Battle of the <$200 shotguns.

[Demoneyes86]

Walmart. Last I was in there they were running like $250 I want to say? I could be completely off base but I picked up an 870 Tactical for $380

walmart has the mossberg 500 with wood for 250. the pardner was like 179-189. Well thats what they were the last time i was in the fallston walmart a couple months back could have changed.

 

[bullbarrel]

Cool thanks. I'm probably mistaken, but the NEF Pardner Protector appears to be the same gun as the H&R 1871? They look identical anyhow.

Here's a thread where some guys are discussing accessories for inexpensive shotguns: http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=197077

One guys setup-

Exactly what i was talking about in my above quote.

 

[Demoneyes86]

I just picked up an H&r pardner 12g costme 189 otd at walmart. Comes with a 2 year warranty. Can't beat it for the cost. Anyone know where to get an 18.5 barrel for this thing?

 

[Heist]

If my budget is only ~$200, I would probably be inclined to buy used, higher quality vs. new, budget beater. Not to say anything is wrong with budget beaters, but I go forward knowing price often reflects quality and a shortcut or compromise had to be made somewhere along the supplier or production chain.


Sidenote: Winchester 1300 Defenders you can find used right now for $200-275. Probably one of the smoothest shottys I've ever cycled for its price.

 

[mranaya]

Nice tacti-cool shotgun pic

Cool thanks. I'm probably mistaken, but the NEF Pardner Protector appears to be the same gun as the H&R 1871? They look identical anyhow.

Here's a thread where some guys are discussing accessories for inexpensive shotguns: http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=197077

One guys setup-

Very nice! This is exactly what I was looking for, to defend my quiet suburbian town home from...hmmm. Can't seem to remember being threatened just yet. Anyway, I want one! Actually, I checked out the link Minuteman posted earlier that shows crimes reported, down to the street, and I was shocked to see how many dozens of thefts, a couple of arrests, and a few assaults were responded to within yards of my home. Maybe the range is making me deaf.

 

[mranaya]

If my budget is only ~$200, I would probably be inclined to buy used, higher quality vs. new, budget beater. Not to say anything is wrong with budget beaters, but I go forward knowing price often reflects quality and a shortcut or compromise had to be made somewhere along the supplier or production chain.


Sidenote: Winchester 1300 Defenders you can find used right now for $200-275. Probably one of the smoothest shottys I've ever cycled for its price.

Good to know. I'm going to take some of this insight and start scouring Gunbroker.com. I think I'll start with used searches and move on to new bargain blasters if I don't have any luck. The NEF Pardner Protector, and the $250 WalMart Mossburg 500, if I get a chance to find one on the shelf and look them over. So hopefully, butt stocks and so on are replaceable on whatever I find, so I can Frankenstein one into something like the one Minuteman posted.

Plan: 1. Start setting aside $10/$10 here and there, to avoid a sudden withdrawl from teh bank. 2. Shop for used then new inexpensive shotguns. 3. Purchase and sneak in throught the garage. 4. Work on good cover story, for when the wife finds it hidden in some corner of the house: "What, that old thing?"

 

[ArmyMSG]

The Aberdeen Wal-Mart has a Pardner Protecter for 179.

As for accessories, I bought a Pardner Pump (long version) for messing around with turkey shoots. I found that the 870 ATI mag extender doesn't work. After I read online from several other sources it did, I got one, and found the 870 threads aren't the same, and are a bit bigger that the Pardners. So, unless they changed the threads, someone was just copying the other threads. In fact, the ATI website even says it doesn't fit. But, the ATI stock does. The Pardner shoots great and I haven't had a misfire yet. But you do have to use a little more "force" to rack it. Not smooth or sloppy, just tight. But, I only have about 20 rounds through it. (not the 3-4 thousand some claim to have in 3 months, that's a lot of shooting even for a constant shooter!) If anyone finds a mag extension that works, let me know. If anyone is looking for a 3 shot extension for a 870, I have a ATI aluminum one for what I paid, 55.00.

 

[ArmyMSG]

Also, as for looking for some 870's in pawn shops, why do pawn shops sell guns used and abused for more than they cost new? The Bank in Havre de Grace has most of their used shotguns for $20-50 more than Wal-Mart. Even a Pardner, for 200.00 that looks like someone threw it in the back of a truck full of #2 stone. Tried to tell them, but...

And they're not the only ones in the area that do.

 

[Demoneyes86]

The Aberdeen Wal-Mart has a Pardner Protecter for 179.

As for accessories, I bought a Pardner Pump (long version) for messing around with turkey shoots. I found that the 870 ATI mag extender doesn't work. After I read online from several other sources it did, I got one, and found the 870 threads aren't the same, and are a bit bigger that the Pardners. So, unless they changed the threads, someone was just copying the other threads. In fact, the ATI website even says it doesn't fit. But, the ATI stock does. The Pardner shoots great and I haven't had a misfire yet. But you do have to use a little more "force" to rack it. Not smooth or sloppy, just tight. But, I only have about 20 rounds through it. (not the 3-4 thousand some claim to have in 3 months, that's a lot of shooting even for a constant shooter!) If anyone finds a mag extension that works, let me know. If anyone is looking for a 3 shot extension for a 870, I have a ATI aluminum one for what I paid, 55.00.

I picked up the one they had last night. Unless they got a new shipment they said it was the last.

 

[ArmyMSG]

Congrats! I was there Thursday, so it looks like you got the last one they had.

 

[Minuteman]

This one is a little over $200:

Linberta shotguns

 

[fivepointstar]

I"ve bought used 870's @ $100.....they are great shotguns!!

 

[2gLocked6]

nothing wrong with a norinco shotty

 

[RipkinC]

I love my IAC Hawk 982. I have used 2 of them, one I gave to my dad, the other fell off the boat in the bay , but both are excellent guns. For the price I do not think they can be beat! I have put hundreds of rounds through both, from Trap loads to )) buck and Slugs, the guns just love to run. They eat more than my 870 does, its picky with winchester trap loads, but the IAC keeps chugging along. Main recommendations is to check the rear sight screws occasionally/put locktight on them and add a dot of high viz paint to the front post. Oh and occasionally clean/oil it
I would recommend this to anyone on a budget looking for a GREAT HD shotgun!

 

[A1Uni]

I read in 2008 the cost of a new 870 was closer to $300, today it's about $400 (from a quick search on gun broker). If you know where one might be found for ~$200 with hardwood stocks, please PM me.

PM sent.

 

[hodgepodge]

This one is a little over $200:

Linberta shotguns

Are these any good? [Diving into a foxhole.]

 

[FrankOceanXray]

As long as the plethora of aftermarket parts fit, they would make for a good platform.

But seeing a gun as a one time purchase, the extra 100 clamshells may be worth getting a real deal 870.

 

[ChrisR/T]

I've got a Stevens M320 with the "heat shield" and pistol grip style shoulder stock.

Paid $250 OTD.

I've seen them online as cheap as $192 from Buds.

Smooth action, good shooting gun. Heard it's based off the Winchester 1300 action.

 

[HT4]

Baseball bat?

Not even that these days.

$269:

 

[Tyeraxus]

Sub $200? Got my first shotgun, a used 12ga Mossy 500 with a spare "slugger" barrel for about $190 out the door. It was scuffed up a bit, but after I actually cleaned the thing (crud built up all over the bolt and slide - looked like somebody's field gun that they rode hard and put away wet) it runs like a dream.