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Home Defense Shotgun

SFCRetired

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Messages
1,764
Location
Montgomery, Alabama, USA
Anyone here have any experience with the Mossberg Model 88?
Just bought one and it looks pretty good and the action seems to be pretty smooth. Just hope I haven't made a mistake.
 

skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
You did buy one with a standard stock, right?

Or did someone somehow convince you that a pistol-grip-only shotgun not only looks sexy but shoots better?

Inquiring minds are scared to find out the answer.

stay safe.
 

thebigsd

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
Messages
3,535
Location
Quarryville, PA
Anyone here have any experience with the Mossberg Model 88?
Just bought one and it looks pretty good and the action seems to be pretty smooth. Just hope I haven't made a mistake.

Is that the same line as the Mossberg Maverick 88? I'm guessing yours has a shorter barrel since it is for home defense. If so, it is one good shooting gun.
 
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SFCRetired

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Messages
1,764
Location
Montgomery, Alabama, USA
@skid: This old man knows better than to buy either a rifle or shotgun with a pistol grip only. I did notice the owner's manual went into how to change from a regular stock to a pistol grip only. I don't think my old arthritic hands could handle that.

@thebigsd: Yup, it's the same line. It is a shorter barreled gun and was described as a "tactical" (whateverinell that means) shotgun.

The reason I was somewhat concerned after I bought it was the price. Academy Sports had it for $189 and that wasn't a "sale" price. I've been wanting a shotgun for home defense for some time and this just seemed to fit the bill.

What I've got in it now is 2 3/4" #4 buckshot which I think will do what I want without blowing out the side of the house and half the neighbors to boot. Now, I've just got to find a cheaper source of ammo for it and my other babies.

Thanks for the input, guys. Appreciate it.
 

Daylen

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
2,223
Location
America
@skid: This old man knows better than to buy either a rifle or shotgun with a pistol grip only. I did notice the owner's manual went into how to change from a regular stock to a pistol grip only. I don't think my old arthritic hands could handle that.

@thebigsd: Yup, it's the same line. It is a shorter barreled gun and was described as a "tactical" (whateverinell that means) shotgun.

The reason I was somewhat concerned after I bought it was the price. Academy Sports had it for $189 and that wasn't a "sale" price. I've been wanting a shotgun for home defense for some time and this just seemed to fit the bill.

What I've got in it now is 2 3/4" #4 buckshot which I think will do what I want without blowing out the side of the house and half the neighbors to boot. Now, I've just got to find a cheaper source of ammo for it and my other babies.

Thanks for the input, guys. Appreciate it.

I think "tactical" is the gun version of "sleek and sexy".
 

thebigsd

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
Messages
3,535
Location
Quarryville, PA
I think "tactical" is the gun version of "sleek and sexy".

ad494d13-a141-891f.jpg
 

09jisaac

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2011
Messages
1,692
Location
Louisa, Kentucky
I like how you're not the kind of guy who is like "It has to be 00 or else it won't kill", #4 buckshot should be plenty to stop a threat in the length of most rooms.
 

jeeper1

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2008
Messages
692
Location
USA
"tactical' is one of the three most misused words relating to firearms. "ultimate" and "assault" being the other two.
 

Dreamer

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
5,360
Location
Grennsboro NC
I like how you're not the kind of guy who is like "It has to be 00 or else it won't kill", #4 buckshot should be plenty to stop a threat in the length of most rooms.

The fact of the matter is that a center-mass hit or head shot with even most BIRDSHOT loads from a 12ga at "inside the house" distances will be enough to "stop the threat" with one shot in about 99% of the circumstances. I usually load my home-defense Mossberg (a model 500) with #2 shot (not buckshot--the pellets in this load are a little bigger than a standard BB-gung BB). I live in a small condo and the internal walls are pretty thin (two layers of sheet rock and no masonry) and anything heavier than #2 would almost certainly compromise the walls here--potentially endangering my family members in a home-defense situation.

If you believe the medical data and crime statistics, the VAST majority of people who are killed with shotguns are shot with birdshot--and tiny pellets in #7 or #8 loads at that. At close ranges, even #8 birdshot will kill you just as dead as #000 Buckshot or a slug.

If you live in an all-masonry home and you expect to be assaulted by people wearing body armor or you plan on being engaged in some sort of "urban tactical assault", then buckshot might be a good choice, but in a small apartment, condo or home with thin walls and no structural masonry, a heavy birdshot load will be more than sufficient for home defense...
 

Daylen

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
2,223
Location
America
I like how you're not the kind of guy who is like "It has to be 00 or else it won't kill", #4 buckshot should be plenty to stop a threat in the length of most rooms.

So I guess you wouldn't like 'it better be 000 in a 3" magnum or its a waste of time'.
 

09jisaac

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2011
Messages
1,692
Location
Louisa, Kentucky
So I guess you wouldn't like 'it better be 000 in a 3" magnum or its a waste of time'.

It each has its place. It is just my opinion that #4 buck or even the larger shot would be more effective at close range (distance of most rooms).
 

Dreamer

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
5,360
Location
Grennsboro NC
Here is where I'm coming from...

I live in a 1000sq.ft, 3-bedroom condo. Exterior walls are brick and cinder block. Interior walls are sheet rock with metal studs.

The entrance is perpendicular to my stepdaughter's room. The master bedroom (where me and my shotgun are) is located on the opposite side of the condo from those two things. If a BG gets into the house and I confront him BEFORE he gets into the Master Bedroom, my stepdaughters room's wall is the backstop.

Any shell with pellets larger than #1 birdshot is going to be a pretty big risk for penetrating the wall and door of her bedroom. But at distances of less than 20 feet, I think that even 2 3/4" #7 birdshot is going to "stop the threat", and if the first shot doesn't do it, there are 5 more in the tube...

IF we lived in an all-brick house, I would be thinking differently. If the bedrooms were configured differently, I would be thinking differently. If it were a multi-story house I would use different ammo. If our home had big rooms and LOTS of open space, I would think differently.

But in this dwelling, with this configuration, my FIRST concern is my family's safety. Second concern is neighbor's an people outside. And my LAST concern is what other people THINK makes the "best" home-defense 12ga shotgun ammo, before they know the details of my specific situation.

Every home is different. Every scenario is different. Choose your ammo based on the layout and construction of your house, NOT on the opinions of a bunch of armchair tacti-cool net ninjas who may have never actually fired a shotgun inside an enclosed space.

Let some of these yuck-a-pucks go out to Chantilly VA and run through H&K's "tactical shotgun house" training a few times, and THEN they can tell us about how much fun it is to fire off several rounds of 3" 12ga in an enclosed space without hearing protection, because I can tell you from experience that it is NOT fun. Neither are 2 3/4" shells, but at least with them, you get your hearing back within a few hours, as opposed to a few days...
 
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Daylen

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
2,223
Location
America
I've shot at many a squirrel with #7. Once I missed the squirrel and hit the tree. I was probably 15 feet or less from the impact point. There was a hole in the tree that convinced me a shot to the head or throat would stop any two legged threat at that range or less no question. In the chest would probably convince the threat to stop being a threat. #7 is better than harsh language or harm to loved ones from over penetration.

Personally I like to make sure there is no need for a follow up, but I don't have the interior concerns some have.
 
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