A Couple Questions about HD Shotgun...

[ront]

Hi guys, I have had a Mossberg 500 for a couple of week now. I have been working on getting it set up the way that I like it and now have a couple of questions concerning how to set it up for use.

1. Do you always load the shotgun up to capacity and leave it that way vs loading it round short so that the spring is not always compressed all the way? This is probably a dumb question, but I don't know.

2. This question concerns how the gun is loaded. Do you keep a round in the chamber and the safety on, or the chamber empty and the safety not on? Or any other method? I know that there will be different methods used here, but a HD shotgun is new to me and I am very interested in the methods that you use.

Thanks a lot for your input, Ron

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Paco]

A lot will depend on if there are kids around, yours or others. Most will say, and I agree, keep a round chambered, to 1. be ready and 2. chambering a round will give your location and intent.

I'd say it is always safe to keep the safety on, it isn't that difficult or loud to take it off safety.

Not sure how to answer the spring question, I'd say leave it loaded.

[SigNY]

Good questions.

1.) I always have mine loaded to the max. It wont hurt the spring at all IMO. I have had my 500 for a while and have not seen any issue with keeping it full all the time.

2.) I personally keep a round in the chamber and have the safety on. It dosen't cost me any time to flick the safety if need be. I always carry my EDC chambered and ready. So I follow that method with my HD shotgun as well.

[dukalmighty]

no kids,fully loaded safety on,I will not warn them by racking the slide

[Rcher]

no kids,fully loaded safety on,I will not warn them by racking the slide

Thats the way it is at my house.


_

[eethomas]

I also keep mine fully loaded with a round chambered and safety on.

[jdivence]

I prefer the empty chamber... My glock is my closest gun for the bump in the night so if I get my Rem 870 it is for business. the sound of chambering a round is enough to drive a BG out of your house.

[ksokie]

Cruiser ready: Mag loaded, cylinder empty, trigger pulled so the pump slide is unlocked, safety on. This way you can pump a round into the gun and not have to fumble around finding the slide release.
I've also heard to leave the mag one shell empty, that way if you want to load a slug instead of the 00 buckshot you don't have to waste time cycling a good round thru the gun.
Personally, I'd load it with 00 buckshot including the cylinder and leave the mag with one empty for the reason stated above. Of course with the safety on.
These are just a couple of different ways to give you some ideas.

[cuban11182]

Isn't the safety on most shotguns a non-positive safety? Meaning that the safety only hinders the trigger being pulled, the gun can possibly fire if dropped?

[KenpoTex]

the sound of chambering a round is enough to drive a BG out of your house.

No, all that does is give away your position and give the BG time to use his own weapon. You've just invited the bad guy to a gunfight instead of just having a shooting.

Isn't the safety on most shotguns a non-positive safety? Meaning that the safety only hinders the trigger being pulled, the gun can possibly fire if dropped?

Correct, which is why "cruiser ready" exists (or one of the reasons)...so the inertia of a car wreck won't set off a round.

If it's in your house, it should be chambered.

[ront]

Thanks a lot for your input guys!! The "cruiser ready" method sounds interesting to me except I am wondering why the safety is still on. I seems to me that safety should always be on except maybe here. I am probably very wrong though. Also with this method, you do have to chamber a round, thus giving your location away.

Thanks again, Ron

[SIXTO]

You can chamber a round very quite like... nobody says you have to shuck it hard.

Or you can just do it like a pro, and rack as you bring the gun up into play

[retsupt99]

There are plenty of loaded weapons in our house. I don't have a pump shottie, but rather a 12ga (double barrel) nickel coated coach gun...I don't need to rack anything...it IS VERY INTIMIDATING.
I keep it in an unlocked safe but not loaded. It has a band on the stock with 5 shells attached and two 'ready to load shells' sitting next to it...I can load it in a couple of seconds.
The short coach gun is great for a nighttime trek around corners in the house.

Stay armed...two big barrels can get your attention...stay safe!

[Superhouse 15]

My shotgun, a Benelli, is hammer down on an empty chamber, safety off, and a full mag. I have a small child, and the shotgun is not my first choice HD gun. By the way, I'm left handed and I prefer to keep it safety off and fumble free. The other HD gun is my wife's HD .410 Mossberg. Also chamber empty, safety off, mag full. I think the safest way if you have small kids is to keep it hammer back, chamber empty, safety on. Most manipulations needed to fire the gun, thus hardest for an unfamiliar user.

[Bulldog39]

I keep the hammer down on an empty chamber, safety off and tube 1 short of full. I figure the noise of working the slide will not be heard outside of the bedroom and if the BG is already in the bedroom, well that is another problem.