Picked up a Mossberg 500 18.5" Pistol-Grip Cruiser for the homestead this morning. Anyone out there own the same or similar for home defense? If not, what do you utilize for home defense?

A whole frick'n arsenal.

I might suggest a speed feed butt stock for your new toy. Go blast off a dozen slugs or buckshot and see if you like the pistol grip.

She's a firecracker, I know.

Some folks really like that platform. Personally, I'd rather have a spastic colon than a pistol-grip shotty. I have a 500 in the closet for HD/SD. It's the standard hunting model with a 5rd. tube mag and a 24in. (I think) bbl.

I can make you some brownies to fulfill that wish if your serious......

Or you can eat a pound of taco meat.

No, I just can't get comfortable with a pistol grip on any long gun. I've never felt like I was lined up correctly. Plus, with the standard long gun grip, you have a viable butt-stroke to the head weapon, should quarters get too close. Lots of folks can shoot them great. I suppose it's just a matter of what a person is used to. One can hardly go wrong with a 500 though. Mine has been abused beyond measure and still works fine. I broke it once by banging the bbl. against the forestock (trying to clear snow out of the gun). The gun still worked, but the forestock cracked. Heck, if it hadn't been about 8 bazillion below zero it probably never would have (cracked, I mean).

I use a Winchester 1300 defender. Hold 8 rounds, 18" barrel. Regular stocked. It's loaded with double ought and has a pretty stout recoil. I wouldn't want that with a pistol grip. But go out and practice and you'll get to know the gun. Besides, shotguns are just fun.

I have a Mossberg 500 with the polymer (I think? Some kind of plastic) stock and forearm. It's my waterfowl/dog training/truck gun. Ugly as all git out but you cannot hurt the thing and it goes bang every single time. Enjoy it!

Hobie

I just (last week) bought a Remington 870 Marine.

Very nice Remington! Here she is:

In addition to my carry weapon sitting close at all times. I also keep a 500 in the bedroom for HD/SD. It's been an extremely reliable shotgun over the years and she's never failed me yet.

Just like the idea of the shotgun for HD/SD. Worse case scenario anything that misses the intruder, all I have to do is replace drywall (hopefully). Plus I keep going back to something a LEO friend told me when I did ridealongs with her. In heated situations everyone always wants to yell and make themselves heard until they hear "the sound" of the shotgun racking a round in. It's a culturally universal trait, nobody gets a fuzzy feeling about that sound if they think it's pointed towards them.

Congrats on the new item. Any gun purchase is a good one. *grin*

One you get beat up with the pistol grip, I can suggest the Hogue replacement stocks. I like the rubber feel and shorter length of pull on my home defense 870. Might as well get the set since, oddly, it's the same price as just the stock-only at MidwayUSA (parts 911719 and 169170). I've heard the Speedfeeds that hold rounds in the stock can jam up with gunk. The standard Speedfeed stocks get fine reviews though.

If you do go to a short LOP stock, beware side sling mounts at the receiver/stock line. I had a problem with my nose and cheek coming into contact with the sling mount under recoil. With other projects, I haven't gotten around to finding the perfect sling setup for a pump shotty yet. Next attempt is probably a side mount under the tube cap and a butt cuff.

Forgot to answer the actual questions Timothy opened with.

I built an 870 HD from a used Wingmaster a while back. Hacked the barrel off myself and everything; a good learning experience. A mossy was also in the running but I have a lot of muscle memory with the 870 so went with it instead. If I was starting from scratch, it would've been a 590 I think. Haven't had a chance to really drill with it though so...

...my home defense item is still the Bushmaster AR under the bed with XS night sites and Vortex flash hider filled with Hornady 55gr TAP.

I'd offer the opinion the pistol-grip shotguns are completely useless.

There are some people who believe the shotgun is a magical weapon with special powers that can aim itself. If you listen to those people, you deserve whatever you get.

Try this at the range: load it with 00 buck and try to score hits you would consider acceptable for a handgun at 21 feet. Myself, I consider anything off the body midline a miss. If you try looking over the top of the gun when you shoot it to aim, the recoil will pound it into your face.

Fortunately, there are a lot of good options to choose from for a shoulder stock, and the M500 is a decent gun with a good track record. Put a good shoulder stock and sidesaddle on there, and you're well-equipped to repel boarders.

I'm using a converted Saiga-12 on the #2 gas setting. 20 round magazine. It has a pistol grip but the reciprocating gas piston system absorbs alot of the sharpness out of the recoil.