Buying my first gun

[SouthernGent]

Hey Y'all,
Well I'm 24 years old, I've moved out, gotten married, and made it through undergrad, all without owning my own gun.

But now I'm the man of the house, and I need to be able to defend my wife and myself. (And what little stuff we have :)

I've been looking to buy a shotgun for HD as well as for shooting skeet and plinking around with the boys on the weekend.

I'm leaning towards the Remington 870, as all my research shows it to be a superior weapon with a high level of reliability and effectiveness.

But I am a bit confused on the difference between the P, E, WM, and other various and sundry versions they have.

Is there one that is optimal? I'm afraid I don't know near as much about guns as I'd like. But I am willing to learn here.

Any opinions, advice or hints? I'm trying to pay my way through graduate school right now, so money is a bit tight for us, so the best value/$ deal would be swell.

(I'm sure you get ten or fifteen of these threads a week, and I read through some here already, but I felt I needed to ask anyway.)

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Rayman]

870 models difference

Welcome to the forum.

Battle tested for decades, endless aftermarket support, you're g2g with the 870. I recently did transformed an old Wingmaster, you should take a look at.

[varob]

Welcome from Virginia.

The 870, 1100 and the 11-87 are all fine shotguns.

[C hawk Glock]

Hey Y'all,
Well I'm 24 years old, I've moved out, gotten married, and made it through undergrad, all without owning my own gun.

But now I'm the man of the house, and I need to be able to defend my wife and myself. (And what little stuff we have :)

I've been looking to buy a shotgun for HD as well as for shooting skeet and plinking around with the boys on the weekend.

I'm leaning towards the Remington 870, as all my research shows it to be a superior weapon with a high level of reliability and effectiveness.

But I am a bit confused on the difference between the P, E, WM, and other various and sundry versions they have.

Is there one that is optimal? I'm afraid I don't know near as much about guns as I'd like. But I am willing to learn here.

Any opinions, advice or hints? I'm trying to pay my way through graduate school right now, so money is a bit tight for us, so the best value/$ deal would be swell.

(I'm sure you get ten or fifteen of these threads a week, and I read through some here already, but I felt I needed to ask anyway.)

Hi,

Do yourself a favor and look at a Mossberg 500 or 590. Thousands of US soldiers can't be wrong. It's the only shotgun that passed Mil-Spec 3443E. For around the same price as the Remmy you can get Mil-Spec.

By the way, you can't go wrong with an 870, I am just bringing up another option as you mentioned you are new to all of this.

[Plop]

Greetings from UT, and Welcome to the Forum!

You can't go wrong with an 870. There are a lot of different variations of the 870, but any of them will work. Find one that falls in your budget and get it, you won't be disappointed.

-Plop

[Pikachu711]

Welcome from Las Vegas, Nevada!

[SIXTO]

The express models are the best 'deals'. However, they are not the best 870's. I'm not saying they are no good, but the P and WM are a little more refined as pointed out in the link Rayman provided. There are a few little things you can do to make an express a little better, but that is a subject for another thread.
I guess what I'm saying is, the express is a fine choice. The P and WM are better, but cost double. For the purposes you listed, any of the models will do just fine. Only you can tell us if the added expense of the P or WM is worth it to you. ( it is to me)

[SouthernGent]

The express models are the best 'deals'. However, they are not the best 870's. I'm not saying they are no good, but the P and WM are a little more refined as pointed out in the link Rayman provided. There are a few little things you can do to make an express a little better, but that is a subject for another thread.
I guess what I'm saying is, the express is a fine choice. The P and WM are better, but cost double. For the purposes you listed, any of the models will do just fine. Only you can tell us if the added expense of the P or WM is worth it to you. ( it is to me)

Well I have a friend who runs a pawn shop, so he said he'd keep an eye out for me. Hopefully I can get the P. Is there a difference in durability/functionality between the Oak or synthetic stocks?

Thanks y'all for the warm welcome and all the helpful info.

[MinistrMalic]

The 870 is a great HD shotgun. If your friend owns a pawn shop, stay patient until he finds a nice one for you at a great price and enjoy! Just make sure to take it down and clean it really well, then test it thoroughly. Then clean it again. :)

[SIXTO]

Well I have a friend who runs a pawn shop, so he said he'd keep an eye out for me. Hopefully I can get the P. Is there a difference in durability/functionality between the Oak or synthetic stocks?

Thanks y'all for the warm welcome and all the helpful info.

No, there really isnt much of a difference. It basically boils down to asthetics and personal preference. I think the walnut stocks balance a bit better, plus I prefer the classic blue/walnut looks. The express guns had a laminate stock, that is made to look like nice walnut. I dont mind them so much; I actually like them.

[gunthorp]

The 870 12 ga platform is also my favorite. My bbls: 28"vr with a selection of choke tubes, 20" rifled slug with a red dot on the cantilever, and 18" cyl "home defense" (or grouse attack barrel.) I added the sling swivel magazine cap, otherwise I prefer it stock.

[Kenny256]

For my HD shotgun, I have the 870 with the 18 1/2 inch barrel.

It is a sweet shooter, and I will have it forever.
I also added the Knox stock on it.... Which I love.

[cagueits]

From grad student to grad student, I assume you already legally posses a handgun + concealed weapons license for self defense + basic self defense training, before jumping into a shotgun/long-gun, right? If not, consider getting them before the long-gun. Make good use of your $$$ for right now. Master what you can carry all day long in most instances, then jump into the shotgun. I was once in your shoes and started out with a shotgun, to quickly get rid of it and get the $$$ for a handgun for daily carry.