Been looking at the Mossberg 930, had a Mossberg auto before and really liked it, but traded it off for a Winchester Defender 20ga when my wife wanted to try a shotgun. Still didn't work for her as she is very tiny.
So, I'm looking to add a short auto to the mix, thought I'd see what folks here had to say before I started hitting the shops.
Re: Short barrelled autoloader for home defense?
2I had some reliability issues with Elmo's Mossberg 930, which is what pushed me to go with the Stoeger instead. Mostly some feeding issues- but I've had my Stoeger M3000 for several months now and haven't experienced any of the same issues. Both are available in a shorter HD configuration.
The other advantage that won me over to the Stoeger is that it's inertia driven operation rather than gas driven- one less thing to worry about from a cleaning and reliability perspective. Should be in the same ballpark price range, extension tubes are available for both.
The other advantage that won me over to the Stoeger is that it's inertia driven operation rather than gas driven- one less thing to worry about from a cleaning and reliability perspective. Should be in the same ballpark price range, extension tubes are available for both.
Re: Short barrelled autoloader for home defense?
3Thanks, I've never heard of a Stoeger, but I'm not really a shotgun person. We carried Remingtons and Winchesters in the squads so those are the ones I've spent the most time on.
Re: Short barrelled autoloader for home defense?
4Stoeger is owned by Benelli- who is a very respected manufacturer in the shotgun world. They use the same inertia driven design that has been vetted for years by Benelli. Stoeger and the Mossberg are both considered to be entry level 3-Gun shotguns, which is where my exposure to them both came from.
Spara runs the Stoeger for competition and loves it, Elmo runs the Mossberg and has had some issues- his is one of the earlier ones, they may have gotten better since then, I have no experience with them other than Elmo's which I had the chance to shoot. But that's what pushed me to the Stoeger instead.
Spara runs the Stoeger for competition and loves it, Elmo runs the Mossberg and has had some issues- his is one of the earlier ones, they may have gotten better since then, I have no experience with them other than Elmo's which I had the chance to shoot. But that's what pushed me to the Stoeger instead.
Re: Short barrelled autoloader for home defense?
5I've shot a buddy's Benelli, it was sweet. I'll take a look at the Stoeger next time I drive to the big gun store (90 miles away).
Re: Short barrelled autoloader for home defense?
6Are you talking Tax Stamp Short Barrel or a more conventional length?
Re: Short barrelled autoloader for home defense?
7Thanks for the tip on the M3000. I knew Beretta owned Benelli, but I didn't know the connection to Stoeger.
"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Re: Short barrelled autoloader for home defense?
8Conventional, 18" or so. Just something maneuverable for hallways inside the house.TheViking wrote:Are you talking Tax Stamp Short Barrel or a more conventional length?
Re: Short barrelled autoloader for home defense?
9We're keeping an eye out for a 20-gauge auto for my wife, so this is a useful thread. Thanks all!
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Re: Short barrelled autoloader for home defense?
10If she's small, glad you're going auto. My wife is only 5'1" and she doesn't have long enough arms to properly and comfortably operate one.TinkerPearce wrote:We're keeping an eye out for a 20-gauge auto for my wife, so this is a useful thread. Thanks all!
Re: Short barrelled autoloader for home defense?
11Make sure that the shotgun is fitted for her. Since she's small, check the length of pull (LOP) so she can properly mount it. You can either cut down the stock ore replace it with a youth stock to adjust the LOP. If it the shotgun is fitted correctly she'll be able to mount and shoot properly, lessing the likelihood of bruising. Lena Miculek is pretty small and like many lady 3 gunners, she handles 12-gauges just fine because they're fit properly. See how easily she's able to mount it and put in her shoulder pocket? You want to be able to do that with your shotgun.Queen wrote:If she's small, glad you're going auto. My wife is only 5'1" and she doesn't have long enough arms to properly and comfortably operate one.TinkerPearce wrote:We're keeping an eye out for a 20-gauge auto for my wife, so this is a useful thread. Thanks all!
Re: Short barrelled autoloader for home defense?
12That is excellent. I feel bad for little gals, especially in places like where we live, just not a lot of options/choices or assistance with making alterations. I remember when we were trying to fit my honeys motorcycle to her, what a PITA!
Re: Short barrelled autoloader for home defense?
13From what I've seen the Mossberg 930 is a pretty good auto. Just take it down and clean it on the regs like you would any autoloading shotgun and you should be good to go.