Mossberg 930 combo 18.5" and 28" - good first shotgun?

Is there much fit variation in the sub $500 semi-auto (or the sub $300 pump) markets? Seems like the mossberg 500 and the remington 870 are the main contenders. This will really be an introduction gun - I'm sure if I enjoy shooting clay, I will move up to something nicer down the road.

Also, I am still wondering about a case. Does the gun come with one?
 
1-oz
Zip22's not one of mine. But, he could be related: he's paying attention and asks questions when he's uncertain.

I got the stock dimensions from the Mossberg site's Special Purpose section for what seems to be the combo in question (#85325, MSRP $604). My eyes must be getting old, the gun in the pic seems to have a lot more drop that the standard Mossberg specs of: LOP of 14", DOC of 1-1/4" and DAH of 2"

I forgot to mention earlier: For target work with the VR barrel, adding a mid-rib bead is a worthwhile investment.
 
Also, I am still wondering about a case. Does the gun come with one?
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Unless the store is having some form of promotional deal, no. A soft case, good enough to go in the truck cab or trunk, will only be about $10.

A pump will work for clay games. It will beat its finest with trap singles from the 16 yard line since you only shoot one shell at a time and you won't have to try and work the pump while swinging on a second target. Skeet has 4 stations where you will need to work that pump smoothly for a second shot on the second target. Sporting clays with have 50 pairs of targets spread over (typically) 15 station in groups of 3 or 4 pairs. Personally, I would make sure I was well-versed at operating that pump smoothly before trying that game. It CAN be done with a pump, it just isn't the BEST choice for that - a semi or over/under fit the bill better for that game
 
I was looking at pumps, but why not go auto for this price?
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That is what I keep telling folks. You don't have to spend an arm and a leg to get a good functional autoloading shotgun.

The CZ Model 712 utility shotgun is another such gun, which can be purchased for under $400. See:

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/37_588/products_id/59707


You could order an extra hunting barrel from CZ USA, and basically end up with a package for close to the same money.



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Autos are nice but have to be kept clean,
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Yea, it is definitely a good idea to not bother to clean your shotgun.

Who wants to waste their time maintaining their gun with a cleaning, when they could instead be doing other more fun things??

Better to just keep the gun dirty.

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Hope yours doesn't kick as hard as mine does... even with light bulk pack loads it's pretty brutal.
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Really? Mine has been a kitty-cat to shoot... Even with Black Cloud pouring out of the muzzle for hours on end...
 
if you can get it for that price, go for it. Mossberg has awesome customer service should anything ever go wrong with it. If the deal is no longer on the table at the time of decision, I suggest a Mossberg 500a combo with 18.5" barrel and 28" barrel. I own a 590A1 and I STILL want a "cheap" blued 500 as my go to gun, mostly in this case because my 590a1 is a safe queen. The 500's like abuse. They come out of the box feeling cheap and rough and they only get better the more you work them. They end up being smoothe as glass. My shotgun of choice overall is a simple, blued 500a. It's the sweet spot of pump shotguns - rugged, ridiculous dependability, simple easy to maintain design and low price.
 
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Really? Mine has been a kitty-cat to shoot... Even with Black Cloud pouring out of the muzzle for hours on end...
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You have rather peculiar kitty cats.

A light 12 gauge target load has more recoil energy than a rifle in .270 Winchester. And a magnum load of Buckshot? Heck, it easily outclasses the .375 H&H Magnum.

You are talking recoil equal to a powerful magnum class rifle when using any standard or magnum Buckshot loads.

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A light 12 gauge target load has more recoil energy than a rifle in .270 Winchester. And a magnum load of Buckshot? Heck, it easily outclasses the .375 H&H Magnum.
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I am not scientific enuff to dispute this but I will say that in equal weight guns, I would much rather light off 2 3/4 slugs by the dozen from a pump than a .300 win mag once... Might be less "force" but sure has a lot more "sharpness" to the recoil... There is simply no possible way a semi isn't going to soak up a little of this recoil compared to a "solid action" design...
Brent
 
OOL, I don't dispute the numbers... It is how it puts it to my shoulder... Basically we can agree that a 34 ton yacht would have more inertia force than a 23 foot boat... that yacht at 6 knots is gonna "thump the dock if out of control but that little boat will whack it at 12 knots... both are doing damage but the slower boat feels like you can grab the bow rail and stop it by hand...:D
Heck them .30-30 lever revolution have a sharper report and a "crispier" recoil compared to a cheap winchester with equal weight bullet... I am guessing a hotter or faster burn powder is the reason...
Brent
 
oneounce:

Chuckhawks has some similar recoil tables available on his website too, where one can easily compare different recoil figures for both typical rifle and shotgun ammo. This has been clearly documented many, many times.

Anyone who claims that shotguns don't recoil more has not shot that many different calibers of guns. For the difference is most readily apparent.

And that is the #1 reason why I only shoot gas operated autoloading shotguns. The difference in felt recoil for them compared to over-under or pump shotguns is also easily apparent.

I used to own a Winchester Defender pump action shotgun. But recoil from that gun was so extremely fierce when using either standard or magnum buckshot loads, that it was literally a pain to shoot.

My FN SLP police autoloader that I got to replace it, though, is both a heavier gun with a longer barrel, and it has the great Browning Gas system to help absorb some of the harshness of the recoil.

It is still quite a bit to handle, but it is not as punishing to the shoulder.

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Lance - not going to dispute that an auto will shoot softer than a pump - generally the pump is lighter and doesn't have the benefit of spreading the recoil over a period of milliseconds. HOWEVER, that being said.....compared to an O/U, it really depends on the weight of the gun.....If you are shooting a 7# semi, and I'm shooting a 8-1/2 or 9# O/U, then I win the recoil absorption game, especially because my O/U will also shoot 7/8 or 3/4 oz 2-3/4 DE 12 gauge loads, while semis won't cycle them.

Now, if you're talking identical weight guns, identical weight shells, then YES, a semi will seem softer
 
Oneounceload, my friend, again the topic turns to comparing rifle and shotgun recoil in ft/lbs of energy while neglecting the time factor. The shotgun distributes its recoil energy roughly two to three times slower than a rifle. Recoil starts with ignition and ends with last of the ejecta. High velocity rifles do it much faster than shotguns, so the felt recoil is transferred over a shorter period (rifles punch and shotguns push).
Numbers don't lie, but they can be ignored. Omitting a critical dimension (time) gives an erroneous view.
 
You have rather peculiar kitty cats.
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Nope, I do however have a rather peculiar Limbsaver though... ;) I will add to Brent's statement of "fit". A rifle or shotgun that fits the shooter will have less felt recoil than one that does not particularly fit the shooter... Rather common actually, especially among shotgunners... Some guns don't "kick" as hard as others, even with identical loads. Why? Because some guns fit some shooters better than others, decreasing the amount of felt recoil to one particular spot on the shoulder by distributing the energy to the entire shoulder... Which mitigates the sharp pain incurred when shooting a gun that doesn't fit you well.
 
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