Price range seems to be from about 160 to 300ish with lots of Mossberg and Winchester stuff. Anyone familar with Walmart shotguns have a recommendation? Clerk didn’t have a clue (and admitted as much) but suggested I go chat up a local sporting goods store, pick their brains, then come back and buy the Walmart gun that he “guaranteed would be less money”, but that seemed kind of cheesy.
I was in WalMart today and I glanced at their shotgun selection but I didn’t study it that well. They did have some decent guns though.
We need some more information from you however:
- What gauge do you want? A 12 gauge is great but it does have a bit of a kick. 20 gauge is a less powerful option but is desirable for some situations.
- Do you want and automatic or a pump (a double barrel and a single shot are other options but I am guessing you don’t want those). An automatic is more convienent for things like skeet shooting but a pump can be a little more reliable and has an extra degree of safety).
- What is this shotgun going to be used for? One model may be great for skeet shooting but less than ideal for hunting deer however.
I will probably go there again tomorrow and I can take a look at the models available after you answer the questions above. My father is a gun dealer and I have owned or shot most of the common models of shotguns.
I’m pretty sure you can get a Remington 870 or a Mossberg 500 for $300.
I got mine for about that and I was shopping at a gun shop.
I probably want a 12 gauge. Use will be home defense.and possible clay trap shooting with my 14 year old son. Reliability is key. I don’t mind paying extra if the cheapies are less reliable or harder to service. I appreciate well made stuff. I’d rather pay more up to say around $ 500 or so (assuming I’m getting value for the dollar) , and get a well made gun I can hand down if the 200 dollar guns aren’t any good. The reason I’m looking at Walmart, instead of sporting goods stores is that in looking at sporting good store guns I got the impression (possibly erroneous) that the items have an abusively huge mark up.
A Remington 870 was one of the first ones that I thought of too but I wasn’t sure of the price or if WalMart carried it. They probably would because it is a pretty common model. It is a really great pump shotgun.
Ok, for home defense, a pump 12 gauge is a great choice. It should also be fine for skeet shooting. The Remington 870 is a great shotgun and is a good value for the money.
Here are some owners comments on theirs:
http://www.rateitall.com/i-25631-remington-model-870.aspx
There are other great shotguns too if you decide against that one. Let us know.
What Shagnasty wrote is on the money. For home defense and all-around shooter, the 870 is a fine firearm for the price. And the basic configuration with different choke tubes is fine for skeet. However, if you’re going to shoot trap, you may want to accessorize with a trap comb or trap barrel. Trap is the only clay sport which requires a specialized weapon to shoot it well. Trap guns (most) come with adjustable combs, ribs, longer barrels and tighter chokes than your standard 12 gauge. 870 Trap. Standard 870. Note prices are MSRP and not what you’ll pay at Wally-world.
I LOVE my Remington 870. They are $300 new at Kittery Trading post in Maine. I got mine used for $200.
I’m not a fan of automatics. I’ve used one in the past, and found it too complicated for it’s own good. They are much more expensive and prone to mechanical difficulties which turn them into thousand dollar single shots.
The 870 comes in any gauge or barrel type that you want. You can get a long barrel with a bead on it for birds, or a shorter barrel with rifle sights for deer or home defense. 870’s are used by many police departments also. Extra barrels cost about a $150 or so and are interchangable. So, if you like you can get several barrels for the same gun and switch them out whenever you need different functionality.
Yet another fan of the 870 pump here. We used them with slugs up on the slope for protection against grizzlies. Super reliable. Plus the sound a pump makes when you cock it is unmistakable and might assist in your home defense needs without even firing a shot.
This is weird. It is an opinion poll with a great number of choices available and every single respondant agrees. I think you may have your answer astro.
I think WalMart should carry them because it is also one of the most popular shotguns. If for some reason they do not, are there any high volume gun stores in your area maybe like general sporting goods stores? They tend to have good prices too. I agree that small gun shops can jack you pretty hard if you are not careful. They do not have the volume to make it profitable otherwise.
