Mossberg Model 500 Persuader/Cruiser for home defense

[FyredUp]

Sorry if this has been discussed before but I am looking for opinions of the Mossberg Model 500 Persuader/Cruiser shotgun for home defense. It would be used by myself or my girlfriend.

I plan to use the 2 3/4 inch shells for less recoil for her. She is of slight build and about 5' 2" tall. I asked her if she thought she could handle a 12 gauge and she is like of course I can. We looked at shotguns together and she liked the feel of the Mossberg better than the 870. For me it is how it feels in my hands and reliability. So talk to me, if you have any experience with this shotgun let me know.

Thanks.

[Scattergun Bob]

The 500 is a very good shotgun, please keep the shoulder stock, and try not to use a pgo. about 1/4 to 1/3 of the police departments in America are equipped with this gun or the 590, that says something to me. I have worked on this gun as an armorer and can find nothing wrong with the design or utility.

I have a lot of experience teaching small framed females the art of defensive shotgun shooting. Here are a couple of ideas that might help.

1st - please make sure that the shotgun fits your girlfriend. Of importance is the the pull length. If the pull is too long the gun will force her shoulder back and inflect PAIN, and she will have a very hard time correctly holding the forend and pumping the gun (short stroke). I CAN NOT stress this enough!!!!!! Cut the stock down, put a GOOD pad on it, you will most likely have to choke up on the gun.

2nd - at the range take your time with her, use skeet loads to start, make sure she is not flinching badly, try some ball and dummy drills to make sure. Work up to you defensive loads SLOWLY.

3 rd - Defensive scatterguns are about KNOWING how to make the gun operate, and fighting the front bead onto the target. Get some Dummy Rounds and practice that with her. One of my tricks is to take an extra heart beat to steady the front bead before a follow up shot, Remember: at close range WE CAN miss with a scattergun!


Good Luck & Be Safe

[TxGun]

Yeah, the 500 is a very good shotgun. As is the 870. It's a personal preference kind of thing and you will not go wrong with either.

[FyredUp]

The Mossberg I plan to get has an M-4 style collapsible stock. I thought this would allow both of us to custon fit the stock to our likes. Any problems with that choice?

By the way I guess I think that firing a 12 gauge shotgun with purely pistol grips, meaning no butt stock, would be a miserable experience. Especially for my smaller girl friend.

[Tommy Vercetti]

but I still like doing it every once in a while

[Scattergun Bob]

No problems, I think that is a great compromise! PGO shooting is hard on the wrists and is harder to aim correctly!

Good Luck & Be Safe

[FyredUp]

Thanks for the help.

I consider myself fortunate that I have a girlfriend who is into the sport of shooting as well as understanding that having a gun for self defense is a great idea. Especially where we live when law enforcement may be 30 to 45 minutes away.

[BillCA]

If your girlfriend is only 5'2" tall and "slight" of build, I'm presuming that she weighs no more than about 118 lbs soaking wet with rocks in her pockets.

In that case, I'd also suggest handling and test-firing a 20-gauge shotgun as an alternative. I'm 5'8" and on the heavy side and find firing a 12-gauge with defensive loads to be somewhat uncomfortable. I can only imagine what a woman who weighs 98 pounds less would feel.

The best investment I made was a 20-gauge Remington 870 for my g/f (5'5", 120#) with a 21-inch barrel. Light, quick handling, modest recoil and still controllable with #3 buckshot loads.

[Rob96]

For me the choice in a defensive shotgun came down to feel and I prefer the Mossberg 500.

[FyredUp]

BillCA: If your girlfriend is only 5'2" tall and "slight" of build, I'm presuming that she weighs no more than about 118 lbs soaking wet with rocks in her pockets.

In that case, I'd also suggest handling and test-firing a 20-gauge shotgun as an alternative. I'm 5'8" and on the heavy side and find firing a 12-gauge with defensive loads to be somewhat uncomfortable. I can only imagine what a woman who weighs 98 pounds less would feel.

The best investment I made was a 20-gauge Remington 870 for my g/f (5'5", 120#) with a 21-inch barrel. Light, quick handling, modest recoil and still controllable with #3 buckshot loads.

I talked to her just a minute ago and she still wants the Mossberg. I suggested we go and see how it fits her and if it is not too heavy for her. She was cool with that. I suggested if it was too big or heavy we could look at a youth model 12 or 20 gauge. She was open to that suggestion saying the shotgun would do her no good if it was too heavy for her to handle.

Frankly, I plan to use 2 3/4 inch shells in this HD gun. Can't see a need for full power 3 inch shells inside a home to stop an intruder. Ranges of 10 to 20 feet seem like an ideal fit for the smaller shells.