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Small shotgun for small person?

HoLeChit

HoLeChit

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So my wife has stated that she would like a shotgun. Mostly for self defense/use around the house. The other day we had a dog somehow get into the yard and run at me. Last week I saw a stray/dumped pit dragging off a fawn out of our tree line. Wife wants a shotgun, so she has the firepower she feels is necessary to deal with critters around the house without dealing with as much potential for collateral damage to the neighbors as her handgun or a rifle.

Problem is, she’s a real small person. 5’2”. Reasonably strong, but she wasn’t a fan of my A300 ultima patrol not only due to weight, but overall ergonomics. Nothing really fits her unless it’s an AR with a collapsible stock.

Suggestions for a reasonably affordable small person HD shotgun? Or suggestions on mods to make something ergonomically feasible?
 
I’d suggest taking a look at the Winchester Defender in 20ga. It has been about 30 years since I dang near bought one, but it seemed like an almost ideal home defense scattergun. My recollection is that it was a little bit smaller than a Model 12 or an 870, and more maneuverable in tighter spaces like a hallway.
 
Hmm. It looks like the Defender now comes with a composite stock. The one I looked at had walnut furniture, which is easy enough to cut down, but I don’t know how easy it would be to cut down a composite stock.
 
I don’t know if you consider a 410 adequate, but the mossberg 510 mini 410 is a pretty handy weapon. And TSS, while expensive, does offer a good bit more efficacy in my opinion. They make the same gun in a 20ga, albeit correspondingly larger/heavier. A mossberg SA-20 bantam might also fit the bill- but like any other smaller/lighter gun, recoil is a factor.
 
There’s always the standby of getting an 870 and having the stock cut down to a length of pull that better fits her. A decent gunsmith would be able to do it quickly and inexpensively; it might take more trial and error, but you could probably do it with simple hand tools.
 
iircc there are youth models sold in 20 & 12ga, they have shorter buttstocks & barrels.

You can also find an older used Winchester, remington & savage pump & semiauto shotguns with wood stocks that can easily be shorten to fit with a handsaw and barrels are easily shortened with a tubing cutter and easily diy install a polychoke so she'd have cylinder, modified & full.

Or instead of shortening the wood stock, aftermarket pistol grip with collapsible stocks can be found, also shortened poly stocks are available.

You can do the same thing with the brand new mavericks, savages & turk pumps atwoods & others shops sell for $150 to $250, some ate sold with an additional 18" cylinder bore slug barrel.

I've got a few Winchester 1200 & 1300 speed pumps & defenders, they're light, smooth, slick & fast,

I prefer them to the heavy clunky 870s I have.

Course if you find an affordable older pump savages, they got live action hammer, hold the trigger back & pump and it'll fire till you quit or it's empty.

Lots of easily cheap & effective ways if your willing to diy instead of paying big bucks to a "smith".
 
My 1301 has a super short LOP. Fits my T-Rex arms well. Load some low brass 7/8 dram #6 and it would be a super soft shooter.
 
Tough question that can probably only be answered by trial and error.

I'm not a big fan of .410 for home defense against potential bad guys, but... They're small, lightweight, easy to maneuver (14.5" barrel) and have very little recoil. There's decent defensive ammo available but it's expensive. I recently picked up one of the Mossberg 590 Shockwave .410 shotguns and it's just a neat little gun to carry around the property and it's a blast to shoot. Capacity is limited because of the short barrel. There are several brace options available, too. Or, SBS it and put a stock on it.

My wife is small, too, but she loves shooting the Beretta. She handles the recoil surprisingly well. If you go the 12 gauge route, look for Federal LE133 00 ammo. That's their reduced recoil, flight controlled, 8 pellet 00B load and it's fantastic. Shoots like light field loads. Best 12 gauge stuff I've ever used. The 1301 and A300 Patrol are the lightest recoiling 12 gauge guns I've ever fired...so if she doesn't like the A300 a 12 gauge is probably out. I don't think anything is really lighter or lighter recoiling. I just put a Mesa Tactical stock on the A300 and it has something like a 12.5" LOP.

A 20 gauge youth model pump might be the answer. Something like a 590 or an 870 and put an adjustable stock on it. 20ga ammo is cheap, plentiful, and about as effective as 12ga.

Another thing to consider... If you're worried about "collateral damage", keep in mind some of the really good .223 defensive ammo doesn't penetrate any more, and oftentimes less, than a lot of handgun or shotgun rounds.

You might laugh, but I recently got a Kel-Tec R50 in 5.7x28. I've put about 3 mags thru it (that's 150 rounds!) and so far it's 100% reliable. The caliber seems to do well in defensive uses and it's much quieter than something like a .223...that could be useful indoors. It's also suppressor ready, weighs 4.5 pounds empty and it's short and easy to maneuver. It can fired with the stock extended or folded. Did I mention it's got 50 rounds of 5.7x28 at the ready? I can see this being the go-to inside the house...just need to fire it a little more.
 
Ndenway said:
Course if you find an affordable older pump savages, they got live action hammer, hold the trigger back & pump and it'll fire till you quit or it's empty.
Click to expand...
The old Winchester Model 12 is like that. For the longest time (basically until Benelli hit the scene with their semi-autos), the fastest cyclic rate you could get in a scattergun was the Model 12; semis couldn’t even come close.

When a now-retired OHP Trooper I know was a young pup, the OHP replaced their Model 12s with a rifle (the model escapes me at the moment). He said a bunch of the older Troopers refused to let go of their Model 12s because of their ability to deliver a lot of lead in a very short time.
 
