W2MC

Sad. Most of Chuck Hawk's stuff is better than this. I cannot believe that a half-inch difference in chamber length is going to make any difference in how a shotgun spreads its pattern. Until someone take a chamber ream to a shotgun and proves (at a patterning board) that the pattern changes as the chamber length increases, the article's author is just blowing smoke.

I've never shot a Maverick, but the price is so cheep I have been tempted several times. I have owned a couple of Mossberg 500's, worked on others, and currently own an old original (single action arm) version. The Maverick 88 is nothing more than a slightly simplified Mossberg 500 - made in America (Texas), not China. Dick's online info: http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=35471686&cp=4406646.70516396.4414427.33613696&categoryId=33614156 A good shooting review of the Maverick 88 by Hicok45:

Mossberg's Maverick 88 - on sale right now at Dick's Sporting Goods for $179.99 A good basic pump based upon the Mossberg 500 available in hunting and/or home defense configurations. Worth a look!

Um...actually I did. I have one in sweet 16. I said: Winchester 12 - a bit heavy, but a classic, well-made, well fitted shotgun. Local gunsmith tells me he's never seen a "worn-out" model 12. Works a little different from most pumps-you have to make sure you push the pump forward-THEN rearward-to work it. loading is a little different...if you're not used to it, you will think the shell isn't all the way in the magazine. safety on the trigger guard.

I am passing, as everything I find online about US Law Shield/US Gun Shield screams "multi-level marketing", i.e. pyramid scam!

Didn't comment on Benelli's since I've never owned one and haven't really had much interaction with them...I do know people who like them, but I have never shot a Benelli pump. For High Standards....their Flite King was a staple back in the 60's and 70's, and they show up regularly on the used market. They also made some of the finest out-of-the-box competition .22 pistols as well as shotguns, but they've been out of business for years. http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/High_Standard_Flite_King_Shotgun_Series

My 0.02.... First, shotguns are like potato chips....you cant have just one! I have owned/shot a whole bunch of pump shotguns...but before we get into it, I am heavily biased toward hunting, and I am strongly left handed and also well-used to side by sides and over/unders, which means I prefer the safety to be on the back of the receiver, where I am used to it. All of the pump shotguns I've had/used have been very reliable (except for a newer Remington 870 Express, which needed attention to make it reliable) Now, in no particular order, my thoughts: Savage 67 - Shoots fine, but kind of stiff and clunky. Safety on back of receiver. Pain to disassemble/reassemble High Standard - Shoots fine, pump action buttery-smooth; probably the easiest/lightest action of all the pumps I've shot. Fore-ends tend to feel a bit loose. Safety on trigger guard. Not too difficult to take down for cleaning; however the magazine plug is a pain in the .... to remove and replace. Mossberg 500 - Shoots fine, relatively light and easy to carry (aluminum frame), but most I've shot felt a bit loose and rattled a bit (but kept shooting and shooting and shooting...). Simple to take down for cleaning, but the amount of dirt/twigs/junk they can be loaded-up with and still come-up firing is amazing. Safety on back of receiver, where I like it. recently added a mirror-image lefty version....not sure why, as shells flying to the right never bothered me. Remington 870 - pretty good feel to it. Easy pump action to work; particularly the Wingmasters; which are noticeably smoother/tighter than the Express, and both feel tighter than a mossberg 500. With a bit of polish the Express can be almost as smooth as a wingmaster, but not as tight. easy to carry, but a bit heavy. Newer ones (express) show spotty quality control - the last one I've had needed polish to the feed ramp to correct a well-documented extraction/jamming issue with low brass. After polishing its been 100% reliable (but you shouldn't have to do that to a new shotgun!) Safety on trigger guard, but a mirror-image lefty version is available, as are replacement lefty safeties for the righty guns. Ithaca 37 - Light (particularly the featherweights) well fitted, and easy to carry. Overall a nice gun for the woods. Safety on the trigger guard. 37's tend to be purpose-built shotguns; most are fixed barrel and not readily changeable from one purpose to another. Throws empty shells to your feet, which can be a little disconcerting until you get used to it. Winchester 12 - a bit heavy, but a classic, well-made, well fitted shotgun. Local gunsmith tells me he's never seen a "worn-out" model 12. Works a little different from most pumps-you have to make sure you push the pump forward-THEN rearward-to work it. loading is a little different...if you're not used to it, you will think the shell isn't all the way in the magazine. safety on the trigger guard. Winchester 1200 - middle ground between a mossberg 500 and a remington 870. not as light as the 500, not quite as nice feeling action as the 870. Safety on the trigger guard. Ejector spring is a pain...if you don't put the barrel on correctly, you will ruin the ejector spring. Browning BPS - A bit heavy, but extremely smooth, tight, well-made and well-fitted shotgun. Safety on back of receiver. Throws empties to your feet, like the Ithaca. A bit of a pain to disassemble/reassemble. If I could have only one hunting shotgun; it would be a BPS, with two barrels - one for birds and one for deer.

