Pistol Gripped 870....Ouch

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quietsage

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So I decided that putting a pistol grip on my 870 would be a great idea, especially for the tent while I'm out in the desert/mountains. The 870 would now be shorter and easier to maneuver if I had to sit up in a sleeping bag suddenly and not have to dig around for the revolver.

I pulled the stock and put on a Hogue Tamer, easy switch. Went out to the desert to try 'her' out. Filled the tube with #4 shot shells. Well, touched off the first round..and thought..that kinda sucked. Went thru the next four rounds as fast as I could pump...yup..not pleasant. I didn't have a problem with control and I was on target. I was knocking around one of those bright orange plastic squares at probably 10 yards, shooting from the hip and static. But man, that recoil to my hand was bone jarring! Made my Alaskan .454 seem tame.

I'm not so sure anymore that there are many applications for a pistol grip shotgun. Control being a sincere factor here. I can totally see in a high adrenaline situation, missing target( at close distance) using a pistol grip. I think that it 'could' work well in a tight space, such as a small tent...my particular application. But not for much else really, maybe a door breach.

Might have to put the stock back on the ol 870.......
 
Yep, the couple of times I've tried a pistol grip shotgun I pretty much felt the same as you do.

And it's not like you can't shoot a stocked shottie from the hip in a pinch. And that extra mass of the added stock will just aid in soaking up some of the recoil energy.
 
They work great for what they were intended for in my opinion. 105 pound Hollywood cuties blowing away bad guys by the truckload - with blanks. Oh, and for looking scary too. I have a handgun, I don't need a hand cannon too.
 
Yeah, but how can you look like the King of Bad*** without a pistol grip on your tactical Saiga "shottie"?....:rolleyes:

Beside, they'll just crap their drawers and curl up into a little a little ball in the corner when you "rack the slide". You never actually have to shoot, and you just look so way cool as you stand over them while they cower on the floor.

I get a kick out of the guys that whine about the recoil from a standard slug, but want to put one of these on their shotgun. Anybody that's ever actually shot one of these things knows it's brutal.

If anybody wants to try one of these out, I have some 3" Remington Copper Solids I'd donate. Only requirement is posting YouTube video when they set the cast on your wrist.
 
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I've never found them unduly uncomfortable, even with buck and slugs, but unless you're a door breacher or armed robber they aren't an efficient means of doing business.
 
I was at an indoor range about a month before Y2K. There was a fella there with an 870 with pistol grip. His target was at about 15 feet. Wow, he sure did make a lot of noise. <<pause>> That's about all he achieved--making a lot of noise. I like my 870 Tactical with collapsible stock and pistol grip (think AR-15).

Geno
 
hmmm here it comes, PGO are good no.... there bad...... no they are awesome .... no they suck!... :) just saved everyone the time
 
Welcome to THR Quietsage,

Consensus is PGO have limited application.

Enjoy your time here at THR. It is wealth of info that will save a lot of time over trial and ever. Plus some really knowledgeable guys are not shy about passing it on.
 
I went to range with a friend who had a pistol gripped 870. He would lock it onto his hip and shoot it. When it was my turn to shoot I held it up like normal (about 12 inches in front of my shoulder) and he panicked. "NO! You'll hit your face!!" I emptied the mag without trouble. You see the way he held it made it feel like it kicked a lot harder than it really did. Yeah it kicks and its unpleasant, most shotguns are unpleasant to me. In general they are a lot easier to shoot with the buttstock but for camping weapon the PG is pretty handy. I would would try it a little more and see if it is really what you want.
 
First time I touched off on one I thought it broke my hand. I re-gripped it and emptied the tube with no problem. To me it's all in how you hold it.
 
ATI makes a Spas-12 type replacement that folds over the top. So you get the occasional advantage a pistol grip brings, along with a stock(probably not a very comfortable stock but its something.

Its the most streamlined folder stock ive seen as the side folders tend to make the overall package much thicker than need be.

