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How do I make my shottie look cool?

13K views 59 replies 40 participants last post by  wjh2657 
#1 ·
Anyone have any pointers on how to give my shottie a bad *** look and feel to it? I've already ordered the 18.5' barrel, and a collapsible stock w/ shell holders. The main point of shortening it up like this is because it's current 28' barrel is hard to maneuver in the house in the event of a home invasion. My current stock is solid and lacks a pistol grip. I'd like my stock and barrel to be as short as possible, with the easy access of a pistol grip for better control.

(Note: These are stock photos, not actual photos)

Currently it looks like this:


I ordered the 18.5' barrel and a collapsible stock w/ shell holder (which will probably end up looking like this after installation):


I think that would pretty much be all I need except for maybe a barrel shroud, but would there be any need for it? Pros and cons?

With the barrel shroud it should look like this when all is said and done:


My hope is for it to be a good tactical shottie for bumps in the night, yet easily convertible back to a good turkey gun.

Thoughts?
 
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#4 ·
The power of pesuasion for a shotgun is the sound of a shell being chambered, looks are way down the list. Not to say you should not modify your shotgun if you want to change the look.
 
#5 ·
#6 ·
Two words: Side saddle (the kind that attaches to the receiver)!!!

And two tone, you gotta do two tone. OD green and Black, or OD green and coyote tan, or coyote tan and black.

Than again, I'm not a very cool person so don't listen to me. But I still think a side saddle rocks.
 
#7 ·
When I shoot a hundred plus 12 ga. rounds on a combat shotgun course, I don't care how the damn gun looks.

I want a functional work horse that goes bang. The heat shield serves a function so that you don't burn bare skin after shooting several rounds.

When shooting from barricade, prone, over car hoods, shooting from under fences and after crawling through drainage pipes, the heat of the barrel is a real concern and can cause an instantaneous second degree burn on contact. I know... I've gotten several little second degree "sizzle burns" over the years with other shotguns as well as with this one. The barrel shroud helps significantly, but you still can get a burn. Definitely makes for an uncomfortable day at the range. Especially if you get a fifty cent sized burn on your sensitive forearm skin right off the bat with 4 or 5 hours left ahead of you on the range.

I have a parkerized Mossberg 590A1 pump which has well over 3,000 rounds through it and has been through the ringer without a hiccup. I don't have anything fancy on it. An Eagle Industries buttstock shell holder, a Side Saddle shell holder on the receiver, simple quick release sling and a tritium bead at the end of the barrel. I like being able to see where the end of the muzzle is during night or low light conditions.

Photo's were taken rather hastily at work so I apologize in advance.

Eagle Industries stock mounted shell holder



Receiver mounted Side Saddle



Tritium Sight Bead

 
#9 · (Edited)
Remember if using a pistol grip stock with the Mossberg tang safety you may have trouble reaching the safety. The Maverick has the crossbolt safety which may be a little more accessible. Also if your forend is a field type as in the first photo you will have to notch the forend for clearance if using the 6 shot Tac-Star sidesaddle.

 
#10 ·
Tactical shotgun pointers -
Side saddle shell carrier
Collapsable or Foldable pistol grip stock (I hate shotguns with NO stock)
Ghost Ring sights or a tritium bead
Tactical Light (good idea for a 3am breakin when you cant see a damn thing and finding a light switch is at the BOTTOM of your to-do list)
Combat style fore-grip (Pistol or strap style,this is only MY personal opinion)
*Optional* sling like a 3 point tactical or the like
*Optional* If you want to feel really special about it, you can even do a mag tube extension

Load it with 00 buck or Slugs and youre good to go for the most part.

-Steve
 
#14 ·
You wanna make your shotgun look bada**? Why?

Anyway, to make it look the most bada**... get it functional - a light, good sights, a solid stock that fits your needs and a side saddle. Then take several different levels of tactical shotgun courses. Finally add in gobs of range and drill time after you know the right thing to do... then your shottie will look bada** because the guy behind it is a bada** with a shotgun...
 
#17 ·
hang it on the wall in my bedroom. i think that would look totally awesome. :D :p

i have to agree with the "smarter not cooler" idea. something to hold a few more shells. a light. I don't think a laser is bad if done right. im not a fan of the barrel shroud though. don't see much of a point. but to each his own.
 
#19 ·
IMHO any modifications to a weapon system should be first, and foremost, performance enhancements, not cosmetic doo dads.

Every individual has different needs. Shock absorbing stocks such as the Knoxx Spec Ops stocks are acceptable not for their appearance but for their ability to allow the operator to reduce felt recoil and shooter fatigue. It also allows the operator a higher degree of flexibility when engaging multiple targets.

White light is also a performance enhancement, to some degree. A shotgun is a two handed operation, and with the proper white light you can illuminate when needed and go dark when needed.

