There's a lot of discussion here and elsewhere on what should be done to or add on to a shotgun for HD.
I'd like to express my opinions on some of the stuff, including some mindsets that kinda concern me, So, con su permisso.....
First,any reliable shotgun is a defensive weapon of incredible effectiveness and power.
It comes as close to a guaranteed one shot stopper as we know of,that can be operated by an individual.Within 25 yards, it may be the best possible choice for defense,bar none.
Any trained and motivated adult armed with a shotgun and appropriate ammo is well capable of taking care of themselves,and maybe that's part of the attraction of the shotgun.
But the myth kicks in,aided by Hollywood and war stories. For HD, we don't want a wide spread pattern,we want precision of placement for max effect,not stray pellets ending up in the wrong,sometimes tragically wrong, place.
And,a shotgun is NOT a Magic Amulet, shielding from harm by its mere presence, you HAVE to know how to use it.
SO, the proper mindset,IMO and IME,goes for close range,well placed COM hits.This requires practice, practice and more practice. We tend to concentrate on the gadgets sometimes,when what we need is mo' ammo and mo' range time.
So, if you spending more on addons than ammo, you may do well to reprioritize....
Now the mods....
Backboring, porting and so on. Not essential, but not useless. I've not heard a bad thing about the Vang system from anyone, nor the old Pro Port. Not cheap, and suitable for advanced students and pros. The average homeowner has not that much use for these extras.
Forcing cone work. A number of smiths can do this well, it helps reduce recoil, keeps pellets in the pattern,and costs maybe $50-75. I have it in several shotguns, and like it.
Trigger work. This borders on essential with the litigation triggers coming out of the factory these days. Some weapons still have decent slap triggers, but a clean, 4 lb trigger is a joy forever.
Now, the addons....
Sights. I like a peep,like the ones it's fashionable to call Ghost Rings now. They're non essential,but are a great help for a dual purpose shotgun,say deer and HD.
Slings.Not on a HD weapon, just something to get in the way...
Scopes for HD, naw...
Lazers,also naw.... Fragile,expensive and impractical.
Lights,close to essential. I confess to not finding one I really like,but I'll keep looking. The Starfire's next.
Stocks. While a pistol grip full stock is usable, the Miami Vice type PG is NOT what you want for serious work. I know of no serious WIHTF types that have one on a GP shotgun and the few I've seen have been on Class III shorties, suitable for very CQ work only.Me, I find the standard stock quite workable.
Mags. Face it,any AS scenario that requires more than a round or two of shotgun ammo to resolve probably requires backup more than a few more rounds. Having gotten that off my chest, the HD 870 here has one. Besides the coupla more rounds, the extra weight aids control and the clamping to the bbl usually tightens slug groups dramatically.
Butt cuffs and Sidesaddles.Again,how much ammo are you going to need? Last time I check the database, one perp, one shot.
Still have a Sidesaddle on the HD 870, but I get a trifle paranoid.
Specialty ammo. Why buy it if you can't afford to train with it? Plain old 00 that you can buy easily beats the stuff the gun writers rave about, but a semester at Yale and a case of ammo are about the same price.
And, I recommend having plenty on hand, it won't get any cheaper and it may become unavailable,considering the political climate.
And every practice session should have some duty ammo,tho field loads can be used for part of the training. Besides, you need to see if the stuff DOES work IN YOUR WEAPON, periodically.
And, this is opinion,not graven on a tablet of stone by a Finger of Fire.So, I expect discussion and dissent. Thanks...
I'd like to express my opinions on some of the stuff, including some mindsets that kinda concern me, So, con su permisso.....
First,any reliable shotgun is a defensive weapon of incredible effectiveness and power.
It comes as close to a guaranteed one shot stopper as we know of,that can be operated by an individual.Within 25 yards, it may be the best possible choice for defense,bar none.
Any trained and motivated adult armed with a shotgun and appropriate ammo is well capable of taking care of themselves,and maybe that's part of the attraction of the shotgun.
But the myth kicks in,aided by Hollywood and war stories. For HD, we don't want a wide spread pattern,we want precision of placement for max effect,not stray pellets ending up in the wrong,sometimes tragically wrong, place.
And,a shotgun is NOT a Magic Amulet, shielding from harm by its mere presence, you HAVE to know how to use it.
SO, the proper mindset,IMO and IME,goes for close range,well placed COM hits.This requires practice, practice and more practice. We tend to concentrate on the gadgets sometimes,when what we need is mo' ammo and mo' range time.
So, if you spending more on addons than ammo, you may do well to reprioritize....
Now the mods....
Backboring, porting and so on. Not essential, but not useless. I've not heard a bad thing about the Vang system from anyone, nor the old Pro Port. Not cheap, and suitable for advanced students and pros. The average homeowner has not that much use for these extras.
Forcing cone work. A number of smiths can do this well, it helps reduce recoil, keeps pellets in the pattern,and costs maybe $50-75. I have it in several shotguns, and like it.
Trigger work. This borders on essential with the litigation triggers coming out of the factory these days. Some weapons still have decent slap triggers, but a clean, 4 lb trigger is a joy forever.
Now, the addons....
Sights. I like a peep,like the ones it's fashionable to call Ghost Rings now. They're non essential,but are a great help for a dual purpose shotgun,say deer and HD.
Slings.Not on a HD weapon, just something to get in the way...
Scopes for HD, naw...
Lazers,also naw.... Fragile,expensive and impractical.
Lights,close to essential. I confess to not finding one I really like,but I'll keep looking. The Starfire's next.
Stocks. While a pistol grip full stock is usable, the Miami Vice type PG is NOT what you want for serious work. I know of no serious WIHTF types that have one on a GP shotgun and the few I've seen have been on Class III shorties, suitable for very CQ work only.Me, I find the standard stock quite workable.
Mags. Face it,any AS scenario that requires more than a round or two of shotgun ammo to resolve probably requires backup more than a few more rounds. Having gotten that off my chest, the HD 870 here has one. Besides the coupla more rounds, the extra weight aids control and the clamping to the bbl usually tightens slug groups dramatically.
Butt cuffs and Sidesaddles.Again,how much ammo are you going to need? Last time I check the database, one perp, one shot.
Still have a Sidesaddle on the HD 870, but I get a trifle paranoid.
Specialty ammo. Why buy it if you can't afford to train with it? Plain old 00 that you can buy easily beats the stuff the gun writers rave about, but a semester at Yale and a case of ammo are about the same price.
And, I recommend having plenty on hand, it won't get any cheaper and it may become unavailable,considering the political climate.
And every practice session should have some duty ammo,tho field loads can be used for part of the training. Besides, you need to see if the stuff DOES work IN YOUR WEAPON, periodically.
And, this is opinion,not graven on a tablet of stone by a Finger of Fire.So, I expect discussion and dissent. Thanks...