HD Shotgun For My Mother: Suggestions?

My mother (who has never been a gun fan) is finally coming around. She's decided that it'd be smart to have a weapon for HD (CC'ing is still a long ways away with her - handguns in general as well). She's used a shotgun before, and knows the basics of how they work. I'm trying to help her find something that would be good for her to keep in the house in case something ever happened. She's almost 50, about 5'6", probably no more than 130 pounds (rough estimate, I have no idea her actual weight). She'd probably do best with a .410 or a 20 gauge. Pump action is much preferred (she likes the recognizable sound of the pump), and something with (legally) short barrel.

Any suggestions of a good, reliable, but relatively inexpensive shotgun that could fit these requirements?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

If you are set on a shotgun a Mossberg 500 special purpose or bantam in 20ga would be a good choice. I would try a pistol caliber carbine if I could find one

Shotgun is preferred. Being that I'm several states away, I can't give my mom personal attention on selecting a firearm and training her with it. She already knows enough about shotguns to be comfortable with them, so it's the best choice for now. With time will come other weapons.

Mossberg 500 in .410. Reliable, more accessories than you could ever list....

And REALLY easy shooting.

Mossberg, 20 guage pump, youth stock.

Mossberg & Sons | 57110

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Originally Posted by pittypat21

My mother (who has never been a gun fan) is finally coming around. She's decided that it'd be smart to have a weapon for HD (CC'ing is still a long ways away with her - handguns in general as well). She's used a shotgun before, and knows the basics of how they work. I'm trying to help her find something that would be good for her to keep in the house in case something ever happened. She's almost 50, about 5'6", probably no more than 130 pounds (rough estimate, I have no idea her actual weight). She'd probably do best with a .410 or a 20 gauge. Pump action is much preferred (she likes the recognizable sound of the pump), and something with (legally) short barrel.

Any suggestions of a good, reliable, but relatively inexpensive shotgun that could fit these requirements?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

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I did have to laugh ... when you said she's almost 50 ...... LOL, that's not close to being old.
Anyway, my oldest sister is 5'4" tall, weight 90 lbs wet, 70 yrs old, and shoots a 12 ga all of the time. Would most women do what she does, probably not.

My .02 cents ..... 20 ga Mossberg "youth " model which has a shorter stock for her size & arm length, and has a decent recoil pad on it. It's also a bit lighter. I'm going on my granddaughter , who's 5'6" and it fits her perfectly. I would suggest letting her go see one , feel it, etc. and see what she thinks of it before buying it.

http://www.cabelas.com/pump-action-m...otguns-2.shtml

Some info :

Mossberg Pump Action Shotguns: 500® Bantam™ & 505 Youth™ Series

Designed for younger shooters, the Mossberg shotguns in the 500 Bantam and 505 Youth Series are smaller and easier to handle than their larger counterparts. With 11 configurations available, this Mossberg shotgun series features:

• A full line of .410 bore, 20 and 12-gauge models
• All 500® Bantam™ and 505 Youth™ 12 and 20-gauge models have EZ-reach™ forearm, shortened pistol grip, reduced LOP, shortened barrels and top mounted safety.
• All 12 and 20-gauge 500® Bantam™ and 505 Youth™ models come with a drilled and tapped receiver, factory-ready for scope base and optics installation.
• Select 12 and 20-gauge barrels are factory ported for reduced muzzle jump and felt recoil.
• Interchangeable Accu-Choke™ tube set and wrench and X-Full choke tubes included on select models.
• Free 10-year limited warranty

The Mossberg 500 Bantam and 505 Youth shotguns come with dual extractors, twin action bars, positive steel-to-steel lock-up, and anti-jam elevators which provide for reliable, smooth operation regardless of the shooter’s age. Plus, the 500 Bantam turkey model comes standard with fiber optic, fully adjustable front and rear sights which are perfect for low light situations.

Don't go with a pistol grip, too hard on the wrist. And be careful going too light weight. Remember, the lighter to gun = the heavier the recoil. (It's not the "Suggestions" of Physics, it's...the LAW!) Agree that it's tough to beat a youth-stocked Remington 870 or Mossy 500.

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Originally Posted by Eagleks

I did have to laugh ... when you said she's almost 50 ...... LOL, that's not close to being old.
Anyway, my oldest sister is 5'4" tall, weight 90 lbs wet, 70 yrs old, and shoots a 12 ga all of the time. Would most women do what she does, probably not.

