Buy A Gun Day

Hey, I've got my Income Tax Refund (Grrrr ... don't get me started) and my gunsafe has a big gaping hole where a Defensive Shotgun should be.

And Cowboy Blog as designated April 15 as Buy A Gun Day!

What to do, what to do?

Actually, I'm thinking ... Mossberg 590.

(I'm also hoping that it doesn't come with a bayonette!)

A recent newspaper ad (Big 5) lists the 590 at $319, "Regularly $399". My research indicates that this is probably the regular 590, not the "590 A1". I have a vague understanding that the "A1" is superior, but I"m not sure what the advantage is. (I assume that the 'sale price' is for the older model.)

Also, my limited research shows this as an 8-round capacity shotgun, but the newspaper ad lists it as a 9-round shotgun. I'm guessing it has an 8-round tube, and the 9-round claim includes the chambered round.

Why am I writing about this?

I'm really interested in buying this type of shotgun, and I have the impression that this is a good shotgun in this price range. But my Internet research is not terribly enlightening, leaving me with more questions than understanding.


I'm hoping that there's someone who can read this and give me some answers. What I'm looking for is a lot of response which will tell me either:

1. Why I should buy this shotgun over others in the price range, or
2. Why I should buy another shotgun over others in the price range.

To clarify the question, I already have plenty of guns that seem perfectly workable for Home Defense. What I'm really looking for is a shotgun I can use in the local Practical Shotgun matches which crop up from time to time.

I bought a Mech Tech for Pistol-Caliber Carbine matches, and I have mixed feelings about it (mostly, the sluggish bolt action and the annoying wire-stock vibration.) But, for what I paid for it and considering my low expectations, I'm not disappointed in that purchase. I'm looking for someone who can predict any "Buyer's Remorse" if I get a 590, or alternatively a reason why I might be disappointed if, for example, I buy a Remington 870.

Remember, "Buy A Gun Day" is imminent, and I need information before I plunk the VISA card on the counter ... probably Monday, April 16, 2007.

Help!

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Here's some of the information I've found on the Internet. This may demonstrate why I'm dubious about the authority of the presenters:

Home Defense

12 gauge shotgun. It dumps an immense amount of energy into your target at close range. It is less likely to overpenetrate than most other firearms, so you're less likely to accidentally kill a neighbor, while it is still plenty effective at the longest ranges you are likely to encounter inside your home. Other things like pistols and rifles will punch relatively small holes in an attacker, while a 12ga shotgun will blow significant chunks out and almost certainly knock them over. I recommend a pump shotgun for reliability. Some semi-automatic shotguns have difficulty reliably cycling some types of ammunition. A pump shotgun will still work when packed full of mud. You can get ammunition which is specifically designed for home defense that will kick less hard, and penetrate fewer walls, if it is to be used by a smaller person, or overpenetration is more of a concern to you. More magazine capacity is good. Some believe that a smaller magazine capacity and correspondingly shorter barrel length improves a shotgun's maneuverability enough to be worth the loss of magazine capacity. I prefer more magazine capacity.

Mossberg 590, 8 round magazine

I prefer the Mossberg 590, with an 8 round magazine. This is a combat style shotgun with a large magazine capacity

On the difference between the 870 and the 590.