Looking at the web pages, it looks to be a sales pitch for "pre-paid" legal services....thanks, but no thanks!

I am in lust........... Take note, Steve....I want one

I am sure it said Berlin...actually I think it was West Berlin, NJ. I saw it on Facebook as one of those ad/update things, and was kinda surprised by it - I am usually aware of conferences like these, such as the one you mention in Brick, but haven't heard of anything going on down here in South Jersey. I haven't seen the Facebook ad since, so I wonder what is going on.... I guess I'll have to keep my eye out and see. W2MC

Thought I saw a fleeting mention of some sort of gun law forum upcoming in Berlin NJ. Anyone know anything about it?

Keep your speed down, your mouth shut, and everything out of sight.......

I dunno about everyone else, but I had nothing but trouble with gas. They finally ran the line thru, because would only do it if they got enough customers. I figured I would convert over, so I paid the $100 or so for them to hook me up. But.....before I had even connected, they sent me a bill for $600...estimated. Understand...the meter reads 000. There was no gas drawn, because it was the middle of winter; I was waiting for spring (and burn-off my oil tank). Plus, I was going to start with the water heater and dryer, then the stove, then the furnace in the spring. But...when I called to protest, they told me they would 'take care of it'....and sent me a bill for $300! If that's how the gas company will "take care of me" before I've even drawn a whiff of their gas.....I will never connect.

What sort of "mobile unit" are you talking about? A 2 Meter rig, or a full HF/VHF/UHF rig? I have several 2 meter rigs currently.... Jon W2MC

X2 - wells, water heaters, and many furnaces run on 240

When the SHTF, good luck with your single-shot.....

A very good point. The only time I've ever done this was to polish the chamber and, more importantly, the feed ramp on a relatively new 870 that had tool chatter marks that were deep and sharp enough to cause it to lock-up when extracting low brass shells. (Interestingly, it only affected low brass, High brass guided the shell out of the chamber further and allowed the shell rim to step-over the chatter marks and onto the smooth portion of the ramp.) And yes, a LOT of firearms have been destroyed by folks who didnt know what they were doing (or thought they did...) And also yes, no amount of polishing will turn a 311A into an ejector shotgun....extractors only

Or an old brass cleaning brush wrapped in steel wool and chucked-into a variable-speed drill turning slowly. EDIT - soaked in oil!

Sounds like something that's going to be fought-out in the courts - for several years to come. A very sad note for those who have cash or assets tied-up in this mess. But battling via posted handbills or Internet forums isn't going to make a bit of difference.

After a few weeks, they wont be going to such extremes...

Agree - a deal-breaker for me as well; and one I cannot understand. What do commercial ranges have against reloads?

JimB's wife or her new shotgun?

Nice deal. You might find the stock in better shape than you think. Depending on when it was made, Stevens used to coat their stocks with some sort of paint/stain mix that comes off pretty easily with steel wool. If the stock's finish looks really blotchy and scraped...it may be that finish. If it is, its likely a nice light birch underneath. Buff the crappy finish off and give it several coats of tung oil, and it will look great!