What constitutes a “good” shotgun?

[mike59271]

I’d like to get a nice home defense shotgun, pistol grip and rails and all but I’m seeing some really big price disparities.

I see some going for $200-$300 and others well into the $2000 range with Berettas.

So, based on price, what can I expect to get at different price points ajd what are are biggest disadvantages to going cheap?

 

[CRSIII]

Remington 870. It won’t let you down.
Way to many variants to list.
Have fun in the rabbit hole.

 

[golden chicken]

Pump vs Semi accounts for a pretty big price difference to begin with. Under stress, are you going to rack it properly? Is your semi going to cycle the loads you choose to use?

Is it going to kick you so hard that you're the only one in the house willing to shoot/train with the thing?

Aftermarket accessories availability?

Maverick 88/Mossberg 500/590 and Remington 870 are the standard answers for value pumps. I prefer everything about the Mossbergs except how much more kick I perceive vs an 870.
I haven't personally had a chance to play with a semiauto shotgun.

 

[pastera]

I'm going through a similar search - buy once cry once isn't smart shopping for something you only plan on shooting less than a thousand rounds through it.
If it lasts that long then you will have learned what didn't work for you and be well informed when looking for the "forever' gun
In truth, if it reliably fires when you pull the trigger then paying significantly more is just vanity.

 

[ReluctantDecoy]

I prefer everything about the Mossbergs except how much more kick I perceive vs an 870.

I was looking into 590 vs 870 recently, thinking about my own purchase of one of those. Apparently, 870 is over a pound heavier with both at 18.5". That might make the 590 feel snappier in the kick. Just a guess though.

 

[paul73]

I’d like to get a nice home defense shotgun, pistol grip and rails and all but I’m seeing some really big price disparities.

I see some going for $200-$300 and others well into the $2000 range with Berettas.

So, based on price, what can I expect to get at different price points ajd what are are biggest disadvantages to going cheap?

this is a good shotgun:

GunBroker.com - Error

 

[Deleted member 67409]

A good shotgun is one that fulfills its intended purpose. Define the purpose and find the shotguns that best fill that purpose. You have to figure out what works for you - are you left-handed, do you want a tang or crossbolt safety, do you want detachable or tube magazines, which gauge do you want?

Try and meet up with some guys who shoot trap, skeet, or sporting clays, or ideally shoot Practical Shotgun or 3-gun matches, that way you can see and try a variety of guns before you choose.

 

[golden chicken]

I was looking into 590 vs 870 recently, thinking about my own purchase of one of those. Apparently, 870 is over a pound heavier with both at 18.5". That might make the 590 feel snappier in the kick. Just a guess though.

Yeah, my 500 is even a little lighter than a 590, and is much snappier than any 870 I've shot with the same ammo. I don't mind. It did surprise me the first time I shot it. Comparison review videos seem to gloss over the difference, if they even mention it at all. That's why I mention it.

 

[DarthRevan]

Just buy a 1301 and don’t think about it anymore.

 

[KMM696]

I bought a Benelli SuperNova Tactical in a group buy here on NES back in 2010 or 11 - astoundingly good pump defense shotgun. Their rotary bolt system makes it very smooth to run, available with a pistol grip stock (although after shooting both I prefer their 'ComfortTech' stock for absorbing recoil from slugs). safety can be swapped to left hand, ghost ring sights are excellent, and not priced anything like Benelli's semi-autos. Shoots slugs very well. Mine is somewhere around 1k slug through it - no problems, no broken parts.

Down sides:
Fixed choke - It would be an excellent turkey gun as well, if it had removable chokes. This can be changed, but will need a trip to a smith.
Barrels - no aftermarket barrels, difficult to find Benelli barrels, and they're priced such that it makes more sense to get a second SuperNova than a second barrel.
Aftermarket - more limited availability. To put a rail for a red dot and a mag extension on mine was not cheap. At the time, Nordic Components. Not sure who's covering them now.
Availability - It wasn't common to see them before the past couple years record sales, and I'm betting they'd be tough to find now.

