Side Saddle Opinions Wanted

M

Mikey

New member
I just completed my Tactical Battery with the addition of a pre-ban HK/Benelli Super 90 with two barrels (rifle sighted for social occasions and vent rib with chokes for those occasional field gun needs) and standard type stock (not pistol grip).

The gun came with a TacStar Side Saddle (still new in wrapper) that I don't think I want to install. I have always used the buttstock type carriers (usually Blackhawk) and it seems the Side Saddle would be somewhat in the way for field use and pose no real advantage to the buttstock type for tactical applications. I can't help but notice, however, that almost EVERYBODY else uses the Side Saddle. What am I missing here?

Opinions anyone?

Mikey
 
I have both 4 and 6 round SideSaddles installed on Rem 870s (depending on the size of the forend) and I've never had a problem. For me the advantage is that I can reload with my left hand while maintaining a firing grip on the shotgun with the right hand. While buttstock carriers are convenient for carrying spare ammo, IMHO they are not as easy to access during a reload where you need to keep the shotgun on target and ready to fire while reloading.

Try both and see for yourself what works best.
 
Butt cuffs tend to snag on my forearms, are rather uncomfortable for me, and since the weight is all at the end they affect the balance more than a Side Saddle will.

There's been lots of posts stating that SSs and Benellis do not work well together, you may want to research this s bit in the Archives....
 
It's the aluminum receiver (so include Mossys in the mix as well). But it's only a problem if you over-tighten the mounting screws -- that can cause the receiver to warp and thereby bind the action.

IMHO the sidesaddle works better than the buttcuff as the buttcuff's nylon straps get in the way of a good cheek weld.

Justin
 
I believe you are pushing your luck to mount a sidesaddle on an aluminium receiver. One isssue is overtightening and deforming it. The other is that it will ream out the mounting holes over time.

I don't have direct experience but I've been always told not to use them on anything other than steel.
 
Have had a sidesaddle for a while now. Don't like it. It bites my hand if I fire from the hip. I know, I know, you're supposed to aim the thing. But you never now when you won't have time to do that, so I practice shooting from other than optimal positions.

Butt cuffs tend to sag over time, start slipping.

<sigh>


For that Pancho Villa look, over the shoulder bandoliers work! :D
 
I've got both a side saddle and a butt cuff on my 870, I keep the slugs in the butt cuff and the buckshot in the side saddle.


I figure quick reloads into the tube will be coming directly from the side saddle or if I run dry it will come from the side saddle.

If I need to transition to slugs then I'm gonna need to eject the round in the chamber as well as roll the thing over and remove the round from the feed tray, during this process reaching to the back of the butt and pulling a slug to quickly drop into the ejection port seems quite a bit more natural than having to go back to the side saddle to grab a shell.



I am however warry of having the side saddle effect functioning, all of the various comments about them have warrant and weigh on my mind to some degree. If it starts to show negative draw backs it's off of there.



I'll resort to using my Ca. Comp Works shot shell "speed strippers." These things are cool as hell for quickly palming a shell into the ejection port or reloading into the tube, they can be put onto a belt pretty quickly too.


hopefully this link will work, http://www.brownells.com/Product/productDetail.asp?ProductID=151120012&CategoryID=0
if not goto the Brownell's site and do a search for Calif. Comp Works and then click on their "speed stripper"

The thing is pretty SLICK!
 
Thanks for all the help...

I think I'll find a buyer for the Side Saddle and use the bucks to buy a Blackhawk Buttstock Shell Carrier. I love the one on my PSS - no elastic to stretch out of shape, just three solid velcro strap closures and a nice smooth surface for your cheek. Just have to be sure it clears the sling attachment.

Thanks again

Mikey
 
I use both a speedfeed stock and the tacstar side saddle on my mossys, giving me 10 extra rounds on the gun, very handy... Regarding the concern about the mounting screw reaming out the holes in the aluminum reciever/trigger group I solved the problem by going to my local hardware store and purchasing plastic screws (screws MADE out of plastic I had to explain to the clerk) The threads wear out after you take the gun apart a few times but they only cost a few cents each and you don't have to worry about harming your gun.
 
How are you doing a slug select, uglygun? It sounds like you're opening the action, dumping the round from the chamber AND the round from the magazine, then dropping the slug into the ejection port. Why? You put 2 rounds on the ground, plus you have to get that second round off the carrier and out, as you said. Instead, just grab a slug, put it in the magazine and rack the action. It's faster, there's less to do (therefore less to go wrong), and you only lose 1 round. The only drawback is it can't be done when the magazine is full.

BTW, those speed strippers from Brownell's look like they'd only work if you had zero gut hanging over your belt.
 
Are there any Kydex ammunition slides that will mount on the butt of the piece? I would really like one of the custom jobs I'm having built up to have an instant reload, and would MUCH prefer 4 or 5 rounds in a kydex arrangement on the buttstock. (This will be a Mauser rifle, but it seemed to fit the thread.)
 
I've heard of people using double sided tape to stick their side saddles on their Benelli's. Using the (semi-permanent) industrial strength 3M stuff should make for a robust installation.
 
Jeff, CA, I'll feed slugs into the tube if the magazine isn't topped off but it's not the first thing I typically try to do.


When I go to a shot to slug transition I bring my hand back so that I can roll both the round from the chamber and the round on the feed tray directly into my palm and those two shells go into my pocket, then I put the slug in through the ejection port. Most of my reloading drills are done assuming the gun has run dry and I need to get a round in the chamber quickly, through the ejection port is the way I've done it for the longest time and it's the way I'm most comfortable doing it. It's not the quickest but the two rounds aren't going on the ground either. My behavior mostly comes from using my shotguns for jack rabbit hunting rather than action shooting like 3 gun stuff.


Reloading more than one round, usually I put one in through the ejection port and then will stuff the tube rather than just stuff the tube and then rack the slide to get a round in the chamber.





As for those speed strippers, I really like the things. They have a spring loaded mechanism in the top that keeps the rounds from rolling out of it no matter if you're running or doing jumping jacks. Yeah, if you have a bit of a gut the things might be a bit more difficult to use but I have no gut :) They are pretty quick and I love the way I can roll 1 or 2 rounds into my palm at will and have them situated so that it is easy to either slap it in through the ejection port or push it into the magazine tube with your thumb. All and all I love the things.
 
Ok I know I am tired but would someone please explain a butt cuff to me? I tried to look it up on the net and got LOTS of porn sites.
 
Butt cuffs have loops on them that are like those used on shotgun shell bandoleers but only those loops are sewn to to an elastic band that stretches around the stock. It's good for another 4-5 shotgun shells or with rifles maybe another 6-7 rifle cartridges.
 
I have a Side Saddle on both my shotguns. Mossberg M590 and Benelli M1 Super 90.

Both function fine, but it's not like I've been to war with them. One receiver, I think the Benelli, bent when I tightened the screw for the Side Saddle. I just losened the screw a bit and it works fine.

I do notice the shells move downward from their initial placements after firing 8 rounds from the magazine tube. I'm reloading with those moved shells anyways, so I can't say this is a big deal. Now if you were to reload from a pouch, keeping the Side Saddle ammo incase a really fast reload is neccessary, you might have some rounds shake loose eventually.
 
I use a sidesaddle on my 870. I don't really like it as it seems to throw the gun off balance and as I shoot left handed it has hit me in the trigger hand during recoil. I don't dislike enough to remove it but in future a mag ext is all I would use.
 
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