Shotguns

Shooters into 3-Gun competition are driving a lot of innovation in firearms and performance accessories, arguably benefitting the shotgun segment the most. Practical rifles and pistols already have plenty of development to improve sights, speed, and capacity, and many of those improvements — beveled mag wells, lightened hammers, expanded magazine capacities, various optics, lightweight materials — have found their way into mainstream guns at nearly all pricepoints. Shotgun development has lagged the other two gun types, but scatterguns are now the beneficiaries of drop-in triggers, rail systems, high-viz sights, collapsible replacement buttstocks, and other refinements, but capacity has been an ongoing restriction. Shotshells are big in both profile and weight, so they take up a lot of space.

Remington Arms Company and its parent, Freedom Group, Inc. (FGI), are pleased to announce that the board of directors has appointed Robert L. Nardelli as Chief Executive Officer.

Samco Global Arms, Inc., U.S. importer for shotguns made by Akkar Silah Sanayi, Ltd., recently completed the setup and staffing for the new AKKAR-USA product service center in Miami.

Browning will introduce the A-5 recoil-operated shotgun into its 2012 product line. However, the iconic humpback-shaped receiver is the only thing this new Browning autoloader shares with its legendary namesake.

Here's a look at the 2011 new products from Taurus.

In this installment of our continuing tests of personal-defense loadings, we had to don our thinking caps. Shotgun shells are far different in performance than a handgun cartridge or rifle round. The standards are different as there is no X ring or group to measure. The density of the pattern is the primary consideration. Measuring the effectiveness of buckshot is simple as regards measuring a pattern, but a buck-and-ball load would be another matter. Slugs are another area of concern.Recoil is an important consideration as well. In the past, the primary problem with shotguns for personal defense was recoil. Even big burly police officers reached their limit quickly with full-power buckshot loads. The solution for many was to engage in tactical training with birdshot loads and deploy buckshot for duty after a modest familiarization. This was not the ideal program. Then came the reduced-recoil buckshot loads. By reducing the payload from nine to eight buckshot balls (in some cases) and reducing velocity by several hundred feet per second, a buckshot load that was both effective and controllable was invented. These loads are controllable, and as a bonus, usually produce a dense and effective pattern at close range. They are intended for use at ranges inside 15 yards. The full-power or even stronger Magnum shotgun shell loads are intended for tackling deer-size game out to 50 yards or so - a very different scenario than home defense. The homeowner in search of an effective shotgun load for his personal-defense shotgun does not need this type of power. They need a load that is about as powerful at 7 yards as the Magnum loads are at 50 yards. Citizens are better served with a dense pattern and moderate velocity at close range. Public safety is served with less penetration.A relatively dense pattern is desirable for effect on the target. However, there are trainers who tell us that the greatest advantage of the shotgun is seen at about 15 yards. At this range the pattern has spread to the point that you are more likely to get a hit without a perfect sight picture. If five or six of the pellets strike the target, you will probably have a stopping shot. Experienced trainers commonly refer to the different viable shotgun ranges as A, B, and C range. A range is the distance at which the shotgun must be aimed as carefully as a rifle. B range is the range at which the shotguns spread is most profitable. C range is the range at which the pattern is so broad it is no longer useful. C range is usually 20 yards with an open choke shotgun. C range is slug range.There was some discussion concerning the selection of the loads to be tested. We left much of the testing to the primary rater by dint of his extensive law enforcement experience. We noted that while these loads are reduced-recoil and lower velocity than full-power buckshot loads, they are no lightweights. These loads produce respectable power. We tested one full-power buckshot load, as an example, and the total package gave an energy count lower than some of the personal defense loads tested. Even the least powerful 12-gauge load tested exhibited about 1200 pounds of energy. This is about three times the energy of the standard handgun loads we have tested. No wonder the shotgun has such a reputation for effect! The raters agree that the 12 gauge is by far the superior option. No other gauge offers the versatility and effect of the 12 gauge.The test team leader remarked that buckshot is misunderstood. The pattern has advantages in more than one dimension. Few shooters realize that buckshot travels in a string. We see only one dimension in the target. As an example, if the target is moving, part of the string may miss, but the target may run right into the latter part of the string. It takes a lot of shooting to get a good handle on buckshot performance. Once you do, you will have a great respect for the performance of buckshot. You will also understand the limitations of range.We included one "Law Enforcement Only" load for comparison and really had only a few shells on hand. As far as the LE-only loads, most are available through one distributor or the other or at gun shows. When comparing LEO loads to standard fare, our conclusion was that there is no need to haunt the gun shows and pay through the nose for LEO shotgun shells. The readily available personal defense loads do at least as good a job, as you will see in the comparison tables. Some may even be the same load under a different label. The test shotguns were three Remington 870 shotguns and one H & R Pardner-type defensive shotgun, basically a copy of the 870 with a humpback. The barrels were 18 inches long with rifle sights and open choke. While shotguns are often individualistic with patterning, there wasnt a nickels worth of difference between these, as our raters noted. We fired the shells and rated the apparent recoil of each. We noted whether they struck to the point of aim and noted if the pattern was centered on the front post or front bead.Recoil was treated subjectively. Since these loads are designed to be used by anyone interested in personal defense, we enlisted two interested shooters. These fine young women were invaluable raters. One is a Criminal Justice Major and the other is a young soldier. Their perspective on the differences in recoil was keener than those of battered old cops that have fired a few thousand 12 gauge shells in their day. We fired the shotguns at 7 yards, the generally-agreed upon range that personal-defense engagement most often occurs. The old rule that a pattern spreads 1 inch per yard is probably applicable to these loads. Just the same, a 21-foot gun battle inside the home would be rare. Most battles would be closer. The 7-yard distance was chosen to give a good impression of the pattern to be expected.Heres how our load selections performed.