Laser. This is one addition that I do enjoy only due to the fact that my vision is poor in the shooting eye. The laser allows me to place shot on target without using my shooting eye. This is user dependent, not necessary for everybody.

In the end, keep it simple and remember that your mods should reflect actual needs, not cosmetic desires.

Just my .02
 
#20 ·
Everybody knows that cool shotguns are blue and walnut. they shoot better too.

Really though, spend the money and effort taking a class or two, then you will under stand that gadgets and doodads really look silly. You will want a slick shotgun, maybe a side saddle, and maybe a light... thats it.
 
#22 ·
I have to agree with that analysis. Which is why I just use a simple quick release sling. It can come off in an instant if need be. Same goes with the buttstock mounted shell carrier.

As mine is set up now, I have 20 rounds in the magazine and mounted to the gun. That should be enough for any fight and still the gun is slick without superfluous gadgets hanging all over the place.
 
#21 ·
Here's mine. Very simple, very basic. Side saddle and light only. I use the pistol grip because my hallways are too tight for full stock.

The light is TacStar 70 Lumens (only 70 lumens, so I don't "nightblind" myself with reflected light). The nice thing about the light is - it's a fairly focused spot and the 00 Buck pattern hits right in the center of the light spot, so no need for laser. Plus, I have a pressure switch mounted on the stock, very easy to access with my left thumb.



-
 
#23 ·
The shell holder you have will bust up your face if you should ever have to fire it from the weak side shoulder. You may come up on a piece of left-hand cover, or you may have a strong side injury. I'd ditch it for a side saddle. I'd spend a lot more on ammo than goodies.
 
#26 ·
I dunno about that, I've shot it kneeling with barrel supported off a barricade shouldered weak side without using my right hand (simulated injury) without any problems many times.

I've had the shell carrier hit me in the cheek a few times but never an injury.

I have lost a couple of shells from the buttstock shell carrier when butt stroking a simulated manikin (4X4 post with padding on top half) in CQB drills, but I don't consider that a major problem, all things considered. The shells in the side saddle held tight however.

I can also replace that shell carrier with a shell carrier that is a "pouch type" with a flap over the top. It is interchangeable between the two type with a wide velcro backing without having to remove the base which straps to the buttstock with velcro.

Still it's attached with velcro, so the whole thing can be ripped from the gun and removed in about 2 seconds if needed. Again, Eagle Industries makes well thought out and functional products.

Not for nothing, but a lot of Eagles products were copied by Blackhawk when Blackhawk was just starting out.
 
#27 ·
Get a REAL HOT broad in a bikini to pose with it!!!:danceban::danceban: Seriously, look into a shorter L.O.P. stock(12")like the Hogue Overmold I put on my 870 Tactical. Change the forend to an over molded too. You can also swap out for a shorter barrel also. I piece of rail for a SureFire should do the trick also. I'm a fan of K.I.S.S., don't hang too much stuff off it. Hope this helped!!
 
#28 ·
...Seriously, look into a shorter L.O.P. stock(12")like the Hogue Overmold
This is a must have for me! Honestly I don't know why I have put it off for so long, but I will be getting one soon. I was pricing them just last month.
 
#31 ·
I have extremely short arms and torso so hopefully the Hogue isn't going to be a problem. I just like a traditional stock on my shotguns. I think it absorbs recoil a little better than the AR-15 type collapsible stocks. Just my opinion though. Not direct experience with a Spec Ops type stock on a shottie!
 
#32 ·
The best way to make a shotgun look cool? I dunno; try breaking windows with a Parkerized barrel, which will give it some character. Glass is HARD on finishes! Carry it in a car with a bare aluminum console (the kind in police cars) to give the wooden stock some character.

Nobody will mistake my 870P for a rookie's gun. Added features are subtle: a Vang-comped barrel, a big-head safety button, also from Vang Comp, and the forearm came from GG&G, which allows a light to be mounted on a short section of rail. I recently acquired a Scattergun Technologies 870 which has a ghost ring rear sight, a tritium front sight, an extended mag tube, and a stock with a shorter length of pull than stock, and NO vertical/pistol rear grip.

I have no use for a vertical rear grip on a stock. I hate sidesaddles. I want my shotgun light and agile, and to handle like a good bird gun. I do own my duty shotguns, which also serve for HD and personal-time SD. I put up with the extended mag tube on the newer one, and actually dislike the rear ghost ring, though I am trying to give myself time to get used to it. I may try to find an inexpensive way to mounted a square-notch rear sight on the barrel, instead.

Edited to add: I do have an old-school factory Remington top-folding stock, which I can install when I need to store a shotgun in a small space, yet have it ready to deploy. The grip is vertical, of course, a necessary evil for a folding stock set-up, and the Remington product works well for me because of my long arms. Its 14"+ length of pull makes it hard on smaller folks. Such a long LOP causes a smaller person's shoulder to extend too far, which also causes the stock to shift toward the face in recoil, a recipe for pain.
 
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