A decent price for a 12ga?

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parrothead2581

New member
Hello members. I am considering purhcasing a 14in barreled 12ga pump action shotgun for home defense (and some fun at the range). I contacted a local dealer (family owned which is a plus IMHO) who has a Remington 870, synthetic stock, tactical black with a two shot magazine extension for $299 (he didn't specify new or used). Is that considered a good deal? He also mentioned a Mossberg 500 with the optional pistol grip at the same gauge and barrel length for $209 (again, did not specify new or used). Would this be considered a good deal? Which one should I choose? Am I likely to find a better deal at our local gun show at the end of this month (Greensboro, NC) Thank you very much! =)
 
if you live in the US i believe that there is some additional paper work and a gov't tax involved with a 14 inch barreled shotgun. if i were you i would look at an 18 inch, the shortest you can buy without a lot of other work. i suggest you check out the thread in this section about how to register a short barrel shotty.
 
You know, I know it's past my bedtime when I post something so stupid. I meant an 18inch not a 14inch...wow. And in case I didn't specify, it's an 870 express. Thanks again!
 
From your stage name I'm gonna assume that you are in Fla. Disregard I just saw you NC reference

I recently bought used but unfired Rem 870 set up as you describe for $245 in Orl

I see used Mossbergs from $140 to $200 in pawn shops pretty regularly.

Both are good guns and have their pluses, I don't think you could go wrong with either.

I think the Remington would give you more add-on flexibility though
 
OH i dont know about the mossbergs customizing. their are plenty of after market parts for the 500's but the remingtons will have more parts available.
 
It sounds as if you are looking for a deal on a 12 gauge shotgun. If you want new, it sounds as if your dealer has fair prices. He is below Impact once you count shipping and the transfer fees. Forget the pistol grip. Get a real stock. Shoot a friend's with a pistol grip and thank me later.

If you want a real deal though, consider used. Go to a pawn shop. Look at the Mossberg 500, Remington 870s, Winchester 1200 and 1300s. All of these can be found in the $120 range, often less if the wood is ugly. Choose a gun with a slick barrel (no rib), that is smooth but not loose in it's action. Pay your money and take it home.

Close the chamber, drop a dowel down the barrel, and measure it. Say it's 24 inches? Ok now measure 5.5 inches from the muzzle on the outside of the barrel to get a 18.5 inch barrel (NOT 14"!). No matter what the length you measure, your computation must end up with a 18.5 inch barrel. The extra 0.5 inch is a safety margin for error. Use a pipecutter to cut the barrel to this length. Once cut, use some 240 grit emery cloth to round the edges. If you are skiddish about this have a gunsmith chop it for you. You really don't need a sight if you are talking quick targets at 20 feet or less. I just align the end of the barrel with the grooves in the reciever top and do just fine at these distances. If you feel the need, the gunsmith can remove the old bead from the chopped section and reinstall it for you. Chances are he won't charge much.

If you have a forend that overlaps the reciever, either replace it with a cob type, or just saw it off to where it no longer overlaps. Yes, it will look like hell, but who cares? It's a defensive weapon, not your girlfriend. Install a sidesaddle for additional ammo.

Now, clean 7 lube the gun, buy some low recoil 00 Buck, and take the gun to the range, load it up and check it out. Take a course on combat shotgunning. You must learn technique. A shotgun without technique is a poor weapon. A shotgun with technique is devastating.

Here are my cheapo shotguns.
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Winchester 1200 $65 at the pawn shop. Ugly as sin, but in great shape.

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Same Winchester with $30 of plastic added. It was just to good a gun to leave ugly.

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Mossberg 500 $25 as a box of parts, but complete. The heatshield was a gift from a friend.

The Remington 870 vs the Mossberg 500

Another Remmy vs Mossy page
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Also, don't discount JC Higgins, New Haven, or Western Field. These are simply Mossbergs with lower grade wood that were relabled and sold through Sears, Montgomery Wards, and Otasco among other retailers. They have the same action as regular Mossbergs, and often cost a lot less.
 

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I know it's a little off topic but I picked up my Mossberg 835 Ulti Mag in woodlands camo with a sling and case for like $380 (New)... nice gun only thing is you can't fire slugs with it cause of the barrel shape internally but it would make a great slug gun with another barrel :D

I have a circa 1983 870 Wingmaster which is a beautiful gun, 2 3/4" only but it's good for rifled slugs and skeet. Great buy definately! Remington makes great shotguns, as well as browning, I've heard good things from winchester. I think shotguns are less expensive but they are certainly more versatile.

Home defense - skeet - deer hunting - upland bird - waterfoul - turkey (upland bird? :) ) etc. etc.
 
Also, don't discount JC Higgins, New Haven, or Western Field. These are simply Mossbergs with lower grade wood that were relabled and sold through Sears, Montgomery Wards, and Otasco among other retailers. They have the same action as regular Mossbergs, and often cost a lot less.
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+1

I have a Western Auto (Mossberg 500) That I got for a c-note with tax included at a pawn shop. Also picked up a Win Ranger 120 that came with 3 chokes for $140 OTD.
 
The mossberg you are looking at is the mossberg persuader. I simply LOVE mine. I bought it for skeet shooting (not just as a fun gun, but because I do better with shorter barrels) and it has been simply wonderful. It came with the pistol grip and with it on it is indeed SHORT but not really practical.

4 things I like about the mossberg 500 over the remington 870:
1. Ambidextrous safetey.
2. The slide unlock button is behind the trigger guard so that all you have to do is move your middle finger an inch to unlock the slide (the remington has this forward of the trigger guard so that you must alter your hold on the gun) I like this simply because it is nice, not because I envision some tactical situation in which I will have to go through my shell inventory.
3. The forend does not overlap, so when installing a sidesaddle it is one less thing to have to consider.
4. PRICE! This was the biggest issue for me and it was well worth the money.

That's my opinion but you can't go wrong with a remmy either.
 
If we are going to list the advantages and disadvantages for these guns, I'll list another one for the Mossy. On the Mossberg, the shelllifter rides up against the bolt when the bolt is forward. This may seem unimportant, or even a bad thing, until you get your loading thumb hung between the shell lifter and the reciever when loading the magazine in a hurry. Once that happens to you you will understand the advantage of this design. Don't ask me how I know. ;) The Mossbergs are easy to spot on the pawn shop rack because of the loading port being unobstructed.

The safety and slide release locations on the Mossberg is indeed a big advantage in my book as well. The safety button is plastic though, and often cracks right in the middle. Replace it before it breaks with a metal button from Brownell's.

Other advantages of the Mossy are dual extractors and a easy to replace ejector.

To be sure, the Remmy 870 has it's advantages, the biggest of which is a steel receiver compared to the Mossberg's aluminum receiver.
 
However, keep in mind that the reciever does not need to be as strong as with a semi because the bolt does not slam into the reciever.
 
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