Let's talk inexpensive shotguns

[Jessie]

I bought an 8 shot Maverick 88 a while ago. It's a " Mossberg " generic 3" 12 ga. made in Texas.
Poly stock and nothing fancy or interchangeable with them since the forearm is pinned to its double action rods.
I thought I got a bargain then @ $192.
Now? They're $152.
Talk about a 12 ga. truck gun.

[BigBill]

Kmart had a sale decades ago at $159. Couldn’t pass that up. I purchased a mossberg 18.5” riot barrel, a shell holder sling and a elastic five round shell holder for the butt stock. I don’t think there is a better shotgun for that low cost. I found a 30” barrel for it too. I’d rather buy another one than switch barrels. These are sweet shotguns.

[AlHunt]

I have an 88, pistol grip, 18.5" barrel. Very handy.

Stoeger Coach Gun in .410 is on my wish list.

[BigBill]

I have a older western auto, fox double barrel shotgun with 32” barrels I ordered at WA when I worked there.

[Jessie]

Is that a Fox Sterlingworth?

[rwsmith]

A kid had messed it up and was looking to get rid of a Turkish Akkar, so I got if from him for a song and fixed it up so it runs fine. It's a pump make of aluminum and plastic except for the barrel, so it's really light. It'll kill you if you try to shoot a hot 3" shell through it. But I found the 2 3/4" shells to be tolerable. I'd say that they are pretty good for a less expensive gun.

[BigBill]

Originally Posted by Jessie

Is that a Fox Sterlingworth?

Not sure but everyone wants it. It has very low hunting miles on it.

[Jessie]

I think it will be stamped into it somewhere if so.

[colt_saa]

I only have one "Inexpensive" Shotgun

Several years back I bought a 12 Gauge SxS that had it's barrels crushed in a robbery attempt. Out the Door it was only $100

I cut down the barrels past the damage, squared up the front so it looked good and cold blued the bare steel to build myself this cool little 11" barreled Coach Gun.

If I were any good at woodwork, I would shorten the stock to a bird's head style grip

Other than that, I do not buy inexpensive firearms. The Pumps that I prefer to fight with are the Ithacas since they are bottom ejecting and slam fires.

[Jessie]

I have one that was my Grandfathers.
They seem to be the red- headed stepchild of the original Fox shotguns.
Good guns, but Fox apparently didn't like them being sold enmass.
Darn it! I hijacked my own thread again..

[Rpg]

Over the years I’ve owned a lot of shotguns. I’ve kept more than a few, and sent even more down the road.

Of these, more than a few have been pretty cheap guns. I’ve never kept one of the cheap guns for long.

The last cheap shotgun was a Mossberg 500: I was not impressed.

It had a 28” barrel with screw in chokes and a 20” slug barrel with open sights, all chambered for 3” magnums.

Aside from plastic bits and pieces breaking and falling off (eg: thumb safety), it functioned adequately on the first shot. It was downhill from there. The action was terrible: rough and clunky.

For a couple years I used it as a loaner for folks coming dove hunting. Then I sold it to a fellow who was enamored of the 20” barrel as just the thing for home defense with buckshot and slugs. He fired it a few times but hasn’t shot it since.

I wouldn’t buy another cheap modern pump shotguns. Comparing one of these to a Winchester M12 is like comparing a Yugo to a Rolls Royce.

You can find used Winchester M12’s or Remington 870’s for what you’d pay for these cheapo contemporary guns. Why anyone would buy one of the cheapo’s instead of a used Winchester or Remington beats me.

[67tempest]

Originally Posted by colt_saa

I only have one "Inexpensive" Shotgun

Several years back I bought a 12 Gauge SxS that had it's barrels crushed in a robbery attempt. Out the Door it was only $100

I cut down the barrels past the damage, squared up the front so it looked good and cold blued the bare steel to build myself this cool little 11" barreled Coach Gun.

If I were any good at woodwork, I would shorten the stock to a bird's head style grip

Other than that, I do not buy inexpensive firearms. The Pumps that I prefer to fight with are the Ithacas since they are bottom ejecting and slam fires.

