Do it all shotgun (is it just a pointless thought?)

Thanis · October 27th, 2009, 01:41 AM

I'm to a point where I think I'm just chasing my tail. For some reason I keep considering that there must be a way to get a shotgun that will have a 18 to 18.5 barrel for home SD and other barrel options for say deer and turkey hunting, different chokes, and also good for shooting sports like skeet, trap, clay, etc.

The more time I waste looking at all the options, it just appears that for the $, you don't save much, and you just end up with a lot of accessories.

I doubt I'll ever deer hunt with anything other than a 30.06 rifle, .308 rifle, or a 44 mag (revolver or level action). I guess I keep thinking I may end up hunting, at some time, in a shotgun only area.

Still, it comes down to Home SD, turkey, and sports. They are just specialised enough, that I'm going to want to customise the home SD shotgun enough to mount a light, I already own a good turkey shotgun (model 12 winchester, and as long as I can used lead, I'm fine), and really I might prefer something other than a 12 guage for the sports.

Am I missing something or am I starting to think in the right direction. Get the right tool for the job, forget the multi tool.

C9H13NO3 · October 27th, 2009, 01:46 AM

This has been my dilemma also. I want a good home defense shotty, so I'm thinking 18 inch barrel. I know I want the remington 870. But then again, I want to do some bird hunting too, and for that, I want a longer barrel. Do I get the HD or hunting gun? Do I just get multiple barrels and swap them out?

SIXTO · October 27th, 2009, 01:57 AM

Like anything else, if you ask a piece of equipment to take on multiple rolls, it may be able to do all, but it wont do them all well. There is a lot of compromise in a do it all shotgun... and I don't like to compromise in guns.

BUT, if I had to, I'd buy a wingmaster with a 26" and add a 18.5" barrel.

buckeyeLCPL · October 27th, 2009, 02:43 AM

In my mind, if you get a pump shotgun that can chamber 3.5" shells, with an 18.5 inch barrel, and a 26 inch barrel, you will have most of it covered. You can use a cylinder bore 18.5 inch for HD, along with slugs out to 50m or so for deer. With the longer barrel and 3.5" shells, you are good for turkey, and with 2 3/4" shells, good for sporting and whatnot.

I think that would be your best bet. But I like owning lots of guns, so I'd just buy multiple weapons in order to fill all the roles.

goldshellback · October 27th, 2009, 09:59 AM

A Remmington 870 or 11-87 would be a great choice for an "all-around" scattergun. Good firearms with plenty of barrels/chokes and configurations availiable. My old 1100 served as my all around shotty for many, many moons. I have four diffrent barrels for it and it's taken upland birds, ducks, rabbits, squirrels, turkey, hogs, and deer. A tight budget sometimes calls for a multipurpose tool to get 'several' jobs done, but like SIXTO posted, compromises are made.

Janq · October 27th, 2009, 12:37 PM

Agreed with others as related to buy a full gun and secure a second purpose specific barrel.

But I would not go Remington toward such an option.
Why? Check the prices on a Remington barrel. They cost half as much as a whole new 870 Express as from Dicks.
To spend $150 to $180 on a barrel you might as well just buy for nearly the same price a used Wingmaster or Super Magnum or 870 Express as a _second_ gun for a given specific purpose and then call it a day done, with higher investment value at that.
In my area at gun shops a used Wingmaster with a 24" barrel can be had in the low 300s and high 200s. I was looking at two on a rack as in good condition this past Sunday.

If you're going to go the barrel swap route then Remington is not a good option, unless you happen to know of someone selling used barrels for cheap...to which I then would wonder why are they doing so when Remy barrels even as used are valued and sell for coin.

A better option to that end is Mossberg.
They sell from the factory brand new replacement barrels for as little as $65 including shipping! Finding them are just as easy as Remington and the cost will not at all break ones bank or be difficult to justify.

All then that is left is to decide on; Action type (pump, auto, or muzzleloaded which is a Mossy 500 factory option), barrel length, barrel type (smooth or rifled), sight type if any (rib, bead, rifle, scope mount as for deer), finish (blued, camo, stainless) and receiver model type.

- Janq

SIXTO · October 27th, 2009, 12:51 PM

Or you can buy a Mossberg barrel for your Remington... Sorry Jang, just bustin your chops a little.

