I'm looking to purchase a 20g shotgun. Ideally I'd like to find a sxs coach but am open to other options. I'd prefer something older and not expensive as this will be my first shotgun and am not sure if I'll be sticking with a 20 or 410. My wife has a back injury and I'm sure she wouldn't like/be able to handle a 12. I originally started looking for a 410, but most of my research has led me to the 20. It will be used primarily for the range, but if something goes bump in the night, it would be handy to have as a backup. I'd prefer something with wood furniture as it comes across as less intimidating to the missus. She went to the range for the first time a week ago. She was a little overwhelmed by the selection of hand guns, so I started her with a .22 revolver and she handled it quite well. Once she became comfortable, I had her try a .38 revolver and she actually liked that more than the .22. I've got a Smith model 36 on hold until my permits show up, but wanted to put my feelers out there for a long arm. Should I not discredit the 410? Any makes/models I should be on the lookout for? There was a new sxs at the lgs but it was heavy as sin and the quality seemed to be mediocre at best. If anyone has any input on where to start looking, I'd love to hear what you have to say. thanks!

Why SxS versus O/U, pump or SA?

I think 20GA is a good option.  For range and HD I would recommend an 18" barrel pump like a Mossberg 500 or a Remington 870.  Both are readily available with wood furniture at good prices.

@Purple Patrickhas a mossy pump 20 g with foldable stock. 

Mrs Z has an 11/87 in 20

but, she has shot my 870 hd in 12.

ill say whatever works for you, but for me it's not .410

Don't get a side x side or over under, they will kick pretty hard compared to a quality semi auto. I would suggest a semi auto 20 gauge or pump, I have the 500 and everyone likes to shoot it even 10 year olds(@sota how olds your son?).

410 is a useless caliber imo

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I absolutely love my 870. Great simple machine.


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Purpose of a 410 is for small game. You can defend yourself with a 410 just like you can with a 22 rf but neither would be the best choice.  A 20 gauge is not much less than a 12.

I have a couple of sxs including a 12 gauge coach gun.  I don't think the recoil is that bad.  However, I would suggest a 20 gauge pump for an all around gun. Mossbergs can be had for under 300 just a little more than the Savage and NEF Chinese imports (which are pretty decent).

Is your on a budget is get a Mossberg 500 in 20g or even 12g. You can get Iow recoil mini shells for the wife and honestly 12g bird shot is not realy that much kick. 

If you can spend a little more take a look at semiautos. Especially the benellis with the Comfort tech stocks. One of those in 20g would probably kick less than a 410 coach gun.

You can walk into any gun shop or Walmart (in free america) and buy 12g ammo. You can probably get 20g ammo. Good luck finding cheap range ammo in 410 consistently 

2 hours ago, AlexTheSane said:

Why SxS versus O/U, pump or SA?

I like the shorter over all length of the gun for weight distribution purposes as well as maneuverability and the simplicity of operation. (There's also the fact that I used to play with my grandfather's old sxs when I was a kid, so I have a predisposition to liking them.) O/U would be an option too so long as I could find one with a shorter barrel. I picked up a mossberg 500 in Dicks and it looked and felt incredibly cheap. It rattled like hell and the forearm and stock wood looked horrible. If I could find an older pump in 20, I'd be interested as well, but it seems all I can find used in the local gun shops are all 12 gauges with long barrels. 

Ive gotta see if I can rent a shotgun at GSSC the next time I go.  I forgot to look at what they had on the rental rack. 

Im also keeping my eyes peeled on the stuff for sale here on the forums. 

Get a 12  and low  recoil loads.  A 24"  ribbed choked barrel will give you best of  all choices.  Benellli Super Nova pump

20ga pump. Whether it's Remington, Mossberg, benelli, etc comes down to what feels good in your hands. The safety button is located in different locations. Wood versus synthetic is personal. Some prefer one over the other. Wood is heavier. Will help with recoil. 

Get some high brass small game loads in #4 shot or better yet get BB shot.  For home defense (inside 30') birdshot is very effective. Try it on some mellons.  Lol. 

Perhaps a Remington 870 Wingmaster with the wood furniture.

