I'm new here, but after I've been around a while y'all will come to recognize that I really prefer older, "classic" firearms to most modern ones. I have . . . several . . . firearms, and none of them have polymer frames or synthetic stocks. I'm a blue steel and wood guy.
A friend of mine as been touting the virtues of his Saiga 12, but. . . that is one fugly gun. But it did get me thinking about the idea of a tactical shotgun. \
I recently found and bought an almost pristine Smith Model 15 (K-38) at my local gun shop. When I picked it up last week, I did my usual browsing to see if anything caught me eye. Nothing really jumped out at me, but I did pick up a Belgium made Browning A5 in 12 gauge. It looked like it had a shorter barrel than most I had previously seen or owned (I've owned one in the past, and regreted selling it ever since). But . . . it was one of several guns I picked up to look at.
When I saw the Model 15 I wound up buying, I had gone into the shop looking to see what they had in tactical shotguns. Then, when I saw the Smith, it was no contest between it and something new and plastic. When picking the pistol up, I see the A5. But . . . I don't want a hunting shotgun, I want a self defense semi auto shotgun. (By now, y'all see where this is going, don't ya'?) After I get home, I'm still thinking that there's something about that Browning. . .
So, I get online, and find that you can get magazine tube extensions and other kewl accessories to convert an A5 into a tactical gun. Oh lawd, you mean I can have vintage AND tactical . . . WHAT A GREAT IDEA! Now, I'm a little poor from buying the Smith, but I put a down payment on the shotgun, and will pay it off with the next paycheck. Then, give it an eight shot capacity, some night sights, mebbe a few more gadgets, and I've got me a streetsweeper.
Now. . . before you purists scream about butchering a classic like the A5, the factor that sealed the deal was the fact that a previous owner had already shortened the barrel to about 20 inches and installed an adjustable choke. The conversion was already half done.
I think I'm gonna have fun with this project. Pictures will follow when I bail the gun out in a couple of weeks.
A friend of mine as been touting the virtues of his Saiga 12, but. . . that is one fugly gun. But it did get me thinking about the idea of a tactical shotgun. \
I recently found and bought an almost pristine Smith Model 15 (K-38) at my local gun shop. When I picked it up last week, I did my usual browsing to see if anything caught me eye. Nothing really jumped out at me, but I did pick up a Belgium made Browning A5 in 12 gauge. It looked like it had a shorter barrel than most I had previously seen or owned (I've owned one in the past, and regreted selling it ever since). But . . . it was one of several guns I picked up to look at.
When I saw the Model 15 I wound up buying, I had gone into the shop looking to see what they had in tactical shotguns. Then, when I saw the Smith, it was no contest between it and something new and plastic. When picking the pistol up, I see the A5. But . . . I don't want a hunting shotgun, I want a self defense semi auto shotgun. (By now, y'all see where this is going, don't ya'?) After I get home, I'm still thinking that there's something about that Browning. . .
So, I get online, and find that you can get magazine tube extensions and other kewl accessories to convert an A5 into a tactical gun. Oh lawd, you mean I can have vintage AND tactical . . . WHAT A GREAT IDEA! Now, I'm a little poor from buying the Smith, but I put a down payment on the shotgun, and will pay it off with the next paycheck. Then, give it an eight shot capacity, some night sights, mebbe a few more gadgets, and I've got me a streetsweeper.
Now. . . before you purists scream about butchering a classic like the A5, the factor that sealed the deal was the fact that a previous owner had already shortened the barrel to about 20 inches and installed an adjustable choke. The conversion was already half done.
I think I'm gonna have fun with this project. Pictures will follow when I bail the gun out in a couple of weeks.