HD Shotgun Suggestions for a Petite Female

K

kc.h

Inactive
Hello,
I was hoping that I could get a some recommendations on guns that fill, or can be customized to fill, my requirements, as well as answers to a couple of questions I have. I am a 5’1” 105 lbs female looking for a shotgun for home defense. Below I will list the requirements that I feel are necessary for my application. If you disagree or have additional suggestions please let me know, and explain your reasoning.

18” Barrel. Is it legal to own shorter, and if so what sort of hoops must one jump through? I am not overly interested in something with solely a pistol grip. What goes into shortening a barrel, and how much does this cost, or can you just buy a replacement in the desired length?
20 Gauge
Semi-Automatic Preferred. If you would suggest a pump action what and why? My preference leans towards semi-autos because if one arm is out of commission I should still be able to get one or more shots off. I had considered the pump action because of the sound it makes alerting someone that perhaps their course of action is not the wisest, but I would most likely be keeping a round chambered and thus wasting one to make a scary noise.
A Shorter Stock and Pull. Youth is fine, or one that can be adjusted to fit me. If the gun must be fit in this manner what would go into that and how much does it tend to cost?
Black, though not a must.
Reliability
Capacity. Could you explain the reason behind the block that keeps the capacity at around 4, and how one goes about removing it?
The only aftermarket add-on I feel I would be interested in would be a Tactical Light.

Whichever gun I end up getting I plan on taking classes and practicing with it regularly so that I am proficient. Thank you for your patience and advice I am greatly appreciative. If I have sounded ignorant that is rather appropriate, as I feel quite ignorant.
Thank you again,
Kaci
 
In order:
Barrels:
The 18" barrel is legal most everywhere. You can have shorter barrels IF:
1. Your state or local area allows them.
AND
2. You're willing to pay a $200.00 Federal tax, get investigated up the wazoo, and jump through a number of Federal hoops.
I'm no longer up on all the laws that apply.
I "think" barrels can be cut down, but ONLY?? by a person who's licensed to do so.
New guns can be bought already shortened, but this is expensive.

Guns:
There are many good 20 gauge semi-auto shotguns that make fine home defense guns.
Best advice is to go down to the local gun store and look at guns, and look on the internet for the company web sites.
Many companies make ready-to-go defense semi-autos, or you can easily build you own, often at lower cost.

If you have a bad arm, you'd almost certainly be better off with a semi-auto.
The only problem is, most of the ready-to-go defense semi-autos are 12 gauge, so you may need to "assemble" a 20 gauge to your specifications.
This is not hard, and you can do it yourself, or have a gun shop or friend who knows guns do it for you.

Stocks:
There are a number of new design shorter stocks from a number of makers, that feature a shorter length.
Also, most stocks can be easily shortened to fit.

Color:
Most shotguns these days are either available in black, or can be easily converted. Most replacement stocks come in black as standard, others can be coated or painted.

Reliability.
This is a function of breaking in the gun, keeping it clean and in good condition, and the ammo.
Not all guns "Like" all brands/types of ammo.
A smart person does not just decide to use one brand/type of ammo without throughly test firing enough ammo to be SURE THAT gun and THAT ammo is compatible.

One "watch out" is leaving a shotgun's magazine loaded long term.
Shells left under compression in the magazine will develop bulges in the cases between the steel shell head, and the shot column.
The bulges can cause the gun to jam.
The "Fix" is to use high grade American made shells, and to shoot the shells in the magazine periodically.

A properly maintained gun with good quality ammo is VERY reliable.

Capacity.
Most shotgun magazines hold 4 or 5 shells. There are extended magazines that can increase the capacity to 7, 8 or even more, depending on how long the barrel is.
Some defense guns come from the factory with the longer magazines, many guns can have an after-market extension added easily.

Many shotguns are sold as sporting guns. Under Federal law, shotguns used to hunt some game birds, must have a magazine that won't hold more than 3 shells.
To comply with the law, the manufacturer puts a wood or plastic dowel rod inside the magazine to block the gun to 3 shots.

These blocks are easily removed, and most owner's manuals give instructions on how to do this.

Lights are good, and there are several around that work well.

Now, since everyone will rush to suggest guns, I'll lead off with what I think would be a good choice.

