Pistol Grip Shotgun? Purpose?

[Jimbo-Indy]

Closest thing I have to a pgo shotgun is a Saiga 12, modified by Tromix, is with a side folding stock and 18" barrel. It can be fired one handed but with pistol grip and vertical front grip, it's quite accurate with slugs or buck shot. 10 round mag makes target destruction easy.

 

[FITASC]

Well sure, but if the gun fills a niche role...what would be the best caliber for said role? Reduction in caliber may change the equation on it being too strong.

Remember, it isn't just about recoil, but your ability to hit the target in question.

I haven't seen anyone shooting a PGO from the hip that wasn't more accurate with a shoulder stock firing from the shoulder.

 

[Doyle]

So you can look like a mall ninja.

 

[Mrgunsngear]

They're not good for any purpose other than breeching. Other than that you can just shoot a gun with a stock from your hip if you want to live a hollywood fantasy...

 

[amd6547]

You don't shoot them from the hip.
You shoot them a little lower than shoulder level with a firm forward grip on the forend.
And, once again, the birds head style grip makes them much more shootable than any of the standard pistol grips.
It is a weapon to be taken seriously. Believe me when I tell you that a person who knows how to shoot a pgo is very dangerous indeed at normal CQB distances.

 

[T. O'Heir]

"...what is the point of the pure pistol grip?..." 'As seen on TV'. The most useless thing on the Planet is a shotgun with no stock.
Isn't about perceived recoil. It's about the lack of control.
"...can be fired one handed..." So can any shotgun.

 

[stonewall50]

Remember, it isn't just about recoil, but your ability to hit the target in question.



I haven't seen anyone shooting a PGO from the hip that wasn't more accurate with a shoulder stock firing from the shoulder.

Sure. And that's a given. But part of the niche role that I see it as...following up would be important. And using a smaller caliber makes that easier imo.

 

[stonewall50]

You don't shoot them from the hip.

You shoot them a little lower than shoulder level with a firm forward grip on the forend.

And, once again, the birds head style grip makes them much more shootable than any of the standard pistol grips.

It is a weapon to be taken seriously. Believe me when I tell you that a person who knows how to shoot a pgo is very dangerous indeed at normal CQB distances.

Hard to break tradition lol. I've seen that recommendation a lot.

 

[FITASC]

Hard to shoot a bird's head from just under your shoulder; using the other type from close to your face can be very dangerous.

 

[Rob228]

They are accurate, when you are shooting at door hinges from 1-2" away.

 

[USMCGrunt]

The closest thing I have to a PGO shotgun is a Remington 870 with the factory top folding stock. The folding stock is for compact storage only and when it is to be fired, is extended and fired as normal. I've tried shooting it with the stock folded and that was pretty much one step above a useless slow to use noise maker that seldom produced any decent results. I know many people have recoil and face bashing complaints about the factory top folding stocks but for some reason I've been blessed with a face or body or shooting style or some reason its never been a problem for me. In my case, its a great compromise of having the short length of a PGO shotgun for storage yet still a functional stock when in use.

 

[TimSr]

I bought a Winchester Defender Combo years ago. It came with both barrels, a stock, and a pistol grip. I use it to hunt with mostly, but once I put the 18" barrel, and the pistol grip on it for play time. The pistol grip was almost at 90 degrees angle from the barrel/receiver. Because of this, you had to bring it to shoulder height to shoot it. The pistol grip portion of the regular stock had like 45 degree curve, and it was far easier to shoot from the waist. If you are going to use a pistol grip on a shotgun, it needs to be a plow handle shape, not an inverted "L". As for advantages, I can think of none, even with a good pistol grip. The factory stock can be used used in more positions than the inverted "L" grip, and in as many positions as a plow handle pistol grip, and when its on your shoulder, you can actually hit something with it.

 

[stonewall50]

I think the general consensus here is that if I decide to replace my 870 (yea right lol) I need to buy a pistol grip because only professionals use them lol. But seriously...all the talk makes me want to shoot one for giggles, but I'm sticking with a youth mode for anything close in.

 

[JERRYS.]

get a Knoxx breacher pistol grip and you can shoot slugs with one hand. better yet, get the knoxx adjustable stock and never worry about recoil again.

 

[Venom1956]

Pretty sure this is the answer

 

[Theohazard]

I bought a 14" barrel Mossberg 590A1 AOW and I put a Shockwave bird's head grip on it. Why? Because I got a great deal on it, and I've always wanted a "sawed-off" shotgun since I was a kid. That should be a good enough reason.

It's not actually in AOW form with the bird's head grip on it because it's over 26" long, but the tax stamp was only $5 and it allows me to put a regular pistol grip on it if I want. It's really fun to shoot, and it's not that hard to make center-mass hits at regular combat distances. Instead of shooting from the hip, I prefer to use the method of shooting where you hold the shotgun out at just below shoulder-level and use your support arm to absorb most of the recoil. I do it similar to this guy, except I hold it a little lower than he does:

https://youtu.be/bgXAcRiE-Rk

Would I prefer to have a stock on this gun? Sure, but SBSs are illegal in my state. Besides, the $5 AOW tax stamp was a lot easier on my bank account than a $200 SBS tax stamp.

 

[Virginian]

Some people think it looks cool. I have shot one. That fully affirmed I have no use for one. If you want one, get one.

 

[FITASC]

They are accurate, when you are shooting at door hinges from 1-2" away.

Not really something I anticipate doing in my home or anytime in the future.

I prefer to use the method of shooting where you hold the shotgun out at just below shoulder-level and use your support arm to absorb most of the recoil.

Then I guess I don't get the point - if you are going to fire it from shoulder height, use a regular stock.

If you want just for grins and giggles, have at it, but for HD, no thanks

 

[Theohazard]

if you are going to fire it from shoulder height, use a regular stock.

Like I said, I can't use a regular stock on mine, that would make it into a short barrel shotgun, and those are illegal in my state.

But your comment seems to be missing the point. The reason some people prefer pistol-grip shotguns is that they're a lot more compact. And the best way many people have found to shoot them is at shoulder-level like I described. Sure, it would be easier to shoot if you put a stock on it, but then it wouldn't be as compact.

If you want just for grins and giggles, have at it, but for HD, no thanks

I bought it just for fun and I don't use it for HD, but I would prefer it for HD use over an 18" barrel shotgun that has a stock. The latter is definitely easier to shoot, but it's just too long for my uses. But that's why my current primary HD gun is a 14.5" barrel AR.

Sure, I would love to have a stock on my 14" Mossberg, but that's not an option here in WA.

 

[TxGun]

I vastly prefer a full stocked shotgun, but I've owned and shot 12 gauge PGO shotguns and, personally, never found them objectionable as far as recoil, or inaccurate at HD range. Like most would, I stabilize the gun by pulling back slightly on the pistol grip while pushing forward slightly on the front grip. Not difficult at all and reasonably accurate. That said, they are obviously in no way as versatile or practical as a full-stocked gun. I can maybe see one as an inside-the-vehicle defense option, maybe a backpacker's emergency weapon, or possibly a store owner's behind-the-counter gun, but that's about it.