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Are there two kinds of 870s? I bought an express model and it was a POS. The mag tub spring retaining cap (removed to get the plug out for quail hunts) was flimsy. It was just impressively cheaply made.

Out hunting dove, I overhead another hunter say "I wish he'd let one go by." referring to my buddy using his pump Mossberg. He got an 1187 and went thru a small learning curve, but always brings the Mossy as a backup.

Anyone have a pic of a SBE Benelli with the extended tube handy?

Which reminds me, not to get off topic - using the Birch & Casey Gun Scrubber may melt down the plug (chemicals breaks it down) - so heads up. I ended up substituting the plastic for a wood dowel rod.

toyslr wrote:Mossberg just beat out Remington for the U.S.M.C. contract. So must not be too big of P.O.S.

Reminds me of a quote...

"Never forget, your rifle is made by the lowest bidder"

Lowest bidder or not for $125-$150 per unit less and the same quality Mossbergs will when over alot
of pontential clients. I carry both Remington and Mossberg, I personally think its a toss up between the
590 and 870 Series.
NRA gave the 930 Series Mossbergs "Golden Bullseye Award for Shotgun of the Year" at the 2010 Shot Show.

stateofbliss wrote:Are there two kinds of 870s?

Yes.

Express and Police.

The Police is for serious extreme duty type of use.

Valorius wrote:

stateofbliss wrote:Are there two kinds of 870s?

Yes.

Express and Police.

The Police is for serious extreme duty type of use.

There is also a tactical variant with sight rails and a breeching choke.

Bud's has some Mossberg 590 Mariner 12ga 9 Shot Police trade-ins for $359 shipped.

I'll throw in my two cents.

I like the Franchi 612 semi auto. I've put about 1000 shells through mine, and other than some issue with bird shot and low recoil, I've never had a problem with her. Not a cheap gun, but not super expensive either.

I'm also a fan of the SPAS 12 or Benelli M4, but these will cost you.

If you just want the home defense, then I have to agree with everyone else here, that the Berg 500 platform or the Rem 870 is the way to go.

I have a Beretta AL391 Urika.. used it, and only it for 7 years of sporting clays, waterfowling (fresh water) and bird hunting.. mainly dove. I'm sure it musta jammed in that time.... but if it has, I don't remember it. I don't get 'married' to many guns... but 'til death do Urika and I part.

I don't think I'd take her salt water hunting though.. I've heard horror stories about guns rusting in one day... too risky for my baby

A Serbu Super Shorty is a nice addition or alternative -- basically a cut-down Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 with a folding front grip. This makes it into an AOW with only a 3-round capacity, but it's a good conversation piece. It certainly draws people to the display case at my local gunshop.

i like that folding front grip.

I'd probably buy one - if I could find one & fondle it first

Rapier1772 wrote:I'd probably buy one - if I could find one & fondle it first

I have heard that about you. :ponder:

Smeggin' mail order bride service was supposed to keep that quiet

toyslr wrote:Mossberg just beat out Remington for the U.S.M.C. contract. So must not be too big of P.O.S.

I wonder if the Remington passed their 10,000 round torture test. I heard that the Mossberg was the only shotgun that could even pass the torture test.

On the day I scored a perfect score with my 590A1 on the police shotgun course, my dad could not complete the course with his 870 due to failures to feed. He ended up selling his 870 and buying a 590 because he could not get it sorted out. It would feed great as long as you worked the action slowly, but when you racked it fast (like when defending yourself) it would jam up.

Mike

Benelli Nova Pump. You can use 2 3/4, 3, and 3 1/2" magnum shells in it. You can shoot slugs through it. And you can quick swap longer barrels in it for hunting purposes. Has some very easy to acquire ghost ring sights installed too. Check one out you will not be disappointed.

Well after owning a Mossberg 500 20 gauge, Verona semi-auto 12 gauge, and a Saiga 12 converted back to pistol grip. I would choose my Saiga 12 over the others. It has turned out to be my favorite shotty. Liked it so much i purchased a Saiga .410.

+1

ETA: Wow, just realized how old this topic was.

For the money (at least when they were cheap) you couldn't beat a properly running Saiga 12 in cost. But for some reason I keep coming back to my Benelli M4 every time.

Shotguns are something every American home should have at least 1 or 2 of whether its sitting atop the fireplace mantle or behind your bedroom door ready for action. Its a staple, a necessity, in any scenario, any collection- for defense, hunting, or just intimidation.

