Bought my girlfriend a Mossberg.

[Chris142]

She lives in a nicer trailer park. Mostly older retired people with nice yards.Reciently she has had some issues. People knocking on her door at night, stuff missing etc.

She got a German Sheppard and he cornered a guy in her back yard last Wednesday. When the cops showed up (35 minutes later) the guy was gone.

So Sunday we went to Big5 and they had a 12guage Mossberg Maveric on sale for $199. I was hoping for a 20guage for her but they said they could not get one.

So we had to do the California 10 day waiting period. While we were buying the gun someone pushed the window AC in and got into the house! No idea what the dog was doing at this time.

Don't look like they stole anything. Cops got called again and made a report and promised to do more patrols in her area.

BTW moving is not an option right now.

She originally wanted a pistol but me and the saleslady at the store talked her into a Shotgun. IMO theres no way that if she had to use a gun that she would hit an intruder with a pistol. She'd miss and shoot someone 3 trailers away.

So now... What kind of AMMO for her? Birdshot or 00?

 

[Astro14]

Buckshot. Birdshot is for just that - birds...

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
Buckshot. Birdshot is for just that - birds...
Ok. I was thinking that she would have a better chance of hitting someone with 50 small pellets vs 9 big ones.

 

[SuzukiGoat]

Number 8 low brass for the first two...

Buck for the rest.

Explain the true consequences of firing that weapon at someone. The majority of people do not have nightmares about pulling the trigger, its the fear that wakes them up thereafter. Not to mention that communistic state doesn't have a law on the books that dissallows a criminal or his estate from suing for damages after the fact.

The maverick 88 is a cheap Mexican made shotgun. Aluminum receiver, and kicks like a mule

BUT!!!!!!

it is an inherently reliable design....

Capable of firing and cycling when other shotguns would jam or explode.

 

[SuzukiGoat]

Shotgun was somewhere under there as well. After, ID merely soak it overnight in my drum of waste oil.

I still carry it in the back of my Suzuki to this day.

 

[jorton]

At close range she will still have to aim because the shot pattern will be fairly tight. She should also be proficient at loading, firing, repeating, and unloading the gun. Take her shooting several times.

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: Astro14
Buckshot. Birdshot is for just that - birds...
Ok. I was thinking that she would have a better chance of hitting someone with 50 small pellets vs 9 big ones.


Teach her to aim...the pattern at a typical shot range is only a few inches across, whether bird or buckshot. She really needs to aim...not close her eyes and pray...

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot3_2.htm

 

[Chris142]

Ya it's an ugly gun. But thats great for banging it on things in the dark. She's going to take a gun course for sure and I hear you about the repercussions of shooting someone in this state.

BTW it has "Made in USA" stickers all over it. They also had a Chinese gun for the same price but I chose the Mossberg.

 

[JHZR2]

She should have a lot of practice with 12ga, that may have a fairly good kick if she is light.

Good move, but though you said it wasnt an option... move.

 

[Reg# 43897]

Use a light buckshot. I am just thinking off the top of my head (look up Winchester or Federal's website) that a 4 buck uses a lot more pellets but it's still buckshot. I would also see if you can find her some 'reduced recoil' buckshot. Might be sold as law enforcement buckshot. It will help her on the recoil side & it will still waste ANYBODY within her range inside of a trailer!

All that being said, I am not totally averse to the idea of using a goose load, but, if you can find some reduced recoil buck, why not just go w/ it?

All the same, whatever she uses, she MUST take it to the range & use it in a controlled setting first. She's got to know which end is which so she doesn't blow her hand off or something. Seriously, if some fool breaks into her trailer WHILE SHE's IN IT, it's going to be terrifying for her. Using her shotgun will be something that she cannot have to think about - she will simply have to KNOW how to run it. The only decision she needs to make is whether she is lined up on her target properly & whether or not she wishes to fire. if not, she just gave them a loaded shotgun. Oh yeah, mount a flashlight on it somehow for her. You can replace the pump's fore stock w/ a Surefire mount or you can duct-tape a Maglight - you're choice, just do it. If she's gonna drop the hammer on a .12 ga at somebody, she's going to end their life. Wouldn't want it to be her drunk girlfriend crashing her place because she ran out of cab money. Don't laugh - I know it to have happened. What's worse is when they shoot one of their own teenagers who come in through a window because they either forgot their keys or are sneaking back home late.

Get a light!

John.

 

[SuzukiGoat]

Fairly good kick is an understatement and a half with 3inch loads in my 18.5 version. Its like the hand of god tapping your shoulder lol

Don't get me wrong sir, I wasn't belittling your purchase! Out of all the HD shotguns I have, only this one literally goes everywhere with me. It has never jammed, misfired, or been anything less than outstanding.

Yeah the made in America stickers are a little misleading for that weapon, unless they've shifted production.

I only recommended the two fine shot because of her location to her neighbors. But if 400 pellets don't stop her attacker, 8 or less will...and at that point the body should slow down all eight enough to where they don't punch through the thin walls and hurt a bystander.
Personally I have five r six buckshot loaded and a hollow slug.

Worst case and the boar, coyote, bear or criminal wont go down...there is a handy 450 grain .70 Cal backup plan.

 

[OneEyeJack]

Practice, practice, practice. Reduced power loads are a must. Don't worry about the hitting power, worry about proper use of the gun. No one walks upstream against a reduced power load from a 12 gauge. And take that dog somewhere for evaluation and maybe some training. Not all dogs no matter how big are up to the job of holding the fort. A little training can go a long way, just like using a shotgun.

