Pump action - Which one you prefer?

[Gunhead]

Which one you prefer for 3-gun shooting and why?

[Azrael256]

Mossberg. Brand loyalty. They're just good, and my Mossy (it's a 500, not a 590) has the nicest furniture I've seen on a shotgun.

[Sundance]

The others may be nice shotguns indeed; however, the Remington is the standard by which all others are judged. There are more aftermarket accessories available for the Remington than any others by far. Also the 870 has been the overwhelming choice for law enforcement in this country for decades. The 870 has remained the police shotgun standard through the topsy turvy pistol years of the .38 the .357 the wonder 9 the .40 etc. The Mossberg and the Winchester are both cheaper, but the 870 is chosen. The 870 is the only pump I would consider. Now, if we were chosing semi-autos I would have to give serious consideration to the Benelli over the Remington 11-87.

NOTE: With all due respect to Azrael256...the Mossberg wood, metal, and fit and finish of both is nowhere near up to the standard of Remington or Winchester.

[ronin308]

I use a Benelli Nova SP. It has a magazine extention and LPA ghost ring sights. The reason why I like it for 3 gun is you can do a select slug drill without losing a round or having to anticipate using the slug. You just hit the magazine cutoff button, rack the slide to take out the empty, and dump a slug right in the chamber. Voila!

[Conformer]

I prefer the Winchester, but I like the Remington too.

[Sundance]

I can't believe a moderator hasn't moved this to the shotgun forum yet. This is the Art of the Rifle ya know...

[Ewok_Guy]

The Winchester and Mossberg are great shotguns.
I've owned all three, but sold the 870. Too light and too noisey.
Don't much care for the safety either.
Benelli makes a fine auto for around 1K.

[Sundance]

I'm sick of hearing about the 870.

Let's see...the 870 has been around for about 50 years and about 6 million have been produced...

If you don't want to hear about it...go plug your ears and live in a box.

When companies like Scattergun Technologies (now Wilson Combat) and Robar look to build the ultimate shotgun, do they start with a Winchester or a Mossberg?

No!

They start with the best platform available and pick the 870.

I'm sick of hearing people say they are sick of hearing about something.

Free country...Freedom of speech...still barely freedom to keep and bear arms.

Here endeth the lesson!

[Sierra1]

For work I have carried in my cruiser and on raids both the 870 and the Ithaca 37 (which as long as we are talking shotguns is a fine specimen as well). Personally I own neither. I own a Mossberg 590 and the 9200 Jungle gun. They are some of the best weapons I've got. I have a Winchester 1300 but comparatively they are pieces of crap. The Mossbergs are built for hard use. The 590 was the shotgun of choice for the USMC for like 9 years. That is saying something. These guns take a beating a keep on going. Plain and simple.

As far as the Remmington 870 being the "choice" of L.E. I would only say that the larger agencies that I have worked for do not expect officers to use the shotgun, which is why the 870, which can be had for about $250, and the Ithaca, also in the same price region are pruchased. They do the job...sitting in a cruiser gathering dust. Personally I am a shotgun man. I always took a gauge with me on any call involving violence or suspects with weapons, but these guns are old and rickety and all they have done is go from the kit room to the car and back for 15 years. That's sad! They get fired about 2x a year and look like crap, go figure.

I realize that everyone has a preference and that is just fine. But don't base your decision on what PD's buy, or the Marines for that matter. Go with what works best for you. At least that way you'll never be disappointed.

[Schmit]

OK OK... I know your discussing which Shotfun you would use for 3 gun comps... AND one of the guns used during those comps is a Rifle but I reeeeeeeeaaaaaalllllllly fell this would be better in a little known Forum called "Shotgun".

Don't ya think.

ATTENTION... everyone fasten their seat belts, we're moving.

HEY - You in the back... SEAT BELT....


And Away we go.......

[Schmit]

Did everyone make it? Great.

Seat Belts OFF... Continue Discussion!

[Warr]

I've got a defender with all the goodies, and I love it,
8 shot tube from the factory for only $250, can't beat it with
a stick.

[wm1300defender]

winchester model 1300 defender

I choose the Winchester Model 1300 Defender hands down, especially their Marine Coastal Stainless Steel model, it is just plain .

StevieB.

[Kevan]

I own both a Defender and a 870. Today, I had an opportunity to trade for another 870 or a Defender. I took the Defender. I like my 870, but I think the Defender is faster and smoother.