Unlike rifles or handguns though, I find having a dozen or-so shotguns distracting and unnecessary. For the most part, a 12ga is a 12ga, it doesn't matter how fancy or tricked-out it is, most shotguns all have very, very similar capabilities. +/- a round or two in capacity, +/- a feature or two... they're the same. You can break clays with the King of Spain with a SPAS12, or bust through a crackhouse door with a Hand-carved and gold-inlaid Beretta.... capability-wise, it just doesn't make much difference, no matter how much it may in some people's mind's that they need one that is a certain color, or has a shell holder riveted to the receiver. The only difference between a pump and an auto is you can empty the auto about a second quicker... thats it.

That being said, I took the mindset that I was only going to buy 3-4 12ga shotguns max, and I was going to make a lifelong investment, i.e. buy something I would never need to trade-up in the foreseable future.

SO i bought two "tactical shotguns"... A Benelli M4, and a Benelli M3... I couldn't decide between the two so I got both, that was 5 years ago, and I have never had any regrets. I've shot plenty of Saigas and I like the magazine capability, but I keep going back to the Benelli's every time, they feel much more natural, and to me, if I really need a drum magazine on a shotgun, I'll be reaching for a REAL drum, a 150rd 5.56 DRUM, or a FAT STACK of 20rd 7.62 mags stuffed into a bandolier.... when it comes to zombie time of course.

The second two shotugns I bought were both Benellis as well, a Super Black EAgle in Real-tree wetlands camo... best damn duck and goose gun I've ever shot. And a Benelli Montefeltro.... what I use for clays and upland birds... it craps all over my previous Remington 1100.

And thats it.. yeah, they're expensive.... but I dont see myself replacing them in my lifetime. Maybe my grandkids can inheret them when guns are all but outlawed and only pre-band hand-me-downs are legal, lol.

I consider my 4 uber-expensive Benneli's an investment, but one thats out of the way, and one I wont have to make again.

.... just as an aside, I am eyeing the KelTec KSG just for the fact that i could use it as a vehicle weapon, or put one in my boat or something.

AEnemaBay wrote:ETA: Wow, just realized how old this topic was.

Inactive for a couple of months isn't old - we've had threads resurrected after a couple of years :laugh:

Welcome to the forum :thumb:

I have a 870 that I have put quiet a few slugs and buckshot through and it still performs flawlessly. It actually started out as a joke. my buddy and I had a few beers in us and started talking about building a l33t Tactic00l zombie slayer.

Alcohol + Dumb Friends + credit cards are not a good mix.

So to say the least, by the end of the week I had a pile of fedex boxes full of the tacticoolest stuff we could find, with blurred vision that is. Now I have a classic shottie that comes with me on all my outings that gets a lot of laughs and "Oh, I gotta shoot that" 's...

I would post a pic but im pretty sure it would make Blue's head explode...

I own quite a few shotguns. So I will attempt to put this thread to bed.

Used to shoot sporting clays competively, and still hunt upland and waterfowl quite a lot. My SD gun (no mag limit on upland game in that state) and snowgoose gun (no mag limit either) is a extended tube Benelli Super Black Eagle. Can hold 9 rounds, which for some SD strips, is still undergunned. This year, I ran out of rounds twice on wild pheasant flock shooting. Shot 9 times and killed 5 birds, missed the first, the last one took me three shots to get the right lead. It weighs the gun down a bit, but not enough to affect my swing which is good because nothing flies like a wild SD pheasant, as far as pheasants are concerned that is. I have another SBE without the long tube mag and with a plug I use for waterfowl and turkey.

I have pistol griped, hi-cap, shorter barrel 870 under the bed at all times. Looking at buying a Benelli M3 as well, but it is below a few other guns on my list. Sold my M4 when I was in the military. In fact it may have been when I bought my FsN.

Had a Mossie 500 with a 26 inch barrel in 12 gauge, but it was crap. Wouldn't fully chamber rounds without me slamming the action closed really hard, and it rusted all over, even the aluminum got that nasty gunky look that it does when it corrodes. I gave it to my cousin. I have shot a lot of Mossbergs in my life, and they are ok cheap guns. I won't pay money for one though.

My sporting clay gun now is a pristine condition old SKB 585 Target O/U (sold my spendier SC gun , give you a hint, starts with a "K". Don't need 5K dollar gun anymore, maybe never did). Own a Berretta 686 O/U 28 gauge for quail, woodcock, grouse, chukar, hun, and even use it for pheasant sometimes, and will never sell it. Only side by side I own is a Winchester 23 in 12 gauge, beauty of a gun, don't shoot it much now though. My dad used it for everything but luckily, kept good care of it. Have a single shot old berreta 20 gauge that was my first gun. Shot my first pheasent with it, grandpa gave me the gun shortly after to keep. Also have a Beretta 390AL with a slug barrel, haven't used it since I was in college in IN, where I couldn't hunt with a rifle.

