Shotgun for the Ladies

[BlueEagle]

Before you start in on me, this is one that SHE specifically requested; I'm just the messenger. Also, I'm so proud....

Fiancee said she wants a 12 gauge to keep around the house for herself; wants it to be HER gun. We discussed caliber and settled on 12 gauge for the ammo interchangeability and commonness, and on a pump for the reliability.

What models would you suggest for a smaller, left-handed, woman shooter? Anything beyond the normal 500/870's?

 

[jve153]

i just picked up a youth mossberg 500 in 20ga for my lady friend. she is 4-11, 100lbs. we handled a bunch of them, she said that one fit (she doesnt like my 930spx because its too front heavy/heavy in general). picked it up today, she doesnt know yet, so i got a chance to put a few rounds through it, if she decides she doesnt like it, ill keep it. as far as a lefty, cant really help you there. i dont know much about lefties.

 

[jshaft37]

mossbergs are a good choice for lefties because their safety position is ambidextrous.

 

[BlueEagle]

I was kind of thinking that we were going to end up in a Youth model of one of the more common ones....maybe just a normal 500 or 870 with a shorter stock and the 18 inch barrel. I was just wondering if anybody knew of anything else that would fit the bill.

 

[singlesix]

Might be cliche, but best to let her tryout some shotguns. Reason I say this is because I know a 4ft 5in girl that can shoot a full size 12ga shotgun better than most men I know. Have you considered SxS or O/U?

 

[figley]

She would really appreciate a 870, with a Knoxx recoil reducing stock. It's adjustable for size, and it absorbs a phenomenal amount of 12GA recoil. From what I've read, it was designed to be marketed to PD's, so that the same shotgun could be issued to anyone from a small female officer, to the biggest man.

If she's a lefty, she needs to get over this, just as she has everything else in this right-handed world. It would be beyond ridiculous to go to trouble and expense to find a LH 870. The face isn't right next to the ejection port on a shotgun. One thing of which to be mindful though, is that the shooter has to take measures to prevent the right forearm from impeding ejection.

A safety is the only thing I like ambi, or LH, on a defensive weapon. MidwayUSA sells a LH safety button for the 870, for a reasonable price. Installation is pretty easy.

Fortmann's Left Hand Safety Conversion Remington 552 740 760 870 1100 11-87

 

[tradertator]

A safety is the only thing I like ambi, or LH, on a defensive weapon. MidwayUSA sells a LH safety button for the 870, for a reasonable price. Installation is pretty easy.

Fortmann's Left Hand Safety Conversion Remington 552 740 760 870 1100 11-87

As in under 5 minutes installation easy.

 

[tradertator]

My pick would be a youth model 870. But as the saying gos, opinions are like *'s, ...........

 

[Mrmonte]

For a leftie, id recommed a browning BPS pump gun. My reasoning is has a bottom load and eject so its good for right or left handed shooters. I think it has a top safety but not 100% on that point. Its been awhile since ive owned one.

You might not want to rule out semi-auto's yet. My wife finds them easier to handle w/ recoil. She really prefers to shoot my Remington 1100 vs. 870 in 12 ga. We ended up getting her own 1100LW in 20ga and she loves it. Its very light shooting and comfortable. (my wife is a scrawny little thing)

A pump is not the end all in reliability like some want to believe. You can always short stroke it and that will take you out of the game for awhile.

 

[Zoub]

When bottom eject guns jam, they jam bad, not good for anyone but bad for a newbie.

Physics work against a small person when it comes to shotguns and even more so with a 12 gauge. You need to reduce LOP, weight and recoil, probably in the order.

A pump with the Knoxx adjustable stock, be sure it is the model with the recoil reduction, not the one without it. 18" barrel and reduced recoil loads. Keep the weight down out front with a Pachmayr, Magpul MOE or other light weight front stock. You can also get a Knoxx for 20 gauge guns.

If you want no gizmos or find a deal on a used gun, get the Hogue over molded youth stock set, with 12" LOP. Again with an 18" barrel. Use reduced recoil ammo. I have never looked to see if there is a mercury recoil reducer that fits the Hogue stock. I seem to recall finding one.

A 20 gauge semi auto with the stock cut down and shorter barrel. A Beretta, Benelli or Remington. I use semi 20's for newbie shooters in our family and they excel with them. I prefer they hit what they are aiming at multiple times as the life they save may be mine. The pumps are for me.

All of the above guns are guns I own and have also built for smaller framed shooters. Keep the gun short so her front elbow is close to her body. Keep the gun light so she can hold it up properly to her shoulder.

If you just want an out of the box gun, get the Remington Express Compact JR and see if you can stuff a mercury recoil reducer in the stock.

 

[BlueEagle]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. We will keep looking, (stopped at one shop today because we had time, but they didn't have any shotguns in stock.) It is good to know about the Knoxx stock, though; I hadn't heard of that before.