With your budget, the Benelli Nova. It's a lifetime keeper as well.

JMHO

AC

 

My 2 cents is to go and handle them a bit, shoulder, rack slide or whatever the gun shops will allow. I think that will at least get you pointed in the right direction.
For me, I prefer mossberg pump shotguns, and I would take a 20 inch barrel over an 18.5.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

Keep a Winchester 1200 pump, a retired deer drive gun, refitted with riot barrel and extended mag, at the bed post, trust this old friend. One like it here for $300.00. Looks new.

https://www.gunbroker.com/Item/819394628

 

There is only 3 I would consider for tactical use and I have actually used 2 of the 3:

1) Daewoo Universal Sporting Arms USAS-12 with the 25 rds drum---Unfortunately it was banned by Delusional Dems but is grandfathered.

2) Keltec KSG---Very well balanced and hold 16+ rds with selectable magazine switch (Can carry 2 types of 12ga rds)

3) Tavor TS-12 shotgun

I'm not knocking the conventional 12ga pump such as the Rem 870 and Win 1200\1300 with 18in barrel and I also own those too but the 3 mentioned will out shoot any traditional pump hands down.

 

Had a Daewoo, it was a tank. Had the drum and the mag. Mine was semi auto. The boss bought the full auto. The semi is an NFA gun now due to Bill Clinton. It was a good investment for me. Too much to lug around in a tactical, crawling, climbing environment. The full auto version was purposed for base perimeter defense - something I feel is a perfect place for it.

The full auto was a hoot to shoot though.

AC

 

The Daewoo did get heavy with that 25 rd drum. It was the only shotgun that I have witnessed turn a small tree bald. Mine was picky on ammo---I could not get it to work reliably with Winchester 12ga---worked fine with Federal for some reason. I tell you one thing though----if you have that a whole big gang of MS 13 would be no match (If they was smart).

 

About sights on tactical shotguns. They are needed for slugs, they are useful for deliberate aimed buckshot. My deer drive shotguns are set up as tactical shotguns, except they run Buck Kicks full choke screw in chokes. Lets just say they have taken a lot of deer, usually inside 25 yards, running or walking fast, and rarely actually aim in using the sights, more like instinct/point shooting as when shooting birds/rabbits. There are times, when they hang up, fifty yards out that the rifle sights really make a difference, as the sights are zeroed for buckshot that range. If the bore is cylinder, and slugs are not on the program, do not think sights are needed. On the other hand if slugs are important, and if for some reason running a lot of choke with buckshot, rifle sights are a plus. Weird as it sounds, before deer season, shoot some clays with my drive guns to get the timing down.

Clearly, I equate close range deer hunting performance with a shotgun as somewhat similar to some tactical situations, although the mental aspects would be completely different, and deer don't shot back.

 

I would stick to the Remington 870 or the Mossberg 500 with the 500 getting my vote. If in your budget the model 590 is the way to go but there is nothing wrong with the 500.

 

+1 on the Mossberg 500 or the 870. but prefer the 500 myself.. you just cant kill those suckers... they just run and run and run...

 

Get yourself an older 870, a wingmaster if possible, they are tanks and operate super slick. Then get an 18.5" bbl for it and a +2 mag tube extension kit for a 6 +1 capacity. Add to that a saddle mounted picatinny rail and a decent red dot sight. No tactical shotty is complete without a blinding strobing flashlight, so you better get a mag tube barrel clamp with a flashlight mount. If you want to guild the tactical lilly, throw a sling on it too.

I'd steer clear of the Mossberg Maverick. It's made in china and prone to problems. Same goes for the Stevens 320. Mossberg 500s are not as easy to customize as an 870, otherwise I'd recommend the 500. The main advantage of a 20" over an 18" bbl is you get one more in the mag. The 18" is easier to maneuver than the 20".

 

From a tactical standpoint inside a house a longer style pump can be pulled out of the hands of the user if he does not employ sound techniques. Also, in a high stress situation short stroking a pump may be bad for your health. I prefer the shorter bullpup style shotguns for this confined space use. This is especially true for women. Keep this in mind when making your selection. You have to think that it will be a life or death situation and you need to consider how tight your operational environment is.