In this installment of our continuing tests of personal-defense loadings, we had to don our thinking caps. Shotgun shells are far different in performance than a handgun cartridge or rifle round. The standards are different as there is no X ring or group to measure. The density of the pattern is the primary consideration. Measuring the effectiveness of buckshot is simple as regards measuring a pattern, but a buck-and-ball load would be another matter. Slugs are another area of concern.Recoil is an important consideration as well. In the past, the primary problem with shotguns for personal defense was recoil. Even big burly police officers reached their limit quickly with full-power buckshot loads. The solution for many was to engage in tactical training with birdshot loads and deploy buckshot for duty after a modest familiarization. This was not the ideal program. Then came the reduced-recoil buckshot loads. By reducing the payload from nine to eight buckshot balls (in some cases) and reducing velocity by several hundred feet per second, a buckshot load that was both effective and controllable was invented. These loads are controllable, and as a bonus, usually produce a dense and effective pattern at close range. They are intended for use at ranges inside 15 yards. The full-power or even stronger Magnum shotgun shell loads are intended for tackling deer-size game out to 50 yards or so - a very different scenario than home defense. The homeowner in search of an effective shotgun load for his personal-defense shotgun does not need this type of power. They need a load that is about as powerful at 7 yards as the Magnum loads are at 50 yards. Citizens are better served with a dense pattern and moderate velocity at close range. Public safety is served with less penetration.A relatively dense pattern is desirable for effect on the target. However, there are trainers who tell us that the greatest advantage of the shotgun is seen at about 15 yards. At this range the pattern has spread to the point that you are more likely to get a hit without a perfect sight picture. If five or six of the pellets strike the target, you will probably have a stopping shot. Experienced trainers commonly refer to the different viable shotgun ranges as A, B, and C range. A range is the distance at which the shotgun must be aimed as carefully as a rifle. B range is the range at which the shotguns spread is most profitable. C range is the range at which the pattern is so broad it is no longer useful. C range is usually 20 yards with an open choke shotgun. C range is slug range.There was some discussion concerning the selection of the loads to be tested. We left much of the testing to the primary rater by dint of his extensive law enforcement experience. We noted that while these loads are reduced-recoil and lower velocity than full-power buckshot loads, they are no lightweights. These loads produce respectable power. We tested one full-power buckshot load, as an example, and the total package gave an energy count lower than some of the personal defense loads tested. Even the least powerful 12-gauge load tested exhibited about 1200 pounds of energy. This is about three times the energy of the standard handgun loads we have tested. No wonder the shotgun has such a reputation for effect! The raters agree that the 12 gauge is by far the superior option. No other gauge offers the versatility and effect of the 12 gauge.The test team leader remarked that buckshot is misunderstood. The pattern has advantages in more than one dimension. Few shooters realize that buckshot travels in a string. We see only one dimension in the target. As an example, if the target is moving, part of the string may miss, but the target may run right into the latter part of the string. It takes a lot of shooting to get a good handle on buckshot performance. Once you do, you will have a great respect for the performance of buckshot. You will also understand the limitations of range.We included one "Law Enforcement Only" load for comparison and really had only a few shells on hand. As far as the LE-only loads, most are available through one distributor or the other or at gun shows. When comparing LEO loads to standard fare, our conclusion was that there is no need to haunt the gun shows and pay through the nose for LEO shotgun shells. The readily available personal defense loads do at least as good a job, as you will see in the comparison tables. Some may even be the same load under a different label. The test shotguns were three Remington 870 shotguns and one H & R Pardner-type defensive shotgun, basically a copy of the 870 with a humpback. The barrels were 18 inches long with rifle sights and open choke. While shotguns are often individualistic with patterning, there wasnt a nickels worth of difference between these, as our raters noted. We fired the shells and rated the apparent recoil of each. We noted whether they struck to the point of aim and noted if the pattern was centered on the front post or front bead.Recoil was treated subjectively. Since these loads are designed to be used by anyone interested in personal defense, we enlisted two interested shooters. These fine young women were invaluable raters. One is a Criminal Justice Major and the other is a young soldier. Their perspective on the differences in recoil was keener than those of battered old cops that have fired a few thousand 12 gauge shells in their day. We fired the shotguns at 7 yards, the generally-agreed upon range that personal-defense engagement most often occurs. The old rule that a pattern spreads 1 inch per yard is probably applicable to these loads. Just the same, a 21-foot gun battle inside the home would be rare. Most battles would be closer. The 7-yard distance was chosen to give a good impression of the pattern to be expected.Heres how our load selections performed.