So you can accrue quite a few shotguns pretty easily if you are not careful. I have almost as many as I have pistols and rifles.

So, now that my foundation is thoroughly established here is what you should buy:

Just a value gun for home defense: Rem 870 12 gauge

Uber tactical: Benelli M3 (pump and auto in one) 12 gauge

Turkey/waterfowl on budget: Stoeger 3500 or Benelli SuperNova

Turkey/waterfowl: Benelli SBE II, or Super Vinci in 12 gauge(buddy has one and it is a great gun too)

Turkey only: Benelli Super Vinci Turkey in 12 gauge (has pistol grip and optic rail I believe)

Upland only cheap: Rem 870 Wingmaster in 12 or 20 gauge or go the cheap O/U route with a Baikal M350 in 20 gauge. Not a bad cheap gun.

Upland only pricy: Benelli M2 or Montefeltro, or Vinci in 12 or 20 gauge (don't need 3 1/2 for upland only)

Upland/smaller upland uber swanky: Beretta 686 or 687 in 20 or 28 gauge or could go all out with a Caesar Guerini 28 gauge side by side

All around hunter: Benelli SBE or SBE II or Super Vinci 12 gauge

Sporting Clays/Skeet: Quality Over Under that has been fitted to you and customed tuned and choked.

Trap: Quality high rail single shot or o/u that has been tuned to you like SC/Skeet gun

As you can see, it all depends. :thumb:

Anyone looked at Kel Tec i haven't put much into looking the company over but they recently added a bullpup shotgun (supposed to be released in the next month)
pump, 2 feed tubes 6+6+1 3" or 7+7+1 2.75"(select between slug/shot/Beanbag?) ambidextrous(shells eject down), 26" OAL

http://www.keltecweapons.com/our-guns/shotguns/ksg/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kel-Tec_KSG

i've never heard of the company and the only shotguns i own are passed down Remington's but it looked interesting

Yup, already a thread started
viewtopic.php?f=28&t=9625" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wow, quite a thread! A short-barreled 12 or 20 ga. is quite a SHTF longarm. I've put a thousand rounds through my Beretta 390 without cleaning and it never burped. It is a sporting arm, however. My "behind the door gun" is a double-barreled Stoeger Coach gun. I have an 870 "hiding" upstairs. Anyone up for a "pump vs auto vs double" discussion?

^^^I agree on the 390. I shot mine about the same amount before cleaning. I remember when my dad bought it for me when I was 12, the gun guy said to shoot it till it stopped cycling, then clean. I did.

As far as pump versus auto, reliability is the only thing going for the pump. Auto simply have that one process that could mess crap up. Then again, you take care of your stuff and practice troubleshooting, you can minimize the risk. Doubles are great, but then you have capacity issues, but again, for the prowler, a double is probably plenty.

I do have a 870 hiding in the bed room though too.

If you carry a semi auto handgun/rifle but wont have a semi shotgun, thats a little silly if you ask me. many reliable/proven semi shotguns are out now.

Franchi Spas 12 Shotgun best of both worlds.

Or Benelli M3. Like it better than the Spaz

:agree: with the Benelli. Unfortunately, excess testosterone fueled with equal amounts of stupidity and alcohol led to crashing just about anything on two wheels before I discovered that I have a brain as well. Degenerative discs and arthritis have left me weak on one side which rules out fast action with a pump. I love the SPAS; just too heavy for me now.

I asked my patrolman friend what he had in his patrol car. Remington 870. Good enuf, I bought one, love the way it sounds when you load a round in the chamber. Great quality for the money.

I am surprised to hear positive things about the SPAS 12. I thought it was an awful POS shotgun... also, very difficult to take apart and clean. I just didn't like it at all.

I hunt ducks 30-40 times per year and I use Benelli shotguns. I have an M2 (Black) and a SBEII in Max4. I have also used and owned an M1 Super 90 Tactical model and LOVED that gun. I probably wouldn't spend the extra cash on an M4 over a regular M2 Field Tactical. I have NEVER had a Benelli jam even after being completely submerged under 3' of muddy water for a couple hours. I am so rough on these guns that I generally tear off the front fiber sight at least once per year (dragging them through brush at 4am, etc...) and need to head to Cabela's and buy a new one.

I have no strong opinion on Rem vs Mos. I have a 500 sitting loaded at my house but haven't shot it in about 10 years.

870 tactical gets my vote

wacjr wrote:I asked my patrolman friend what he had in his patrol car. Remington 870. Good enuf, I bought one, love the way it sounds when you load a round in the chamber. Great quality for the money.

If I could do it again, I would get the Marine 870 (all stainless) and get it cerakoted. You live and you learn.

If I was born rich instead of so good looking I would have gotten the M3...