Mission 01: Finding a $200 defense shotgun

[Jgarrick]

http://www.guns.com/review/2014/04/21/mission-101-el-cheapo-defense-shotgun/



Your mission, should you choose to accept it, involves the procurement of a budget home defense shotgun. You may select any shotgun that cost under $200. It must be tough, reliable and 12 or 20 gauge. This message will self-destruct in five seconds.

The voicemail did not self destruct, thankfully, as I am a budget conscious college student. I did, however, accept the mission laid out before me.

Nowadays, when discussing an appropriate home defense weapon, most people will bring up the AR15. While some of this is caused by talks of bans and people wishing to stick it to the Man, there are several good reasons why the AR is an excellent home defense choice. Rifles are easier to aim and fire accurately than a pistol when under duress and the felt recoil from an AR is like a .22 Magnum. Several companies offer good choices in specialized hunting and self-defense ammo and some tests of said ammunition have shown that frangible rounds over-penetrate less than a 9mm. Even the standard 55 grain FMJ round tends to become unruly when it hits drywall and loses velocity quickly. The issue with using an AR15 for home defense is cost. A well made new-in-box AR15 will run around $1,000. If you wanted to go the used route it should still be a reputable brand, which can run upwards of $700.

A person on a budget should still be able to defend themselves and that is where the good ole shotgun comes into play.

(Excerpt, remainder of article at link)

It's hard to come up with a better choice for someone with a limited budget.

[rrneck]

1. I've got about two hundred in an 870 with a 18" barrel and extended mag tube. nt

[upaloopa]

2. Trash and ignore

I guess the only way to not see gun nuttery on this board is trash and put the poster on ignore

[Jgarrick]

4. From the SOP of this group:

Discuss gun politics, gun control laws, the Second Amendment, the use of firearms for self-defense, and the use of firearms to commit crime and violence.

[catnhatnh]

6. The "USE"

not the worship and not photo spreads...and you should well know this by now.

[friendly_iconoclast]

7. You are perfectly free to use the "ignore", "alert" and "trash" buttons. However...

...you are likewise not free to appoint yourself host/threadcop.

Don't feel especially put upon; would-be zampolits/witchfinders/inquisitors
in want of a reminder of these inconvenient truths appear here on a
semi-regular basis....

[Jgarrick]

9. How exactly does the OP "worship" guns? For that matter, since when is a single subject-relevant

photo a "spread"?

[NYC_SKP]

15. Are the images that important? I think it's a fair topic, here's why:

As we see more and more attempts, for better or worse, to make guns unavailable or difficult to obtain, prices are driven up.

This is a fair topic.

The picture of that old pump action whatever it is, maybe a Winchester or Remington, probably from the 1930's is just a picture.

If it seems somehow like gun porn, I'd disagree.

I don't know, to each their own, I guess.

[oldhippie]

17. Great idea

So why don't you trash this entire group if you don't wish to see gun nuttery? You have my permission.

[Lizzie Poppet]

3. My first reaction was shock.

Then I remembered that not all Model 12s are collectibles, so hacksawing the barrel's not necessarily a hangin' offense.

[geckosfeet]

5. How many rounds?

Personally I prefer a pistol but on budget a shotgun is likely the best option. My only concern would be as you say, reliability.

[Jgarrick]

10. The shotgun in the article has a 5 shot magazine.

A bit on the light side for my taste, but given the constraint of a $200 budget...

[littlewolf]

8. I picked up a new M&P 5.56 last week for 700 even

I have a 12 ga shotgun with a slug barrel made by
Mossberg model 500.
I got it used a while back, I know it was under 200.

[clffrdjk]

11. Currently $134

Win the auction bellow $140 and you should be able to get it shipped and transferred for under $200
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=409929170

[Jgarrick]

12. I doubt it will stay that low; I estimate its final price at $175 - $200.

Still a good value, but shipping + FFL fee will almost certainly push it over $200.

[clffrdjk]

13. I do believe you will be right.

For these budget games the best bet is to walk into a store and make an offer on a used one that has been in the store for a while.

[ileus]

14. I paid 220 or my mossy 500.

Bought it off a co-worker. It had been shot 6 times...

[Jenoch]

16. Go to a pawnshop with an FFL

and buy a used Mossberg 500 and put a deerslayer barrel on it. I'd use buckshot instead of slugs for home defense.