What are the Best budget shotguns.

I like the Remington 870 Wingmaster, because of the "after market" "goodies.

My Wingmaster started out as the shotgun that I used in "3 Gun Matches" (18" & 20" barrels), added a 26" barrel and shot skeet, used a 30" barrel and a stock with a Monte Carlo stock for trap, and now it has the old 18" barrel & a pistol grip and rides in the truck. Total round count, plus 15,000...
 
and ill throw in the H&R pardner pump protector. ive had mine for 4 yrs. and not a bobble yet paid way less than $200 for it at dicks and i probly got almost that much in ammo through it by now. great gun for the price :)
 
Many of us are not fond of the import clone guns going to price point importers... Even if we never handled or owned or even fired them...

These have a tendency to undergo changes during a contract run... Others never have much of a parts support system in the contract...

Often times these guns and their parts get pretty rare soon after a contract ends or an importer goes under of changes hands...

Then you always face the risk that our govt. could impose embargo stipulations on an already shaky ally....

Small arms are often included in these...

It is for the fact that I can buy American at a similar price point from a proven American Company selling a decent quality American Product rather than taking a risk on a gun that isn't "going back to the factory" if it has an issue...

I am a mossberg man since my first projectile emitting device which was a .410 bolt bun with poly choke... The smooth tight bolt was smoother and tighter sliding than any new one in Cabelas including the rifles...

I would own any number of nicer American guns but would have to be used in good shape for a great price or a mis-priced new one...

Brent
 
You'll be happy with a remi 870 or Mossberg 500, both are great guns. I have the moss 500 only because I prefer the location of the safety.

Chris
 
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I have had both Mossberg 500 and Rem 870. The 500A was a shorter barreled synthetic stock 12 ga. that I had installed true glo rifle type sights on. I did like the brutal effeciency of the 500A, however I really like the feel of the 870 better, and after many years of remington shotguns I am quite comfortable with the cross-bolt safety. In reality handle them both and see which one "speaks" to you, better yet if possible find a friend who will let you shoot theirs.
 
My used 870 that I spent $230 on is now a $640 gun and is, by my standards at least, badass. It's uniquely my own and I love it, there's still plenty more I want to do to it (new extractor, XS big dot sight, safety, ceracoat, engraving). It's a great gun because it works extremely well with absolutely no modifications, and it's so customizable that you can really make it your own, even on a budget.
 
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I would advise staying away from the very inexpensive, though attractive, import guns (some of which carry major brand names like Savage, H&R, CZ, etc), since many have poorly-fitted (and many times unhardened) internal parts; and spare parts are a crapshoot.

As posted, a much better quality US-made gun can be had for the same/less $$$ on the used gun rack - and parts/accessories would be NP.


The import manufacturers are from countries that put more store in appearance than quality/value - why many of those guns are eye candy, made to appeal to the unwary.


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Sorry, Stoegers, while a member of the Beretta Holdings Group, are NOT a quality gun. Lots of issues have been reported over the years. This brand, like Charles Daly has succumbed to becoming a cheap price-point import gun, not the top tier guns they both were in the early-mid 1900's
 
I think that one particular Mossberg model stands out for a good bang for buck. The Mossberg 500 Persuader, 12 gauge, 6-shot, 18.5" barrel. They can be had for approx $300 depending on where you buy from.

The reason I think it is a good bang-for-buck is the following. The finish of this particular model is a true blued finish, not the more fragile "matte blue" that most entry-level shotguns have these days.

Also, the slide action assembly on this model has a true tube assembly that the forend attaches to. A lot of the entry level Mossbergs (and all Mavericks I believe) have a pinned forend, which means the slides are pinned directly to the forend. This means you cannot easily change out the forend if you wanted to. You would have to buy extra parts if you decided to go that route. Also, the pinned forends have a lot more "slop" to them. Having the tube assembly makes the action tighter and less sloppy, also it is just a matter of unscrewing the compression nut for changing out forends.

Here is the model (#50411). If you look, you can see the better finish and if you look closely, you can see the nut in front of the forend.

http://www.mossberg.com/product/sho...pecial-purpose-persuader-cruiser-6-shot/50411


For reference, here is a Maverick 88 with the pinned forend. If you look closely, you can see there is no nut in front of the forend. Also, look to the rear of the forend and you'll see the pin holding the slide to the forend.

http://www.mossberg.com/product/shotguns-pump-action-maverick-88-special-purpose/31023


The only reason I bring this up is, I bought a Mossberg 500 from Cabelas. It was a combo deal and while being a great gun that I never had a problem with function wise, the matte finish scratches easily. Also, I wanted to change out the forend for a Hogue rubberized forend. That change over cost me a lot more then I originally thought, because I had the pinned forend and had to buy a tube assembly (aproxx $40 for the tube action slide assembly alone).
 
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