun does it all type, and don't even like switching barrels (rather have another gun).

But for a jack of all trades rig a 23" turkey model 870 Supermag is hard to beat.

 

[birdslayer]

shotgun advice

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.

 

[nra4ever]

Modified saiga with 20 rd drum is awesome for home defense. It will destroy anything in its path with little to no recoil.

 

[Zoub]

I'm relatively small frame so I was considering 20 gauge over a 12

The 20 gauge is great for smaller framed people due to lighter weight. In the end you are going to eat recoil with 12 or 20. 12 has a huge variety of ammo choice so low recoil ammo in a heavier 12 gauge gun is very manageable. For some people having a gun 1 to 1.5lbs lighter that the 20 offers is a real advantage.

If you go 20 for a gun like this go all the way and get a youth or Jr. Model. You will get a shorter LOP and can even get barrels as short as 18".

If you want a truly versatile gun I agree with an earlier post, a typical turkey gun AKA 21 to 23" barrel is awesome but it sounds like you don't hunt much yet.

I may give my Daughter my Benelli M2 20 gauge to take To College, if I do I will probably replace it with the new M2 20 gauge youth model. That is a gun you should look at.

 

[hrearden]

I'm going to go against the grain here, I would recommend a 20ga over a 12ga IMO. Small frame or not, a 20ga is far more versatile. It's lighter weight, less recoil(depending on ammo choice), and just overall, easier to handle.

I currently own 4 scatter guns:
Rem870 Wingmaster 20ga, Rem870 Express Magnum 20ga, Rem870 Tactical 12ga, and a H&R Pardner Protector 12ga(870 knockoff) Out of all of these, my favorite is the Magnum 20ga. Its built on the small receiver 870 design, its very light weight, even with the 26'' barrel, and it will fire 2 3/4'', and 3'' rounds. The only downfall with this particular model is the lack of aftermarket accessories. Being that it's built on the small receiver design, it's VERY limited in terms of acc's/upgrades. There are only few stocks and forearms made for it, as opposed to the larger frames, the 12's, and the 20 Wingmasters.

The 12ga's are awesome though, don't get me wrong. They pack SERIOUS firepower. A
601.5-grain (1 3/8oz) slug traveling ~1500 fps at muzzle delivers roughly 3200ftlbs of energy. That's exceeding the muzzle energy of a .30-06 round, but in a far larger package, meaning more energy into the target. Those numbers are just ridiculous, but they don't come without their side effects. A 12ga magnum kicks like a mule, bottom line. Ammo is cheaper for 12ga however.

To each their own really, but I honestly prefer versatility, over sheer power. I LOOOOVE my 20's.

Im with you buddy. Im from Southern MI, and a great majority of my firearm experience is with shotguns. Ive owned or fired most I can think of off the top of my head, and I have to give my edge to the 20 as well. The 12 definitely has its advantages, but the 20 will match the 12 on performance on a lot of loads until you get to long range/waterfowl territory. As far as slugs go, the 12 is bigger, but the 20 has a flatter trajectory out to 100 (or 200 with sabots) in my experience. The gun (870) is a little lighter, shorter, handier, and just as robust and reliable. I may not have as much lead going downrange, but I guess Ill just have to shoot better.

 

[remauto1187]

Remington 1100 or 1187. The autoloaders will soak up the recoil. Any pump gun in 12ga will beat you to death! Especially slugs and turkey load. (you mentioned the shotgun was for more than just home defense).
I own 2 1187's. Have owned a few 1100's and a few pumps.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I'll back up the 870/500 comment.

If you are looking for SOLID quality, a Remington 870. If you are on a budget and dont care about fit and finish, a mossberg 500. While the 500s arent as nice as the 870s, they are MORE than adequate and you will not experience any difference between the two in the real world from a functional/utilitarian standpoint. Its like questioning whether you should buy a Mercedes or a Chevy sedan. While the Mercedes will be immaculate, they both will get you around town equally well for many years, with neither expecting to leave you on the side of the road due to problems.

I have 3 500s in my cabinet and would buy a 4th if the need arose without hesitation. They are solid, well made shotguns and are no-nonsense. (I also wouldnt hesitate to buy an 870) On a related note, a Mossberg Maverick 88 is almost identical to a 500 with a few minor corners cut like no tapped receiver for a scope (and no interchangeable barrels?) so for home defense its a good weapon as well.

As far as calibers... especially for home defense, a 20 is more than adequate. A 12 is nice, but not required. My suggestion is to find someone to go "play" with several calibers to see what is best for you. After all, you might be surprised with what you can handle, ESPECIALLY with proper training. I"ve seen 13YO girls DOMINATE on a 3 gun course with a 12, so Im sure you can handle it unless you can recall pearl harbor firsthand .