Janq · October 27th, 2009, 12:58 PM

^^

On a serious note though...To offset price if one really must have a Remington is to buy a receiver as used and build up a gun around that customized to a need.
Or buy a brand new 870 Remington clone such as from H&R 'Pardner Pump' or Norinco (Chinese mfr. but is said to be good quality), both of which can be had on the cheap.
Then add in the cost of a second barrel and at that you'll be just several dollars higher than that of a new single 870 Wingmaster or Police with just one barrel.

Aside from these options there is pretty much no other choice as other mfrs. sell their barrels at Remington prices and higher (i.e. Benelli).

- Janq

dhshark · October 27th, 2009, 02:14 PM

I vote for specialization. I'd buy the hunting gun first, since in my neck of the woods deer season is around the corner, and save up for a SD shotgun ASAP (that is IF you are going to hunt this season).

While building the funds to buy the SD shotgun I'd use the hunting gun as the SD gun temporally. Summit gun broker has 870 riots for $229 . They had 870P for $265 and may have some in stock.

Shark

adaman04 · October 27th, 2009, 06:23 PM

For me, the barrel swapping isn’t the problem, it’s the everything else. I would want to run a sidesaddle on the receiver, an extended magazine, light and mount, etc. Taking all that off very regularly so you can hunt with it is a pain IMO. A jack of all trades is a master of none as they say. If you’re just going to swap barrels, it won’t be a problem, but everything else is something to consider.

October 27th, 2009, 01:41 AM	#1
Thanis Distinguished Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: MI Posts: 1,704	Do it all shotgun (is it just a pointless thought?) I'm to a point where I think I'm just chasing my tail. For some reason I keep considering that there must be a way to get a shotgun that will have a 18 to 18.5 barrel for home SD and other barrel options for say deer and turkey hunting, different chokes, and also good for shooting sports like skeet, trap, clay, etc. The more time I waste looking at all the options, it just appears that for the $, you don't save much, and you just end up with a lot of accessories. I doubt I'll ever deer hunt with anything other than a 30.06 rifle, .308 rifle, or a 44 mag (revolver or level action). I guess I keep thinking I may end up hunting, at some time, in a shotgun only area. Still, it comes down to Home SD, turkey, and sports. They are just specialised enough, that I'm going to want to customise the home SD shotgun enough to mount a light, I already own a good turkey shotgun (model 12 winchester, and as long as I can used lead, I'm fine), and really I might prefer something other than a 12 guage for the sports. Am I missing something or am I starting to think in the right direction. Get the right tool for the job, forget the multi tool. __________________ NRA Member S&W 642 (no-lock) with .38 Spl +P 135 GR Gold GDHP Glock G31 & G33 with .357 Sig 125 GR. SXT Winchester Ranger

October 27th, 2009, 01:46 AM	#2
C9H13NO3 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 1,188	This has been my dilemma also. I want a good home defense shotty, so I'm thinking 18 inch barrel. I know I want the remington 870. But then again, I want to do some bird hunting too, and for that, I want a longer barrel. Do I get the HD or hunting gun? Do I just get multiple barrels and swap them out? __________________ -Ryan All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

October 27th, 2009, 01:57 AM	#3
SIXTO VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 12,240	Like anything else, if you ask a piece of equipment to take on multiple rolls, it may be able to do all, but it wont do them all well. There is a lot of compromise in a do it all shotgun... and I don't like to compromise in guns. BUT, if I had to, I'd buy a wingmaster with a 26" and add a 18.5" barrel. __________________ _________________ \|^^^^^^^^^^^^^\| \|___ \| SIXTO EXPRESS---\| \|\|'\|";,__. \|_..._...___________\| \|\|_\|_\|...,] "(@)'(@)""""\|(@)(@)*****(@)

October 27th, 2009, 02:43 AM	#4
buckeyeLCPL VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Somestanplace Posts: 2,986	In my mind, if you get a pump shotgun that can chamber 3.5" shells, with an 18.5 inch barrel, and a 26 inch barrel, you will have most of it covered. You can use a cylinder bore 18.5 inch for HD, along with slugs out to 50m or so for deer. With the longer barrel and 3.5" shells, you are good for turkey, and with 2 3/4" shells, good for sporting and whatnot. I think that would be your best bet. But I like owning lots of guns, so I'd just buy multiple weapons in order to fill all the roles. __________________ Fortes Fortuna Juvat We're mules lad. Mules that kill. TJR

