How cheaply can a home defense pump be had for?

B

Blind Tree Frog

New member
Kind of a hypothetical question since I doubt that I would act on it, but if I were looking for a pump action shotgun purely for home defense how cheaply could I do it? Checking out the local gun shops in the past i think I've seen weapons for as low as $500 but I'm not sure what exactly i should be looking for, so any suggestions?

I'm thinking flashlight probably is a good choice, short barrel, pump... 12 vs 20 doesn't much matter... Pistol grips might make life easier, but won't matter, I think I might like the stock though, not sure.
 
Depends on where you look! Places like J&G Sales and Guns America you can find shotguns fairly cheap. Looking at stores like Dick's Sporting Goods will get a 6-shot Mossberg with a 18.5in barrel for about $250.00 out the door!
 
870

Scour the local pawn thiefs ;)
A decent used 870 may set you back about $150.
If you want to replace the stock, Ram-Line makes a synthetic replacement (same dimensions/style as original) for about $60.
Add a set of Tru-Glo sights for $25. (they are great for just about anything, even clays).
Imp. Cyl. and Modified choke tubes, $15 ea.

Total investment: $265 for one of the most highly praised and versatile shotguns available. Just can't beat that.

The problem is, I type things like this, then start to think of why I "need" another shottie.......... :D
 
you caught the bug too

I agree with 38splfan on the 870. Most sites will turn them loose for around the $200 price range. There are a lot of good 870's that get sold to buy other guns for some strange reason. Guess they caught the bug as well. Check the local pawn shops, you can usually find a good deal on pump guns there and save money as well buying used. There are many reasons folks like the pump gun for home defense. Try finding a gun that fits you first and foremost. There are several suppliers of stocks and other gadgets for the strictly home defense gun. Most any gun can be modified with a short barrel or pistol grip stock if that's what you want. Good luck with it if decide to go that direction.
 
870 police trade ins can be had for relatively cheap as well. This past fall, I picked up an 870 Magnum trade in from a local sherriffs dept. for $120. Cosmetically she's not the prettiest girl at the dance due to the wear and tear of in and out of the cruiser. She's mechanically sound, has a butter smooth action, is parkerized and has a mirror bore. I put a +2 tube on along with a 5 round butt cuff and some sling points. A great HD shotty for under $150. Look around some and don't limit yourself to regular retail outlets. HTH
 
One of my favorite pastimes is cruising the used gun racks in local gun shops and sporting goods stores. Often you can find usable pump or SxS guns for under $200. Most are trades for new guns.

I have seen fine guns,Win Mod 12, Rem mod 31, Ithaca 37 on the racks. OK these guns go for more than $200 but there are guns like the Stevens that can be had cheap and worh just fine.

Most aren't pretty and may need some cleanup but will suffice for HD duty.

A little rust and minor pitting may be apparent, and the stocks ain't purty but the dirtbag breaking into your home won't notice. And if you do have to use it you will loose it anyway. Why give a new Vanged marine magnum to the PD?
 
I like double barrel for protection, I was interested in the Stoeger Coach Gun which is pretty nice but Not sure on it's quality (never owned one) MSRP is $320 so the retail is probably $280 or so... maybe less in other places.
 
China import pumps wholesale around $140
Click to expand...
Bought mine, at Dunham's for $99....., ashamed, but it works good, got nice green glass sights, plastic stock, 5 shot, and has touching holes on the target at 25 yards....great for around the house protection....
 
I picked up a Winchester 1300 "Defender" model for about $220 a few years ago and their prices have been pretty stable. Good shotgun, patterns very nicely at 7 and 15 yards with #4 buck. :cool:

B.T.Frog: The only "bullpup" shotgun I can recall is out of production. That was the High Standard Model 10 shotgun. Very nice little gun. Too bad it was too expensive and didn't sell very well. Find one at a gun show and you'll pay somewhere around $900-$1100 for a gun that was $250 new in '77.

n3twrkm4n - In the 70's a friend had a Stoeger double-bbl coach gun (with rebounding exposed hammers) that was of high quality. It did duty as a home defense gun for many years. I've looked at the Stoeger website too, and I'd probably opt for the 20ga "Supreme" model (#31487) over their standard 20ga Coach Gun (#31405). Why 20ga? It's easier to shoot than a 12ga -- and that 70's Stoeger was a handful in 12 gauge! At indoor ranges (maybe up to 20yds) I doubt there's much difference in getting hit by a 12 or a 20 loaded with #4 or #1 buck. If you find any of 'em locally, I'd be interested in what their price tags are.

