Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Pistol grip shotguns????'s

Hey guys not trying to start a flame war here. But I've read several posts from guys that seem to know what they are talking about stating that pistol gripped shotguns are basically worthless. And for the life of me I can't figure out why. Granted there uses are limited but in those limited apps they do have a niche.

I used one for years when guiding so if we had to go in the thick nasties after a wounded bruin I had a slug that was packing a lot more wallop than the 225 gr. 338 slugs. It was nice and compact for being in alder tangles, and hitting with it at distances for home defense was never a problem. It was just a Mossberg 500 with a bead sight, 18 in. barrel and Pachymar Vindicator kit (grip and forearm) which I really liked. It's a sinister looking little gadget, and clients always would ooh and aaah over it on those rare occassions it had to come out. I always explained to them, yeah if you have to dig a wounded bear out of the brush or wanna rob banks it's a good tool, other than that it's pretty worthless.

Hitting with it is just raising it to eye level looking down the
barrel to the bead, pasting it on what you want to destroy and mashing the trigger. Would I want to shoot skeet with it? NO
But being armed with it in my house during a home invasion, it seems pretty formidable to me. Used to love shooting water filled milk jugs from about 25 yards on in, and the looks of guys on the range. Recoil is not that big of deal although your hand gets a bit tender if you put too many rounds through it in such manner. I don't use it anymore as I don't guide any longer, but it was a great tent gun and we always employed it if we had to go in the thick nasties. Bunch of pards all adopted the idea after seeing mine. I replaced mine with a Marlin guide gun, cause when going in the alders after a bear it was a great tool, if the bear came at you, but if he kept trying to get away, you became a useless participant in a hurry. The Marlin GG is only about 6-7 inches longer, packs a good wallop and is still serviceable at a retreating bear. And I will admit part of that is having a stock in your shoulder. Still it amazes me that people dismiss the pistol grip shotgun so readily. True it takes some practice to get good and confident with it, but isn't that true of any firearm? Just my thoughts, any comments? 1ak

1ak, I know you are not trying to start a flame war so please take my answer to your question in the same vein.

If you can/could hit with a pistol grip shotgun good for you many can't and I have seen a shotgun so configured actually rip its self out of the hand of the shooter when fired with heavy buckshot loads. And, believe me, you can miss with a shotgun at thee feet.


Let's sort of take your post in order. " It is a sinister looking little gadget---". Was the bear impressed? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Any reasonable gun is impressive to a bad guy if he sees it. At night in a house he might not. And if you don't have a light on it how will you handle one or turn on a room light without turning loose of the shotgun with one hand? Also, even as cut down as it is its still much bigger/heavier than a good pistol.

"Hitting with it is just raising it to eye level and looking down the barrel---". If you have to do that to hit surely, and I agree you do, then a butt stock gives you a lot better, steadier, more secure hold on the gun. Plus you can absorb the recoil a lot better with your shoulder than you can with your hands alone. And you can pump it a lot easier with it to your shoulder than just with your hands.

IMO and that is just what it is, opinion, the so called combat configured shotguns are more for the impression of the shooter than the shootee. As you menitoned your clients were impressed with your hiting milk jugs but wouldn't the jugs have been a lot easier to hit with a stock pressed against your shoulder and you snugged into the gun?


BCR

1ak,

I have a Mossy 500a in pretty much the same configuration you described, only with a folding wire stock.

No, I've not had any problems with recoil using the pistol grip only. It has an extended mag and a barrel to match so that probably has something to do with it.

It did knock me out once. I wasn't being careful, raised it to eye level (stock was in), touched off, and it came back and nailed me hard right under the nose. I dropped.

With the stock in, I can't hit anything further away than 5' or so. Stock out, 25yds. But I don't like the stock- it is offset for a right handed shooter and I'm a lefty.

Long story short- I've been trying to trade the blasted wire stock and pistol grip for a regular black synthetic stock. No one else is interested either.

I believe it's a very special purpose weapon, as you stated, best used for antipersonnel purposes in close quarter scenarios. But... if one is not entirely comfortable with the setup (and I'm not) that person would be better served with a regular stock.

Just my $0.02, no flames intended, YMMV.

Josh <><

For a shotgun I've found the things to be really easy to miss with, especially shooting from the hip. Also, as noted, the bloody things kick like sin and are really difficult to control in rapid fire.

But a regular buttstock configuration held at waist level with the the butt wedged between waist and arm is a very effective weapon.

I am on the stock bandwagon myself, it gives the ability to shoulder the gun or lock it under your forearm to shorten things down in CQ situations. It also makes a pretty good striking weapon at real CQ ranges, BUTT STROKE anybody. Just my 2 Peso's and about what it's worth.

The "entry" type shotguns with the 14" barrels are pretty handy. Take about an inch off the stock and it makes into a pretty compact, but controllable, weapon.

They are NFA weapons, but for tight situations the hassle might be worth it.

... And a 10 gauge makes a blunderbuss <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Josh <><

I think the key is that the Pachymar Vindicator is soft rubber and has a little give to it. I bought a hard plastic grip for my Ithaca 37 and have never installed it. My hand hurts just looking at it. I can shoot it from the hip with the buttstock.
I shot a "witness protection" shotgun once with buckshot and once was plenty!
GWN

As luck would have it, the first response I get is from a Texas cowboy, that makes a habit of talking sense ;~)

No argument that myself or most anybody else can hit better with a shoulder stock. But for home defense I wouldn't feel helpless with Lil bro (my Pachymar shortie shotgun). I wouldn't feel helpless with a 911 or Mom's Glock either, but if I have to put something or someone down, I'd prefer the shotgun. Handgun is not my first choice of a defensive weapon, shotgun probably is (I've shot a ton of quail in my day) just what I'm most comfortable with. If I don't have a full stocked one, I can make do with the pistol grip, but you guys are all correct it is not something my wife or daughter or my sons are ready to shoot. I much prefer whatever defensive firearms we have gather dust except for range trips. 1ak

Having played with both quite extensively I much rather take off barrel length than the buttstock. As you stated in your original post they become a liability if the distance becomes to much (which wasnt very far for me). I completely agree that any choice of weapons requires practice to use effeciently but to be honest those things would beat the heck out of my hand and wrist and reduce my desire to practice which lead to my reduced abilities with it. I have shot the cut down barrels with full stocks all day long and never had a problem. As a side note the short barrels seem to swing very quick due to the reduced weight. The only pistol grip only shotgun I used the last few years was a nasty little beast with a 12" barrel (only held two rounds in the tube) and it was used exclusivley for breaching doors with a stand off tube (basicly the muzzle is placed directly against the door hinge or lock). In one day of training I fired 35 rounds through it and ended up with a stress fracture at the base of my thumb. I passed it off as soon as I got a little seniority.

OUHCA! No wonder I like the Pachymar setup that spongieness (techie term) is nice.

Favorite hide behind gun is a shotgun but it needs a normal stock as that's all I've used since I could keep both ends off the ground. Pistol grips don't feel right to me. I agree with T Lee that the buttstock makes a good defensive option-like an extension of the elbow.Mi dos centavos...