Looking for a good hunting shotgun, must withstand rain/mud

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bsctov

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Hey guys, I bought an 870 express 12 gauge 28" and love it, Have not had the rust problems others have described and not a single malfunction of any kind. But me and my dad are going to go rabbit/pheasant/deer hunting and obviously we only have 1 shotgun and need another.

Since I use a rust prevention spray and oil my 870 well, It just will not rust, but I'd like a shotgun that I can sit out in the rain with waiting for a deer, or accidentally drop in the mud without too much fuss. I have never been hunting before but I can imagine that this would be a problem.

I was thinking maybe a Benelli Nova 12ga pump?



What do you guys think?
 
Nova pump is a great choice. I would definately recommend a pump. Something that has a camo finish will protect it from rust better than anything.
 
I've duck hunted/hog/deer with my 870 for years, one time I fell and got mud/snow/leaves in the muzzle, so I field strip it and walk over the the creek, and wash the barrel out. Slap it back together and keep hunting. CLP before and after keeps her rust free. I am the paranoid type though, I carry muzzle down in the rain... lol.
 
That new Remington 887 is supposed to be pretty weatherproof. All the steel is coated in plastic.
 
or accidentally drop in the mud without too much fuss.
I have never been hunting before but I can imagine that this would be a problem.
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If it is, you need to hone your gun handling skills.

Dropping guns while hunting is liable to lead to an Unfortunate Series of Events!

rc
 
Dropping guns while hunting is inevitable in some conditions. Obviously, you try your hardest to make sure it doesn't happen. However, it does.

My best advice is an adaptation of the 4 Rules.

Make sure you don't drop your gun. Make sure it's always pointed so that it will land in a safe direction when you DO drop it.

This is where we hunt chukar.
1138867189044877782S425x425Q85.jpg
 
BTW all of that said, I've seen a walnut/blue Citori O/U that was dug from plough mud underwater after falling off a duck boat. After a thorough cleaning and drying, it's fine.

So, you have to decide what level of rain/mud tolerance you want, vs. other characteristics of the shotgun.:)
 
I have one of the synthetic stocked A390's (the so called "Wal Mart" gun, although mine came from Bass Pro). On a dove hunt a few months ago the inevitable happened. We were walking through an extremely muddy ploughed field when I took a shot at a dove at an awkward angle with my feet stuck firmly in the mud. Down I went, shotgun landed with a wet plop in the mud. I got myself righted, picked it up, scraped about 20 lbs. of mud off of it, and hunted the rest of the day without any issues. When I got home, I stripped it down and washed it in the kitchen sink with lots of hot water. Dried it well, oiled and re assembled and it has been good as new since.

No duracoat, no camo finish, no nothing but blued matte finish with the typical light coat of oil. It has seen quite a few hunts where there was mist and rain. I just clean it well and coat it with oil when I get home. No problems. No rust.
 
IamaRugerFan hit it on the head. Another 870 will do fine.
if you are really paranoid about the water, get the Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 marine models. They are made to withstand saltwater and very wet conditions.
 
rem 870, moss 500 series, benelli, model 12, ithaca 37 with care any would last meny years of hunting.

Quick thought on the rem 887 it would only takes a small imperfection in the plastic for moisture to hangout and you wouldn't really be able to wipe it down like a regular blued steel or stainless barrel to prevent corrosion.
 
The 887 is a POS that swings like a wet 4x4. I wouldn't buy one, regardless.

If you must have a coated/plastic-armored shotgun, spring for the Nova. It's heavy and it rattles, but it has a 3.5" chamber and it does balance and swing well.
 
Another possible solution: buy a bunch of much more expensive shotguns, and you will no longer care if your 870 gets some rust on it.:D

That solution has worked for thousands, perhaps millions, of people over the years.

(Personally, I have bought some relatively cheap guns for the reasons listed, and it STILL bugs me to ding them or get them wet -- even though that's why I picked the guns in question! Just on principle, it bugs me.)
 
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Quick thought on the rem 887 it would only takes a small imperfection in the plastic for moisture to hangout and you wouldn't really be able to wipe it down like a regular blued steel or stainless barrel to prevent corrosion.
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That hadn't occurred to me but it totally makes sense! I mean, if you think about it, any moisture that gets in there would have no way to escape so you would be sure to KEEP the metal wet and definitely get rust. With exposed metal sure it's more likely to get wet, but you can always dry it and oil it effectively.
I guess it's a trade off. I have OCD tendencies about my guns, and I just know I'd always wonder if there was water under the plastic on the 887, just sitting there rusting my shotgun to bits!!!!
 
I don't think you could possibly do any better in a pump than another 870. It will work in all conditions.
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The Express is a friggin rust magnet. Trust me, I know this. Best to just sand blast the POS and paint it or have it camo dipped. Camo finish is very tough. I have it on my Mossberg, bought it that way, and plastic stocks, have used it for 20 years in the salt marsh and bays around here. Yeah, it's not got pretty walnut, no shiny bluing, but it has been dumped, used as a walking cane in the mud. I come home and have to use the spray nozzle on the water hose to get all the mud off it. I strip and clean it and use Corrosion X on it. It's a little scarred up, but no rust. I'd figured, hell, if it rusts up, I can paint it or just replace it no more'n it cost me. But, hell, it's got NO rust on it, works fine. I've had the sear rust up on it once, started taking it apart after that and cleaning the entrails after a season of rough hunting. That gun has gone through hell and just keeps on coming back.

870, huh, please. :rolleyes:

I haven't looked at the 887. The Nova is a nice gun and pretty rugged in theory, at least. Folks that own 'em, love 'em, but then I could say that for the 870. ROFL! The Nova seems like the real deal. You guys with those fancy walnut wonders, you think you're going to pretty the ducks to death? :rolleyes: Get a WORKING gun. Quit taking artwork to the muddy, salty marsh. Or, if you're that big a gun snob, replace that Purdey every couple of years, I don't care, but I don't have that kinda budget. :D

So, anyway, if you like that 870 I've maligned with great vigor just for the humor...:D.....get it camo dipped. That's all you really need to keep it from rusting. If you sit out in the wet with it, it's gonna rust. They don't last a half day down here in the salt spray on the bay without rust coming up. Guys I know with 870s paint 'em for the cheap way out. But, camo dip is a lot less redneck lookin'. LOL
 
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Why would you need to do that?

I'd clean and degrease it, but it's just an oxide finish on rough bead-blasted metal. There's not a coating to remove, or anything else that would prevent a coating like duracoat from adhering -- again, as long as it's clean and free of oil/grease.
 
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