20 gauge shotgun for HD?

pacerdude · June 16, 2009, 10:41 AM

Recently we have had problems around our house and my car was broken into. My mom and I have pistols but I will be back to school at UGA in the fall. These guys have continued to mess with us as evident in my post in tactics and training. My mother decided she wanted a shotgun instead of another pistol. She is a petite 5'1" and the gun store and my grandfather suggested a 20 gauge shotgun. Anyone have any advice on a decent shotgun? I know my pistols much better than shotguns or rifles because of my pacemaker I dont mess with long guns.

hogdogs · June 16, 2009, 10:52 AM

20 gauge is very limited compared to 12 for ammo selections. No reduced recoil loads in large shot sizes.
Single shot break barrel is going to kick like a mule.
Heavier guns like pump help but an auto kicks least. A 12 gauge pump with shortish barrel will handle like a 20 gauge with reduced recoil 00 buck rounds. Largest 20 gauge shot I find locally is the #3buck and it is a full power load.
Brent

Evan Thomas · June 16, 2009, 11:21 AM

A 20 gauge shotgun ought to work fine for someone your mother -- the most important thing will be to find something that fits a person her size. Mossberg makes a couple of HD-style (short-barreled) pump shotguns in 20 gauge, and has a big line of youth-size 20 gauges with 20" barrels -- and Remington now offers a "compact" (youth-size) 870 in 20 gauge, with either a 20" or 18" barrel. In either brand, your mother would be better off with the smaller youth-size stock, I think.

The other obvious option, to keep the recoil down, would be the Saiga 20 semiautomatic, although I think of pump guns as being more foolproof, fewer moving parts and all that... but the off-the-shelf fit might be more of an issue, as I'm not sure they have a youth model.

Hogdogs does have a point about ammo selection, but the main thing is to get something that fits your mother well, so she'll get out and shoot it a lot and get really comfortable with it: so before she really needs it, she knows exactly what it can do...

pacerdude · June 16, 2009, 12:02 PM

Yesterday we looked at a used Mossberg 500 series youth model for her, but they wanted $275 for it. We left it there (after I bought 2 boxes of 40s&w ammo). How much would a Saiga run?

Evan Thomas · June 16, 2009, 12:28 PM

Quote:

How much would a Saiga run?

A good bit more than $275, I think -- it wouldn't be your cheapest option, that's for sure.

Buzzcook · June 16, 2009, 01:03 PM

You should be able to find a used pump shotgun for under $200. At that price you can cut down the stock to fit, Get a slip over recoil pad.

How people handle recoil is as much a matter of training as physics. The physics side is the weight of the gun, the velocity and weight of the projectiles.

This 20 Gauge round should be relatively mild.
http://www.federalpremium.com/produc...ot.aspx?id=479

pacerdude · June 16, 2009, 08:12 PM

We just bought a Mossberg 500 20 gauge.

oneounceload · June 16, 2009, 08:21 PM

deleted

June 16, 2009, 10:41 AM	#1
pacerdude Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2008 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 607	20 gauge shotgun for HD? Recently we have had problems around our house and my car was broken into. My mom and I have pistols but I will be back to school at UGA in the fall. These guys have continued to mess with us as evident in my post in tactics and training. My mother decided she wanted a shotgun instead of another pistol. She is a petite 5'1" and the gun store and my grandfather suggested a 20 gauge shotgun. Anyone have any advice on a decent shotgun? I know my pistols much better than shotguns or rifles because of my pacemaker I dont mess with long guns.

June 16, 2009, 10:52 AM	#2
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	20 gauge is very limited compared to 12 for ammo selections. No reduced recoil loads in large shot sizes. Single shot break barrel is going to kick like a mule. Heavier guns like pump help but an auto kicks least. A 12 gauge pump with shortish barrel will handle like a 20 gauge with reduced recoil 00 buck rounds. Largest 20 gauge shot I find locally is the #3buck and it is a full power load. Brent

June 16, 2009, 11:21 AM	#3
Evan Thomas Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2008 Location: Upper midwest Posts: 5,631	A 20 gauge shotgun ought to work fine for someone your mother -- the most important thing will be to find something that fits a person her size. Mossberg makes a couple of HD-style (short-barreled) pump shotguns in 20 gauge, and has a big line of youth-size 20 gauges with 20" barrels -- and Remington now offers a "compact" (youth-size) 870 in 20 gauge, with either a 20" or 18" barrel. In either brand, your mother would be better off with the smaller youth-size stock, I think. The other obvious option, to keep the recoil down, would be the Saiga 20 semiautomatic, although I think of pump guns as being more foolproof, fewer moving parts and all that... but the off-the-shelf fit might be more of an issue, as I'm not sure they have a youth model. Hogdogs does have a point about ammo selection, but the main thing is to get something that fits your mother well, so she'll get out and shoot it a lot and get really comfortable with it: so before she really needs it, she knows exactly what it can do... __________________ Never let anything mechanical know you're in a hurry.

June 16, 2009, 12:02 PM	#4
pacerdude Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2008 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 607	Yesterday we looked at a used Mossberg 500 series youth model for her, but they wanted $275 for it. We left it there (after I bought 2 boxes of 40s&w ammo). How much would a Saiga run?

June 16, 2009, 01:03 PM	#6
Buzzcook Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2007 Location: Everett, WA Posts: 6,126	You should be able to find a used pump shotgun for under $200. At that price you can cut down the stock to fit, Get a slip over recoil pad. How people handle recoil is as much a matter of training as physics. The physics side is the weight of the gun, the velocity and weight of the projectiles. This 20 Gauge round should be relatively mild. http://www.federalpremium.com/produc...ot.aspx?id=479

June 16, 2009, 08:12 PM	#7
pacerdude Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2008 Location: Columbia, SC Posts: 607	We just bought a Mossberg 500 20 gauge.

June 16, 2009, 08:21 PM	#8
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	deleted