Stock preference on a HD Shotgun

[Burk Cornelius]

I was going to put this in the "Ask the Expert" section but wanted more than one opinion and I know we have more than one expert in shotgun defense tactics (speak up Troy).

What stock do you prefer on a Home Defense Shotgun and why? Collapsible, pistol grip, standard?

B

 

[TroyF]

For a fixed stock, I prefer youth-sized stocks. I also like collapsable stocks quite a bit. I have both on two different guns. Stocks that are shorter seem to help tame recoil, are more manuervable, hell they just fit better.

Whatever you decide, the stock must be black. MUST. Otherwise, you aren't tacticool.

 

[ChrisC]

i have switched all of my shotguns to the houge youth overmold stocks...

i like the LOP and stability they provide.

we have an adjustable on one of our department guns, the stock sits too high and doesn't allo for a proper sight picture. but I am sure that's not the case on all of them.

I haven't messed with many pistol grips to develop an opinion on them.

 

[Burk Cornelius]

I also like collapsable stocks quite a bit.

Collabsible WITH a pistol grip, I assume? An "AR" style?

 

[TroyF]

Correct sir. You want one that is straight rather than angled down. Something along the lines of this.....
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=40796/Product/KICKLITE_TACTICAL_STOCK

I've never used that particular brand, and for the life of me I can't remember the brand I have, but this will give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

ChrisC is correct as well. The Hogue Overmold youth stocks perform pretty darn well. Plus, they smell rubbery....

 

[TroyF]

Honestly I would defer to anything Kurt Miller has to say on the subject of shotguns. I have it on good authority that he came sliding down the birth canal with a shotgun in his tiny infant paws.

 

[jtischauser]

It don't matter pistol grip or straight stock as long as your used to running it so it's easy to manipulate in the dark. I would assume everyone except wormydog and chambers are more accustomed to straight stock shotguns. Wormy and chambers are more ATAS therefore they need the pistol grip stock so they can go dual wielding on that ass.

 

[KurtM]

It was a C section Troy, as the Benelli wouldn't fit!

Good thing you didn't put it "Ask the Experts" cause all you would have gotten is...

Shotguns, like real rifles, should NEVER have a pistol grip!

Now the rest of the story. Collapsable stocks on shotguns and rifles are a poor compromise at best. Yes I know all the reasons like " I can fit it to my armour", it makes it short and handy, etc. The problem is that in an emergency it never seems to be in the right position. Seldom is it in a good position when adapted to a shotgun to allow for a good cheek weld, WHICH IS ONE OF THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT THINGS FOR A H.D. SHOTGUN. The other is IT MUST FIT YOU!!! The collapsable stocks usually break at some point when cobbled onto a shotgun if you shoot it very much cause it was never designed for that kind of recoil.

Pistol grips on shotguns tend to cause more problems than they are worth. There is a huge tendency to push on them in anticipation of recoil causing misses and in some cases improper functioning in Semi Autos. Believe it or not a Pistol grip set up is much easier to wrestle away from someone than a standard stock, and it is much more awkward to use it as a big blugeon after it is empty. (think of a pugil stick with pistol grips....yuch!) And last but not the least by any means is it is almost imposible to operate the safety rapidly while gripping the pistol grip. In most cases you have to take you hand off the grip to get at the safety. People say it is so they can shoot them one handed, but the ballance point is now way far back and it is actually much HARDER to keep the gun at your shoulder with just the one hand on the pistol grip.

A H.D. shotgun MUST fit you and allow a very consistent cheek weld, if it doesn't you will end up fighting the equipment instead of the critter at 2:30 a.m. when jolted out of a nice sound slumber. If it fits you and you can get a good cheek weld it will point well and in a dark house at the above mentioned hour you will get hits other wise you might need some dry wall repair and hopefully they will run off instead of at you.




Note: The AR system is a very poor excuse of a rifle...it is however a dandy little carbine and everyone should have several, but only after they have a real rifle.

 

[taymoor]

Note: The AR system is a very poor excuse of a rifle...it is however a dandy little carbine and everyone should have several, but only after they have a real rifle.

Im shocked to be reading this! I don't know much, but never expected anybody to say this. I don't want to jack a thread, but maybe you could start a new one compounding on this statement for us newbies.

 

[Mitch Rapp]

Note: The AR system is a very poor excuse of a rifle...it is however a dandy little carbine and everyone should have several, but only after they have a real rifle.