October 27th, 2009, 09:59 AM	#5
goldshellback VIP Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: St. Mayberry, GA Posts: 2,493	A Remmington 870 or 11-87 would be a great choice for an "all-around" scattergun. Good firearms with plenty of barrels/chokes and configurations availiable. My old 1100 served as my all around shotty for many, many moons. I have four diffrent barrels for it and it's taken upland birds, ducks, rabbits, squirrels, turkey, hogs, and deer. A tight budget sometimes calls for a multipurpose tool to get 'several' jobs done, but like SIXTO posted, compromises are made. __________________ "Just getting a concealed carry permit means you haven't commited a crime yet........CCP holders commit crimes." Daniel Vice, senior attorney for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, as quoted on Fox & Friends, July 7th, 2008

October 27th, 2009, 12:37 PM	#6
Janq VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 4,519	Agreed with others as related to buy a full gun and secure a second purpose specific barrel. But I would not go Remington toward such an option. Why? Check the prices on a Remington barrel. They cost half as much as a whole new 870 Express as from Dicks. To spend $150 to $180 on a barrel you might as well just buy for nearly the same price a used Wingmaster or Super Magnum or 870 Express as a _second_ gun for a given specific purpose and then call it a day done, with higher investment value at that. In my area at gun shops a used Wingmaster with a 24" barrel can be had in the low 300s and high 200s. I was looking at two on a rack as in good condition this past Sunday. If you're going to go the barrel swap route then Remington is not a good option, unless you happen to know of someone selling used barrels for cheap...to which I then would wonder why are they doing so when Remy barrels even as used are valued and sell for coin. A better option to that end is Mossberg. They sell from the factory brand new replacement barrels for as little as $65 including shipping! Finding them are just as easy as Remington and the cost will not at all break ones bank or be difficult to justify. All then that is left is to decide on; Action type (pump, auto, or muzzleloaded which is a Mossy 500 factory option), barrel length, barrel type (smooth or rifled), sight type if any (rib, bead, rifle, scope mount as for deer), finish (blued, camo, stainless) and receiver model type. - Janq __________________ "Killers who are not deterred by laws against murder are not going to be deterred by laws against guns. " - Robert A. Levy Monday, March 12, 2007 -- Op Ed -- The Washington Post

October 27th, 2009, 12:51 PM	#7
SIXTO VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 12,240	Or you can buy a Mossberg barrel for your Remington... Sorry Jang, just bustin your chops a little. __________________ _________________ \|^^^^^^^^^^^^^\| \|___ \| SIXTO EXPRESS---\| \|\|'\|";,__. \|_..._...___________\| \|\|_\|_\|...,] "(@)'(@)""""\|(@)(@)*****(@)

October 27th, 2009, 12:58 PM	#8
Janq VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 4,519	^^ On a serious note though...To offset price if one really must have a Remington is to buy a receiver as used and build up a gun around that customized to a need. Or buy a brand new 870 Remington clone such as from H&R 'Pardner Pump' or Norinco (Chinese mfr. but is said to be good quality), both of which can be had on the cheap. Then add in the cost of a second barrel and at that you'll be just several dollars higher than that of a new single 870 Wingmaster or Police with just one barrel. Aside from these options there is pretty much no other choice as other mfrs. sell their barrels at Remington prices and higher (i.e. Benelli). - Janq __________________ "Killers who are not deterred by laws against murder are not going to be deterred by laws against guns. " - Robert A. Levy Monday, March 12, 2007 -- Op Ed -- The Washington Post Last edited by Janq; October 27th, 2009 at 02:22 PM..

October 27th, 2009, 02:14 PM	#9
dhshark Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Midwest Posts: 59	I vote for specialization. I'd buy the hunting gun first, since in my neck of the woods deer season is around the corner, and save up for a SD shotgun ASAP (that is IF you are going to hunt this season). While building the funds to buy the SD shotgun I'd use the hunting gun as the SD gun temporally. Summit gun broker has 870 riots for $229 . They had 870P for $265 and may have some in stock. Shark

October 27th, 2009, 06:23 PM	#10
adaman04 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Show Me State Posts: 570	For me, the barrel swapping isn’t the problem, it’s the everything else. I would want to run a sidesaddle on the receiver, an extended magazine, light and mount, etc. Taking all that off very regularly so you can hunt with it is a pain IMO. A jack of all trades is a master of none as they say. If you’re just going to swap barrels, it won’t be a problem, but everything else is something to consider.

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