ETA: Reread OP's question, realized I dodged it. As you move up from the $200-300 mystery shotguns, what you're buying is workmanship, reliability and factory support. For a field gun where the worst case for a failure is a missed clay, or not having a tasty animal for dinner one of the cheap pumps is fine. For a home defense shotgun, reliability matters. At some point moving up the price scale, you start paying for features since reliability becomes common.

 

[paracarry]

If you haven't already, shoot one with a pistol grip first to see if that's the way you want to go. The upside to cheap rather than expensive, it doesn't hurt your wallet as much if you have to toss it in the ocean because you screwed up. (just kidding).

 

[22lr]

Talking with an instructor who does shotgun home defense classes, he recommended a semi auto. He sees a lot of people fumble on the pump reloads under stress. I thought that was a good argument. Beretta or Benelli should serve you well. You can get a nice used M1 super 90 or go all out with an M4.

 

[paul73]

he recommended a semi auto

semi auto is all great until it jams. and if it jams with, say, a boar running toward you - all you are left with is a relatively short metal stick.
here is not that common to use a 12ga paper or plastic shells, so, it would be less common, of course.

 

[Mesatchornug]

I bought a Benelli SuperNova Tactical in a group buy here on NES back in 2010 or 11 - [...]

Down sides:
Fixed choke - It would be an excellent turkey gun as well, if it had removable chokes. This can be changed, but will need a trip to a smith.
Barrels - no aftermarket barrels, difficult to find Benelli barrels, and they're priced such that it makes more sense to get a second SuperNova than a second barrel.
Aftermarket - more limited availability. To put a rail for a red dot and a mag extension on mine was not cheap. At the time, Nordic Components. Not sure who's covering them now.
Availability - It wasn't common to see them before the past couple years record sales, and I'm betting they'd be tough to find now.

I've got a Nova H2O. Same barrels are available for both. Benelli barrels are expensive, and there are only a few, but certainly not "no" aftermarket barrels available.
That said, they're like $250+, which can buy a 500 or an 870 if you're patient.

It is a really nice shotgun though.

 

[Soundwave]

Talking with an instructor who does shotgun home defense classes, he recommended a semi auto. He sees a lot of people fumble on the pump reloads under stress. I thought that was a good argument. Beretta or Benelli should serve you well. You can get a nice used M1 super 90 or go all out with an M4.

I hope any home defense encounter doesn't last long enough for me to need to reload! I just put the slug barrel on my dad's old Browning BPS. Hopefully it will do the trick.

 

[DarthRevan]

semi auto is all great until it jams. and if it jams with, say, a boar running toward you - all you are left with is a relatively short metal stick.

If you’re living near boars then you need to reconsider your life to that point.

Semi, pump, any gun can jam. Don’t buy shit guns and keep them clean. Tough right?

 

[In God We Trust]

Remington 870. It won’t let you down.
Way to many variants to list.
Have fun in the rabbit hole.

This or the Mossberg 500. Pretty much only difference is the location of the safety. Can’t go wrong with either one. No need for a semi auto in my opinion. Only additions you might want are a flashlight mount and a shell side saddle.

 

[paul73]

I've got a Nova H2O. Same barrels are available for both. Benelli barrels are expensive, and there are only a few, but certainly not "no" aftermarket barrels available.
That said, they're like $250+, which can buy a 500 or an 870 if you're patient.

It is a really nice shotgun though.

when i was a hunter - i had 1 pump, 2 semis, toz34 and toz66.

toz66 was what i used a 95% of the time. vertical toz34 was the rest, others were mostly just toys. i would take a saiga to a hunt, but we never used it as primary, only as a potential backup.

both toz34 and toz66 i had were anniversary editions, hand picked for me by a shop owner out of 23 crates of guns, and were amazing. all went for nothing to somebody i do not even know when i left and family ransacked through all of my stuff.

 

[paul73]

Semi, pump, any gun can jam. Don’t buy shit guns and keep them clean. Tough right?

or when it is a -30deg C outside, you shoot it 3-4 times chasing stuff, it warms up, then you misstep and drop into snow - and kaput. it depends. there are just some things you do not do against bigger game. and not because you are smart and have an idea for everything - just because those who are in charge of the hunt told you not to. got 2 in the barrels - make them count.

 

[wilson911]

Whatever one I have in hand. Any port in a storm.