A friend of mine, a few years ago, scored a "used & abused" Remington 870 "Wingmaster" 20 gauge with a vent rib. The barrel had been cut down (about 19 3/4") so that it ended at one of the vented rib supports. It was nicely done. Alas, it saw plenty of outdoor use, stock was dinged up pretty well, scratches and lots of missing blue. He paid $140 for it, cleaned it up, polished off the old blue and some of the scratches, spent $75 on a reblue job that came out very nice. So his 20ga "lightweight" field gun is his HD gun that holds 5 20ga #4 with 5 more on a buttstock ammo carrier.
 
My HD shotty is a Mossberg (Maverick 88) with the 18-1/2" barrel. Bought the basic shotty for around $105 in 1990, added the short barrel a couple of years back for $69.

Fit & finish as good as an 870 ? ? No, but it goes bang every time I mash the trigger.

Find a shotty that 'fits' you. I happen to prefer the fit & feel of the Mossbergs, but to each his own. I have tried a pistol-grip only shotgun, and it just doesn't work for me. Looks "kewl and tacky-tal", but I couldn't hit the barn wall from inside the barn with it. :(

BTW, don't try skeet shooting with a PG-only shotgun...You will break your face with it.....Never mind HOW I know, I just know... :eek: :eek: :eek:

Hint: I got called Rocky Raccoon for several days after trying that trick
 
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I don't think I will ever understand threads that emphasis cheap over all other parameters when choosing guns.

borrow one, thats almost as cheap as you can get.
 
Because I see no reason to pay a pile of money for a weapon full of features and pretty looks when it's just going to go into a corner, most likely never be shot, and when it is shot, simply need to shoot 7 yards or so. Doesn't strike me as something I need a $2000 gun for.


And Bill, apparently Mossberg makes a bull pup auto shot gun. Saw one up in richmond at the gun show. It was interesting.
 
I had an opportunity recently to shoot 3 different HD shotguns.

A friends Mossberg 5xx (whatever) would bind up after 1 or 2 shots. He said the shells were swelled up, I said it did it even when empty.

Another buddy's Win 1300. Never failed to shoot, though was very tight and tough to pump. The little button on the left side was very difficult to manipulate.

Rem 870. Smooth and reliable. This is mine, so I am biased.

If you're going to stand it in the corner and never shoot it, I guess about anything will do. As someone said, if you do use it, you may lose it to the PD. Not a given, but possible. Anyway, whether it's $150 or $500 (you do not have to have a $2000 shotgun) the loss of the shotgun will be the absolute cheapest part of the whole affair.

My family's protection is not riding on the lowest bid.
 
Blind Tree Frog,

Did that Mossberg bull pup shotgun look anything like the attached images?
(Attached are images of the old High Standard Model-10B)

Regarding the comments about price; When selecting a firearm for home defense, regardless of type, the first and foremost question is will it go bang every time? The secondary questions are does it have the desired power to do the job and is the capacity it holds an issue? If these are resolved in your favor, it can be an sinfully ugly gun with a low price tag and suffice.

Case in point: A friend's bedside revolver is a .455 Webly Mk III revolver. Ugly as sin, the finish is about 60%, but it's mechanically sound and works every time.

If your selection of a home defense gun meets the above criteria there's no reason to avoid selecting one that suits your tastes. Some people will spend $1200 on a "tactical" shotgun "system" that will sit in a similar corner to the $150 used 870. This is equivilant to the people who buy a $55,000 Mercedes Sports Coupe and never drive it over 40mph.
 

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Tree frog, I know of two Mossberg bullpups:

model 500. Perfect $330 (6 shot) $350 (8 shot) discontinued 1990.
__mossberg500(300)BW.jpg


model 590 Perfect $410 (couldn't find a pic.) also discontinued 1990.

Hope this helps.
 
You should be able to walk around with $200 in your pocket and go home with a decent 870 and a few boxes of ammo pretty much any day of the week.
 
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