 

Are any of the Kel-Tec's even accepted by law enforcement agencies? I have several Kel-Tecs and have had ZERO malfunctions. Their shotgun bullpups are technical marvels only surpassed by their RFB 7.62 NATO (with it's trigger system and ejection.)

AC

 

If you are on the wrong end of the shotgun they all look tactical, any you had listed will work,I use a Browning BPS 20 ga, I use the IC choke, if they don't hear the safety go off to bad!!!:bandit::bandit::flag::beer:

 

Saiga 12

 

For home use/self defense with your options it is very hard to beat a Remington 870 or Mossberg 500. There are just as much after market things you can tune either with. The Mossberg has the advantage if you are left handed or somebody that is left handed who could also use it with the tang safety. I'm a huge Benelli fan but the Nova would put you at a disadvantage to me with the 3.5" chamber; further action you have to use and more chances you could short stroke it in a life or death decision.

For sights I'm a huge advocate of ghost ring sights. While my work gun is only the front bead and it works fine, the ghost ring is just as fast to pick up and helps insure you don't throw your pattern way off target (in theory at the distances you'll most likely be using it). The single bead design has been around for decades and hundreds of thousands are used all the time. The bead would work for the time being but when you can save up extra, it would be worth adding to the shotgun you get.

The 18.5" barrel is slightly easier to use in close proximities whether that's within the confines of your home or getting in and out of vehicles. The slight velocity gain you get from the extra barrel length is not enough to justify when using it for CQB methods and buckshot or slugs will be just as lethal on the target if you do need it.

I would go handle all of the different brands you are looking at and see how they feel to you. How do they pull up? Are they comfortable? Does the sights/single bead line up for you?

Best of luck!

 

Any of those would be fine. I can live with a bead sight, but check where it hits. I prefer ghost ring but standard rifle sights are OK. The Mossberg ghost rings are good, so good that I had a set put on my 870 years ago.

Currently, I have an 18" 870 with extended magazine. Has bead sights until I can get a set of ghost rings installed or find an 870 18" barrel with factory rifle sights at a reasonable price.

A standard OO buck load will open up 1" per yard. The low recoil OO buck loads will open up half that, 11 to 12 inch patterns at 25 yards. I use the low recoil OO buck for the house. I have tested many OO buck loads to get these results. Havent tried the Flight Control OO loads from Federal, but they reportedly stay tight to 6" patterns at 50 yards.

 

............. Havent tried the Flight Control OO loads from Federal, but they reportedly stay tight to 6" patterns at 50 yards.

I use Federal Premium LE Tactical, 8 pellet 00, buffered, reduced recoil with flight control wad exclusively in my Mossberg shockwave now. At 20 yards, I get a fist sized group. It's ability to shoot four inch patterns out of a 14" cyl bore barrel is actually a little astonishing. No other 00 load comes close, every other ammo I tried had a 12" or wider spread at 20yds.

 

My 2cents,I have a Mossberg 500 scorpion ATI and an old Ithaca pump, I will take the old Ithaca all day and twice on Sundays! Something unnatural about a pistol grip on a shotgun. It's all what your used to,sons like it tho. The Mossberg does sit by the bed,it has the fancy light on it!

 

I used an old Winchester 1200 in Iraq until the extractor broke early one morning breaching a door. For a down an dirty fighting shottie I prefer a pump Mossberg 500 (replaced the old Winchester) or a Remington 870. I keep it so simple (I have a remington in the bedroom and by the front door and a Mossberg downstairs). I used 00 buck in Iraq and my oh my! That is a fight stopper, I don't use that in my shotguns I went to #4 buckshot. Across the room it matters not (bird vs buck is a whole different argument- I'm not shooting birds and I have experienced stopping people with buck). The secret to avoid short stroking or aiming instead of pointing, flagging your barrel or other bad habits is practice, practice practice.

Not to insult anyone either as a lot of you have been shooting longer than I have been alive. Don't be too proud to seek a little professional help (now I sound like my wife). A few good drills can train away bad habits and make you pretty dangerous to any turd coming into your house. My favorite drill I teach new defensive shooters (friends and family, I am not a professional just an Infantry grunt that walked the walk) is to take a box about the size of a man. Cut a hole on top (small hole), run a string through an tie it to a balloon then suspend it from a tree branch or a homemade frame. This drill is critical because it breaks the bad habit of shooting a bad guy a known number of shots. You shoot them once, maybe a controlled pair. This drill teaches you to shoot until the box drops......In real life when muscle memory takes over, you guessed it. You shoot until the box drops. It might be one shot or four. Whatever you choose (I like simple bead sights, normal 5-7 round pump 870/500 type) buy some ammo and shoot shoot shoot.