For home defense, the focus is usually on 12-gauge shotguns, but Gun Tests magazine recently tested a 20 gauge that for many—if not all—folks would be a better choice because of its lighter weight and reduced recoil: The Mossberg 500 Persuader/Cruiser 3-Inch 20 Gauge 6-shot No. 50452, $388.

Shortly after 1900, John Moses Browning took his idea for an autoloading shotgun to the U.S. Patent Office after parting ways with the Winchester Gun Co. The relationship ended when Winchester president T.G. Bennett wanted nothing to do with an "automatic.

Gathering his prototypes from the drafting room, Browning left Winchester to make an appointment to see Marcellus Hartley, president of Remington Arms Co. Over the phone, he received an enthusiastic response, so a meeting was set up to show Remington his wares. Sitting in Hartley's office, Browning was told that the president of Remington Arms Co. had died of a heart attack that very morning. Lacking any potential American manufacturers with the means to produce his newly created semiautomatic shotgun, Browning began the search elsewhere.

The famous firearms manufacturer, Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre, located at Herstal, Liege, Belgium, was waiting with open arms. By the end of 1961 alone, F.N. had produced 1,377,785 of the Model A-5 shotguns. Remington Arms produced approximately 300,000 of its Model 11, and Savage Arms produced thousands of the Model 720, with very little variance from the original design, under license from the F.N. factory. These shotguns are but three of Browning's legacies, and because of the numbers that were produced, you may run across them in your gunsmithing adventures.

Gun Tests magazine recently tested the all-American Ruger Red Label engraved model, marketed as a general-purpose model suitable for hunting and casual clays use. In more detail, it was a 3-inch-chamber 12 gauge that would likely be the most expensive shotgun 95% of us might own. The Ruger Red Label Engraved No. KRL-1227-BRE 3-Inch 12 gauge lists at $2180.

While many scattergun enthusiasts may prefer the classic appearance of fine-grained wood and gun-metal blue steel in many shooting situations, the fall season seems to bring out the desire for a little camouflage in their shotgun collection. These firearms are designed for rugged, dependable functioning in what can be miserable weather conditions. Like the runt of a litter of puppies, these shotguns are often so ugly that they are considered attractive.

Most self-defense shotguns have a few traits in common—short and maneuverable, high capacity, and simple to operate. In the dead of the night, or, increasingly, in the middle of the afternoon, you need to be able to pick up your shotgun, make it hot, and get to the spot in your house or property where you and several of your friends named Buck will treat intruders pretty ugly.

At Gun Tests, we have reviewed dozens of guns made for such unpleasantness, and our staff shooters have liked many of them, as a poke through the online archives at www.Gun-Tests.com or www.GunReports.com will show. One of the assumptions that we made in those reviews is that the guns are well maintained, which for blued steel means enough attention and love to keep them from corroding closed. But for tens of millions of Americans who live on or near coastal areas with salt air or inland on rivers or lakes with attendant high humidity, blued steel might not be the right choice. Something more inert might be better.

Toward that end, we recently acquired two shotguns made of stainless steel, nickel, polymer, and aluminum that promised, and delivered, much of what we want in a self-defense shotgun plus low, low maintenance. One was Mossberg's Special Purpose Model 500 Mariner 50273 3-Inch 12 Gauge, $571, a six-shot Marinecote-finished pumpgun with stainless barrel and aluminum receiver. We paired it against the Remington Model 870 Special Purpose Express Marine Magnum No. 25012 3-inch 12 Gauge, $772, a handsome shotgun crafted from a steel billet and all its metal parts are nickel coated, including the inside of the barrel and the receiver. There is no toehold for corrosion on this shotgun.

We gave our testers the charge of deciding which gun we'd stow in the cabin of a Hunter 50CC for an extended trip asea, or along for the ride in a bateau headed out to a fishing cabin, or tucked in the corner of the bedroom as a life insurance policy.