Neat, but the $200 Fed tax stamp for the short barrels kinda puts a damper on it.

[Housepuss]

Remington Model 31's are nice cheap pump shotguns. Their build quality is excellent.

[PPS1980]

Originally Posted by Jessie

I bought an 8 shot Maverick 88 a while ago. It's a " Mossberg " generic 3" 12 ga. made in Texas.
Poly stock and nothing fancy or interchangeable with them since the forearm is pinned to its double action rods.
I thought I got a bargain then @ $192.
Now? They're $152.
Talk about a 12 ga. truck gun.

I've been considering that shotgun, mind my asking where they have them for $152?

[DWalt]

I have owned Maverick rifles and shotguns in the past, and they seemed OK to me. I bought a Maverick .30-'06 bolt action about 5-6 years ago (on sale at Academy for less than $200), and it fired excellent groups after I mounted a scope on it. I could fault only its fairly crude finish, not its mechanical integrity, and a somewhat gritty and heavy trigger pull which probably could have been slicked up. I sold it a couple of years back as I really had no need for it. Maverick is a division of Mossberg, located in Eagle Pass TX, on the Rio Grande southwest of San Antonio. Maverick has a somewhat unusual operation. Most gun components are manufactured at a Maquiladora across the river in Mexico, and assembled into guns on the Texas side. Don't scoff - Mexicans can turn out such items with quality as good as those made anywhere else in the world.

[white cloud]

I have a couple of Mossberg 590s. They are not exactly an Ithaca 37 or model 12 Winchester but very serviceable and reliable guns. At those prices it might be a good idea to round up a couple Maverick 88s. Call me crazy but I can easily see circumstances where a pump shotgun and box of buckshot becomes very valuable.

[DWalt]

The aforementioned Mossberg 88 I had was the result of buying it from a co-worker who was selling his guns as he needed the money (he was going through a divorce). I didn't really need it as I had other better shotguns, and bought it mainly to help him out. I probably didn't put more than 100 shells through that Maverick (at clay pigeons) before I sold it, but it seemed perfectly functional and reliable to me. At the same time I bought a nice 12 gauge Browning Citori, an unfired Winchester 94 .30-30 commemorative (but I don't remember what it commemorated), and a cute Remington 870 20 gauge Upland from him. I sold the M94 and the 870 fairly quickly and gave the Citori to my son, who still has it.

[Jessie]

Originally Posted by PPS1980

I've been considering that shotgun, mind my asking where they have them for $152?

Found it on gunbroker

[Wee Hooker]

I had a 88 once. Darn nice for the $
That said, I stumbled onto the RIA M5 in a local gunshop and fell in love.
Nickle coated,heat shield,speed feed stock and the absolute slickest action I've ever felt on any pump gun at any price. ( Action is a copy of the old High Standard Flight king.) Cost was a whopping $212. I believe they are still around at that price.
M30 M5 Matte Nickel | Armscor International, Inc

[august1410]

I have a Remington 878 Automaster. Bought it for $200 a couple of years ago. It's a three shot semi auto that is the smoothest, easiest shooting semi auto I have ever shot. Made for four years, 1959-1963. Mine is from 8/59.

[bulletslap]

In my opinion, for what it is worth, the Remington 31 is the best cornsheller ever made, and I own examples of most good pump guns.

[PPS1980]

Originally Posted by Jessie

Found it on gunbroker

Gracias, amigo.

[GypsmJim]

I have 3 1960's vintage Mossberg 500's, made back when they were 100% USA and their catalog advertised it as such. I suspect that they will last a lifetime.

My only experience with Mavericks and the other TexMex Mossbergs is that they shouldn't be allowed to be sold under the Mossberg name. Anything goes wrong and their warranty is useless.

[bulletslap]

And the Mossberg 500 owes a lot to the Remington 31.

[Drm50]

Originally Posted by bulletslap

In my opinion, for what it is worth, the Remington 31 is the best cornsheller ever made, and I own examples of most good pump guns.

