I’m leaning toward adding a home defense, aka security, shotgun to the arsenal. My options are to build my own, or to purchase one already assembled.
I can purchase either a Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 used for the $150-$200 range, a Remington Wingmaster usually runs a little more. I can score a security barrel for either for around a $100. I already have an ATI pistol grip stock and matching forearm that I bought that will fit either Remington or Mossberg. Cool added tactical stuff can be added an item at a time as I want. Initial investment would be around $300.
Looking around I am seeing security shotguns with either 18.5” or 20” barrels at some pretty good prices. The Savage/Stevens 320, which as near as I can tell is a ChiCom Winchester 1300, runs $230-$270. The Remington 870 and either Mossberg 500 or 590 seem to be running in the $360-$380 range. The Mossberg Maverick 88 checks in at $199. Stoeger and Winchester also have offerings that are going to fall in the Maverick-Savage/Stevens price range, I assume both of those are also going to be Foreign manufactured. Edit: the Winchester SXP is made in Turkey.
The advantage to a finished home defense shotgun is that it is obviously finished out of the box, most come with higher capacity tube mags generally somewhere in the +2 range of a field grade shotgun.
The foreign made guns are getting pretty good reviews and seem every bit as good as the reviews for their new American made counterparts. The disadvantage to the ChiComs is that aftermarket goodies aren’t as plentiful and extras purchased may need to be adapted to make them work.
The big advantage to buying a used field gun and doing my own build is that I can pick and choose what specific components I want to add. There isn’t a cost savings by building that is significant, in fact it could end up being more. A second advantage is that it may be easier to find a used field gun over the next few months than it will be to find the off the shelf security shotguns. The COVID19 pandemic has apparently caused a run on any kind of defense firearms and stock will need to be replenished. I could run into the same issue when looking for a used field gun, I haven’t checked out the usual pawn shops yet. A third advantage would be that it can double as an extra field shotgun if I want to use it that way.
Thoughts?
Bookmarks