There exists, for Mossberg 500 series and Rem 870 series, a polymer pistol grip that perfectly imitates what you'd get when sawing off a wood stock. It looks like Barrow himself did one, then it was molded out of polymer. (bottom shotgun)
cbarrowpns.jpg
Ive had alot of people hold this Maverick, some hate but most love. It feels exactly how it looks, like a plastic stock sawed short. The benefit I saw over a hogue grip, shockwave grip, pachmayr, etc, is that this one sits flat on the ground so it can easily lean. I feel like it could be shouldered, it wouldnt be convenient but it could be done. On a 20ga, i bet its actually gonna be quite pleasant.
Its made by Phonenix Technology and I paid $27.40 shipped from OpticsPlanet (I had a gift card so actually I paid $2.40)
www.opticsplanet.com

Phoenix Technology Shorty Home Defense Shotgun Grip Up to 25% Off — 2 models

Shop Phoenix Technology Shorty Home Defense Shotgun Grip | Up to 25% Off 5 Star Rating on 1 Review for Phoenix Technology Shorty Home Defense Shotgun Grip + Free Shipping over $49.
www.opticsplanet.com www.opticsplanet.com
I have a picture of it on a Mav 88 somewhere around here.
th-2912327150.jpg
th-1176934068.jpg
 
SoonerP226 said:
The old Winchester Model 12 is like that. For the longest time (basically until Benelli hit the scene with their semi-autos), the fastest cyclic rate you could get in a scattergun was the Model 12; semis couldn’t even come close.

When a now-retired OHP Trooper I know was a young pup, the OHP replaced their Model 12s with a rifle (the model escapes me at the moment). He said a bunch of the older Troopers refused to let go of their Model 12s because of their ability to deliver a lot of lead in a very short time.
Click to expand...
Yes,

The model 1200 was the replacement for the model 12 in the 60s, sort of an updated version.

Same as the 1300 in the 70s updating the 1200.

They're fast, smooth & slick pumps, the model 12 is too.

As you've said the original model 12 had the live hammer too, the 97 also, plus they're fairly smooth too.

Bit of use of either of them & you'll know why moro's, germans, japs & viets hated Americans with "trench" guns.

Got family spoke of shortened browning autos & 00 effectiveness in the viet woods ambushes.


1300 models have screw in choke tubes, put in the modified choke tube and you'll see how tight of patterns stay for quite a ways with 00.

The 1300 defender has a 22" sighted barrel with screw in chokes
 
I don’t think it was mentioned but… is a shotgun a good weapon once she has the baby? I’m just thinking if threat happens while holding the little one then you’d need one hand able to operate a firearm so my vote would go towards a pistol on the hip at all times. I don’t know if setting baby down to operate a shotgun would be the best idea in some situations.

Just my thoughts on the topic. 🤷🏼‍♂️
 
Pochanaquarhip said:
I don’t think it was mentioned but… is a shotgun a good weapon once she has the baby? I’m just thinking if threat happens while holding the little one then you’d need one hand able to operate a firearm so my vote would go towards a pistol on the hip at all times. I don’t know if setting baby down to operate a shotgun would be the best idea in some situations.

Just my thoughts on the topic. 🤷🏼‍♂️
Click to expand...
It's good to have & be proficient with a shotgun, rifle & pistol.

recall reading of the old days on the "frontier" everybody had a shotgun & knew how to use them.

Pretty sure most shells & even muzzleloaders were birdshot & small game loads and buckshot were probably 32 or 36 cal muzzleloader balls and cut nail chunks.

Depends on range but Birdshot may not kill quick, but it'll maim and turn meat into hamburger and cause wounds that get serious infection without antibiotics.

Besides, lots of people be surprised what a determined mother can & will do effectively to protect a child in her hands or on her hip.
 
Hell doesn't really need to be a pump or auto,

lots of used single shot break overs out there for less than a hundred,

even walmarts got them for bout $125.

Barrel lengths vary between 20" to 32"

Use Bow/handsaw shorten lop, if barrel needs shortening a tubing cutter and put a polychoke on it, marbles most likely still produces & sells them
 
SoonerP226 said:
I’d suggest taking a look at the Winchester Defender in 20ga. It has been about 30 years since I dang near bought one, but it seemed like an almost ideal home defense scattergun. My recollection is that it was a little bit smaller than a Model 12 or an 870, and more maneuverable in tighter spaces like a hallway.
Click to expand...
I had one in 12ga. Kinda wish I didn’t sell it. Wasn’t a bad little shotgun. I’m a bit apprehensive about using 20ga for anything but birds, but I may look into it.
 
AER244 said:
I don’t know if you consider a 410 adequate, but the mossberg 510 mini 410 is a pretty handy weapon. And TSS, while expensive, does offer a good bit more efficacy in my opinion. They make the same gun in a 20ga, albeit correspondingly larger/heavier. A mossberg SA-20 bantam might also fit the bill- but like any other smaller/lighter gun, recoil is a factor.
Click to expand...
I don’t consider a 410 adequate tbh. A fine shotgun shell for hunting, but not unwelcome guests. I’ll have to go check out the 510 and sa20. Thanks!
 
SoonerP226 said:
There’s always the standby of getting an 870 and having the stock cut down to a length of pull that better fits her. A decent gunsmith would be able to do it quickly and inexpensively; it might take more trial and error, but you could probably do it with simple hand tools.
Click to expand...
I wouldn’t touch an 870 made in the last 20 years with your 10 foot pole even. They truly live up to the “Walmart shotgun” quality some people expect. But cutting something down is something I have considered. The problem is that cutting down a stock might help, but it doesn’t do much to help with forward hand placement and weight.
 
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