The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - HD shotgun start-up

DocSouth · January 31, 2010, 05:07 PM

I went to the gunshow this weekend, and I saw some decent guns.

There was only one Ithaca there, and it was wobbly and pitted and they were still asking 500+ for it.
But it is exceptionally light-weight.

The only Mossbergs at the show were the "tactiCOOL" black synthetic ones, PGO. Which looks great in the movies, but I'd like a functional gun for the range or HD. Heck, I'd even like to start some hunting, so the "gun straight from MAX PAYNE!!!!" didn't really seem like a smart choice, even for only 300.
(As a side-note, gun-shows are like Toys-R-Us for adults, I never understood the appeal until I went. It's a good thing it's mostly cash only or I'd be in big trouble about now...)

I went to Wal-Mart and they had a Mossberg 500 for $227, but the foregrip, the pump, was wobbly. I don't know if this is common or not. Is this a problem, it felt kind of cheap? I don't know how I feel about that...

The Remington 870 they had didn't feel as loose, it felt sturdier than the Mossberg. I really liked the feel of the 870, the forward slide release, the weight. My only complaint is the safety and the fact that I've heard only bad things about their reliability.

I have yet to see or handle a BPS, so I don't know how I feel about them.

This is my introduction to firearms, so I'm looking to buy a decent entry level piece. If I really like it, I'll buy something a little more dependable down the road. That being said, I don't want something that wastes my money, which is why I've got it down to theses guns.

Is the wobbly stock a problem, should I go find another store with Mossbergs to buy one of their stock, or is this a normal feature across the line?

Any advice, opinions, or ideas? Thanks so much,
South

January 31, 2010, 05:07 PM	#30
DocSouth Member Join Date: January 3, 2010 Posts: 27	I went to the gunshow this weekend, and I saw some decent guns. There was only one Ithaca there, and it was wobbly and pitted and they were still asking 500+ for it. But it is exceptionally light-weight. The only Mossbergs at the show were the "tactiCOOL" black synthetic ones, PGO. Which looks great in the movies, but I'd like a functional gun for the range or HD. Heck, I'd even like to start some hunting, so the "gun straight from MAX PAYNE!!!!" didn't really seem like a smart choice, even for only 300. (As a side-note, gun-shows are like Toys-R-Us for adults, I never understood the appeal until I went. It's a good thing it's mostly cash only or I'd be in big trouble about now...) I went to Wal-Mart and they had a Mossberg 500 for $227, but the foregrip, the pump, was wobbly. I don't know if this is common or not. Is this a problem, it felt kind of cheap? I don't know how I feel about that... The Remington 870 they had didn't feel as loose, it felt sturdier than the Mossberg. I really liked the feel of the 870, the forward slide release, the weight. My only complaint is the safety and the fact that I've heard only bad things about their reliability. I have yet to see or handle a BPS, so I don't know how I feel about them. This is my introduction to firearms, so I'm looking to buy a decent entry level piece. If I really like it, I'll buy something a little more dependable down the road. That being said, I don't want something that wastes my money, which is why I've got it down to theses guns. Is the wobbly stock a problem, should I go find another store with Mossbergs to buy one of their stock, or is this a normal feature across the line? Any advice, opinions, or ideas? Thanks so much, South