[ShotgunPro]

Hi All,
New to forum. First post. My wife and I recently took CWP course in SC and are waiting for the permits to arrive any day. (been almost 3 months). That was our first foray into shooting and now we have a new hobby! I bought the XD9SC and love it! I got her a Sig P238, then went looking for a single stack 9 for myself and ended up with a Ruger LC9. We've joined a club and shoot about every other weekend. Oh yeah, have a Buckmark too.

That's background. Now I'm in the market for a HD shotgun. That will round things out and be about all the wife will tolerate for now. I found a Mossberg 835 camo 18.5" barrel at a pawn shop and they'll take $140 for it. I want something that we both can practice with that won't scare her and be able to shoot if the unfortunate situation arises. I've been looking online and have seen a lot on the 500 and the Remington 870, but not much on this one. Lastly, we are early middle aged 50 +/-...wish I had done this much earlier in life! Budget around $400.

Thoughts and advice appreciated.

 

[ShotgunPro]

That's the 3.5 inch chamber right? That means you can't put 2 3/4 in shells thru it, kind of overkill if you are worried about wall penetration. Price sounds decent though, but it will put a wallop on your shoulders! I'm more of a 45acp guy myself when it comes to HD. For $400 you could get a Rock Island GI or ATI Commander and enter the 1911 club, you won't regret it But back to a home defense shotgun, you can have a 870 in that price range. I had a 500 defense gun and it didn't like heavy loads, personally I think the 870 is a better gun

 

[ShotgunPro]

It says it shoots 2-3/4, 3 and 3-5".

 

[ShotgunPro]

Well there you go, for that price you can't really go wrong. I still stand behind my 1911 comment but doesn't every house need a scatter gun?

 

[ShotgunPro]

Then I think at that price I could put on the Advanced Technology 6 position stock and forend.

We've only been shooting since April. Maybe a 1911 for xmas!

 

[ShotgunPro]

I've got a Moss 500 with the ATI stock and recoil pad. Kicks pretty good with the short barrel, but will work good for the home defense situation.

In your case, for the price??.... I'd snap it up in a second!! The pawn shops in my area are nuts, I may as well just buy new with what they are asking.

 

[ShotgunPro]

Don't do those stocks unless it has the recoil system in it! I put the M4 style stock on my Mossberg 500...OUCH! And I go 6-1 230...the forend with the light holder is a good idear tho!

 

[ShotgunPro]

That's the 3.5 inch chamber right? That means you can't put 2 3/4 in shells thru it, kind of overkill if you are worried about wall penetration. Price sounds decent though, but it will put a wallop on your shoulders! I'm more of a 45acp guy myself when it comes to HD. For $400 you could get a Rock Island GI or ATI Commander and enter the 1911 club, you won't regret it But back to a home defense shotgun, you can have a 870 in that price range. I had a 500 defense gun and it didn't like heavy loads, personally I think the 870 is a better gun

Highlighted is utterly and completely false.

Seriously--before you make a statement like that, you may want to have some actual experience, and know what you are talking about.

To the OP:

For the price, it would be hard to beat; just be aware that if you want to try and mod it down the road, there's not much out there fro the 835.

Heck, for that price, I'd likely pick it up and throw it behind the seat of my truck...

 

[ShotgunPro]

Then I think at that price I could put on the Advanced Technology 6 position stock and forend.

We've only been shooting since April. Maybe a 1911 for xmas!

Just keep the standard buttstock on it; much better for recoil absorption, and the pistol grips with a Mossberg tang safety don't work all that great together.

I'd recommend buying it, learning how to run it (see if there's a local instructor that can give you some of the ins and outs of defensive shotgun use--there's a hell of a lot more to it than "point in the general direction and pull the trigger"), run it as is for a while and then decide if there are any modifications you want to make to it.

 

[ShotgunPro]

That's the 3.5 inch chamber right? That means you can't put 2 3/4 in shells thru it, kind of overkill if you are worried about wall penetration. Price sounds decent though, but it will put a wallop on your shoulders! I'm more of a 45acp guy myself when it comes to HD. For $400 you could get a Rock Island GI or ATI Commander and enter the 1911 club, you won't regret it But back to a home defense shotgun, you can have a 870 in that price range. I had a 500 defense gun and it didn't like heavy loads, personally I think the 870 is a better gun

It'll take 2 3/4

I don't think all of the 835's were 3 1/2" chambers either though.

If it's an 835, I wanna say it has a button safety on the trigger guard as well. (nope, still tang safety)

The 835 won't have quite as much fun accessories for it, but it's still a fine shotgun. I didn't know they offered an 18.5 barrel on them honestly.

 

[ShotgunPro]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I did get it. $138 w/tax. I figured I can't go wrong at that price. Now I'll see if that statement holds true. i got it home and flipped the safety on, and it's stuck. I ordered an oversized replacement so I guess I'll start my first modification there. I'll double check the length when I get home.

 

[ShotgunPro]

Middle 50's and the wife wants to use it to. Sounds like Mossberg Crusier in a 20 Ga w #3 buck for HD. Lets face it we're not going to get younger. If that don't get it done you bit off more than you can chew from the start.

 

[ShotgunPro]

Middle 50's and the wife wants to use it to. Sounds like Mossberg Crusier in a 20 Ga w #3 buck for HD. Lets face it we're not going to get younger. If that don't get it done you bit off more than you can chew from the start.

In my experience, low recoil 12ga buck has less kick than standard 20 ga buck...

 

[ShotgunPro]

Thought I wanted a shotgun for HD

now I want an AR. Saving my pennies.

 

[ShotgunPro]

Thats a good buy for one. My brother has one and i've shot clays with it before and wasn't a big fan with the bird barrel on it. Didn't seem to pull to the shoulder right. He has had a lot of luck with the cantalever barrel on it for hunting deer. Never shot one with an 18 inch barrel on it but im sure it will do just fine for a HD application.

 

[ShotgunPro]

Alright, I feel bad. I guess I'm too trusting, but then again why did I buy something for home defense? The barrel is not 18.5", even though I asked the guy at the pawn shop. I told him that I knew you could order one from Mossberg, but I didn't know they came factory. He insisted. Hell, it's not even 20". It's 24"! I really cannot believe I was duped, and I can't take it back. So, I'll fix the safety and run the gun to make sure it works, then figure out what to do with it.

I guess I never should have stopped watching House.. "Everybody Lies."

 

[ShotgunPro]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I did get it. $138 w/tax. I figured I can't go wrong at that price. Now I'll see if that statement holds true. i got it home and flipped the safety on, and it's stuck. I ordered an oversized replacement so I guess I'll start my first modification there. I'll double check the length when I get home.

it's stuck?

unscrew it and clean it out. Just getting the bigger button might not fix it. there should be a metal plate, small ball bearing and a spring under the button. It might just be gummed up under there.

 

[ShotgunPro]

Thanks. I bought the button, detent plate, spring and ball. Oh yeah, the screw too, in case I muck up the one-way that's in there.

 

[ShotgunPro]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I did get it. $138 w/tax. I figured I can't go wrong at that price. Now I'll see if that statement holds true. i got it home and flipped the safety on, and it's stuck. I ordered an oversized replacement so I guess I'll start my first modification there. I'll double check the length when I get home.

I have a sporting model of the 835 and love it. I love the tang safety. I've thought about getting a shorter HD barrel for it. It is true that there aren't a whole lot of aftermarket accessories for it.

 

[ShotgunPro]

Just take the barrel to a gunsmith and have them chop it down to 18.5, and have them install a new bead. Should cost less than $50, and you'll still be ahead on the deal.