 

Got the newer Benelli Supernova and it's a great piece of kit

 

I have a Remington 870 youth under the bed. It is a ready made tactical shotgun, short stock, short barrel, and perfect for close quarters. It is loaded with alternate rounds of target loads and 00 buck.

 

Im a big Mossberg fan. I have a 930 SPX that cycles everything I've ever tried. I also just got a 930 with an 18" barrel and a 28" choked barrel for $390 total off GunBroker. there are some good deals on there for used 930s. Can't recommend them enough.

 

If you can find one the Remington 870 police magnum, it is stamped on the side. These guns are 870's but the guts are way better there made for police and military use.

 

the 870 Police is basically a Wingmaster configured for police work. It may not look like it on the outside, but on the inside, it's all Wingmaster.

 

The only one I would trust is the 870 and I'm not crazy about them. If I had my druthers it would be a Ithaca 37 police-8 shot. They are the most accurate with slugs and lighter than most with the slickness of a milled gun. I'm not a buck shot expert but I have shot a lot of slugs in hunting, slug shoots and developement of slug guns. At HD ranges sights aren't needed for slugs or buck.

 

I would normally say go for the Remington 870 due to its wide popularity and aftermarket support, however that Tactical version you specifically mentioned is I believe the one with the barrel that is unique to that model and is NOT interchangable with the standard 870s, nor can a standard barrel be used due to the longer magazine tube that is paired with that specific barrel. There are lots of 870 police turn-ins being sold for $250-400, depending on condition and features. The low end is hardwood stacks, the upper is often with factory mag extensions (not extended mag tube) and rifle sights. Any 870 bbl made will fit within the same guage on those. Many police department guns are not necessarily the 870 Police or 870P, but may be regular 870s (when you buy 100 guns, the cost difference is noticable. The police guns have milled extractors while the regular sporting guns in recent years have moved to use MiM extractors.

The turn-ins often look worn but if you open the action, you generally see that was from riding in a cruiser all day not shooting 1000s of rounds. I have seen some where the action bars are not even showing cycling wear. Parts or very easy to find, ditto with Mossberg 500s and 590s. Both have a large aftermarket with a track record so you can tell which add-ons are not worth the time or $$.

Disclaimer: I have an 870 Police with 20" bbl. with tritium rifle sights like the Model 870 deer barrels or a Model 700 rifle, and a spare 18" bead sight barrel. I find the rifle sights point better for me, but no difference between 18" and 20". I also have 2 Mossberg 590A1s, the 20" full mag (9 shot) version and the 18" 6 shot. When loaded the 6 shot is far more flexible and pointable. Both have tritium beads. I do not like ghost rings as they obscure too much of the target and your peripheral vision.

 

The best part about a fightin shottie is that it don't have to look pretty. It's not a fashion show. It's a tool and it just needs to run. Used police shotguns is a GREAT idea. I would rather buy 2 of them for close to the same price as one more expensive shotgun. This way you can put one upstairs and one downstairs, or one in the bedroom and one in the camper....etc.

 

I have worked on hundreds of 870s, the bulk being 12g. Other than some barrel limitations I know of no special heavy duty parts in police models. What are they?

 

Differences in Police Magnum shotguns vs 870 express, and you can find police trade ins for less than $250.
https://www.rem870.com/2011/06/21/d.../2011/06/21/differences-between-remington-870-express-and-remington-870-police/

 

As a former LEO and Police Academy instructor, I would suggest finding a Hunter Safety course and familiarizing yourself with a weapon first. Then you should look around for someone who offers shooting classes and take one with whatever shotgun you end up with.
TriStar Raptors or something similar are available at most Dicks/Field and Stream stores that sell guns. Price isn't the problem, complexity is.

I would go with the Remingtons myself but for department preference I've stuck with Mossbergs. I would also shop around; a 20 inch 7+1 just changed hands locally for 225.