Best Home Defense Shotty?

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Dragger34

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I was looking at the Kel-Tec KSG for a home defense shotgun, but the price is still above a Grand from most areas.

I would like to have a 12ga semi-auto shotgun for under $500, but I have no experience with them so I don't know what's most reliable. In fact the only shotgun I have experience with is the 870 Remy. I'd like to have the shortest legally available but with a shoulder stock, with the highest mag capacity, and a red-dot sight and iron sights for back up. Any suggestions?
 
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You won't find a reliable, semi automatic shotgun for under $500, especially with what you are asking.

To get what you want would start in the ballpark of $1,000. And that is before you factor in the cost of an optic.
 
In my opinion, the best semi-auto home-defense shotgun for the money is the Mossberg 930. It comes in several different configurations for home defense starting at around $600 or even less.

But it looks like the one that fits what you're looking for is the SPX version with an extended mag tube, a pic rail on the receiver, ghost ring sights, and either a normal stock or a stock with a pistol grip. The SPX should run between $700 and $800 depending on where you get it and if it has a stock with a pistol grip.
 
If you wanted a cheaper gun so you can have more money to customize you can check out the iac hawk 981 it is a 870 clone only part I know won't swap over is the barrel. I just ordered one for around 175 shipped
 
Semi auto for $600-700 you could get a Saiga12

High mag capacity? How about a 20 round detachable drum loaded with 12GA 00 buckshot.
 
You just cannot expect answers that help you with that title...

The best HD guns in semi auto are beyond your budget significantly and most of the better pumps are north of $500...

I would, as always, say the best budget HD gun will be an American made gun built to sell to those of us who are more utilitarian... The Mossberg 500 is what I prefer but the Maverick 88 by Mossberg is a few bucks less and has a crossbolt safety at the trigger guard some prefer...

Next would be a Remington Express 870 but I do not like the unfinished metal look and there seems to be more occurrences of rough/tight chambers needing polished to make hull extraction reliable...

I shy away from the 3rd world import guns (mostly 870 clones) as the parts may not interchange easily and you never know if there will be a reliable parts stream in the future for them...

Brent
 
Lets "Beat this dead horse" once again. If (an its a big IF) you want to use a shotgun for HD, the "Best" shotgun is the same gun you shoot in the 90's while shooting skeet ( 1 oz. #9). The same gun you shoot in the 90's while shooting trap ( 1 oz. #7 1/2). Its the one you shoot in the 80's while shooting sporting clays ( 1oz.. #8). Its also the one you have pattern (1 oz. #4 buck shot) at the most likely distances you will encounter inside the house (5 yards, 7 1/2 yds, & maybe even 10 yards).

As far as cost, "Whats your life and family worth?". My family is worth a Benelli, with extra barrels, and chokes.

Addendum #1: I would use a rifled choke or full rifled barrel in the house.
Addendum #2: I keep a S&W Model 25 in 45 Colt for HD.
 
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"I would like to have a 12ga semi-auto shotgun for under $500, but I have no experience with them so I don't know what's most reliable"

I did some homework when I was interested in an autoloader 12ga and ended up with the CZ model 712 Utility.
 
Yes- the Mossy or Remmie. The pumpies.
Use buckshotty.
Click to expand...

Glad I'm not the only one who is put off by the baby talk.

If you want a semiauto, get a Benelli-ie. But they are the expesnives so prolly out of the budgety wudgety.
 
Willie your not the only one, there are others.

Shotgun seven letters, shot** six letters -- your too lazy to type the extra letter.
 
This question is no different then someone asking "what pistol should I buy for SD,CC" etc. with a budget of xyz.

You've been given a few good options including the Mossberg 500 or the Remington 870.

IMO,either would do and it would depend on which felt more comfortable in your hands. Check them both out. Shoulder them, see which safety set up you prefer and if you know someone who may own both, see if you can shoot each.

Too, there are a lot of excellent used shotguns on the market as well.
You can pickup a nice Rem. 1100 in your price range and it may already have the slug bbl. on it. Which is what I use simply cause it's the shotgun I've shot for 35+ yrs. with thousands of rounds downrange and know it best. It's five shot, a little heavy but makes for easier follow up shots. Might be worth your looking at.

Whatever you choose...practice ...practice...practice. Your life may depend on it at 0300 in the morning, pitch black and you don't have time or lighting to be hunting your safety.

One more thing, everyone has their own opinion on building their own SD shotgun. Some like to hang all kinda cool looking do-dads and bells-n-whistle's on them... IE slings, pistol grips, heat shields, door knockers etc.
Again, my opinion is streamline things as much as possible. Hanging things on a SD shotgun only increases weight, width, length or height which increase's the chance of the shotgun hanging up on something and decreases its mobility.
 
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Bill DeShivs said:
Yes- the Mossy or Remmie. The pumpies.
Use buckshotty.
Click to expand...

While I don't mind slang, insofar as I understand what folks are trying to get across, that made me laugh out loud.

And while we're kvetching about language,

jaguarxk120 said:
...your too lazy...
Click to expand...

I think you mean "you're" right here. (9mmfan runs and hides.):D

Now let's get this fellow a scattergun!

Now on to the point. Hard to beat a good pump. I have a Mossberg 500 behind my office door. It was the first shotgun I ever owned. I was a touch younger, and had to have the super cool extended magazine flush with the twenty inch barrel for added awesomeness. Thought it was the bee's knees.

Fast forward a couple years, and it shows an incredible lack of foresight. I kinda wish now that I had gotten the standard magazine 18.5" since I have yet to find a longer second barrel that would make the one I have more versatile. I did find a decent deal on a beater 870 Express for other uses, but it was still more than a new barrel.

Your neighborhood may be more sketchy than mine, or you just may want a fancy whizzbang semiautomatic. Don't know much about those, but the price point argument that has been brought up makes sense.

Of course I wouldn't have a problem using my old Rossi 20 gauge coach gun against bumps in the night, FWIW. I keep a pistol close at hand as well.
 
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9mmfan thanks for the correction your ---you're.

The slang is what brings the forums down to mall ninja level.

Please do not forget there are people who want to take what we shoot away from us that read the web sites and forums.

The slang does not help the shooting world.
 
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