Something like this. http://www.gunbroker.com/item/662879575

 

 

14 minutes ago, DaddyNick said:

20ga pump. Whether it's Remington, Mossberg, benelli, etc comes down to what feels good in your hands. The safety button is located in different locations. Wood versus synthetic is personal. Some prefer one over the other. Wood is heavier. Will help with recoil. 

Get some high brass small game loads in #4 shot or better yet get BB shot.  For home defense (inside 30') birdshot is very effective. Try it on some mellons.  Lol. 

This has been discussed before.  Don't use birdshot for HD.  Yes, it might work but has shallow penetration.  Shooting melons proves it is good on melons not SD.

Use buckshot for HD.

Just now, GRIZ said:

This has been discussed before.  Don't use birdshot for HD.  Yes, it might work but has shallow penetration.  Shooting melons proves it is good on melons not SD.

What if your home is invaded by this guy?

4 minutes ago, AlexTheSane said:

What if your home is invaded by this guy?

A machete would work on him and would be easier to clean up.

5 minutes ago, GRIZ said:

This has been discussed before.  Don't use birdshot for HD.  Yes, it might work but has shallow penetration.  Shooting melons proves it is good on melons not SD.

Use buckshot for HD.

I have yet to read of any burglary or home invasion perpetrated by naked, melon like individuals.....

wrap a down jacket, loose hoodie, or a carhart around that melon.

i use 00 buck, 

Do not use bird shot for HD. It leaves a nasty looking but shallow wound that isn't very effective in stopping a determined attacker. If you feel you and/or your family is in enough danger you need to fire a shotgun in defense of them, use something effective that will have a better chance of stopping the attacker and his aggressive actions towards you.

Invest in some 00 or #1 buck designed for social purposes. There are lots of low recoil options that were designed for Law Enforcement that shine in this role.

Look at Federal Flight Control and Hornady TAP specifically. They are both are low recoil rounds that maintain very tight groups at room/hallway distances - I'm talking cover all 8 pellets at 10 yards with the palm of your hand tight. These rounds were designed for FISHing and perform very well and the low recoil design makes them almost as mild as a 20g and still quite potent.

Whatever you get, make sure you pattern it in YOUR shotgun at distances that are appropriate for your situation. With a shotgun it is imperative that you know what your shotgun does with your ammo at different distances.

4 hours ago, GRIZ said:

A machete would work on him and would be easier to clean up.

Ha!

Don't forget a 1911 in the other hand. It worked in WW1 to clear trenches, it's gotta be perfect for HD! [/sarcasm]

 

45 minutes ago, High Exposure said:

Ha!

Don't forget a 1911 in the other hand. It worked in WWInto clear trenches, it's gotta be perfect for HD [/sarcasm]

@GRIZ what was WW1 like?.....

Lol! No that has nothing to do with Griz.

Thats from an old thread here where a member was stating that  WW1 trench warfare tactics with a 1911 and combat knife were superior to modern SWAT/CQB/FISH tactics when it came to defending your home.

1 hour ago, GRIZ said:

This has been discussed before.  Don't use birdshot for HD.  Yes, it might work but has shallow penetration.  Shooting melons proves it is good on melons not SD.

Use buckshot for HD.

I realize this has been discussed A LOT. The melon part was just a fun thing. Hence the"lol". 

I have no real world experience with shooting bad guys. But I've harvested a lot of deer with buckshot. If I could only have one round type it would be #1 buckshot.  I still believe inside a house (20'-30')that 80-110 BBs coming at ya is very effective. 

With family in the house I'm not using my shotgun. I'm sticking with a firearm using a single projectile. But that's a different discussing.

23 minutes ago, Zeke said:

@GRIZ what was WW1 like?.....

 

8 minutes ago, High Exposure said:

Lol! No that has nothing to do with Griz.

Thats from an old thread here where a member was stating that  WW1 trench warfare tactics with a 1911 and combat knife or superior to modern SWAT/CQB/FISH tactics when it came to defending your home.

We didn't have machetes in WWI.  We used 1911s, 1917 S&Ws, etools, and a sword if you were lucky enough to find one  

18 minutes ago, High Exposure said:

Lol! No that has nothing to do with Griz.

Thats from an old thread here where a member was stating that  WW1 trench warfare tactics with a 1911 and combat knife were superior to modern SWAT/CQB/FISH tactics when it came to defending your home.