Which is why I bought an M1 Garand

 

[TroyF]

There you have it folks, directly from Kurt. Valid points to be sure. I've never had a collapsible break, but admittidly, I shoot much much less shotgun than Kurt. And BTW, M14 here...

 

[gnnrsm8]

well i shot my mossberg yesterday for the first time with 00 buck shot. every time before this was with bird shot. i have to say it was a very unpleasant experience. it is a 20 in barrel 8+1cap and a collapsible stock. and to look down the sights for must PRESS your cheek on to the stock. i am very surprised that i didnt wake up with a giant bruise on my face. i believe it is just too straight for me. i will probably be switching it to the houge youth stock

 

[Chambers]

Wormy and chambers are more ATAS therefore they need the pistol grip stock so they can go dual wielding on that ass.

For the record I only have that because it's what I found cheap when I happened to be looking. Just get a regular stock and have it shortened if you've got stubby arms! Keep it simple.

 

[KurtM]

Taymore, first off never take anything I say too seriously, especially when I am talking to Troy!

With that in mind I really do think that the AR in 5.56x45 IS a poor excuse of a rifle. A rifle should be able to take any game on the continent that you live, defend you from the animals of the continnent that you live, be able to penetrate car doors and windsheilds and STILL do real damage to the occupants, It should be able to break down cinderblock walls and go through small trees...thats what rifles should do, and there are lots of them that are good from Remington 700s to Sharps rifles.

Carbines on the other hand, generally don't do those things, but in the case of the AR...(and I picked it because of the pistol grip AND collapsable stock to joke with Troy) They have almost no recoil, they are almost all insainly accurate, they are the big kids leggo set, but the caliber it is in makes it a carbine, NOT a rifle. So it is a poor excuse for a rifle, but it is a dandy carbine!

Now most every competition shooter used to lust after pistol grip shotguns, so they got them, and then after a short while, after using them, they went back to the orriginal stocks. Now these are the guys shooting them a lot, and if they switched back it had to be for a reason. To give you an idea about round expenditure for these guys generally they shoot just shy of 10,000 rounds of shotshells a year plus a bunch of slugs and buckshot.

 

[Wormydog1724]

I may be ATAS but I have never in my life even held a pistol grip shotgun. And I never will. How did I get dragged into this?

 

[jtischauser]

Im shocked to be reading this! I don't know much, but never expected anybody to say this. I don't want to jack a thread, but maybe you could start a new one compounding on this statement for us newbies.

It's quite obvious that KurtM and JP are related and they both love the AK47.

 

[Matt1911]

My HD shotgun wears a regular stock made of wood.
At one time I had a pistol grip speed feed stock on it but that only lasted about a month. I just couldn't get used to the way it felt after all the years of using a straight stock.

 

[Burk Cornelius]

Thats what I think too Matt. I grew up shooting a regular stock and learned to get it up fast. Why change now?

 

[taymoor]

Taymore, first off never take anything I say too seriously, especially when I am talking to Troy!

With that in mind I really do think that the AR in 5.56x45 IS a poor excuse of a rifle. A rifle should be able to take any game on the continent that you live, defend you from the animals of the continnent that you live, be able to penetrate car doors and windsheilds and STILL do real damage to the occupants, It should be able to break down cinderblock walls and go through small trees...thats what rifles should do, and there are lots of them that are good from Remington 700s to Sharps rifles.

Carbines on the other hand, generally don't do those things, but in the case of the AR...(and I picked it because of the pistol grip AND collapsable stock to joke with Troy) They have almost no recoil, they are almost all insainly accurate, they are the big kids leggo set, but the caliber it is in makes it a carbine, NOT a rifle. So it is a poor excuse for a rifle, but it is a dandy carbine!

Now most every competition shooter used to lust after pistol grip shotguns, so they got them, and then after a short while, after using them, they went back to the orriginal stocks. Now these are the guys shooting them a lot, and if they switched back it had to be for a reason. To give you an idea about round expenditure for these guys generally they shoot just shy of 10,000 rounds of shotshells a year plus a bunch of slugs and buckshot.

So what you're saying is that if I love America, I'd shoot heavy metal? :huh:

But all jokes aside, very valid points. It is interesting to hear something like that, but with your explanation it makes a lot more sense.

ETA: Why can't anybody spell my name?

 

[Wormydog1724]

Wait.. That's your real name?