Looking to buy a first pump

[kabob983]

I've never been a shotgun guy. I'd only fired them once or twice up until recently, but a few weeks ago a buddy took me out and we spent some time shooting his Winchester 1300 defender. I really had a great time and since I'm currently a one gun owner I thought I might pick up a shotgun. I've been torn between buying an AR or a shotgun but shotties are so much cheaper I think I'll end up going this route for now.

I've been eyeballing the Remington 870's (particularly the Police Magnum) but I know there's alot of other options. What's the typical "new" price of a Police Magnum and where the heck can you buy them? Do I need that much gun as my first shotgun? What's gonna be my best bang for the buck option (pardon the cheap pun)? What barrel length should I go for (this will be primarily a fun/home defense weapon)? Can a shotgun chambered for the "magnum" shells also fire the normal shells (I'd heard this is so)?

Educate a shottie noob please.

Thanks!

[cj5mrt]

Yes a Mag can fire reg shells. If your gun is for fun and HD you don't need a Mag. An 870 is THE choice, mho. I have an older Wingmaster with an 18" barrel and a 20" rifle sighted barrel. Either 1 will work for what you want to do.



Mike

[MrMurphy]

You can fire Magnums, or any shorter shells in a magnum-rated gun. Most come that way now (the standard lower-end 870 is the 870 Express Magnum, for instance).

I personally prefer the Mossberg 500 for an all-around gun, the ambi safety is nice and it holds one more round. As a dedicated combat shotgun, i.e SWAT use, cop gun, or whatever, the 870 Police Magnum is my starting point (have owned both, as well as a Benelli).

[Glockmeister40]

Wise choice to go with a shottie instead of an AR if you have to decide between the 2.
That shotgun is going to be a lot better home defense tool.

I would go with the Remington 870 in some form myself too (actually I did I own 2 of them :) ) If you do go with the Express 870 adding a magazine extension tube can be a bit of a pain because you have to dremel out 2 little spots on the factory tube.

Also one more thing to look at if you go with the mossberg you may not even be able to add a magazine extension tube because of the way the barrel mounts.

Enjoy the new shotgun they are great tools. I even take my 18" 870 skeet shooting and it seems to work great for me :)

[Warhorse]

I would have to add that IMHO, the Remington 870's, and the Mossberg 500's, are the best bang for the buck in pump shotguns.

[amblackm]

I'd buy either a Remington 870 Police, a Mossberg 590A1, or a Benelli SuperNova. It is hard to go wrong with any of the three. Just buy the one you like best.

The 870 Police is worth the extra money over an Express. They use higher quality parts, the finish is better, and they're hand inspected before leaving the factory. To buy one, either go to a store that sells LE equipment and guns or special order one through your regular dealer (not a sporting goods store). If you want to check them out online, go to www.remingtonle.com.

My two favorites are the 870 Police and the Benelli SuperNova Tactical. Both are awesome weapons and you really cannot go wrong with either one. The Mossberg 590A1 is a great shotgun too. All of them are good choices, so just buy the one that fits you best.

Andrew

[Arbee]

I have had a 590A1 and now an 870P. They are both great shotguns, but I give an edge to the 870P. More than worth the price difference over an 870 Express due to a few better parts, internal finishing and care in assembly.

If you are going to use it for HD, the best investment you can maje is a day or two of shotgun specific training. Even if you are trained and competent with a handgun, use of a shotgun is sufficiently different.

If it's just for fun and not even any serious competition, then lots of things may do.

[kabob983]

I'd love to take a course but $$ may not allow it. We'll see.

870P would be my ideal choice but finding one might be the deterring factor. Anyone knwo what I will be looking to pay for an 870P ordered through a LE provider??

[Winchester]

As a hunting and target gun I love the Winchester Model 1300. I have owned 870s including wingmaster, I have shot Mossbergs, I have shot Benellis but I rack up better kills and scores with the 1300 it just fits me better for some reason. If you were to buy a 1300 all you would need is an extended mag tube, and extra barrel for home defense, that's the way I went. A lot of people say that if an extremely high round count is going to be going down the barrel nothing is tougher than the 870 which may be perfectly true, but I have put a couple thousand rounds down my 1300 and never had a problem.

[Arbee]

I'd love to take a course but $$ may not allow it. We'll see.

870P would be my ideal choice but finding one might be the deterring factor. Anyone knwo what I will be looking to pay for an 870P ordered through a LE provider??

Dollar limitations are understandable and important. I would suggest, however, that if you get a shotgun that you not plan on using it for HD until you get some training. You'll most likely be better off and safer relying on your handgun training, and shooting the sg for fun.

Last year I paid $495 for an 870P with the standard Rem synthetic stock and fore end through a local LE supply house. But shop around - most small dealers can order one for you. You might save $20- 25. Also consider looking for a used 870P LE trade-in -- maybe $300 - 350.

[amblackm]

New 870 Police guns usually run in the 500 - 600 range. You might be able to find a used one for less money. The SuperNova is about $450 with ghost ring sights. If you're on a budget, it is the best bang for the buck IMO.

Andrew

[Northalius]

If on a really tight budget, check out the Mossberg 500. I just bought a Moss 500 for $209 at Walmart, brand new. Plus taxes and backround check, it came out to $224. It is my first shotgun, so I went for the cheapest priced, well-known and respected shotgun: Mossberg. :)

Never tried a Remington, but the ones I've seen are never near $200 price range brand new; so again, the cheapest is Mossberg 500.

The safety being in the middle on the top side of the gun is a nice touch, too. I'm left-handed, so it works well for me. It came with a 28" barrel, which is nice since I do plan on hunting with it (I live in the woods); but I'll also look into getting an 18.5" barrel for easier indoors manueverability; though I have been dryfire practicing indoors with the 28" barrel, and have no problems maneuvering around. So, I don't "need" a shorter barrel at the moment. :)

I did plan on the Moss 590 Mariner, but I thought: since it's my first, I'll go cheap and plain, so whatever happens, I didn't spend too much on it, and can always get another soon enough. :supergrin:

Good luck with whatever you choose.

[phone*guy]

I have an 870...Sold my Benelli M3 about 6 months ago and just bought a Mossberg 590 on Wednesday. The Mossberg came with an extended mag and ghost ring sights for $475...I plan on installing the Surefire front end and an oversized Vang safety. I think all 3 are GREAT shottys but the ambi safety is what sold me on the 590...Gotta wait the 10 days before I see how well she shoots...cant wait!