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Old August 24, 2017, 10:08 PM   #1
pgb205
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Vepr 12 shotgun vs Mossberg 590a1

I'm considering purchasing a shotgun. I was leaning toward mossberg but now noticed that a seller has vepr 12-01 in stock for about 830$. This gun comes with a single 5 round magazine.

I'm wavering because of the ban on Veprs and because I can't seem to easily find any 8 or 10 rnd magazines (oem).

I am also wondering if this is a reasonable price for this model. My understanding is that these firearms are in good repute with gun community.
But I do have these few concerns above and would like to have some opinions.

thank you
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Old August 25, 2017, 08:27 AM   #2
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The draw back is that some people consider the Molot Vepr a assault weapon.

Some firing ranges will not let you use them on the trap ranges.

Also it is not legal in some states.

Some consider the Molot Vepr a very good shotgun it is still made of sheet metal!
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Old August 25, 2017, 10:32 AM   #3
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Quote:
The draw back is that some people consider the Molot Vepr a assault weapon.
Those people are wrong. There is no such thing as an "assault weapon." That is a purely media/legal/propaganda term.

Quote:
Some firing ranges will not let you use them on the trap ranges.
This may be true, but the OP isn't asking about trap shooting. Neither the 590A1 or VEPR are well-suited to trap shooting anyway.

Quote:
Also it is not legal in some states.
The same goes for gambling, fireworks, and fornication. Always know your local rules and and regulations.

Quote:
Some consider the Molot Vepr a very good shotgun it is still made of sheet metal!
Veprs are well made and extremely durable shotguns, regardless of whether stampings are used in their construction. In the case of the Vepr, the receiver is a heat-treated and reinforced stamped part with forged trunnions. If you understand AK operation and construction, you know this is a very strong arrangement. Also, stamped parts can be found in all varieties of high-end and expensive guns.
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Old August 25, 2017, 03:53 PM   #4
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It seems you have not listened to Nancy Pelosi.

We have a local range that will not anyone use a shotgun with a barrel shorter than 26 inches.

The Melot Vepr has a pistol grip New York state has issues with it.

As I see it if a high end gun had stamped parts it is on my no buy list. Just depends what you call high end.

Last edited by jaguarxk120; August 25, 2017 at 05:18 PM.
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Old August 25, 2017, 03:55 PM   #5
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Also, stamped parts can be found in all varieties of high-end and expensive guns.
Which shotguns would those be?
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Old August 25, 2017, 05:21 PM   #6
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Hey what about Fausti, Zoli, or Caesar Guerini.

Maybe a Holland & Holland or Purdy?
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Old August 25, 2017, 07:22 PM   #7
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Those would all be good choices for a variety of uses.
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Old August 25, 2017, 07:42 PM   #8
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You will not find any stamped parts in any of those I listed!!!
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Old August 26, 2017, 08:41 AM   #9
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Correct! No MIM parts or plastic either.........
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Old August 26, 2017, 09:33 AM   #10
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I'm a bit confused by those two: one is a pump and one is semi auto.

You might be surprised how a "rifle" configured shotgun works as good or better than a box fed AK style shotgun. The AK style gets pretty unwieldy as the mag gets larger plus you get all the hand catching junk that comes with the AK receiver.

To each their own, but I didn't really think about the mag size until I asked/was about to buy the VEPR when it had the $200 rebate a few months ago. I think the JM Pro Mossberg 930s are better semi autos. Meh.
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Old August 27, 2017, 04:45 AM   #11
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Mossberg hands down the better choice in every respect.

About that sheet metal and better shotguns comment.....I have maybe a dozen shotguns....no sheet metal on any of them.
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Old August 27, 2017, 07:34 AM   #12
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Why not consider the Mossberg 930 if you're interested in semi auto? I think it would be cheaper than the vepr and shouldn't have a hard time finding any parts.

To answer your question though if I could only own one of the two you listed, it would be the Mossberg. You can always find parts, make changes to it if your needs change and it's just silly how reliable those guns are.
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Old August 27, 2017, 10:47 AM   #13
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The OP never said what kind of shooting he plans to do with the Vepr.

Is it you just want a cool looking shotgun or will you use it in competition?

There might be the chance the OP will rattle off 25 rounds of buckshot
and the gun will never see the light of day again.
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Old August 28, 2017, 04:19 PM   #14
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It seems you have not listened to Nancy Pelosi.
I prefer to look to more reliable sources for technical data on firearms.

Quote:
We have a local range that will not anyone use a shotgun with a barrel shorter than 26 inches.
The OP has not indicated any desire to go trap shooting with these shotguns. The fact that he/she is comparing two models designed for defensive purposes indicates that this might not be high on his/her list of priorities. Then again, the OP has given us very little to go on.

Quote:
The Melot Vepr has a pistol grip New York state has issues with it.
The OP has not indicated that he/she is in New York. Since he/she is indicating a local seller has a VEPR available, it stands to reason that he/she is in a locality where they are not restricted. But, for all we know, the OP my be in Australia, where both the 590A1 and VEPR are illegal for normal people to buy/own.

As I said, always know your local rules & regulations.

Quote:
As I see it if a high end gun had stamped parts it is on my no buy list. Just depends what you call high end.
As far as detachable box magazine semi-automatic shotguns go, the VEPR is the high end, whether you like it or not.

If this shotgun is meant as a serious-use defensive shotgun, the 590A1 would be my choice over the VEPR hands-down, for many reasons. The fact that both have stamped parts doesn't play into that reasoning, though.

If I were looking for a gun for trap, clearly neither would be on my radar.

