At shotgun class, I noted a few items to put on the “to buy” list.
No. 1 was the Mossberg 930 semi-auto shotgun. One student had one, and the instructors were really impressed with it. I did not have the chance to observe it closely or handle it, but all three instructors liked it very much and were chatting it up. At $600 or so for a semi-auto, that’s a good price to begin with, and it seemed to run well in shotgun class, so there you go. I do not recall if the shotgun in class had the pistol-grip stock or not.
No. 2 was the Federal Flight Control 12ga load. There were a couple of Vang Comp shotguns there, and it seems that in the ’90s if you wanted a 6″ pattern with buckshot out to 25 yards or so, you had to pay a grand or two for a Vang Comp modification.
Now you just buy Federal Flight Control buckshot and you’ve got your tight, tight group with most any shotgun. Nobody had any Flight Control on hand at class, but if the groups are indeed as tight as those from the Vang Comp guns, I want some.
No. 3 was the Mossberg MVP .223 bolt-action rifle, taking AR mags. For $500 or less out the door, people (including the instructors) were saying this is a sub-MOA rifle.
The Predator version (at left), with a traditional hunting stock and shorter LOP, looks interesting too. Wish they made it in a southpaw version, though.
Incidentally, note was made in class generally that if you had a pistol grip on a Mossberg, you would tend to have trouble with the tang safety. So don’t put pistol grips on Mossbergs, etc..
The Flite-Control is a must-have in my mind. I think it balances the over penetration of slugs and the inconsistent pattern of buckshot.
Sorry I didn’t have any in class. That’s my normal house & class round.
I spoke with a buddy regarding the Predator. He said that he and friends were shooting MOA with XM193 ammo. Good accuracy for the price.
I need to talk with Phil about getting my .308 boltie upgraded. It will have to be a long-term project, and there’s no way I can afford to start investing in it until after we have a contract at work, so who knows when that will happen.
David, did your instructors have anything to say about the Kel-tec KSG? I have heard good and bad things about them; the fact that it is a bullpup shotgun and ejects straight down might be a plus for lefties who dislike hot 12-ga shells to the face. The price is a tad steep, but I still have one about 3rd on my list of “must purchase” firearms currently. I wouldn’t call it a long list, exactly… but it’s not a short one either, sadly for my wallet.
Why doesn’t anyone advocate for the Remington 7625? It’s a pump-action “patrol carbine” in .223, fed by AR mags, very fast to operate, etc. There are two versions, one a shorty carbine length, the other has a .22″ barrel, comes dolled up in camo, etc, for several hundred more simoleons.
Well, as for me, because I already own a Remington 700 that predates their QA issues.
RD, I am guessing because of the perception of greater precision accuracy from a bolt gun than a pump — regardless of whether or not that’s true….
Mollbot, nobody mentioned the KSG, and I suspect there was a reason for that. Utter reliability and proven design seemed to be very important concepts. FWIW, as a southpaw I can’t recall being hit with hot brass to the face from any right-port shotgun or rifle I’ve fired.
Thanks David. I guess I’ll move the KSG to “novelty purchase,” meaning dead last on the list, and start looking for a replacement shottie by checking out your recommended model.
Incidentally I skimmed a couple gun forums earlier, there were multiple mentions of Kel-tec increasing the msrp of the KSG by $300 since Feinstein apparently included it by name on her list to be banned, and Kel-tec claims that in order to recoup R&D costs they have to bump the price. Lotta gunnies not too impressed by their logic, from what I can tell. So, yeah: dead last.
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