Current State of the Shotgun

[Chuck Whitlock]

LE/civilian.
My agency issues bare basic 870s (mine's an express) along with our take home rides. No racks installed, and no mods to guns allowed. As I'm a short dude with a barrel chest and t-rex arms, the 14" LOP is a no-go, so it just sits in the trunk.

If I want a guage, I take my rifle-sighted M1S90 w/ Urbino stock, but lately it's been just the AR, mostly due to hauling the long gun(s) in and out of the house each shift. Been wanting a SF foreend, but new ones are no longer available.

I've been following the 1301 thread with great interest.
My other thought is to buy a Mossberg Shockwave, SBS it, and add Magpul furniture/light/XSBD for a work gun.

I have a good stock of Federal LE OO/slugs, but I want to pattern some #1B .

[spinmove_]

I agree with a lot that's been said here already. It's versatile, workable, common, and still fills unique roles well.

One thing that hasn't really been said yet though is that cost for a good pump is inexpensive. Out fitting one for HD is also inexpensive. You could spec out 2 or 3 for the price you'd spend for a similarly spec'd out quality AR. Couple that with the fact that it's hard to legislate away a shotgun in today's political and cultural climate and I can see the shotgun sticking around for a while.

My Dad, former .mil, currently civilian, definitely not a gun guy, absolutely and adamantly disagrees with the fact that the AR is a viable HD tool. He insists that he wants to get 1 shotgun that fills the role of HD and sporting clay purposes. While he's not entirely wrong, those of us who know, know that he wants one gun for two entirely different roles. Couple that with the fact that, despite my efforts in educating and presenting good hard facts, still thinks birdshot is the de facto HD ammo. I facepalm extremely hard every time we have the conversation that I'm surprised I don't have a permanent indentation where my face is.


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[blues]

LE / Civilian

Standard 870 Police was a staple on the job for many of our agents. (Carbines and rifles were generally only used by those of us on SRT or working out of the air or marine units with a need for longer range firearms.)

When I retired I wanted a shotgun such as I had carried but "Lou's", the local cop shop, only had the Express at the time so I outfitted it with a Blackhawk swift sling and a +2 extension and called it good. A couple years ago I added a Surefire forend, (which cost as much as the shotgun did back then), and thought it was as gussied up as it needed to be.

While I'd love to own an upgrade, I've always been pretty comfortable with just the bead sight out to 15 yards or more and I don't anticipate taking longer shots by and large. (I will admit that some of the Beretta and Benelli discussion here gets me lusting from time to time.)

For me, while I'd never get rid of my shotgun, it's largely been replaced for home / property defense purposes by the AR...but it is always nearby and ready to be called into duty in short order as required.

I have on hand both standard and reduced recoil rounds in slug and 00 buck, mostly consisting of Federal Flitecontrol and Hornady TAP VersaTite. (Also have some old #4 that was issued back in the day.)

[Cory]

I agree with a lot that's been said here already. It's versatile, workable, common, and still fills unique roles well.

One thing that hasn't really been said yet though is that cost for a good pump is inexpensive. Out fitting one for HD is also inexpensive. You could spec out 2 or 3 for the price you'd spend for a similarly spec'd out quality AR. Couple that with the fact that it's hard to legislate away a shotgun in today's political and cultural climate and I can see the shotgun sticking around for a while.

My Dad, former .mil, currently civilian, definitely not a gun guy, absolutely and adamantly disagrees with the fact that the AR is a viable HD tool. He insists that he wants to get 1 shotgun that fills the role of HD and sporting clay purposes. While he's not entirely wrong, those of us who know, know that he wants one gun for two entirely different roles. Couple that with the fact that, despite my efforts in educating and presenting good hard facts, still thinks birdshot is the de facto HD ammo. I facepalm extremely hard every time we have the conversation that I'm surprised I don't have a permanent indentation where my face is.


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That is another huge reason the shotgun will never die out. It's probably one of the most affordable options there is. My 835 was a Walmart special that cost a whopping $300 brand new. If I went with something slightly different, for a little more I could have an "ideal" HD gun.

The heritage and "classic" view of the shotgun. That makes it pretty hard to legislate away, and at the same time endears the shotgun to a lot of folks. I do wonder how long before a buzzword for the shotgun appears. "High Powered Sniper Rifle" is the buzz for a bolt action rifle, and "Assault Rifle" gets most semiautos, "Saturday Night Special" handguns... or they try to make "Semiautomatic" sound scary for handguns. Shotguns don't have a scary buzz. I wonder if that plays into their longevity.

