*What is the best combat shotgun on the market?

[Madcap_Magician]

I'm a fan of the Mossberg 500 and 590 series, but the 870 and the 37 are fine guns.

[colospgsAVID]

I stand corrected hogdogs. I just figured that a shotgun with combat in mind would, purely by virtue of features, become a tactical device.

[Pigaloo]

I would love to pick up one of the SLPs. They have been getting great reviews and feel great in the hand. They have a really solid/rugged feel.

[Evan Thomas]

Originally Posted by TxGun

OP, did you really think you would get a concensus with a question like that?

Has anyone else noticed that the OP hasn't been on TFL since 2002?

And is "combat" the new "tactical," or vice versa?

[hogdogs]

colospgsAVID, don't take it personal... It is just one of my peeve terms and the more I try to put my opinion of the proper use, the more I feel I did my part to help folks. Just like "rifled slug" makes folks think the rifling is for use in rifled barrel or that it imparts noticeable spin for increased accuracy.

Another is "assault weapon"... to me any weapon used against anyone in a violent criminal manner is "assault weapon" even a .22 cricket could be an "assault rifle" if it is used to assault someone.
Cool?
Brent

[Firepower!]

1. AA12
2. USAS12
3. Benelli M4 Super90

[Tucker 1371]

Well if you don't mean best "combat" shotgun that a civilian can actually legally purchase then I would say the AA12.

If you are talking about something you can go out and buy tomorrow...

I like the 870 a lot except for one thing, the shell lifter/loader. Just irritating to me when I'm trying to load it. I like the Mossberg 590A1 because it has the shell lifter in the up position when the action is forward so loading is easier. I know it's a minor beef but it's enough to make me stray from it as a HD/SD shotgun. Just my $.02

[bamafan4life]

I love the new rock island tactical shotgun everything on that gun is steel (except the stock whitch is made of very study synthetic) and my local dealer can get them for around 250$

[redrick]

My vote would be either the 870 Police Magnum or the 590 A1. You have to decide which features you like. Most police departments use the 870, the military mostly use the 590 A1.

[mathman]

I know I'll get flamed for this, but I've had 3 870s and had some reliability issues with two of them...mostly failure to eject, but that would be tragic in a self defense scenario. (I didn't have any issues with the police model that I had.) I know that people are going to talk about polishing chambers, etc...but one should not have to do this to have a reliable shotgun. And I'm not trying to go against the grain here...I like the look and feel and ruggedness of the 870...just have not had the best of luck with them.

I must say that I completely agree with ljlc...a lot of people praise the 870 because that's what they have. And I'm sure there are a lot of 870s that do not have the ejection issues that I have had.

From my experience with pump guns, I have found the Winchester to be not only the fastest, but also the most reliable.

For me, I'll take the Benelli semi auto.

And I also agree sith Lee Lapin...software, not hardware.

YMMV

[Forty.Five]

I really like the Benelli M4 Super 90

[jlv08]

The 870 wingmaster in riot form, Mossberg 590, Mossberg Persuader model 500, model '97 Winchester ( a little scarce) are some that come to mind . It's difficult to say which is "best" as folkls have differing opinions of what works best for them.

+1 on the software!

[meanmotorscooter]

AA12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4ebtj1jR7c

[mavracer]

OP, did you really think you would get a concensus with a question like that?

even after 10 years still no concensus LOL.
As far as fighting shotguns go the Benelli M4 doesn't have much of an advantage over a '97 Winchester trench gun.
+2 software

[igor]

I have a Winchester 1300. It is indeed the slickest action anywhere. I've tried Mossbergs, 870s, an Ithaca and some Fabarms. None come close to the 1300 in... actionability. To me, it's not about sheer speed, it's about less risk to short stroke under stress.

OTOH, the 1300 definitely isn't as sturdily built as, say a Mossberg 590. I wouldn't want to strike anything with mine, or have it really thrown about. Too much plastic and flimsy-ish metal.

