Please help dispel my ignorance...

[Ergosphere]

I don't know much about shotguns- held one once in a gun store, but I've never fired one. I want to get a shotgun to keep in my home. I'm considering either a Mossberg 590 or 930 type. The 590 was recommended to me by a knowledgeable friend, but I'm accustomed to semi-auto rifles and the 930 might be more intuitive for me to operate under stress, so I'm leaning that way. Anyway, can someone please help me with these questions?

Are rifle-style sights preferred to bead for close-range home defense? How about a rail with red dot sight... that sounds good to me, but it seems like it would prevent the use of a bead sight.

Could anyone comment on the differences between the 930 and 590 models? I'm aware of the different actions, but I'm interested in construction/durability and reliability.

My small firearms collection mostly consists of stainless guns. How do the blued finishes hold up to humid coastal environments? Any suggestions for avoiding rust problems on a gun which will likely be infrequently used?

Thx...

 

[Navy joe]

Mossberg makes a marine version for corrosion worries.
http://www.mossberg.com/products/default.asp?id=5
I personally like rifle sights but a bead is all that is needed for 25-50yd accuracy with HD loads. Rifle sights for me come in handy for slugs and longer range. The difference to me is this. Rem 870 18" barrel and bead is about a 4-6" 5 shot group at 25 yds with slugs. Ithaca 37 with rifle sights I should keep the holes touching. Completely irrelevant at HD ranges.

Keep the bead, stick with the pump for simplicity.

 

[Robert Hairless]

"Ignorence" is one way to dispel it, but there are other ways too.

 

[Ergosphere]

Huh? If you're trying to criticize my spelling, I suggest you check with a dictionary first.

 

[Marshall]

I'm sure you'll get different suggestions as to what's best.

A semi-auto may very well be best for you. There's something to be said for simplicity, although a pump is pretty darn basic.

Sights? I prefer beads. I don't like rifle sights except on a rifle, unless I'm hunting with the shotgun and needing accurate long shots with a slug.

Regardless of what you end up buying, you should practice with it enough to where the question of semi-auto vs pump doesn't matter.

Good luck.

 

[41magsnub]

"Ignorence" is one way to dispel it, but there are other ways too.

Hehe, ergo, he was being sarcastic. He was "dis spelling" ignorance

 

[Ceemack]

Pump shotguns are generally preferred for home defense because they tend to be more reliable.

Rifle-type sights are designed for using slugs at distances of 50 yards or more. For the ranges involved in home defense, a bead is adequate--and faster.

You didn't mention the Remington 870, which is a more common choice for police and defensive use than the Mossberg. In my experience, Remington makes a better gun.

There's a marine version of the 870, but you might want to consider buying a used short-barreled 870 (they can be had pretty cheap) and sending it off to Wilson Combat. They've got a defensive shotgun package that includes a tuneup and a high-tech coating that should be able to handle a humid environment without any problems. Total cost might end up being not much more than you'd pay for a new 590.

 

[Robert Hairless]

Huh? If you're trying to criticize my spelling, I suggest you check with a dictionary first.

Gee. First you asked for help in dispelling and when I gave it my best shot you accuse me of criticizing you. Well you can just dispel things on your own from now on.

I read the Dictionary once but it was boring. Too much verbiage, no plot or action, and absolutely no character development. Worst of all, the sex parts were dull. I won't buy another book by Mr. Webster and I advise everyone else to skip that one. If it's worth much it will be made into a movie or appear on Masterpiece Theater anyway. It reminded me of that telephone book someone once recommended: it has too many characters and nothing much happens but at least the sentences are short. That Bell guy can't write any better than Webster. I wouldn't recommend either of them for either the Noble Prize or the Wurlitzer Prize.

 

[Black Knight]

At normal home defense distances the advantage of the rifle sight is somewhat moot. There isn't much difference at those ranges. I like simple for potential combat situtations. The more complicated something is the more that can go wrong, Murphy's Law. In law enforcement we have an anacronym, K.I.S.S.. There are many way of saying it but the one that seems to work best is "Keep It Sweet & Simple". Personally I prefer my Remington 870 with 20" barrel and rifle sights. My police force has been using the Mossberg 590 for about 6 years now. We have had few problems with them, most due to aftermaket slings and swivels. In one year we put these shotguns through more range work and the like than you most likely would in 5 years.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Oodles of stuff on this in the archives. Mine them.

Before buying any of the shotguns recommended in this thread, go hang out at the range. Ask questions, and if you are a polite individual, you'll probably get to try out a few shotguns.

Also, many ranges offer lessons to newcomers. A few will shorten the learning curve dramatically.

HTH....

 

[Fred Fuller]

Hi, Ergo- Welcome to THR!

The best I can offer to do is to share a little of my own ignorance- hope that'll help. First of all, listen to Dr. Dave's advice above. Look for the "101" threads here in the shotgun forum for starters. Read around in the 'this vs. that' threads that are so numerous here, or use the "Search This Forum" function to look for specific makes and models. You can spend weeks just reading stuff that's already been posted here and elsewhere on the net.

