Due to a rash of home invasions in the local area I decided to sell off some steel for some shotgun funds. I've been having my eye on the Kel-Tec KSG because of the high capacity and short OAL length. None of the gun shops have any idea when Kel-Tec will be shipping any out, and since it doesn't have a long history of being a tried and true design I decided to get something that's available now. A used Remington 870 (not Express) with a Knoxx top folding recoil reducing stock and pistol grip forend. I'll have it in hand next week. I already have some ideas for accessories and mods.

Do y'all have a favorite when it comes to home defense shotguns? Favorite types of ammo? How about arguments against using a shotgun for hd? My only concern is OAL length.

You are getting my favorite except it ain't express.

I like this little ridiculous thing, but it is by no means the best option. Just looks fun. I guess fun isn't a factor when it comes to home defense unless you're a psychopath <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />



You could even conceal two of them on shoulder slings under your bath robe for the ultimate surprise. Not sure if it has enough weight to do the "movie" one-handed pump though.

bought a 500 with the knoxx pistol grip some years back. fine firearm but I think I would've made a few different choices if I had known a little more at the time. one thing I learned is that I don't care about a pistol grip shotgun all that much. for the role a shotgun plays in my hands it would be just fine with a solid stock. even if I was to ever need to clear rooms im just not ninja enough to benifit from a pistol grip or reduced length. i think i would probably benefit more from having a good solid hold and shoulder on a pump shotgun in most cases. so I have plans to replace the knoxx and factory forend with green houge stock and forend. the other thing which is not a big deal is that I would have gotten a 590 instead of the 500. i don't think it will make any difference in my lifetime but I would prefer to have a nicer shotgun for the role.

outside of a flashlight I really don't think i will put anything else on this shotgun or whatever shotgun I am most likely to grab first. the light is more jus to know that I have a light handy in case I wake up one day in the middle of a Katrina. but i do want to grab another nicer more tactical shotty down the line. i want to have one that gets the zombie apocalypse treatment. but really I'm hoping to have a shotgun I could maybe just use for hog hunting someday. I also want to see just how a red dot would do on a shotgun. And I like seeing shotguns with the ace socom stocks on them. but this be a separate more tactical looking shotgun and it wouldn't be the one im reaching for when the neighbors wake me up yelling at each other and slamming doors outside.

and the fnp45 usually gets dibbs on anything that sounds like it may already be inside...

mossberg 930 SPX tactical

JJ, that one looks like it would be fun to shoot. Does it come in 10ga?

It was a toss up between the Remington 870 and Mossberg 590, I like both. The 870 won simply because if I ever decided to put a pistol grip on the Mossberg it would make it a little more difficult to access the tang safety. If they both had the same safety as what's on the 870 then I would've ended up getting the 590.

I've had both and you can't go wrong with either. I had the 500 pistol grip and the safety wasn't an issue.

I like the 870 tactical with surefire light set up.

Good luck

I like the 870 simplified. I wouldn't worry about pistol grip this and folding that.....if there have been a rash of burglaries, keep it simple, cheap, and functional. A light at most, 18 inch barrel, short sweet and to the point. If someone kicks in the front door and takes it while you are at work, no great loss. I love my Benelli M4, but can't.afford to lose her, so a generic 870 guards the farm.

Doc

Had an 870 for a while, nice gun. About all you *need* is a wilson combat extra large "speed safety" (helps a lot if you are right handed). A side saddle is nice, but be careful not to over tighten the set screws or you will jam up the action (ask me how I know;) ). A big dot front sight would be very nice, but I never got around to it before selling the gun off.

The 590 is a nice gun for sure, a few extra in the tube, but IMO does not balance as well as the 870. The extra 2" on barrel "way out there" make a big difference in feel for me, but YMMV. The ghost ring/blade sight on the 590 is better than the stock bead on the 870 and there is no comparison between the 590's open elevator and the "solid" one of the 870. Finally, the tang safety on the 590 is better IMO than the cross bolt of the 870 as you kinda have to change your firing grip to manipulate it (unless you get the WC speed safety).

I personally HATE pistol grips on shotguns, but that may jut be cus I am a wuss and don't see any advantage over the traditional stock.

Because you asked...the thing I don't care for about a shotgun for HD is the OAL as you mentioned, but also the lack of capacity, and the fact that there will be overpenetration with any loads that I would use for HD (00, #3, or slugs). Besides being able to cut "the bad man" in half with the slug (which is not a bad thing by any means), I'm not sure that you gain much over a more versatile high-cap, auto-loading pistol...that can be fired from retention and has a white light set up that is much more user friendly under stress. I'm no freaking delta-SEAL-ranger-SWAT-commando, but I do have kids in the house and I am not simply barricading the bedroom door and calling 911 when I hear a bump in the night. My goal is to keep my kids safe, and then neutralize the threat and I feel a pistol is a better tool than a shotgun, for me.

Finally, a reliable auto-loading shotgun is hard to find and very expensive when you do. A pump gun is nice, but I have seen more than one person short-shuck one under stress, effectively turning it into a single shot without understanding why...which results in someone standing still (bad) with their heads down (worse) staring into the action wondering how they broke their unbreakable shotgun. People think a pump gun is the be-all end-all for HD, and while it is a capable weapon, it requires much more training to be proficient than most people think because "it looks so simple"...IMO of course. All that to say, have fun, train as much as possible, and find a local 3-gun match to test your skills and induce some stress into the picture.

Its already got the things I listed in the opening thread. I have plenty of experience with pistol grips so that's not an issue. The folding stock is a very simple design, it just folds down in one motion. I may replace it with one that doesn't fold, not sure yet. I like the short OAL for clearing my house. I'll always have my 45's just in case someone manages to get control of it. The shotgun will just be my primary.

How about ammo choices guys? I got kids in the house, so that is a concern.

That's a lot of info, damon. I completely agree with everything there. I guess I've always just considered the pistol as a back up.

Thank you!

I'm liking the new stock from Magpul. I may pick up one of those.

What I have is the Maverick 88. It is part of mossberg. It came with a modified choke barrel and an 18" barrel with a heat shield. I prefer the solid stock. It also came with a pistol grip. I haven't tried a top or side folding stock, so I have no opinion on that. The pistol grip jumps around too much for my likeing.

As for ammo, I would say birdshot. If you have children this will put your mind to ease more than a heavy buck shot. The pattern will still be tight (for home defense range) and you don't have to worry as much about going through walls as with buckshot. And it is extremely effective at those close ranges.