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Which self defense shotgun ?

altosaltos Member Posts: 187 ✭✭✭
edited October 2001 in Ask the Experts
Preferences between a Mossberg 500,Remington 870 or Wichester Defender for a 12GA home defense, 18in shotgun ? Your opinions sincerely appreciated.Thanks !
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Comments

  • royc38royc38 Member Posts: 2,235 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    All three are great. My personal preference is the Mossberg 500.
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  • 1022man1022man Member Posts: 512 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I like the 870 the best. Seem simplier and better construction. 2nd choice wood be the 500, but it tends to have more loose fitting parts than the 870. Like the trigger safty on the 870 better than the top safty on the 500. But go to your local gun shop or Walmart and see which one you like better. Shake them, see how much noice they make, cycle them a couple times, and check out the safties.
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  • altosaltos Member Posts: 187 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Certainly, "feel" plays a big hand in this.Reliability wise, is there a preference ? And... can the 870 or 500 be economically stretched to 7 shot capacity like the Defender (1300) ?
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  • jltrentjltrent Member Posts: 9,330 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Mossberg 500 "Persuader" 7 rounds in the tube and one in the chamber. Mossberg is the worlds number one sold shotgun. The 870 is nice also.
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  • luger01luger01 Member Posts: 230 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    They are all good guns. I have a couple of the Mossbergs myself. Mostly comes down to price and 'feel'. If you get the Mossberg, consider replacing the plastic safety button with a steel one fro Brownell's. Just a quirk of mine, but I don't want to have to trust my life to anything that has too great a potential for failure. The steel replacement part is not expensive and easy to install, and there's less chance of failure in a critical situation.All of the gun have replaceable barrels, too. So you can have a field gun, a slug gun, and a home defense gun for not a lot of money.
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  • ICE NINEICE NINE Member Posts: 50 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I prefer the 870, but when I got a shotgun for my mom for home protection, I let her test my 870 and my 500. She liked the 500 because of the top mounted safety -- less confusing, she said. Same thing with my sister.
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  • altosaltos Member Posts: 187 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've noticed that no one has suggested the 1300 Defender... just the luck of who's on the board tonight or ????
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  • royc38royc38 Member Posts: 2,235 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Altos, this is one of those situations where you really can't make the wrong choice. I have owned the Mossberg 500 and the Winchester 1300. I trained with the Remington 870. Its all a matter of preference. If you have short arms the 1300 will be a little better for you because the pump action seems shorter. The Mossberg seems to have more toys for it and I too like the safety on top. The Remington seems to have a smoother slide. You just can't lose with this trio. Close your eyes and pick one.
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  • ICE NINEICE NINE Member Posts: 50 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    The Winchester Defender seems like a fine gun too. Admittedly, I don't have any experience handeling any of these guns outside of the range. I think that goodies are a lot more common for the Rem 870 and Moss 500 than they are for the Win. I think marketing and name recognition has a lot to do with that, too. When I think pump shotgun, I think Remington 870, and then Mossberg...and then Winchester.
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  • rsnyder55rsnyder55 Member Posts: 2,526 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    My personal order of preference in shotguns are:Benelli M1, Remington 870, and Mossberg 500
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  • Ross C. McDonellRoss C. McDonell Member Posts: 36 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have shot all of them a lot. When I first came into the Navy the 870 was standard issue for my armory. Never broke one in 10 years, not one. There is a reason that it is the biggest selling gun of all time. Now we use the M-500 break one of them every week I don't like to trust my life to that gun but have little choice. I usually pull one from the armory go through it tune it just for me and wont let my guy's issue that one out as it is mine. I currently own a 1300 defender and this is one smooth reliable shotgun put 400 rounds through it on day one (not alone) just to be sure I could trust it. No problems at all, I think it is as good as an 870. Now it has a ton of rounds down the tube and really like this gun.
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  • muwapemuwape Member Posts: 45 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have a Winchester Defender with the pistol grip.Haven't shot it in a while, but i think it holds 8 rds. It's a blast to shoot at night because flame leaps out about 2 feet from the barrel. Tried to sight down the barrel once to shoot a groundhog,damn thing came back on me and nearly broke my nose!!anyway, I used to shoot the heck out of it and it's always been a good,reliable,inexpensive gun.
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