Talk to family members and friends who shoot, see if they are willing to give you some trigger time with their shotguns. To be polite, you should buy your own ammo- good quality inexpensive target type loads should do, the lighter the better (though some semiautos will want brisker recoil in order to function reliably). If you have sporting clays clubs, skeet or trap clubs nearby there might be someone like Dave available who can really shorten your learning curve with a few personal lessons. And there are professional instructors out there too, who can be a big big help with the basics. Don't be shy about looking for help.

Check the website at http://www.nrahq.org/education/training/basictraining.asp and see if there are any shotgun classes near you. Also, the NRA's Personal Protection In the Home class is a good one to look into. This class will start moving you across the divide from shooting a shotgun for sport to using one as a weapon. You need to learn good fundamentals first though.

And before you decide on what gun to buy, get some trigger time on several makes, models and action types. Don't limit yourself to any preconceived notions- explore the reasonably available possibilities first.

As to finishes, the various Marine models might be worth consideration in your case. Or you can have an electroless nickel or similar finish applied to your gun later.

hth,

lpl/nc

 

[Ergosphere]

Thanks everyone. I have been looking in the archives, but it will take some time to dig through it all.

Oh, and Mr. Hairless - sorry, I missed the humor the first time. Guess I'm a little slow today.

 

[marksman13]

Ergo, if you want a 590A1 I have one for sale that is LNIB. 35 rounds through it total. PM if interested.

 

[ccd]

If you are just going to use for self defense the low recoil buckshot loads(FED and Rem) are a God sent miracle. The federal load with the flitecontrol wad will challenge what most people think about effective buckshot range.

I would definitely test fire a shotgun that you intend to buy. It is pretty easy to find someone that owns an 870 or Mossberg. Some people just do not like having the rib and prefer sights ( ghost ring or rifle sights.)

Also you don't say whether you will be the only one using it(spouse, significant other, kids) so maybe a 20 GA might be more appropriate, though not much less effective.

Corrosion will be a problem if near the water. Various ways around this. Aluminum reciever (Mossberg) Polymer (Nova) or Stain(less quickly). Modern autoloaders are extremely reliable, but in most instances you get what you pay for.

 

[sm]

Book recommendation

Shotgunning: The Art & Science - Bob Brister

 

[Robert Hairless]

Oh, and Mr. Hairless - sorry, I missed the humor the first time. Guess I'm a little slow today.

No need to apologize. It was great fun writing my rejoinder. I owe you for providing the opportunity.

Now since we're getting serious and all that ....

"Fighting shotguns" primarily are functional tools but I think it's a mistake to overlook the enjoyment they can provide a civilian who starts out with no purpose other than to benefit from their unquestioned effectiveness in home defense.

Dave McCracken and Lee Lapin have given you the best possible advice for a proper start. To predict where you should wind up if you pursue that direction: a pump shotgun (Remington 870 or Mossberg equivalent), 18" or 20" barrel, bead sight, no pistol grip, and nothing else on it. Resist all temptation and pressures to hang anything extraneous on the gun until you know by your own experience what you need--not what anyone else tells you you need.

Truth be told, the simplest possible 12 gauge pump shotgun can be more effective in the hands of someone who really knows what he's doing than the most tricked out shotgun in the hands of someone with a rich fantasy life. When you get to that point--good training, as both Dave and Lee suggest, is the way to get there--you'll know what you really need to hang on the gun. The odd thing is that when you get to that point you might well decide not to hang anything at all on it.

One way to know when you reach that point, by the way, is if you start having fun shooting the gun, begin competing with yourself, and find that you win by at least a little each time. It's a heady experience. The serious benefit for your primary goal is that you become a home invader's worst nightmare. Mindset, good training, and good practice are what do it--not a photogenic shotgun. SM (in this forum) uses an old singleshot 20 gauge Harrington & Richardson Topper shotgun as his home defense shotgun. The shotgun is laughable. SM isn't. And that's the point.

There are low maintenance finishes for the metal and low maintenance materials for the stock and forend, and they're probably wise. (The marine finishes don't interest me because I don't spend time shooting near salt water and what I need is something even more durable and idiotproof for my own fighting shotguns.)

Speedfeed youth stock and forend, no pistol grip, GunKote finish on the metal. Sorry: I couldn't resist revealing the ending.

 

[Smitty in CT]

My Mossberg 930's are as reliable as any pump action I have ever owned.

There is actually less chance of inducing "operator induced" failures that there is with a pump.

The Mossberg 930 goes bang everytime, folks that speak of autoloaders and reliability are living in the past when autoloaders were not as reliable as they are today.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Regardless of what you end up buying, you should practice with it enough to where the question of semi-auto vs pump doesn't matter.

Best advise of the thread.
For a HD shotgun I would recommend a 18-20 barrel max. My 870 with half ton of accessories.

You don't need the side saddles, it gets heavy real quick.

 

[sm]

I use a Youth H&R Topper 20 single shot shotgun with fixed modified barrel and factory recoil pad.
Total length of gun is 36" and the barrel itself is 22".
I use slugs.

I am 6' and I can stand there with this shotgun in hand, and the muzzle will not touch the floor, and one cannot see I have this shotgun in my weak or strong hand.
Yes I can shoot this gun one handed if need...

Software, Not Hardware.