Budget/"Beater" Shotguns

[DD_USMC]

I'd go with a Remington 870 Police Magnum police trade-in. If you look into that, read product descriptions carefully. Not every 870 police trade-in is an 870 Police Magnum, but the product descriptions may be very similar.

This is the preference of many active and retired LEO, me included. Replace a few parts for routine maintenance, add a few upgrades, test fire it for reliability/function check, and add it to the war chest!

[Todd.K]

Unless you are dedicated to shotgun training and wish to become proficient in multiple platforms, ignore all the advice you are getting. Find another Mossberg, a cheaper 500 will have the same controls in the same place as your 590.

[William B.]

Unless you are dedicated to shotgun training and wish to become proficient in multiple platforms, ignore all the advice you are getting. Find another Mossberg, a cheaper 500 will have the same controls in the same place as your 590.

I must have skimmed over that portion of the OP. OP, if you already own a 590-A1 as your go-to, then Todd.K is probably giving the best advice.

[JDH1]

While commonality may be comforting, Variety is the spice of life.

Having said that, depending on the skill level of the shooter, and having worked for a department that allowed officers to purchase their own shotguns from an approved list, it is my belief that it is better to be familiar with the operation of the more commonly found defensive shotguns.

[26 Inf]

While commonality may be comforting, Variety is the spice of life.

Having said that, depending on the skill level of the shooter, and having worked for a department that allowed officers to purchase their own shotguns from an approved list, it is my belief that it is better to be familiar with the operation of the more commonly found defensive shotguns.

I've posted this story before: I worked for any agency that issued Winchester 1200's and Remington 870's. We also trained with both shotguns, although probably only once or twice a year. Okay, to the story.

One night our shift LT inserted himself a chase and decided he was going to do the rolling roadblock thing. End result was he got nerfed into a Sonic Drive-In, taking out about 1/4 of the canopy, speakers, and menu board. Truly epic. The miscreant, who was driving a pickup truck continued down a residential street with one of my co-workers in pursuit. The pickup was damaged, and came to a stop several blocks later. My co-worker rolled out of the unit with the unit's shotgun, as the miscreant, jumped out og the truck and reached for the rifle which was in the truck. Seeing my co-worker with the shotgun, he thought better of that course of action and was arrested.

My co-worker later told me he had tried really hard to shoot the guy as he was reaching for and had the rifle, but couldn't get the round chambered (Rem action bar lock front of trigger guard, cross bolt safety at rear; Win action bar lock rear of trigger guard, cross bolt safety at front).

Yes, if you want to spend a lot of time training with and shooting shotguns it may not make a difference. I've probably got more time behind Remingtons and Mossbergs than most on this forum. I'm a lefty, and, of course, the Remington's aren't particularly lefty friendly. Yet, all my HD shotguns are Remingtons, simply because that is what I've trained with the most.

Under survival stress, I know, through force-on-force, my default is to the Remington controls. I also know that it just takes me a split-second to recognize 'ain't a Remington' and get with the program. My thought is that my 35 years as a shotgun instructor makes that split-second a little shorter for me then the average bear. But, I'm not going to chance it - I go with the Remington for serious use.

GibsonBanjos, based on what I've just posted, my suggestion would be to get a Mossberg, preferable a 590 - it will be a little lighter than the 590A1 as it has a lighter barrel, a polymer trigger plate and a polymer safety. Don't be scared of the Mossie polymer trigger plates, we had some very high mileage 500's in our training fleet, and polmer trigger plates never gave us any problems. Replace the polymer safety tab with a metal one.

Personally, I wouldn't have a Mossberg 500 up my fourth point of contact if I had room for a sawmill. Hate 'em. The magazine tube has to be removed to clean it, and my experience with them as training shotguns was that we always had troubles keeping them running, even the stainless steel 500's. (I'm a Mossberg armorer, plus a whole bunch of other mfgrs, so I - and my fellow firearms instructors - knew what we were doing.

Long story short - I wouldn't want a 500 as a truck/ATV gun because it is going to get grubby, and you will need to remove the mag tube, and it's a PITA. Then, more than likely, when you replace it, it will work loose under any kind of firing schedule, and you'll start getting light primer strikers, and other fun stuff. If you just plan on shooting 25 to 100 a year through it, though, chances are you won't have problems.

JMO, good luck.

[praythenspray]

26 Inf, so the MAIN problem of the Mossberg 500 series rest on the mag tube design?

No problems with the 590 or 590A1 because they use the different mag tube? I mean outside of changing the polymer safety switch if it has one.

[GibsonBanjos]

That is definitely a great training story, and I absolutely see the necessity to be familiar with what ever shotgun I go with. I plan on running by a few gun shops this weekend in hopes to find an 870 or 500/590 trade in of some sort. If there aren't any, I believe I have decided that I will just buy a new 590, or maybe an 870 express tactical if I can't find any good deals on a 590. Thanks again.

[JDH1]

This situation in 26 INF's post is one of the reasons the "Cruiser Ready", loaded magazine hammer down on an empty chamber with the safety off, standard came to be. Almost all slide action police issue shotguns in this condition can be fired with two actions on the part of the shooter, 1, rack the slide 2, pull the trigger. No remembering where the slide lock of safety are located just rack and shoot.

[Ron3]

Skip the Chinese shotguns.

I had two 870 copies (Hawk). I think I paid about $180 each. One the rear aperture sight mount screws stripped because they were so soft. I mean they stripped and broke while firing. I wasnt going to bother drilling them out, etc. I just sold the gun for $150 instead.

The other ran great for about 750 rds. Then the action became stiff, then stopped moving. Turns out the slide rail (a milled part of the steel receiver) was shredded apart and the bolt could no longer ride on it. Not fixable.

I gave some parts away to a buddy who wanted them, took a hammer to the receiver and threw the junk In the garbage where it belonged.

I 2nd the 590 or 590A1 idea.

If you have a non-gun enthusiast person who wants to use a shotgun buy a short double-barrel and cut the stock short if they aren't really tall.

[26 Inf]

26 Inf, so the MAIN problem of the Mossberg 500 series rest on the mag tube design?

No problems with the 590 or 590A1 because they use the different mag tube? I mean outside of changing the polymer safety switch if it has one.

In my opinion, yes.