Anyways heres a pic of stock folded

02-ATI%20TFS0600.jpg
 
I use PG shotties as my primaries at home. They take practice but they are not insurmountable. The biggest problem people have, IMO, is they tense up in anticipation of the recoil. I let the gun kick back a few inches when firing from the hip, so felt recoil is minimized as my arm absorbs it over a space of several inches. You will not be as accurate as with a shoulder stock but when you consider you are probably looking at a maximum range of 10 yards, well, what do you need? I practiced a lot with mine and got good enough to easily put all 8 slugs from a 12 ga. inside a 6"-8" circle at 10 yards firing from the hip. BTW, I am considering getting folding stocks for my shotties, just haven't really felt the need yet.
 
This might be kind of mall-ninja-ish, but I put a receiver mounted laser on my PGO 500 Persuader, and it's actually great. It solves the whole "aiming from the hip" thing. Just point and shoot. Red laser guaranteed.
 
I spend too much on ammo to buy lasers. Should reorganize my priorities some, I guess. Still, I can feel when the shotgun is on target and when it's not. Even tried shooting with my eyes closed and didn't lose much accuracy. Of course, I'm talking a stationary target, not a BG jumping and running around.
 
I find it easiest just to shoot from eye level, the recoil isn't really that bad, even with buck and slugs, even one handed is doable.

Just be sure to actively *control* the thing and not less it just let it hang out there like you're holding a cup of coffee or something.
 
Guess I'll weigh in. I bought my first shotgun, the Mossberg 590SP, and I put a PG on it...and I learned how to shoot with it and I liked it, even after reading all the threads about how terrible it would be. I decided I liked my 590 with a full stock so I bought a 500 and put the grip on it...for HD...close quarters, I can deal with the recoil, and after a heck of a lot of practice, I can hit what I need to hit. Recently, I just installed a birds head grip on it...takes away every warning and complaint I've heard about a non full stock shotgun. I can reach the safety with ease, the release is accessable, and recoil and shock to my wrist is reduced to a fair minimum. IMHO, a birds head grip is worth looking into if your interested in a grip for your HD shotgun.
 
I've shot my shoulder stocked 870 Express from the hip on a number of occasions. Even with some buckshot rounds. But I have to admit that so far I haven't shot it with a 3 inch magnum slug round from the hip with only a hand grip.

But in all the other cases I was able to do so with nothing more than a good firm hold on the pistol grip and I didn't find the shoulder stock to be in the way at all. But then I'll further admit that I have not tried to shoot it from a "sleeping bag" position.

My own thinking is that pistol grip only reduces my options. If I've got a full shoulder stock with pistol grip I can shoot it either way. If I've only got a pistol grip then I'm limited to further out holds or hip shots only. My own feeling is that I'd rather keep my options open. And there is no doubt from my own experience that if I have the time and opportunity to shoulder for a defensive slug or buck shot that I would rather be sighting over the receiver than trusting to my demonstrated limited talent at hip shooting.
 
Heck, that ain't nothin'. I've seen worse than that.
Actually I did buy once, from a pawn shop, a short barrel old 870 12 with a PG made from a pc. of 2 x 4. $100.
Painted black, still had some square edges left on the PG.
I didn't shoot it that way, just took it off and cleaned up the gun, replaced the 2x4 PG w/ a Choate one, it was OK.
But I quickly learned there is a much better option - a PG'd 870 20 gauge.
Lighter, quicker, less kick.
Thanks for the link above to the birds head grip (post #4) - looks about ideal.
I think a PG'd shotgun is a good option in certain situations. Some may say, 'why not a folder?', but that adds complexity, weight, rattle, and bulk. Keep it simple.
 
PGO hurts? You're doing it wrong. Hold it away from your body, don't brace it against your chest or hip. Hold it up and away from you with room for the gun to recoil. Shoot with your trigger arm bent and use your arms to absorb the recoil, not your hand or body. Just hold tight and don't be this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEvkj0XMG1s

Holding a PGO with your trigger hand braced at your hip will put a ton of force into the web of your hand. I haven't shot with one, but it seems a bird's head grip changes the angle of the hold and makes it more comfortable to shoot from the hip.
 
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