[9mmMike]

I chose the 870. It's what I own and I can not imagine anything better.
The 1300 is neat though. Can someone tell me where the Winchester's are made?
Mike

[Romulus]

Ithaca M37...mine's a Model 87, from the now defunct Ithaca Acquisition, which had replaced the then defunct Ithaca Arms in 1987. It's back to Model 37 now that Ithaca Arms has been resurrected. But it be the same shotgun, and she be a sweet lil' darling...

I love the plain receiver design with no ejection port, a perfect ambi SG...my model is an M&P, so it comes factory with the extended mag tube...

[Dave McC]

870, by force of habit. 40 some years and maybe 50K rounds of glitchfree performance is a habit former.

The Mossie and Winchester are good shotguns. The 870's a great one. The Ithaca is a great one also, but not my choice for "Serious" work.

Actually all of the above will work fine. The 870 will just do it longer.

[Romulus]

Dave McC, I know we've touched on this about a year ago...but why would you not consider an Ithaca for "serious" work? Personally I find the radius of the pistol grip area of the factory stock is too large and my trigger finger is thus held back a tad too far from the trigger - nothing that a properly fitted stock couldn't cure. So handling is a problem for me, that's why the 870 is under the boxspring.

Is there an objective drawback to the M37 that would make it less than ideal in your view for said "serious" activities? I mean like reliability, etc...

Nevertheless, as an engineered piece the Ithaca pump is a stellar design, and - ahem, dare I - superior to the 870...just wish that stock had been configured a little tighter

[Dave McC]

Rom, it's a couple little things. Mag capacity, the lack of a loading port that one can use for a fast reload or ammo switch, and on older ones the lack of an interrupter, the slam fire feature that some regard as a plus.

Also, for armory storage and the range, the lack of an easy indicator to show the weapon's empty is naother small but important point.

Don't get me wrong, the 37 is a fine design and a case could be made for it's being the BEST upland pump ever made.

RE the stock, I can reach the tigger fine, but there's not enough curve to the PG for my two smaller fingers to get the grip I'd like them to.
This only applies to me, of course.

[Gunhead]

Thanks for the input guys! Sorry for posting under the wrong topic.

It will be a really hard choice because I can buy any of these for a relatively low price. I am still thinking on a M1 Practical (which is pretty expensive), but the pumpguns are more fun to shoot on the matches. On the other hand the M1/M3 is an all-in-one shotgun...

I am leaning toward the Winchester (very-very fast action), but every LEO friend of mine recommends the 870...

[CMichael]

I am very happy with my Mossberg Persuader. I know that isn't one of the choices.

Michael

[K80Geoff]

Romulus

You might find it interesting that the Ithaca 37 was originally a REMINGTON design. Remington either sold the design or Ithaca pirated the design (Not sure which, depends on which historian you read) when Remington dropped it to go with the 870

[Romulus]

Sounds like Remington had better market analysis guys than Ithaca

In that regard, though, I always thought that the 870 came out in the 50s and that the Model 37, well...

[Dave McC]

Gunhead, the reason your LE friends urge the 870 upon you is simple. No other shotgun comes close when it comes to reliability and dependability. This is under street conditions, where shotguns rarely get cleaned, lubed, and are subjected to all the detritus and weather there is.

However, most serious shotgunners(Rather than a GOB who shoots a few times a year) maintain the equipment well enough that the advantages of the 870 are not crucial. IOW, if you take proper care of any quality shotgun,it's an incredibly dependable and useful tool.

As to speed, I can traverse fire on 5 targets at 25 yards in 5 seconds with duty 00 and a stock 870 with good hits. Chances are, you could too. I used to get under 4 seconds on occasion. I doubt the best Winchestershooters can cut that time much. Any takers on that?

Remington's Model 17 was the parent of the 37. Ithaca waited until the patents ran out to bring out the 37.The inbetween Remington pump was the Model 31, oft called the "Ball Bearing Corn Shucker".This was a highly machined design like the Model 12 Winchester,and considered its equal. The 31 was dropped in 1949, the 870 was brought out in 1950.The 870 uses more stamped, not machined/costly parts and did so w/o affecting balance, reliability or performance, an engineering tour de force.

[Shin-Tao]

There's really no wrong choice offered here.
I like the 870, the 1300, and the Mossy. I've owned all three, currently have the 1300. With the 1300 I am somehow able to put lead in the air faster, but that isn' t that huge an advantage. I do like how smooth the action is.