Remington makes an EXCELLENT 20 gauge semi-auto in the 11-87 model.
The 11-87 Youth is a black shotgun, with a shorter synthetic stock, which can be shortened even more.
It's supplied with a 21" barrel, that could be shortened even more.
It will accept after market magazine extenders, and lights.

Remington has an excellent reputation for making fine guns.
http://www.remington.com/firearms/youth/1187sportsmanyth.htm

A big advantage of this gun is, you really don't have to do anything to it. It would make a great defense gun right out of the box.
Since it's a Remington, just about any shotgun accessories made will usually fit it.
 
As far as pumps go, Mossberg makes a 20GA with a 18.5in barrel and a 6-shot capacity. Remington's 1100 youth model is a great choice and is chambered for 20GA as well. Legal barrel length for shotguns is 18 inches. Anyone can shorten the barrel, but it's best to have a gunsmith do it since they have the proper equipment.

Given your weight and height, did you give consideration to the Ruger PC9 carbine in 9mm. The PC9 has a 16.25in barrel, is light weight, has slight recoil, and very dependable. Just thought I would give you another option.
 
18" is minimum. Don't ever think the sound of a pump being cycled will scare a drugged psycho ! Get a youth gun or have one cut to fit you. An auto has lower recoil and that can further be reduced with a good recoil pad like www.limbsaver.com. You don't need a 20, a 12 with the reduced recoil buckshot ammo is proving effective. A light gives thr BG agood aiming point.
 
870 Rem

I like the pump for defensive reasons. Number one is that it has to pumped so it isn't easy to just fire without aiming. Number two is that it jams a lot less than an semi-auto if it is left in the closet collecting dust and not practiced with very much. I would get a Rem model 870 pump with a mule kicker added inside the stock with the Simms Vibration Laboratory recoil pad. You can get it in 20 or 12 gauge and use the 12 gauge add-ons such as the pistol grip and light attatchment and light. You can get the short barrel with the rem chokes and they come in the black synthetic stocks with a parkerized finish like you said you want. Believe it or not, the racking of the slide can and will get peoples attention. It may not stop an attacker, but it might and any help will be appreciated for sure. I would go with number 6 shot and get a magazine extension to load as many as you can. The reason for the number 6 shot is that it doesn't over penetrate walls as easily as the buck shot will and it will do some major damage at shotgun range. If you don't like the 870, try to find an Ithaca model 37 in 20 gauge, as it is a light weight pump that can be slam fired, meaning you hold the trigger and work the slide and it fires without you having to let go of the trigger each time. These make for very good defense guns, but it will be hard to find any attatchments for it. Good luck with whichever you choose and practice with it like you would have to use it in home defense, ie; low light and tight quarters like in a hallway or around walls or doors. I would suggest you also take a home defense class with the gun you choose.

One more thing, if there are children present in the home, I wouldn't keep it chambered without teaching them about gun safety.
 
STOP!!!

Before you buy anything, get some instruction first. Check out local Trap and Skeet ranges or a local gun club and check if they have instructors/classes/ladies only introductory shoots.

The NRA and state associations often hold special shoots to introduce women to the shooting sports.

Learning proper technique first is important.


Learn to shoot first, then start looking at guns. I suspect you may change most of your criteria when you do.
 
Remington 870 Express Youth, 20 ga, 20" barrel, pretty darn short. Better than a 12g for your criteria, will not require you looking for light loads, the bg wont know if he was hit with a 20 vs a 12, dead is dead. A multitude of bolt on accessories available. The stock is wood but looks good, you could paint it if you want or maybe someones putting out a black stock for it. They say it has 2/3 the stopping power of a 12 with 1/2 the recoil, I tend to agree.

It's lighter than a 12, less mass, very handy, reliable, very common ammo, can be readied easier than a semi-auto. 4+1 from the factory but I sent my sons 870EY to George Stringer who made a very handsome and practical extended tube mag for it so it holds 8+1 now. Note that George Stringer is out of the game now with health problems, but many competant gunsmiths should be able to fabricate an extended tube mag for it, I paid 75 bucks for this one, just to give you an idea.

It does have a 20" barrel on it. Personally, I wouldn't cut it, just screw in a looseer choke for HD, and then a tighter choke for hunting or skeet shooting if you so desire and it would leave it in more of a factory condition if you ever decided to resell it for any reason. It's worth a look see.
 
Here's what I've learned so far in my very limited experience having a shotgun for a month (20ga Benelli Nova).