If I had to have the best new detachable box magazine semi-automatic shotgun (I personally don't), well the list would pretty much begin and end with the VEPR.


.

Last edited by Fishbed77; August 28, 2017 at 04:30 PM.
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Old August 28, 2017, 04:45 PM   #15
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Chances are the OP made his mind up before posting the question. He just wanted someone to confirm his choice.

So all of our exchanges are meaningless. Would I buy a Vepr shotgun, no
way I can think of better things to waste my money on.
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Old August 28, 2017, 06:47 PM   #16
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So all of our exchanges are meaningless. Would I buy a Vepr shotgun, no
way I can think of better things to waste my money on.
Agreed!
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Old August 29, 2017, 06:08 AM   #17
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It's always fun when somebody shows up at the shotgun forum to ask about combat shotguns, and gets a plethora of comments from fudds who have no idea what they are talking about.
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Old August 29, 2017, 07:37 AM   #18
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And it's just as amusing watching video game commandos trying to emulate their favorite game weapon........
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Old August 29, 2017, 07:43 PM   #19
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As far as detachable box magazine semi-automatic shotguns go, the VEPR is the high end, whether you like it or not.
How many detachable box magazines semi-automatic shotguns are there?

Fudds? Fudds who don't know what they are talking about. Really??
Is there something very different and hard to understand about combat shotguns? Some bit of arcane knowledge that requires specialized training in order to write or speak about them in an informed way? No, there isn't. Combat shotguns might be like the Vepr, or like a dressed up Model 70 or that silly little double magazine KSG.....or a Lupara or an old Ithaca 37 Riot gun....bottom line is that they are shotguns and that ain'
t hard to understand
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Old August 30, 2017, 11:59 AM   #20
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Quote:
The OP has not indicated that he/she is in New York. Since he/she is indicating a local seller has a VEPR available, it stands to reason that he/she is in a locality where they are not restricted. But, for all we know, the OP my be in Australia, where both the 590A1 and VEPR are illegal for normal people to buy/own.

As I said, always know your local rules & regulations.
It is anything than reasonable to assume that the VEPR is legal in a locality because someone is selling one in it. Even if it is legal where it is for sale, what if the person wants to bring it on trips to another jurisdiction or moves to it? It isn't at all unusual for someone to learn that, while previously they were not aware of the offense, that they were in possession of what was clearly deemed by their state to be an assault weapon and that they were chargeable with a felony.
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Old August 30, 2017, 01:25 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pgb205 View Post
I'm considering purchasing a shotgun. I was leaning toward mossberg but now noticed that a seller has vepr 12-01 in stock for about 830$. This gun comes with a single 5 round magazine.

I'm wavering because of the ban on Veprs and because I can't seem to easily find any 8 or 10 rnd magazines (oem).

I am also wondering if this is a reasonable price for this model. My understanding is that these firearms are in good repute with gun community.
But I do have these few concerns above and would like to have some opinions.

thank you
I have zero experience with a Vepr but I have had a Mossberg 590A1 for around 3 years now and have put a bunch of ammo through it With 2.75 inch shells, the Mossberg has a capacity of 8+1 and the Vepr has 5+1. I'd say in either case, that will probably be enough for a home defense situation. If you are buying the shotgun for some other reason or think you'll burn through more than 8 or 9 rounds in a home defense situation, then the Vepr may be a better option. Cost wise, you should be able to get the Mossberg for around 300 dollars cheaper.
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Old September 5, 2017, 09:00 AM   #22
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It is anything than reasonable to assume that the VEPR is legal in a locality because someone is selling one in it. Even if it is legal where it is for sale, what if the person wants to bring it on trips to another jurisdiction or moves to it? It isn't at all unusual for someone to learn that, while previously they were not aware of the offense, that they were in possession of what was clearly deemed by their state to be an assault weapon and that they were chargeable with a felony.
As I stated several times previously in this thread, always know your local rules and regulations.

Quote:
How many detachable box magazines semi-automatic shotguns are there?
Not many.

The VEPR (which are quickly drying up on the new market), the Saigas (which have dried up), various Chinese Saiga clones, the Chinese SAS12, the various Turkish AR-lookalikes (that are loosely based on the Remington 1100 action), and some others. The VEPRs are generally considered to be the best of these. The Saigas were well-regarded, but the VEPRs are a step above in terms of durability and finish (but still an AK derivative, so make of that what you will).

IMHO, there's a reason there aren't many of them, and that's because the market has determined they are a technical and practical dead-end (for multiple reasons).

Quote:
So all of our exchanges are meaningless. Would I buy a Vepr shotgun, no
way I can think of better things to waste my money on.
No disrespect intended, but the "meaningless" posts were those that brought up trap shooting and high-end sporting guns. The OP was in no way asking about that. He was asking for information about and comparisons of two specific models.

And, as far as the subjective wasting of money goes, there's all kinds of ways to do that, including breaking little clay discs in the air. It's best not to look at leisure activities though the lens of financial payback. You'll almost always lose. Their value comes in other forms - psychological, stress relief, alleviation of boredom, making of positive memories, etc.

As I said earlier, if this shotgun is meant as a serious-use defensive shotgun, the 590A1 would be my choice over the VEPR hands-down. It's generally going to be more reliable, have a better ratio of capacity to size/utility, be lighter, more ergonomic, easier to handle, and easier to service and maintain.

If it's just a fun gun, or something to fill out one's collection, then all bets are off.

Unless the OP returns to elaborate on his intended use, there's really not much more to add here.


.

Last edited by Fishbed77; September 5, 2017 at 09:32 AM.
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