 

[Highline9]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
She lives in a nicer trailer park. Mostly older retired people with nice yards.Reciently she has had some issues. People knocking on her door at night, stuff missing etc.

She got a German Sheppard and he cornered a guy in her back yard last Wednesday. When the cops showed up (35 minutes later) the guy was gone.

So Sunday we went to Big5 and they had a 12guage Mossberg Maveric on sale for $199. I was hoping for a 20guage for her but they said they could not get one.

So we had to do the California 10 day waiting period. While we were buying the gun someone pushed the window AC in and got into the house! No idea what the dog was doing at this time.

Don't look like they stole anything. Cops got called again and made a report and promised to do more patrols in her area.

BTW moving is not an option right now.

She originally wanted a pistol but me and the saleslady at the store talked her into a Shotgun. IMO theres no way that if she had to use a gun that she would hit an intruder with a pistol. She'd miss and shoot someone 3 trailers away.

So now... What kind of AMMO for her? Birdshot or 00?



Hesperia has gone down hill. I only answer the door with the ruger redhawk 44. It scares some people but I won't be the victim. Take the girlfriend out waste some clays and cans she will get the hang of it. Blowing things away with a shotgun is a good stress reliever.

 

[JimPghPA]

It's a 12 gauge, not a 4-10. Get low brass bird shot 2 and 3/4 inch (not the more powerfull 3 inch) like number 7 or even 9 if you can find it, or a similar round that someone would use for skeet shooting. It will not kick her on her tail end, and she will stil be standing for a second shot if it is required. Anything short of 50 feet and bird shot from a low brass 12 gauge shell is going to be leathal to ANYONE, even a NFL linebacker. BUT, the bird shot will be the quickest to stop with the least amount of penatration of other trailers. If you get something like 00 buck shot, shure it will bring down a moose or a bear, but it will also go throug the trailers behind the thug and take out a couple of her neighbors.

If she ever does fire it at a thug, she is going to have enough problems with the law and her own mental health. She will not need the added burde of hitting some neighbors while they are inside of their trailers.

BTW, get her a copy of the book "In the Gravest Extreme" by Massad Ayoob. It clearly defines when one should shoot to defend a life be it their own or anothers, and when pulling the triger will be calle murder and get the shooter a long stay turning big rocks into little rocks. If money is tight, get it from the library.

 

[JimPghPA]

If you are new to shotguns, "low brass" literally means low brass. The brass going up the side of the shell will only go up about 1/4 or 3/8 of an inch or so, compared to a high brass shell like a magnum that will have the brass go about an inch or more up the side of the shell.

So look for "low brass" bird shot for shells that will still be leathal at a good range, have a much liter kick, and much less chance of killing inocent people inside of their trailers.

 

[JimPghPA]

Johns idea of adding a light is a great idea. And LED flashlights can take the jolt of being mounted to a shotgun when it goes off, compared to a flashlight with a regular bulb that will have the filiment brake if it is hot by being lit when the gun fires.

You probably should use a somewhat high quality LED flashligh, but even a chepo harbor-freight 3 AAA might hold up if your taped the back on very well befor mountig it to the gun.

 

[JimPghPA]

Years ago, like back in the late 70's, a friend of mine who always pinched pennies, bought a single shot 12 GA 3 inch Magnums for home protection, from Sears for $35. He also pick up a box of 3 inch magnums. He then tole me it was for home defense. I told him it probably would shoot through his front door if someone was breaking in, but a powerfull shell like a 12 GA 3 inch Magnum will kick like a mule when fired from a lite waight gun like a single shot, that does not have the added weight of additional mechanics to reload it like a pump or a semi-auto.

He was a pistol shooter when he could afford one, and he then went on to tell me how a shotgun was no good at far range. I told him he was wrong. A shotgun, especially a powerfull one, can be fatal at long range like 100 yards. I told him to take some one gallon jugs of water to a range and fire at them to see what that gun can do.

After he fired at some one gallon jugs filled with water, he said that that gun has a lot more range then he thought, and that it really kicks like a mule. He also said that he showed his wife how to use it, but would not ever let her fire it, because if she ever shot it even once, she would be so afraid of it, that she would not be able to use it even if someone was breaking in.

 

[hatt]

First go buy a bunch of cheap game loads(if such a thing exists in Kali) and get her to learn to shoot the thing. An asset can turn into a liability if you're not prepared and capable of using it. If she doesn't know for certain that she could shoot someone she doesn't need it.

 

[ram_man]

I bought one today to. I heard it was a good gun for the price. I really like the Stevens 320 it has a pistol grip built on. If she can't handle the 88 maybe it the 320 would be a little better? For home defense I would have picked it I bought mine for hunting. Make sure given the right situation she will use the gun. It's not enough to have it you have to be willing to use it if necessary. No body wants to harm people but when push comes to shove you have to be able to pull the trigger. Above all else make sure she is mentally capable of it, not being rude at all but a lot of people cannot do it. There is nothing worse than someone with a gun who won't use it when needed. My mom is like that. She could pull it but not hit the trigger. Not a good thing but a pretty common one!

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Batteryjunction.com has many different flashlights and weapon mount versions. They also have some that have the pressure switch that mounts on trigger. No separate turn light on thing. Finger on trigger=light is on. Much easier when aiming in a hurry.