Dudes old bro...

jus sayen 

 

back to Op. please don't consider the judge or its variants.

TBHO, an AR is a better choice, but I ain't got no AR jus yet.

Agreed Zeke and an AR is my first pick for HD.

A shotgun with appropriate ammo is second.

My recommendation to the OP is to grab a Remington 870. Go to a gun show and grab a beat up looking Police trade in cheap. They may look rough, but they fall under the category of carried a lot, shot a little. I guarantee it is practically brand new where it counts. Spend a few MOE bucks to get it refinished (if you care to) -and you are all set with shotgun better than an express model for much less than a "police" model.

Remember, function over form. Don't force an unsuitable gun into a role it isn't meant for. If that's all you have, that's one thing. But you are buying for a specific purpose. Don't limit yourself to 2 rounds and a sllllloooooooowwww reload in a self defense situation.

If you have your heart set in it, get the SxS you want, just use it for an appropriate purpose.

My opinion is that you are looking at this the wrong way. 

1) SxS type guns will kick more. If recoil is a consideration, the absolutely go to a Semi auto shotgun, specially something gas operated. They are vastly softer in feel, more on that in a second

2) Pump guns and SxS have the same issue, no recoil attenuation from the action. 

3) 20ga guns tend to be lighter then 12ga guns as for some reason many companies build them on reduced size receivers, thinner barrels, etc , they end up being lighter and feeling like a 12ga when shot due to lack of mass. My wife's 20ga 870 feel like it has more recoil then my 12ga 500. 

4) specialty loads like low recoils self defense loads are more common in 12ga then 20ga and usually a lot cheaper. 

 

For all the reasons above, if you or yours are recoils sensitive AND want a shotgun for home defense, get a semi-auto 12ga, it will be the better easier package to use. 

 

Or better yet, get a rifle. 

 

15 minutes ago, High Exposure said:

Agreed Zeke and an AR is my first pick for HD.

A shotgun with appropriate ammo is second.

My recommendation to the OP is to grab a Remington 870. Go to a gun show and grab a beat up looking Police trade in cheap. They may look rough, but they fall under the category of carried a lot, shot a little. I guarantee it is practically brand new where it counts. Spend a few MOE bucks to get it refinished (if you care to) -and you are all set with shotgun better than an express model for much less than a "police" model.

Remember, function over form. Don't force an unsuitable gun into a role it isn't meant for. If that's all you have, that's one thing. But you are buying for a specific purpose. Don't limit yourself to 2 rounds and a sllllloooooooowwww reload in a self defense situation.

If you have your heart set in it, get the SxS you want, just use it for an appropriate purpose.

I read a testimony to the 870 durability a few years ago.  A guy had a 870 he used for years to shoot trap and skeet and he was a meticulous record keeper. His 870 started to give him feeding problems.  Never missed a beat before.  He sent it back to Remington for a fix and researched his records.  He had fired over 500,000 rounds through that gun.  Maybe not the norm but an example.

I've found that a $6 can of quality matte black barbeque spray paint does wonders for the worn finish of a utility shotgun.  Degrease well and be careful and it looks great.  Pretty durable and easy to touch up.

One of the only times TWD had accurate gunplay was in the first season of Fear when Daniel shoots the zombie in the face from a few yards away with birdshot and ends up blowing it's face off but of course not penetrating the skull to kill it. I believe he ends up knocking it over and shooting it point blank thru the mouth.

Of course it's a T.v. show but I thought this was a perfect example of not using birdshot

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i know a lot of people are steering you away from the sxs, but if your going to only have one shotgun a pump is the best all around option. you cant go wrong with a mossberg 500, which is my personal preference, or a remington 870

12ga is so common that ill echo what Vlad G said on going 12 over 20

i keep federal low recoil 00 buck in mine. birdshot is well, for the birds

2 hours ago, GRIZ said:

 

We didn't have machetes in WWI.  We used 1911s, 1917 S&Ws, etools, and a sword if you were lucky enough to find one  

Were you wearing your gas mask .

36 minutes ago, silverado427 said:

Were you wearing your gas mask .

We were peeing on socks and tying them to our face.  Works pretty good with chlorine but not so good with mustard gas.