[Lee Lapin]

I love the new rock island tactical shotgun

Bama,

They say that everything old is new again. I haven't had a chance to get hands on one of the Rock Island guns yet, but from looking at the pictures it sure seems familiar. I wouldn't be at all surprised to discover that it was essentially a High Standard Flite King, redesigned slightly. I can see it has two action bars, but I can't tell for sure if it's still a tilting bolt design a la the Model 12, or if they've done the locking block in a barrel extension thing with it.

Either way it sure looks familiar. I'm looking forward to handling one. The additional action bar can only help, and if it IS still a tilting bolt design in a well manufactured all steel gun- look out world.

lpl

[fisherman66]

Tactical is a verb... It is a mindset not a firearm. If your mindset requires a sparkling flashlight... than add it.
Brent

Actually, it's an adjective; but that's a quibble. I agree with yer idear. Almost any solid and reliable repeater shotgun in capable hands should work well in a tactical situation. That means lots of shells and time shooting, not dohickies. YMMV with the dohickies, but not with the lots of shells and time shooting.

If tactical means long use with little time fer cleaning and maintenance I'd want the marine version. Marine, as in adjective; not the noun usage. Not that a Marine wouldn't be useful in a tactical situation. Quite to the contrary.

[lefteye]

The favorite of my father and grandfather was the Win. '97 so I was comfortable with a short barrel '97 in Vietnam and I still have grandpa's with a 30" barrel. But I favor the 870 - I have had several and still have five of them. The action is all-purpose and probably as reliable as any shotgun ever made (excluding single shots). Barrels, stocks, magazine tubes and accessories are available for virtually any purpose. On the market today? Maybe a Tac Desert Recon?

[mike4]

The AA12 exsists so you have to acknowledge what it has been tested and confirmed reliable to do. An awsome gun to go house to house , room to room. Carrying ammo for it can take points away due to the origin of the thread which says"combat sg". Now you have to look at whats gettable for us in the real world . Home protection or combat use the benelli m4 is another super fast way to use up 10 or 20 shells in a few seconds. I have had no trouble with my m411707 for 2 years now . Not a bit.
IMO ,the best combat / home sd semi within reach of the common man. (as opposed to the AA12).
Due to the problems i've had with 870's ,I put the super smooth operating Mossy 500 above it for o o t box reliabilty. My 500's cycle like a sg should. It's like the shell is being moved along by magnets. The 500 is lighter which is good.
Along with the m4, mossy is another 12 gauge i "never" had any dissapointing problems with ,unlike the 870 which i also know are owned by many satisfied ,serious gunners. It's just the experience i had with two which actually turned out great because i'm very into them now. I own a marine mag and a regular 870 and i had to polish and work the actions for hours and hours to get smooth ,reliable cycling finally. I also feel the magazine tube clamp can be a b**** to remove and return. An 1100 i had was a nightmare to breakdown without scratching it up. I would definately not part with them now but i'm getting kinda sick of the marine mags silver finish. Might sell it. The MM is actually unpolished in it's original condition and just naturally worked itself in nicely. The action that is.
So the 500 / 870 argument goes on but there are too many other brands that are great but less popular off the store shelves. Can't blog about them all...
BTW ,make no mistake ,the nelli m4 is a serious muscle gun. Reliable as all hell. If and when the shtf i will use it with slugs for 100 yard 4" breneke groups or 10 yard 00 terror. My m4 and my glocks keep reliability issues out of the equation. Although i got a great deal at a local show for a nib m4 with military stock and a factory tube i found later ,the money bought me peace of mind reliability wise. After hundreds of rds without a hint of issue it was the best $1300. plus $200. factory tube i ever spent. Whatever sinical theories people have as to why Uncle Sam went benelli for the joint service sg don't interest me because they picked a reliable sg imo. I"m not sure what the people using them over there think about them in the mud and gutts they contact everyday. I've read some good and bad opinions. Here I know the sg works however i truly hope the m4 is helping thier butts and not causing problems in those extreme conditions overseas. God Bless our Military.

