Considering buying a shotgun?


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CCWlady

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I am a petite woman and I use a 9mm for defense, but I am thinking of purchasing a shotgun for the house. My husband has a 12 ga that is way to long of a barrel for me, I feel like a pole vaulter holding it :) I do not want to spend more than $500 and I want something fairly light weight. What gauge and make would you recommend?
 

You can still go 12ga., there's low recoil rounds. I recommend you go to a big gun store and see what's right for you. Since it's only for home, look at used....
 
Maverick 88 12 gauge home defender has a short barrel and sells for around $225.00
I have & no complaints.
It is a pump shotgun. Google it.
 
Mossberg in addition to the Maverick line, has a number of shotguns made specifically for youths or shooters of a smaller stature. Perhaps one of them may feel more comfortable for you. You can check them out at Mossberg.com. As for gauge, if you feel comfortable with a 12, stick with it. If you feel it's too much you can always drop down to a 20 gauge or even a .410. Both will get the job done in a home defense situation.
 
MOSS.jpg
 
If it's just for home defense lsmurphy's suggestion is a good one. The length is great for close quarters .
IF you feel comfortable shooting it.

I saw a lady get the wind knocked out of her shooting one of those. She was bracing it beside her stomach when she fired it (which is a natural thing to do).

If you prefer a stock to the pistol grip you might try a Mossberg 500 Super Bantam. It has a fairly short barrel and length of pull and might be a good choice for in the house.
 
Look at the Hawk 982. Its a 12 guage copy of the remington 870. Its a tatical style gun with a short barrel and a ghost ring sight on the back. sells for about 180. Put a pistol grip on it for 30$ and a good light and your set. Will be well under your 500$ limit. I have one and love it and my wife can shoot it as well and she is tiny. Look at some low recoil rounds or invest in a recoil reducing stock(100$) or a combo of the two. Link Removed
 
Taurus Judge. Five shot revolver with three inch cylinder and three inch barrel. Shoots .45 long colt and 410 guage shotgun shells. Hand-cannon. Perfect for home defense.
First shot #4 birdshot 410 guage shell. Point to shoot towards throat area, within 10-15 feet will cover entire upper torso, and his buddies, if accompanied, yet will not penetrate walls and hurt your kids.
Second and third shots 410 guage home defense shell. Take aim. Three discs and 12 plated .177 cal BBs. Maximum penetration knockdown power.
Fourth and fifth shots long colt .45. For removing heads, in case you're still somehow feeling threatened.
Can't beat it.
 
CCWlady said:
I am a petite woman and I use a 9mm for defense, but I am thinking of purchasing a shotgun for the house. My husband has a 12 ga that is way to long of a barrel for me, I feel like a pole vaulter holding it :) I do not want to spend more than $500 and I want something fairly light weight. What gauge and make would you recommend?
Click to expand...

Nothing beats a 12 gauge for home defense imho.
Shop around for an affordable 12 gauge pump action defense shotgun.
Something like this Mossberg would be a good choice.

Link Removed
 
Id agree with the poster that said a 20g youth would be appropriate. Whatever you choose to do, make sure you get a 18 or 18.5" barrel! :)
 
I believe Mossberg makes a 20 guage 500 home defense model. Also, Saiga makes a 20 guage and 410 guage ak style shotguns. I can see that advantage of the detachable magazine. I have never fired one but maybe someone here knows a little bit about them. I've only heard that they are of pretty good quality.
 
I second the recommendation on the 20 gauge. I was encouraged to see several new tactical models at SHOTshow. Unfortunately, many I have seen in the past have been priced above their 12 gauge counterparts. Hopefully this will change.
 
If I can add my 2 cents, the Remington 870/887 and Mossberg 500/590 are good choices with plenty aftermarket accessories if you later get interested in that. Most decent shotguns today have good recoil pads to handle most 2 3/4 " buckshot or slugs and I think even your being petite with proper positioning while firing could handle a 12ga easily plus they are a better choice for hunting too not to mention 12ga is the most popular and abundant of shotgun ammo. Just make sure the reach between your shoulder and your trigger finger is not too long.
 
The Maverick 88 12 gauge with an 18.5 inch barrel is a pretty awesome challenger to any bad guy. My wife has one and she is mid fifties about 5'3" tall and she has no problem firing off buckshot through it. We got ours a Dicks on black Friday for 150 bucks (we actually got 2...one with a 28 inch barrel as well...also 150 bucks). Any large sporting goods dealer should have them, Walmart might even have it.
 
chiroman said:
This is a picture of mine. Collapsable stock with an EoTech forend with light. Link Removed
Click to expand...

I like the look of this. Did you customize it to get the collapsible stock? I do not necessarily need this shotgun for defense as I always carry my 9mm. I want a shotgun that has the least expensive ammo that I can have fun shooting. I use my Walther P22 for plinking, so I guess I am looking for a shotgun version of that.
 
I'm not sure what "petite" means in your case. My ex-GF was 5'3" and weighed about 110. She was petite by my definition. She can also fire a 20 ga. semi-auto all morning at clays and not miss very often - for someone who shoots only a few times a year maximum. She can handle the kick of a 12, but they do tend to be too big for her also.

So, first you need to decide if you can shoot a 12 or a 20 most effectively. If the recoil from a 12 will make your shoulder hurt, you might flinch when you shoot, and you'll miss too often. Then I suggest you go shopping in a large gun store - someplace where they will have various makes and models for you to try out for size. Better fit will reduce perceived recoil and help you get on target faster. You should also ask about guns for which there are aftermarket kits to adjust stock length, and other modifications that will help you to get a gun that you can shoot well and with which you will be and remain comfortable. And don't forget to look at the 'bullpup' styles if your shotgun is for defensive purposes.
 
First of all a 12ga may be a bit much for some women.
I got my wife a Mossberg 500 "Super Bantam" (youth model) in 20ga.
My wife 5'3" (and I don't dare guess weight) shoots it just fine, she would NOT handle a 12ga very well.
DO NOT get a Judge, they are HORRIBLE for pattern and if you are using slugs you might as well use a regular pistol with more rounds.
You can easily find buckshot for a 20ga #2 buck, #3 buck, #4 buck (not Birdshot, Buck, look at the box. Buck usually comes in boxes of 5, birdshot comes in boxes of 25) but not much 00 and those sizes of BUCKshot are perfectly good defense rounds.
Don't get a shotgun with no stock or a pistol grip, they are not ergonomic for someone that doesn't have a lot of grip strength or upper body strength. Heck they suck for those of us that do have the strength to handle them, use the gun as it was intended.
 
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