First off, if you get a shotgun you'll need to practice with it...a lot. You can't just buy one, shoot it a few times and throw it in the corner. It needs to get dirty. Last week I 'discovered' my local skeet/trap range, and what an insanely ADDICTIVE thing that is. My wallet is much thinner now.

So here I am, pumping away with a 20ga at clays while most everyone else has a 12ga auto or over/under. No problem, I have fun anyway. But what I'm finding is 20ga ammo selection is very limited. Need a WalMart purchase in a pinch? There's only one type of 20ga usually, and it's the SAME price as 12ga. Go figure.

So what you may want to do is find a 'youth' model 12ga, and either get a $20 Limbsaver pad and a good padded vest, or invest the $120 for a CompStock. Go shoot, and shoot often. A 24" barrel is actually just fine for all-round use, even in the home.

BTW, my Benelli Nova is pretty damn light. Check out the 12ga Nova Tactical which runs about $300. http://www.calssportingarmory.com/BenelliNovaPump.htm
 
Re-think the semi-auto...

Your rationing for wanting the semi-auto (1 arm) is good but many of these guns do not cylce properly if not secure against your shoulder. Make sure you ask about this, even give it a try, before looking seriously at a "semi". Pumps guns, as mentioned above, are simply more reliable.

Don't worry about the price of 20 ga. shells. For practice you will use a light bird load that can be bought at the same price as 12's and are just as plentiful in the market. For your home defence purpose they may be a little more expensive but, let's face it, you will not go through many, if any at all, outside a couple shots to check patterns.

Good luck and get lots of practice.
 
Just an idea,
I purchased my wife a nice Rem. 20 ga and purchased a youth stock from Brownells. Fit her great and worked like a charm. Only thing a person might need is a friend who is a mechanic to borrow a tool to reach and fit the stock bolt.
 
This reminds me of a girlfriend I had that wanted to go shooting and we went looking around for a nice weapon to fit her. She was around 5' 6" 125 lbs blonde and was a "dancer" and a nurse (I kid you not) so a little bit bigger than kaci. She had these incredible outfits - like lycra dresses - that you could literally put in the palm of your hand and close your fist and not see - but yet they were like a tube dress that would cover her from right above her breasts to mid thigh. good memories...

Come to think of it in the 8 months we went out we went motorcycle riding but never got her out to shoot.

Good luck finding your bird/homeland defense/squirrel gun!
 
kc.h,

You have pretty much described the Remington 1100 Youth Model. My wife is about your size, and she shoots one quite well.

For a home defense gun, you might want to consider a revolver. I teach the NRA Personal Protection in the Home course, and it is designed around handguns. That is not accidental.

Whatever you choose, get some training and range time. The Youth model shotgun is fully competent for clay target games, and they are a great way to learn to handle the gun. Likewise, if you choose a handgun, it is good to try a few out before you pick. Maybe there is a range nearby that rents guns.

Good luck!

Clemson
 
HD Shotgun for the Petite

You have received some good advice. All of the choices given so far will be satisfactory. I want to add another option. I sugggest a 12-gauge Remington 870 due to the variety of loads available and the reliability of a pump. I also strongly recommend the installation of a Knoxx SpecOps Stock. This gives you the adjustable length-of-pull to fit even the smallest shooter and cuts the recoil to a level far below even a 28-gauge. You will love it.
 
The Remington 870 Youth Model has a 21" barrel and a shortened stock. It comes with ventilated rib, choke tubes and will accept 3" shells. It is very reliable and parts are easy to find. The best part is you can find them new for under $250.

The bad news is that the pumps recoil harder than the gas operated guns. The Remington 11-87 Sportsman Youth is basically the same model in a semi auto. It will cycle if you shoot it one handed and by softer on teh shoulder. It will also cost twice as much.

Both guns are excellent and easy to find.
 
Remington makes a model smaller that the youth. It is the 870 Express Jr. it is a 20 gauge Magnum receiver (it will shoot 2 3/4 and 3 inch shells) It has a 12 in length of trigger pull, a 18.5 inch barrel and holds 5 shells 4 in the tube 1 in the pipe. It is roughly 1/3 smaller than an 12 gauge 870 and significantly lighter. The ONLY place that sells this model is Gander Mountain Stores. I havent even seen it on Remingtons website. I just bought my wife 1 and she loves it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top