I'm not a Remington fan of the guns they started building with
stamped parts. To me the Mod 12 is the best pump ever built,
my gunsmith who was a died in the wool pre 64 Win man would
back you on the Rem 31. He claimed it was better than the M12.
The M12 Win, M31 Rem and Ith 37 were the best pumps built.
Milled part guns are gone for good. Rem took the market with
the 870 for years, High Standard was a good gun too. They sold
more of them through store brands than their own label. The
Pumps have been in a race to the bottom. Mossberg lost and
ended up being market leader. Rem 870 have turned to junk and
post Wins were not as good as a Moss. Brownings are nothing
special and Savage Stevens never made a popular pump. With
my dollar I'm going to look for a good old milled steel 12-31-37.
I wouldn't carry or depend on the new low end guns. There are
Several older Rem pumps and Win 97s that are also good guns
and can be bought reasonable.

[Steve912]

Originally Posted by 67tempest

Neat, but the $200 Fed tax stamp for the short barrels kinda puts a damper on it.

Hopefully he got one...

Originally Posted by Jessie

I bought an 8 shot Maverick 88 a while ago. It's a " Mossberg " generic 3" 12 ga. made in Texas.
Poly stock and nothing fancy or interchangeable with them since the forearm is pinned to its double action rods.

They will take a 500 barrel. Found a 500 slug barrel (rifled
with rifle sights) in Sportsman's Guide many years ago for
something like $35...worked just fine on the 88.

[TX-Dennis]

I have a super cheapo Chinese made copy of the Remington 870 called Hawk 982. It's been a reliable weapon. Solid and well made. Hurts me to shoot it, though. I think I paid $125 for it about six or seven years ago.

[6GUNSONLY]

I'm a big fan of the Ithaca 37. I have two, a 20" barrel Deerslayer with rifle sights and a 28" barrel fairly scarce 3" model. I'd buy another one given the right model and opportunity. I had a Featherlight 20 gauge but couldn't hit the ground with that little gun for some reason and sold it. Mine weren't cheap/cheap but not bank-busters, either. I had another 37 with a 20" plain cylinder bore barrel and a 30" full choke, my brother-in-law talked me out of it 30 years ago and still has it.

[DWalt]

The Winchester Model 1200 was the successor to the Model 12, and was made quite simply by using an alloy receiver and many stamped parts. Nonetheless, it was well made and very durable, and it stayed in production for a long time. There were even some in use by the U. S. Military, mainly by the USAF. I have one which I figure has been fired at least 50,000 rounds, and it is still as good as it ever was, even though I haven't used it for about 10 years. I have never needed to replace anything in it. In fact I have grown to like it better than my two Model 12s, as it is lighter weight and has a much smoother action.

[C J]

The H&R Pardner Pump Protector is a very well made shotgun that sells for under $160 new. It's a 870 clone. Every part will interchange with an 870 except the barrels. They put the lugs in a different place to avoid totally copying the 870 and infringing their patent. I bought 2 a few years back. I still have one and I gave one away. I also have an 870. In some ways the H&R is a better shotgun.

H&R Pardner Pump Protector 5+1 12ga 18.5" $158.00

[shouldazagged]

If we're talking about economical guns, I'm very partial to the Stevens 311 double, especially the older ones. Solid, reliable, and balanced well for me. My all-time favorite shotgun was a 311 (though it had the Sears name on it) twenty gauge, 28" full and modified. Fit me to a T, and I took a carload of doves and rabbits with it. I'm partial to double triggers. They're what I learned shotgunning on.

[Bill Raby]

I got a Chinese double barrel 12 gauge with 20 inch barrels and external hammers. Really cool and actually pretty good quality. I think it was about $200. One problem. It says lead shot only. So I called the importer and asked if there wasany problem with shooting slugs. Don't shoot slugs! Says the choke is too tight for that. Well that sucks. Choke is very tight. No problem. I just sawed the choke off. Now it has 18 1/4 inch barrels. I cut a piece of metal to fill in the new hole between the barrels and put the sight bead back on. Then I stripped off all the blueing and browned all the metal. Now I got a great little slug gun.