-Cory

[farscott]

Non-LE and non-MIL here.

Shotguns are just as useful as ever, especially for HD for people on a budget. Summit Gun Broker has used 870P models available for $285 delivered to your FFL. With local FFL fees, one has a perfectly suitable HD gun for less than $350. Is it perfect? No, but it is a lot of tool for the expense invested. Ammo is available at Wal-Mart, big box stores, and LGS.

The big issue I see with shotguns is finding suitable trainers LOCALLY. A lot of the local guys look at shotguns as obsolete hunting tools, preferring the AR, and the resulting training available shows.

[SamAdams]

Civilian/ former Military


Everyone has made some good points. One thing I'll add, is in a political environment that can change rapidly and drastically, having a few of 'the old standbys' is probably a good idea.
I will always keep a service revolver, lever action rifle, wood stocked .30-06 bolt action deer rifle, and wood stocked Rem 870 shotgun for that reason alone. These are obviously hunting guns. An added advantage is that well made older versions of them can be found for modest prices.


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[JAD]

Individual first responder.

My gunfight will probably be away from
Home, and will be with my pistol. If my gunfight is at home, and I'm awake, it will be with my pistol. If I have time to go get a more effective weapon, I probably have time to avoid a gunfight.

So my long guns are only for when my home is breached and I'm asleep. A home breaching will probably require engagement of one to three opponents. I am comfortable with the idea of engaging three opponents with the six rounds in my shotgun, and I'm very sure that inside my house one round from my shotgun is >> more effective than one round from my carbines. I would prefer to resolve engagements with as few rounds discharged as possible. I would therefore prefer to fill the very low percentage role of awakened home defense with a shotgun. However, because it is so low percentage, and securing firearms in a house with native and visiting children is distinctly non trivial, I just rely on my pistol for all roles, and endeavor to have it available all times.

[OlongJohnson]

That is another huge reason the shotgun will never die out. It's probably one of the most affordable options there is. My 835 was a Walmart special that cost a whopping $300 brand new. If I went with something slightly different, for a little more I could have an "ideal" HD gun.

The heritage and "classic" view of the shotgun. That makes it pretty hard to legislate away, and at the same time endears the shotgun to a lot of folks. I do wonder how long before a buzzword for the shotgun appears. "High Powered Sniper Rifle" is the buzz for a bolt action rifle, and "Assault Rifle" gets most semiautos, "Saturday Night Special" handguns... or they try to make "Semiautomatic" sound scary for handguns. Shotguns don't have a scary buzz. I wonder if that plays into their longevity.

-Cory

Here you go: http://summitgunbroker.com/riot-guns.html

[45dotACP]

Civvie here...yeah shotguns are cheap, a powerful fight stopper, extremely vesatile, and a good option...

....But not for a shooter on a budget. A pump gun needs LOTS of training and practice to run effectively for SD purposes...recoil is heavy, reloads are tricky, most people think birdshot is good for SD...and good defensive ammo is actually pretty pricey.

A pump action 12 gauge is a good choice, but I view it like a 1911 or a .44 N frame. It's a gun of a bygone era that requires dedication to be effective...but when applied in a dedicated fashion...is devastatingly effective.

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[ssb]

I use a shotgun because I'm convinced that for my application (inside the home at distances not exceeding 10 yards) it's absolutely the most lethal tool I can employ. I don't have kids to worry about and it gets secured before I leave for work.

I have Federal Flitecontrol and Remington LE 8-pellet low recoil stuff at my disposal. I actually use the Remington over the Federal due to the slightly wider pattern (approx. 4-5" at 7yds vs. FC being basically a slug) and the lead, unplated shot. While the Flitecontrol stuff is cool, I think the tendency towards getting the tightest possible pattern negates one of the advantages of the shotgun: the increased hit probability. From my own observation and statements of people like Chuck Haggard and Steve Fisher, I'm convinced unplated lead shot is just a tad bit safer in the penetration department (I've personally seen it stopped by siding), especially in the low recoil format.

I think a bead sight is fine for my use. Eventually I'll get around to drilling and tapping my receiver to accept an Aimpoint Micro.

I currently use an 870P with Surefire forend, 4-shot tube, Wolff spring, Vang Comp follower and safety, and a Magpul stock. For the moment ammo is carried in a butt cuff on the stock -- still experimenting with options for that.