Autos

[al g blenny]

I'm new to shotguns and I am looking to buy one. It will mostly be used for home defense but I would also like to shoot some clays every now and then. I prefer 12 gauge. I'm thinking that a semi auto might be the way to go. I really want a nice looking. No tacti-cool. I prefer a black gun so it will match my handguns and AR. I was going through the Remington and Mossberg sites and I found the SPR453 and the SA 20. I think I want to go with Mossberg but I can't exactly what I want from them. Ideal would be Mossberg 12 gauge semi-auto with shorter barrel and higher cap mag. I also like the looks of a rib on top. I might want to go with rifle sights if possible but not a deal breaker. It should also be black. Any suggestions? I could go with the Remington SPR453 with 24" barrel but I just want to see what else is out there. I would like to keep this under $500 if possible. Can I extend the mag on the Remington? I know this is a lot of questions but I really am new to this. Thanks in advance.

Oh yeah and should I just get a pump action instead for any reason? They seem to be so popular so there must be something to that.

 

[nekwah]

I would go with a Rem 870. It can be easily built home defense. I know its a pump but autos have this nasty little problem with jamming whick is definitely not good thing for home defense.

 

[Milkmaster]

While my semi auto has not failed on me. You DO have to make sure what you buy in a semi-auto cycles the type shells you plan to use in it. There becomes the rub in why a lot of folks prefer a pump gun for home defense. The pump will shoot most anything you put in it correctly making it the most reliable shotgun for shooting more than two shells without reloading. The pump is also more economical to purchase than an semi-auto.

Take some time to read many of the sticky posts. Search the web and learn about shotguns for a while. You will be a lot happier with your eventual purchase putting that time in learning first!

Good Luck!

 

[Smitty in CT]

The Mossberg 930 field / security "combo" will do everthing you want:

The only trick now, is finding them....they are less than $500...

 

[basicblur]

Check out ProArms podcast on HD shotguns

Cruise on over to http://proarms.podbean.com/ and listen to or download these episodes:
017A Homing in on the Defensive Shotgun
017B Homing in on the Defensive Shotgun

Lots of good reasons why you might want an automatic over a pump for HD.

 

[Pete409]

I would go with a Rem 870. It can be easily built home defense. I know its a pump but autos have this nasty little problem with jamming whick is definitely not good thing for home defense.

Non-members show up at our gun club frequently to shoot a round of skeet or sporting clays. Sometimes these are experienced shooters and sometimes not.

I can tell you this for a fact. When someone shows up to shoot with a pump gun in their hands, they are FAR, FAR more likely to suffer jams, forget to jack the thing, forget how many shells they put in it, short stroke it, and other such things that cause malfunctions than shooters who show up with an autoloader.

A pump gun, in the hands of a very experienced pump gun shooter, works well, but in the hands of a less experienced pump gun shooter is just one mess up after another. I figure that if a shooter is going to get rattled and forget how to pump the gun when shooting clay targets, how badly is he going to get rattled when his life or the life of his family members is on the line?

I'll take a good autoloader any day for reliability...... and I'm an experienced pump gun shooter.

 

[Pete409]

A good example of what I said in my post above happened just Saturday. A guy showed up with a pump gun as the guest of a member. On the very first sporting clays station, he messed up several times. He jacked live shells out on the ground. He forgot to jack the slide a couple of times. He forgot how many shells he had loaded several times. He short stroked the slide a couple of times.

After he (finally) finished shooting the 10 targets at Station 1, he started to walk off the stand with the action closed. I immediately said in a loud, authoritative voice "Open that action!" So he pushes the action lock button and then jacks the slide back and a live round is ejected from the gun.

After that station, his buddy suggested he finish the rest of the shooting with his autoloader shotgun. The guy never had a bobble or mistake after that.

 

[Snarlingiron]

Well, there is all that, but every time he racked that pump everybody pooed their pants...right? Just asking.

 

[Norbster86]

I have to agree with Snarlingiron. If I were to hear the unmistakable sound of a pump being cycled, it would freeze me in the middle of the night.

 

[hags]

For home defense I would go with a Mossberg 590A1 18.5" LE model. The Mossbergs don't have the extracton/ejection problems that alot of 870s are known for.
They are quite a bit easier on the wallet as well.

 

[al g blenny]

Thanks everyone. I actually want one of each but I prefer to start with an auto. I'm really liking that 930 posted above. I'll have to look into that model and see if I can find one in stock somewere nearby.

 

[Smitty in CT]

R & R Arms has 12 of these combos available for $462.02 !!

http://www.rrarms.com/catalog.php?prod=G85325

 

[SX1guy]

Super x model 1 by Winchester

Try a SXM1, best Auto out there...

regards

Chuck