*What is the best combat shotgun on the market?

It depends on whether you want a pump or a semiautomatic. If a pump, I like the Remington Model 870. If a semiautomatic, the Benelli.
 
That is like asking what is better, Chevy or Ford?

There are lots of suitable shotguns out there. You will get all types of answers. Usually the reccomendation is what that person owns. For every person that saya XYZ is the best you can find another one who says it is a piece of junk. Deceide whether you want a pump or auto and then try to get out and handle/try out what you can.
I prefeer the remington pumps and autos. Tried most of the others and have always gone back to them. My working SG is an 11-87 Police that has been Vang comped and had MMC tritium ghost ring sights installed. This is what I prefeer but the majority of them out there are good guns.
For all you knee jerk "Benelli is the best" people out there, I have a M3S90 (that sits in my safe) but like the 11-87P better.
 
Intel6 has a good point, but then again, I never met a knowledgeable shooter who said that the Rem 870 was a piece of junk :)

Go 870!

Reliability, durability, simple manual of arms, ease of maintenance.
 
Define "Combat"....

Are you talking about a weapon for a point man leading the squad down a jungle trail?

Or, something for a reservist called up on active duty to use out of a firing port of the APC he/she's driving?

Or, something for a civilian who lives too close to the werewolves, has little`experience with military style weaponry, but a clear and pressing need for a shoulder arm of great short range power?

Or a small business owner, in an area likely to go off the next time someone gets beaten up on videotape by the police?

Personally, in any of the above scenarios, I'd be content with one of my 870s, but others may differ.

As to why, after 40 years of use ranging from goose and duck hunting to line of duty, after taking a truckload or so of game,after busting a few thousand clay pigeons and trying to bust many thousand more, after protecting myself and family, I know that an 870(in trained and motivated hands)comes as close to 100% reliability as anything made by humans.

Any reliable shotgun is a great defensive tool. The 870s leads them all in reliability...
 
Dave makes a lot of good points. The question you ask brings up several more. Without knowing what else you want out of the gun, I'd say Remington 870. Assuming a single opponent, the 1st shot is the one that will probably matter the most and the 870 will be just as fast as the Benelli. During a recent shotgun class, we timed a variety of shooters w/5 rounds shooting the 870 vs Benelli M4. Fastest time each (if I remember right) 870/1.8ish, M4/1.2ish. Pick the gun and practice w/it - a lot :)
 
"There are lots of suitable shotguns out there. You will get all types of answers. Usually the reccomendation is what that person owns." Or would like to own. Do the math. 870's are good shotguns and lots of people have them. Therefore they get lots of praise, indicating they are good shotguns and lots of people have them. If that is your defintion of "best" , get one.
 
Actually, ljlc, it's the other way around. Lots of folks have 870s because they're good and people like that.
 
Well I'll throw my $.02 in. I've always been partial to the Ithaca M-37 DPS with extended tube. They're available from time to time on the used market. When we switched to the 870 from the M-37 I bought one back from the cop shop who sold us the 870's. I think it was the best $50 I spent! Wish I'd bought a couple more.
 
i prefer the mossie 500 with a short tube to an 870, but the difference is nil, just preference. personally, i'de carry a double barreled shotgun with 20"or under tubes with internal hammers and an automatic ejector. sxs or over under? it doesn't matter. but looking at 2 .72 inch I.D. tubes would make anyone give up all hope of surviving the attack. plus, there is no more devistating shot i can think of than two barrels stoked with a total of 42 quarter inch pellets of lead(#4buck) traveling at 1250 fps hitting your chest at once. also auto ejectors give you speed at least as good as any pump out there(it actually takes more time to put 2 shells into the mag of a pump than to drop 2 into the chambers. some would disagree with me, but that's my findings. on a more personal note, they've yet to make an udderly reliable(a la ak-47)semi auto shotgun, so i'de stay away from those.
 
I can think of a more devistating shot, a 3 1/2 inch shell filled with 18 pellets of .33 cal 00 buck, 15 pellets of .36 caliber 000 buck, or 11 pellets of .38 caliber 0000 buck. Or a 3" Berneke slug ;)
 
"Lots of folks have 870s because they're good and people like that." That's conjecture (from a confirmed 870 enthusiast!). They could have them for many reasons, availability or cost, for example. If you gave everybody Benelli's they might become the best liked (therefore the best?) SG. The facts are that there are lots of people who own 870's and they like them. 870's are noted for their reliability. Most gunsmiths can work on them. Parts are plentiful and you can get a zillion add ons. These seem the most important qualities for a PD shotgun, not populairty per se. That's why I have them for defense and that may be about as close as we can get to "best", a word which should be deleted from the dictionary. ljlc
 
I would go with the beneli M4, I do not own that particular model, but having looked into the contest that was organized in order to pick a shotgun for the marines it seems to outperform the competition.
 
all good suggestions,


personally for civilian use I'll vouch for the Winchester 1300 defender pump with 18.5" barrel and full mag tube. I feel it's the fastest, lightest defense pump there is with the best dimensions, capacity and layout. It's a very formidable weapon on it's own and in my opinion the best the pumpgun market has to offer. if i wasn't such a hobbyist and i only wanted ONE gun to protect the homestead or place of business, a 1300 would be it. i say civilian use because it doesnt have the heavy barrel of the 590a1 or the metal trig assembly and safety of the 870p, features that are nice but somewhat unnecessary on an occasional use gun.
 
I wonder if the word tactical fits here? I saw a tristar that had all the goodies but was way cheap(inexpensive I guess). Anybody know any real world data on these? I'd buy one if it's worth a crap.
 
Tactical is a verb...;) It is a mindset not a firearm. If your mindset requires a sparkling flashlight... than add it.
Brent
 
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