Shotgun basics for Newb

[Hwkeye]

My next purchase is going to be a Mossberg 500 Cruiser
The first shotgun I ever shot was my dad's 20Ga Mossberg 500

I want this:

[nikon777]

Originally Posted by Hwkeye

My next purchase is going to be a Mossberg 500 Cruiser
The first shotgun I ever shot was my dad's 20Ga Mossberg 500

I want this:

next on my list

[Lazarus]

With all the different models and what not how do you pick which gun to get? Like why 20" vs 18.5"? Why a 590A1 (military) vs a regular 500 or 870? Why pump instead of semi auto? Why pistol grip with CAR stock vs regular stock.

I know I want a HD shotgun but these questions are probably the reason why I dont have one. I thought I wanted a Mossberg 500 with 18" barrel but now I'm not sure because I realize theres too many options out there.

[CPES]

Originally Posted by Lazarus

With all the different models and what not how do you pick which gun to get? Like why 20" vs 18.5"? Why a 590A1 (military) vs a regular 500 or 870? Why pump instead of semi auto? Why pistol grip with CAR stock vs regular stock.

I know I want a HD shotgun but these questions are probably the reason why I dont have one. I thought I wanted a Mossberg 500 with 18" barrel but now I'm not sure because I realize theres too many options out there.

I went through ALL of those questions before I settled on my Mossberg last year. Let me try to go through them one by one and give you my .02 on the matter:

Like why 20" vs 18.5"?

I had decided first and foremost that I liked the controls on the Mossy more than the 870, so when choosing barrel length it came down to the extended mag - I wanted it, and the 18" didn't have it so I went with the 20" persuader. The extra 1.5" does next to nothing as far as improving shot patterns, but it doesn't really affect the gun's mobility around corners, either. That being said, I went with the gun that had all of the options I wanted: 20" Mossberg 500 Persuader 12 guage.

Why a 590A1 (military) vs a regular 500 or 870?

Again, this comes down to personal preference and a few small differences. The 590A1 and 870 Police Magnum are more expensive, first of all, becasue they are specialized weapons. Secondly, and I'm not sure about the 870PM, but I know the 590A1 holds one more round compared to the civvy 500 Persuader. Thats not a huge concern to me, becasue if I have to unload 8 rounds in a HD situation, I have much bigger problems than missing one extra round in the tube.

Basically, the civilian versions can do the job just as effectively and for much less money. If you have the money to plunk down on one, sure, they're cool to have. But if you're on a budget like I was, a regular ol 500 or 870 will do you just fine.

Why pump instead of semi auto?

Simple - less moving parts on a pump gun. Simple is better for HD, IMO. Most autoloaders are incredibly reliable, but there is always a chance that something could go wrong. I suppose you could say that about a pump gun as well, but its just THAT much more likely when you have the kind of gas operating system that an autoloader uses. Minimize the chances of something going wrong on your end - thats the name of the game for HD.

Why pistol grip with CAR stock vs regular stock?

Again, this is purely subjective based on personal preferences. IMO, collapsible stocks and pistol grips belong on M4s. Tactical considerations are made by LE agencies when they need to tailor length of pull and whatnot for each of thier operators, but the average joe isn't a tactical officer, and again IMO, doesn't need that kind of equipment. The exception to the rule here would be the Knoxx CopStock, which is a collapsible M4 stock/pistol grip that employs weighted springs to reduce felt recoil. I can understand why someone would want that. But, Knoxx also makes a CompStock, which is just a regular stock with the same weighted springs in it. Given the choice, I'd adopt the KISS rule any day and choose the CompStock.

Less moving stuff is good. Hick's Law states that your reaction time increases proportionally to the number of possible responses you have in a given situation. Adding all kinds of fancy crap on your HD gun is only going to do one thing in a fast-paced HD situation: confuse the hell out of your brain, slow you down, and get you killed. UNLESS you are a trained operator and know how to effectively use that equipment.

This is all just my school of thought on the subject though. Other opinions will vary...but that's the spice of life.

[Lazarus]

Thanks for the input. As I'd rather not spend too much money on a HD/range gun I think I'd go for a regular Mossberg but I might get the Mariner since it will be coming with me if SHTF.

[eric_t12]

I need the collapsible stock because i'm small. once its set to my length it won't ever change, so that won't be a concern to me. The only other way would be to chop a factory stock down, and butt-pad it. I suppose its equally effective, and my dad IS a good carpenter...

[Dibs50]

Originally Posted by mdjamesd

I'm a shotgun newbie also, I'm just waiting for mine to get in. I ordered a mossberg 590A1 20"bbl, ghostrings, 9+1 from the factory, and can hardly wait to break it in

Now THAT is a kick-a** shotgun! Have fun!

[mdjamesd]

Originally Posted by Dibs50

Now THAT is a kick-a** shotgun! Have fun!

I figure if it's the only shotgun that can pass the military's test, then it should be good enough for me. It's so d@mn heavy, you could throw it if you had to, then pick it back up and keep on going!

[JohnnyBra]

I've been thinking on this topic as well. What I'd love to have is this.
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/p...ducts_id/46907

18" and 28" barrels included, so it's easily converted between HD gun and Target/Skeet/Hunting gun. Addition of a ATI Collapsable stock and it'd be a real winner ^-^;

[CPES]

Those collapsible stocks look cool, but thats about it. My cousin has one on his 500, and that thing hurts like a bitch after 10 or so rounds. No padding at all, straight metal to your shoulder.

ATI's quality is questionable too, from what I hear...but I don't have any personal experiance so I'm just talking out of my rear.