My .02 cents ..... 20 ga Mossberg "youth " model which has a shorter stock for her size & arm length, and has a decent recoil pad on it. It's also a bit lighter. I'm going on my granddaughter , who's 5'6" and it fits her perfectly. I would suggest letting her go see one , feel it, etc. and see what she thinks of it before buying it.

Cabela's: Mossberg 500® Bantam™ and Super Bantam™ Youth Shotguns

Some info :

Mossberg Pump Action Shotguns: 500® Bantam™ & 505 Youth™ Series

Designed for younger shooters, the Mossberg shotguns in the 500 Bantam and 505 Youth Series are smaller and easier to handle than their larger counterparts. With 11 configurations available, this Mossberg shotgun series features:

• A full line of .410 bore, 20 and 12-gauge models
• All 500® Bantam™ and 505 Youth™ 12 and 20-gauge models have EZ-reach™ forearm, shortened pistol grip, reduced LOP, shortened barrels and top mounted safety.
• All 12 and 20-gauge 500® Bantam™ and 505 Youth™ models come with a drilled and tapped receiver, factory-ready for scope base and optics installation.
• Select 12 and 20-gauge barrels are factory ported for reduced muzzle jump and felt recoil.
• Interchangeable Accu-Choke™ tube set and wrench and X-Full choke tubes included on select models.
• Free 10-year limited warranty

The Mossberg 500 Bantam and 505 Youth shotguns come with dual extractors, twin action bars, positive steel-to-steel lock-up, and anti-jam elevators which provide for reliable, smooth operation regardless of the shooter’s age. Plus, the 500 Bantam turkey model comes standard with fiber optic, fully adjustable front and rear sights which are perfect for low light situations.

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I never suggested that she (or being 50) is old! Just listed her age for reference. Some people might say "My mother" and mean an 85 year old woman, others could be only 40. So I specified her age just to provide some context.

She's shot 12 gauge before, and did NOT like it.

Also, in response to ghost tracker, I would NEVER go with a pistol grip (except when combined with the shoulder stock). Just bad news all around with those.
I think something around 8lbs in .410 would probably be fine on weight and recoil.

I would suggest a 20ga over a .410 if at all possible, but a .410 is better than a sharp stick

Yeah, and 20 gauge shells are cheaper as well. Have you priced .410 stuff lately?

*P.S. My Momma IS 82 years old, and can still run a shotgun like a sewing machine. Y'all would LUV my Momma!

Skip the .410... even the 3" shell has only 5 or 6 pellets, whereas the 20 gauge has up to 2 dozen pellets. I've seen ladies a lot smaller than your mom handle 20s quite nicely. And birdshot is OK for practice, but absolutely not for defensive uses... she'll need to get buckshot (#3 or larger) to keep on hand.

This coming out of a .410 would make any bad guy rethink their decision.
http://www.winchester.com/Products/N.../pdx1-410.aspx

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Originally Posted by pittypat21

I never suggested that she (or being 50) is old! Just listed her age for reference. Some people might say "My mother" and mean an 85 year old woman, others could be only 40. So I specified her age just to provide some context.

She's shot 12 gauge before, and did NOT like it.

Also, in response to ghost tracker, I would NEVER go with a pistol grip (except when combined with the shoulder stock). Just bad news all around with those.
I think something around 8lbs in .410 would probably be fine on weight and recoil.

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Understood. A Mossberg 500 & 505 .... weight 5.25 lbs .....

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Originally Posted by Thunder71

This coming out of a .410 would make any bad guy rethink their decision.
http://www.winchester.com/Products/N.../pdx1-410.aspx

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Like a couple of previous posters, I'd be really inclined to go with a 20 over a .410, but have to admit - that PDX1 .410 load looks pretty robust! Wonder what the MV is, and how it patterns at HD ranges?

Regards,
Jim

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Originally Posted by Kilowatt3

Like a couple of previous posters, I'd be really inclined to go with a 20 over a .410, but have to admit - that PDX1 .410 load looks pretty robust! Wonder what the MV is, and how it patterns at HD ranges?

Regards,
Jim

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Winchester says 750 ft/sec, the article (link below) says something less, and the total shot load (BBs and discs) is only 310 grains.

Taurus Judge PDX1 Ballistics – 2