First Shotgun

[forged]

I am going to buy my first shotgun and I am feeling a little overwhelmed with all of the options and brands. I am looking to get an all purpose piece that I can shoot trap with and take outdoors. I will not be doing a lot of hunting with it so hunting seasons are not a big concern. I am looking to spend ~250 dollars and not a whole lot more.

What types of shotguns and brands would be the best for me to buy? Is it possible to shoot both slugs and reg. shells out of the same gun? I have shot a slug gun but it was a specific one with a rifled barrel. Where is the best place to buy? (I was thinking about walmart due to price) Anything else I should know to look for or stay away from would be great too.

Thanks for any help.

-Brett

[Romogo]

The Remington 870 is a pretty decent gun to start with. That is what I started shooting on. Not sure about Wally world, but I know Dick's and Cabella's have the dual barrell combo. It comes with a shot barrell and a rifled barrell for slugs. Last I checked the combo's were around $329 or so. I know for Christmas Dick's had the combo for $279.

Other then that, in your price range for new would be a Mossberg 500 for 200-250 or so. The Maverick Model 88 can be had for sub $200 or so.

These are the only ones that I have had experience shooting in that price range and they all seemed to do pretty well. Overall I liked the Remmington the best. The Maverick seemed to kick a lot harder, but that could have been the loads my buddy brought over. Just messing around in the yard I hit skeet pretty good with the 870 as well.

[kodiak1232003]

hey forged...

i've had my 870 for about 4 years now and i've had a GREAT time with it. i've shot a lot of clays with the ribbed 26" barrel and have it set up right now as a bad-a$$ home defense gun.

it will do whatever you ask of it. go the double barrel route like romogo says...otherwise you'll pay 100 bucks for the short slug barrel separately.

my short barrel is a smooth barrel and therefore less accurate with certain types of slugs, BUT it shoots both slugs and shot, so it might have an advantage over the short/rifled.

i plan on having it/using it for a long time and then passing it down when one of my kids becomes a shooter.

regards
brian

[kodiak1232003]

oh, and mine was $280.00 @ big 5...very well spent, IMO.

[Scudrunr]

Go with the 870. A buddy of mine got the mossberg and its junk.

[TheRedHorseman]

870, Mossberg, Winchester 1300, whatever fits you and your wallet.

[usmcdoc14]

Originally Posted by TheRedHorseman

870, Mossberg, Winchester 1300, whatever fits you and your wallet.

yup.
I don't like 870's much (don't feel right) and have Mossberg 500's but either will work fine.

[sn0border88]

Ill back the 870 as well, first gun I ever shot (knocked me on my ass) but I love it, still see's quite a few walks in the woods every year and its taken about every kind of game PA's got to offer.. Its been mishandled in every way possible and never jammed or mis fired.

[Aces'n'8s]

Another 870 recommendation....I use mine solely for wingshooting and it has never let me down. Also, replacement parts are numerous and can be found most anywhere. Like it is said, I would get different barrels to suit your shooting needs.

The only thing I don't like about the 870 is MY cheekweld and the sight plane. But, a little work with the dremel and problem solved.

[aloharover]

My first shotgun in the 70's was a Mossberg 500. Since then I have picked up 5 more. 12g, 16g, and 20g versions with 24-26"" bbls. 12g with a slug bbl. 12g that was the "military" version, heat shield, 8rd tube, bayonet lug, parkerized. And then the original 16g.
I have also owned two 870s.
All of the SGs have been awsome.
I had an M-590 in Iraq. I never did see any difference between the 590 and 500s.
The only issue I have ever had is half of the Mossbergs had plastic safety switches. The safety is a slide on top of the receiver, so they are great for lefties. But the plastic ones tend to break in half over time. There are metal replacement versions that are super cheep and easy to replace.
I have only purchased one Mossburg and one Remington new. All the rest were used. Paid anywhere from 125 for a 16g to 300 for the new Remington.

At one point I made a pistol grip for the first Mossberg and then reworked the tube magazine to only hold 2 shells. Cut the bbl to 10" and reattached the tube nut. I was a 60 gunner at the time and the thing would fit inside my spare barrel bag with the bbl. Even after I moved on to rifleman, team leader and squad leader, I always had a spare bbl bag attached to the side of my ruck.
Of course this was all done with out doing the paperwork or paying the 200$ tax. Ended up geting "discovered" and confiscated by the police. A very good lawyer got the illegal weapons charges thrown out, illegal search and seizure. Phew!!
I have been %100 legal ever since then.

Moral 1. it's not worth the risk to your right to own guns or your right to vote, if you are not sure research the laws. Oh and the ten years in club fed would be a real PITA if ya know what I mean

Moral 2. Don't fire weapons in Virginia Beach 6 blocks from the board walk. Tends to freak out the tourist and the police

[bremen242]

recently bought a 870 Super Mag.. all matte black.. I love it. smooth action, shoots well, and is easy to find parts for.

barrels change out in about 30secs, so you can buy a ribbed barrel now, then swapped to a slug barrel later..