[AARguy]

"Combat" is the operative word. To me that does NOT mean home defense. It means 1.) Operations over long periods 2.) LOTS of hostiles 3.) SMART opponents This could accur in the oft quoted "SHTF" scenario of near chaos. With that in mind, I have chosen the Mossberg 930 SPX for the following reasons:
1.) Ease of operation - a little practice and quick reaction is possible; the short barrel and light weight are ideal for close combat (MOUT/MOBUA) situations; reloading is quick and easy even during sustained contact
2.) Stealth - the sound of a pump may scare away a burglar, but in "combat" you don't want the bad guys having any idea where you are before trigger pull
3.) Firepower -a semi-auto puts more steel/lead downrange faster than any pump can. In addition, the 7+1 capacity of the 930 SPX is relatively large.
4.) Cost - the relatively cheap cost of the 930 SPX means that you can have more than one for spare parts or to arm a team mate
5.) Versatility - In a SHTF situation, you may be forced to use whatever ammunition is available. The center-bored 930 SPX can accept 2 3/4" or 3" 12 ga rounds as well as magnum rounds and all sizes of buckshot, lead shot, hybrids, rifled/unrifled/sabot slugs, etc.
6.) Sights - an integral Picatinny Rail is standard; Standard sights include a fiber optic front sight which enhances reaction time in day or low light conditions. A reflex sight can be mounted on the rail for even quicker reaction. I would not recommend any lights or lasers as these become "Here I am!" beacons. Similarly, a night sight which includes an illuminator, becomes a beacon revealing your location to any adversary that has passive, image intensifying NVG's (Night Vision Goggles) but, with time, the cost of passive IR night sights will make them practical and the Picatinny Rail will be in place to accept them.

[brotus2]

Left eye. I like my old 97 too.

[jmortimer]

With all due repect to all the prior and mostly useful posts, if we are talking about "combat" shotguns in current production the FN SLP is far better than most every gun mentioned - Same gas system as the Winchester SX3 used by Patrick Flanigan the fastest shotgunner. Watching one of his videos is awesome. I heard him state on one video that he had over 200,000 rounds on his SX3 with his 11 shot extension tube. Cleans it every two or three thousand rounds. Aside from the length, the SX3 would be a nice "combat shotgun" with 11 + 1 shots. As for the 870 or die crowd, the SLP is much faster and more reliable. The current production 870s are fast becomming infamous as "Jam-o-Matics" - The old Wingmasters are very fine guns.

[mathman]

The current production 870s are fast becomming infamous as "Jam-o-Matics" - The old Wingmasters are very fine guns.

I agree with this statment...it's a shame that Remington has let its flagship shotgun go the way of the cheap and unreliable.

[Dave McC]

Some input, formed over a long time.....

Combat shotguns need to be.......

Reliable. I suggest the Ayoob Test as a minimum. 200 rounds of DUTY ammo fired glitchless and preferably rapidly. Four range sessions of 50 rounds each will be easier on us than a marathon.

Fit the user. Besides stock length, we want something that is comfortable and ergonomically friendly to operate. We should able to access the controls without juggling things around.

Have a clean, sub 5 lbs, trigger.

Have sights one can use in any light conditions that do not need batteries or delicate handling.

Agile. A 10 lb Rambo Signature Model isn't agile. If you cannot hold your shotgun in firing position AT YOUR SHOULDER for two minutes, start taking stuff off or lifting weights.

And most importantly, the shotgun SHOULD BE WELL KNOWN TO THE USER.

Whether or not your shotgun of choice is a 500,88,12,97,520,31,37,870,A5, 1100,M-4,ad infinitum and is adorned with any or all accessories is less crucial than whether or not we know how to run it.

Sermon concluded....

[38superhero]

what fire forged said