 

[whatluck]

stay away from tactical crap. a naked shotgun is the best shotgun. fitment is huge, the length of pull has to match your forearm mostly. whatever you get shots on target with.

 

[PappyM3]

Just buy a 1301 and don’t think about it anymore.

View attachment 497518

Talking with an instructor who does shotgun home defense classes, he recommended a semi auto. He sees a lot of people fumble on the pump reloads under stress. I thought that was a good argument. Beretta or Benelli should serve you well. You can get a nice used M1 super 90 or go all out with an M4.

Even pros short stroke pump guns sometimes. With the reliability of modern semi autos like the 1301, the only reason to go for a Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 over a Beretta 1301 is cost or availability/urgency.

 

[Mesatchornug]

or when it is a -30deg C outside, you shoot it 3-4 times chasing stuff, it warms up, then you misstep and drop into snow - and kaput. it depends. there are just some things you do not do against bigger game. and not because you are smart and have an idea for everything - just because those who are in charge of the hunt told you not to. got 2 in the barrels - make them count.

I think his point is that the OP is asking about Home Defense in western Mass.

He may take up hunting at some point in the future, but by then he may have expanded his collection already anyways.

 

[PappyM3]

semi auto is all great until it jams. and if it jams with, say, a boar running toward you - all you are left with is a relatively short metal stick.
here is not that common to use a 12ga paper or plastic shells, so, it would be less common, of course.

Try to get a 1301 to jam with anything other than mini shells. I’ll wait. Odds are greater of short stroking a pump.

 

[whatluck]

Just buy a 1301 and don’t think about it anymore.

View attachment 497518

just watch out for the version 1, make sure it has the bolt shroud upgrade

 

[qqac]

Pump vs Semi accounts for a pretty big price difference to begin with. Under stress, are you going to rack it properly? Is your semi going to cycle the loads you choose to use?

Is it going to kick you so hard that you're the only one in the house willing to shoot/train with the thing?

Aftermarket accessories availability?

Maverick 88/Mossberg 500/590 and Remington 870 are the standard answers for value pumps. I prefer everything about the Mossbergs except how much more kick I perceive vs an 870.
I haven't personally had a chance to play with a semiauto shotgun.

I have a Remington 1100 semi auto and a Mossberg 500 pump. The semi has noticeably softer recoil due to the action taking up some of the energy.

For the OP, I would want reliability and durability for a home defense shotgun--something you can knock around, drop, etc. and not care too much about, but will fire and cycle even if it is full of dust and dirt. Something inexpensive like the Mossi 500 or even Maverick 88 fits the bill. More expensive shotguns have nicer finishes that you worry about scratching up.

 

[enbloc]

What constitutes a “good” shotgun?​

Repeatability & Durability

 

[union]

I have a Benelli M4 and a Mossberg 590A1. Both are really nice shotguns and each performs excellent. I have done multiple defensive classes with both. There is no doubt I can fire faster with the M4 and be on target. The benefit of the Mossberg is it holds more rounds. For me although both guns are good the Mossberg is the one closer to my reach.

As for cheaper guns. I have experience with the Maverick 88. The 590a1 is a far better built gun for not a lot more money. With the right sourcing it can also be fitted with a long barrel for hunting or clay shooting.

In short if I had to choose one from what I have and what I have shot it would be the 590a1.

 

[GML]

I've yet to have an issue with my 870. It's 60 years old, nice and simple. Heavy, goes bang when the trigger is pulled, cycles smoothly. All I need it to do. Have hunted with it in the past and it's done the job as well.

 

[MisterHappy]

Whatever you get, "exercise" it thoroughly!

Last week at Trap, a young guy (to me, at least) had a new Winchester pump. Nice gun for the first 3 shots, then it would not go into battery with a shell in it, and it could not be opened with the slide. Had to disassemble it on the line to get the shell out. Cycled it some, seemed better, went into battery, shot (broke the target), and would not open.

Shotgun has a rotary bolt, and my guess is that the lugs on the bolt, the barrel extension, or both were either at their largest limit for tolerance, or a bit rough. Back to the seller. With a fired hull in the stuck action.

Point being....make sure that whatever you get, from whatever source, works.