Here are a few tips. You mentioned that you wanted a gun that was a quality product, would last a long time, and something that you can pass on. An 870 can easily do that however, you have to take care of it just a little bit. Quality shotguns don’t really wear out through any normal amount of use. The only reason they degrade is through abuse and neglect of basic maintenance. Basic maintenance basically just includes using a barrel cleaning kit once in a while and putting and extremely fine coating of gun oil on the exterior metal parts once in a while. You can polish the stock too if you want. Other than that, a quality shotgun will last indefinetly even through some but not extreme abuse.
Shotguns can last a long time. I have a 90 year old Fox Sterlingworth that still shoots beautifully.
Next year I have to buy a pump gun, and I expect I’ll get an 870.
I like the Mossberg for safety location, slide release location (pump), and lack of loading gate much more than the Remington. But Remington is generally a better 'built" gun. Handle the shotguns and buy the one that “feels” the best to you.
Man, if the dresser I bought from Walmart is any indication, I don’t think it matters – assuming the barrel is even straight, the stock will probably fall off in about six months anyway. And good luck getting the drawers to close. [sub]Shotguns have drawers, right?[/sub]
If you can afford it, get a slug barrel for your shotgun, and put it on for home use. Slug barrels are shorter in length, and for indoor use shorter is better because the length doesn’t get in the way.
This depends on the barrel manufacturer, but in some cases the rifled part of a slug barrel is just another choke tube. For social use, I put the improved choke in my slug barrel, and keep it loaded with #4 buck. The rifled tube goes back when I go deer hunting.
For a second I thought Wally World had branded their own line of shotguns. A 12 gauge Ol’ Roy field grade model anyone? No crazier than the Ted Williams shotguns Sears used to sell.
My vote if for a Remmie 870. I almost bought a Mossbert but decided to get the Remmie. The Mossbert is an ok gun I’m sure but the poor fit and finish of the aluminum reciever put me off.
Anyway, I got mine at big 5 sports when it was on sale.
Sears’ Ted Williams shotguns were Mossbergs, I believe.
I’ll certainly agree with Debaser’s assertion that many **semi-**automatics might possess a degree of unreliability, at least with the cheaper models. In fact it’s why I got rid of my Rem 1100. But once you get up to and past the 500 mark then there certainly are reliable, desirable semis to be found. A make and model I really prefer is the Beretta A-303 and it’s offspring. Beretta’s got about 400 years of gunmaking to fall back on and it’s competent, well designed machinery. The 303 is a sweet shooting, low recoil model in the 12 and has 5 adjustable chokes. (Don’t constrain any gun past an improved cylinder though if you’re using steel.) The 303 is out of production now but a used model in good condition should run you somewhere between 450 to 800, depending. It’ll probably take some time and patience to find one though, and a seller you can trust. The newer replacements (Urika, etc) are probably about 825 to 1200 but will last you a lifetime, especially with the chrome plated barrels.
Note: This is to take nothing away from my still ringing endorsement of the 870. It’s decidedly the best . . . err . . . bang for your buck.
I actually have one of each. I have a single shot Winchester from my father that has a great “feel” to it when I shoot it. I also have a Mossberg 500. Each has it’s advantages and disadvantages. I like the Mossberg because I can change from a slug barrel to a smooth bore depending on what’s on the menu (heh) and still have the multishot capacity with both. The Winchester I use almost exclusively for shooting clay pidgeons or duck/goose hunting. I think the most imporant thing is to find a gun that is comfortable to hold and carry and whose kick is reasonable.
I’ll second that ringing endorsement for an autoloader. My dad got me one for my birthday 10 years ago and I’ve probably put easily 20,000 rounds through it shooting sporting clays, skeet, dove and pheasant without a mechanical failure. I’ve thought about getting a 391, but at this point, I’d rather spend the money on ammo.
I’ve seen stocks that have tubes for extra ammo storage…but I don’t know how reliable those are…