 

[roadrunner681]

ok guys entry level..... so auto loaders may be out of the budget range here, as for a home defense gun, i would go to a gun store and handle both the rem 870 and moss 500, you know shoulder them work the action get a "feel" for the gun maybe shoot one with a experienced shotgunner before you buy anything in ether gauge. if your a smaller avoid a youth gun i think they recoil worst than a full size since there so light. ok now gauge i would go with a 12 IF you are comfortable with said gun's weight and bulk the 12s are larger guns then a 20. now if you go with a 20 get some no 3 buck shot low recoil, for a 12 i like no 2 or 3 buck shot low recoil. if you buy the 12 and you want 00 buck get some factory loads set up for home defense low recoil stuff is the best for up close. also for self defense get the shortest barrel you can legally get for obvious reasons, also no barrel choke. hoe this helps ya and i sure hope ya never need it.

 

[roadrunner681]

Modified saiga with 20 rd drum is awesome for home defense. It will destroy anything in its path with little to no recoil.

you must have a big house i could not get turned around with a drum on a saiga in my house

 

[bingley]

If you are looking for SOLID quality, a Remington 870. If you are on a budget and dont care about fit and finish, a mossberg 500. While the 500s arent as nice as the 870s, they are MORE than adequate and you will not experience any difference between the two in the real world from a functional/utilitarian standpoint.

I shopped both of these guns. While the Remington 870 may seem nicer -- though, in my opinion, not by a whole lot -- if you compare both of these guns to a really nice shotgun, like a good Beretta, a Browning, etc., they look pretty much alike. Their costs are somewhat similar, with the 500 being a little cheaper.

I'd think about the purpose you'd put the gun to. A trap gun is different from a hunting gun, and both of these are different from a defense gun. You can try to find a gun to do all three (or two), but at least I haven't been able to find a compromise that works for me.

 

[dans4420]

Mossber 500 just don't get the "Persuader" model it has no option for a longer
Barrell anymore. Just a regular 500 or if you like Remington 870

 

[sig-guy]

I really enjoy the Remington 1100's.

The 20 ga is a pleasure to shoot and is light wieght.

Another nice option is a Franchi/Benelli.

 

[church]

Ithaca model 37 feather light. Best shotgun made, make sure you get a gen 1, 2 or 4. The gen 3's were built lousy. Gen 1's are the best. Gen 3's didn't have corn cob fore stocks. The stocks were built like a typical stock, all smooth with some light checkering and slid over the front of the receiver when pulled back.

 

[686 Shooter]

If you're having trouble wading through all of the suggestions, you might want to go to your local gun shop or one of the local "mart" stores, or even check out the classifieds, buy a shotgun that you can afford (any shotgun, any brand), buy a few boxes of shells, make sure it fires every time and that you can hit the broad side of a barn with it, then buy a really good flashlight or weaponlight and then go out and shoot some more using the light, when you feel real comfortable with the gun and light, and you become fairly quick at reloading, then you can hang a sign on it that says "Home Defense Gun". Don't put a whole lot of thought in to brand (Bad people usually aren't real picky about what they get shot with), just make sure it is reliable and you hit what you're aiming at (The light is VERY important, you need to see what you are aiming at).

 

[KittySlayer]

Choice

...12 has a huge variety of ammo choice so low recoil ammo in a heavier 12 gauge gun is very manageable...

Go wander through the ammo shelves and see if you will be able to buy the variety of loads you want in 20g. You will see a lot more choices on the 12g shelves and limited choices on the 20g shelves.

 

[mayor al]

A double barrel external hammer 'Coach' gun is attractive and available for just over $200 for 12 or 20 ga.

A couple of practical pump actions---A Mossberg and a Thumbhole Stock Remington 870

And finally, more power and fear factor comes from this AR- clone in 12 Gauge !

 

[Aaron1776]

Thanks for all the good suggestions everyone. Leaning towards the Mossberg. Anyone have any experience with the Flex?

You'll change your mind about the mossberg once you start doing things with your shotgun like slug chang over drills.
Remington 870s are just easier to manipulate.

Watch the magpul shotgun dvds and you'll see why.

 

[nra4ever]

Pictured here is a saiga with 20 rd drum. from left to right KSG then UTAS then saiga then moss M590A1 then Remington Versa Max tactical. I don't see how it would be harder to turn a corner in a home with saiga than it would be with the mossy or remmy both are clearly longer.

Saiga haters!

 

[scattergunner]

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.