Personally, I wouldn't touch a Winchester 1300, too many potenial problems. Mossbergs seem ok, but they seem cheap to me.

you can get a regular 2-3/4" 870 at a gun show for under $200 (probably used). I seen new ones at Gander Mtn for like $230 on sale.

[TheRedHorseman]

And pray tell, what potential problems are there with the Winchester?

[Romogo]

Originally Posted by bremen242

Personally, I wouldn't touch a Winchester 1300, too many potenial problems. Mossbergs seem ok, but they seem cheap to me.

I took my first deer with my brother-in-laws 1300. Seems like a pretty good gun if you ask me. Only thing I don't like about his is the long barrell. I like a shorter barrell when getting into a tree with a climber stand though. Also easier to use I think. But since you won't be hunting much with it I doubt this will be a problem for you...

[Aces'n'8s]

Maybe he's referring to these "potential" problems...

All this brings us to the current pump action offering from Winchester Repeating Arms: the Winchester Model 1300 Defender. With such a strong and successful military lineage, it's dissapointing to report that the design of 1300 is inherently unreliable. Across many different guns and many different cources of fire, we've seen many more 1300 defenders jam up ultra tight as compared to just about every other shotgun out there. Most of these problems were related to feeding issues caused by failure of either the the pump transfer mechanism or the magazine shell release mechanism. We've also witnessed numerous trigger/safety mechanical problems. We feel strongly enough about these issues that, in our opinion, the winchester 1300 is an inferior design and that frankly a Remington 870 or a Mossberg 590 would be a better choice.

Link

[TheRedHorseman]

Weird, I've shot the piss out of mine for the last 12 years or so and it's only given me one issue with the magazine kicking a round onto the feed ramp, causing a jam.

[Aces'n'8s]

I've never had a problem with my 870, but I wish I could find a Wingmaster trigger guard for cheap. I can't stand plastic trigger guards on Remington shotguns and rifles.

But then current steel replacements would could more than 1/2 of what I paid for mine.

[Spork]

I've had my 1300 for almost 20 years. Never had an issue with it.

[Azzy2000]

Originally Posted by aloharover

Moral 2. Don't fire weapons in Virginia Beach 6 blocks from the board walk. Tends to freak out the tourist and the police

Alright Paul Harvey, lets hear the rest of the story

[aloharover]

Originally Posted by TheRedHorseman

Weird, I've shot the piss out of mine for the last 12 years or so.

I am just speculating but I am betting the the problems are with current manufacture 1300's.

[aloharover]

Originally Posted by Azzy2000

Alright Paul Harvey, lets hear the rest of the story

Nothing really.
Labour Day weekend. Bunch of friends are down for the weekend.
Couple of neighbors and us were drinking at the club out on the pier.
Was working on this little for a while and totally struck out.
When we got back to the house my buddy/neighbor is on his sofa going at it with the same hottie. The houses were only about 10' apart.
So I grabbed the 12g pistol and telephone. Walked into the back yard and called him on the phone. "You fawk head...lol" boom boom boom. Bird shot, straight down into the lawn. Yeah not very bright considering where I lived, but it wasn't dangerous.
Walked back in the house.
Next thing you know cops are in the house

I found out later that two girls were walking between the houses at the exact same time I made my appearance. My place was the only one on the block that the back yard wasn't fenced and it was common for people to go through the yard to get from one block to the next. Anyway I guess I freeked them out and they called the police...

You should hear the story about July 4th, the VB SWAT Team and EOD.

[Romogo]

Originally Posted by aloharover

Nothing really.
Labour Day weekend...

You should hear the story about July 4th, the VB SWAT Team and EOD.

You didn't happen to be around 33rd and Arctic did you? One forth of July about 8-9 years ago I was at my buddies house right there. We were drinking having a blast decided to see if we could get some strange from some tourists. Walk outside and we see 3 SWAT in full gear run past. Look up the road and there was 3 more converging on the same house...Wasn't you was it?

[cybergeek23851]

Originally Posted by aloharover

Nothing really.
...
You should hear the story about July 4th, the VB SWAT Team and EOD.

I must hear this one as a local.


I also know that the Franklin Police will call me(just call, not show up ) after a "concerned neighbor" hears "a gun going off around our residence," which in all actuality was merely a .22 blank shooting fasteners into the foundation.

[Azzy2000]

Originally Posted by aloharover

You should hear the story about July 4th, the VB SWAT Team and EOD.

I should. lets hear it

[Stonefly]

Forged,

Go down to your local shop, or two, and shoulder a few. Go with the one the fits and feels the best. I would look at the Remington 870, Beneli Nova, or the Mossburg 500.

If the gun does not fit YOU, you will never shoot it well. If the gun does not feel good to YOU, you will never be happy with it.

[forged]

Thanks to all of you for the great advice and tips.

I think what I am going to do is handle a few at the store and possibly look for a good deal on an 870 with the 2 barrel option. It seems like having the 2 barrels will be great for me since I don't have the money to buy an additional slug gun right now. It seems like most people think it is a reliable smooth working gun. Do they really all come with plastic trigger guards? That seems a little weak.

Thanks again for the help and keep the comments coming