Home defense pump action shotguns OTHER THAN the Remington 870 or Mossberg 500

Kvon2

New member
I think it's safe to say both the 870 and the 500 are great, well respected shotguns.

I was just curious to see if anyone has any good experiences with other pump shotguns! There are plenty of reputable companies (FN, CZ to name a few) that are out there and in the same price range.

Anyone handled some other quality pumps?
 
It's not in that price range. But the NEF Pardner protector pump has been OUTSTANDING for me. I wasn't expecting much when the wife gave it to me for a Christmas present as I'm a Mossberg guy. But the thing just works. It's heft which I like and the wife with her small stature actually doesn't mind shooting it because of it. It is the go to weapon for home defense around here.
 
Hmmm. Well, for a simple HD shotgun, what is wrong with a Maverick 88?
I mean, really, what exactly do you need for HD? You are asking pump, right?
For HD, why spend big dollars, when about $200.00 or less will do the SAME THING!!? This isn't customized HD, it's HD. Period.
 
FN's pumps are Winchester 1300 clones. I don't really know anything about them. CZ's pumps are Turkish 870 clones, but they are supposed to be decent.

The Pardner's are Chinese 870 clones, but get rave reviews.

The Ithaca 37 is a fantastic old school pump action shotgun, but most of them are in sporter configurations and they are difficult to tacticool up. A riot version is on my short list. If you saw one with a shortened barrel or a riot/police/Deerslayer model, it could be a great choice.
 
I went through 3 return to factory Ithaca 37 new age pumps, keep away.

An ex NYCP Ithaca 37 18" no matter how dinged up, grab it! Fire a round, keep the trigger held back! And pump, the gun fires each time you close the slide! Awsome. I had my eye on one in new condition, just like NEW! But the seller would not budge on his $500.00 price.

I did not have the coin, now I do, too late.
 
Brit, Its ashame you had issues with the newer Ithaca's. I've always liked the older DeerSlayers though. They just work. My HD shotgun is actually a Maverick 88 that I put a 18" 500 barrel and adjustable buttstock on. Works great for me. She ain't purdy but I will grab her in a split second.
 
I personally prefer the Benelli Super Nova. The option of a the slug select button along makes it superior to the others! They originally designed this button on the bottom of the stock to help hunters crossing fences didn't need to empty the whole gun when they pumped out a live shell.

This button can be depressed and will hold the next round in the tube, so that you can just eject the round in the chamber only.

So this translates into a perfect weapon for a slug select. If you need to place a slug into your shotgun you don't have to loose another she'll by placing it in the tube and then running the action. If you have a full tube you won't be able to place a slug into the tube. So you simply press this button, open the action and throw the slug into the action and close the chamber. Simple as that and a superior design at the same price point.

My wife thinks I only have 3 guns
 
At the cheap end of the spectrum, my HD pump is a JC Higgns 12 gage Model 20 with 20" barrel. They were made by High Standard for Sears: steel receiver, smooth action, reliable as any other pump. It's a tool, and it works for the task.
 
A Maverick 88 is a Mossberg M500. Just a lower end M500.
Any pump gun will do nicely. So with any semi. The brand makes no difference.
 
The only thing that annoys me with the Maverick 88 is the safety is fwd of the trigger guard. I like the safety on the rear (top) of the receiver like the 500.
 
Shotguns are overrated for defense in my view --- making "defensive specific" shotguns even less effective in my view. Any shotgun can be a defensive weapon...so don' get too hung up on pump guns only.

Lots of companies make pumps or semi autos .....browning, benelli, etc.....
 
Stevens Model 320 has served me well. Cost just under $200 and has functioned flawlessly through the 100+ various rounds that I've run through it. There isn't a huge market for accessories like a Remington or Winchester, but I wasn't looking to trick out my HD scatter gun. The price fit my budget for a NEW pump and Stevens is a company that has been around for quite some time.
 
Benelli Nova or Browning BPS are probably better than either 870 or 500. And I've been an 870 guy for a long time.
 
I personally prefer the Benelli Super Nova. The option of a the slug select button along makes it superior to the others! They originally designed this button on the bottom of the stock to help hunters crossing fences didn't need to empty the whole gun when they pumped out a live shell.

This button can be depressed and will hold the next round in the tube, so that you can just eject the round in the chamber only.

So this translates into a perfect weapon for a slug select. If you need to place a slug into your shotgun you don't have to loose another she'll by placing it in the tube and then running the action. If you have a full tube you won't be able to place a slug into the tube. So you simply press this button, open the action and throw the slug into the action and close the chamber. Simple as that and a superior design at the same price point.

Sounds a lot like your basic magazine cutoff available on many brands of guns; has nothing to do with slugs, just the ability to drop a different load than what you have in the magazine - might be a slug, goose load, quail load or buckshot.
 
I used to gripe about the location of the safety on a firearm and think one was better than another because of it but I've changed my view on this a bit. I honestly so rarely use the safety on any firearm I can't let it be a deciding factor. In my opinion and I think most responsible gun owners agree proper handling of a firearm minimizes the need for a safety.
 
Shotguns are overrated for defense in my view --- making "defensive specific" shotguns even less effective in my view. Any shotgun can be a defensive weapon...so don' get too hung up on pump guns only.
Quote of the month. :)
 
^i suppose I should clarify, I already own two other shotguns with 28 inch barrels for sporting purposes.

I really would just like to add a shorter one to the collection and do not own a pump currently.
 
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