best shotgun for backwoods carry? small, light, cheap..

crunchiespg

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im after a 12 gauge shotgun to carry whilst hiking/camping in the back country here in AB.
what do you guys recommend? id like something with a pistol grip and no stock so its nice and compact. preferably pump action. and with the ability to mount some form of 1x mag red dot or similar scope to use with a solid shot.

basically something i could strap to the outside of my pack and forget about it until such time i would need it.

and above all, must be reliable and cheap.

also, can some one clarify how many shots i could legally have loaded for bear protection? is it 5?

cheers
 
For bear protection, you can fill a tube mag as far as it goes. From my experience though, it's mighty rough shooting bear loads accurately / precisely with a pistol grip...I seriously recommend a shoulder stock. (if you're familiar with folders, and can rig one to your pack without it catching, might fit your interest?) No shot, slugs only. My personal preference is the Remington 870 variety, which is what I carry for my forestry work. I have heard that the more recent production years have been manufactured to lower tolerances, so it might merit looking into a nice used one here on the EE for a few hundred dollars? Definitely hearsay, but the rumor is widespread.

Winchester pumps are lighter w/ aluminum receiver, but from my experience, not mechanically as reliable. The 1200 and 1300's simply have more to go wrong, as compared to 870's, with their rotating bolt system. Also more picky with different ammo.

Buddy swears by his mossberg / mavericks. The Maverick security 88 is mighty cheap and hasn't failed him yet. I haven't torn one apart, so can't personally attest to their mechanics though.

I recommend getting the 18" variety. 8' and 12" are technically legal on paper and would pass in court, but their legality might be difficult to explain to a conservation officer or whatnot. If you're using it in the bush often enough, it might not be worth the hassle. Besides, the 18" barrel would allow for a tube extension as well, LOT softer on the ears, easier muzzle control, etc.

Then again, them short barrels are pretty sweet :p
 
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I agree 870, folding stock, extended mag, surefire forend, kinda like mine
IMG_2233.jpg
bipod just to prop it up:D
 
870MM with Spec ops folder. Compact AND the option of a fixed stock. The check weld on this stock leaves something to be desired <such as your molars back> but it seems managable.
 
This is what I pack with me while working on the Coast. Norinco HP9 with 14" barrel, Knoxx SpecOps folder, and a hogue rubberized foregrip (keep you hand from slipping off and infront of the barrel). I am very happy with this combination!
04JAN08097.jpg

Keep in mind the 12.5" barrel is nice but if you want to use a folding stock it will be too short. Plus with the 14" a one shot mag extension matches the barrel length nicely.
 
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My Winchester Defender 12 Ga is my backpacking firearm. It fits into the side of my backpack, and is easy to get at. It holds 7- 3" shells or 8 - 2 3/4" My origional bush setup and my latest aftermarket add-ons for slug shooting at the range.
defender.jpg

defenderscoped.jpg
 
What about this little O/U from Stoeger? In a stressful situation like a bear attack you would want a gun that is simple and reliable in operation, and that points instinctively as you wouldn't have much time for aiming. This gun looks like it would fit the bill.

The Stoeger Outback:

GAcondor_072507A.jpg
 
What about this little O/U from Stoeger? In a stressful situation like a bear attack you would want a gun that is simple and reliable in operation, and that points instinctively as you wouldn't have much time for aiming. This gun looks like it would fit the bill.

The Stoeger Outback:

GAcondor_072507A.jpg

ok guys, thanks for the tips. given me some good ideas to think about.

stressful quick shooting is my business, i was a tactical firearms officer in the police, so RASP shooting is natural for me.

i saw a nice little remington in Canadian tire for aobut $300, fixed stock, but obviously could put a folder on it. about 16inch barrel, but still seemed nice and small overall.
 
oh, one other thing, what choke will i need to make sure it has for rifled slugs? or doesnt it matter?

im also thinking of a remington 870 police synthentic in 14 or 18 inch. bit more expensive i guess, but might last a lot longer. any views on this one?
 
doesnt matter for rifled foster style slugs - you could shoot them through a full choke if you wanted to, although they usually perform best through IC or modified.

short barrels for remington or mossberg are usually going to come with a cylinder bore. you could try brenneke slugs though they are harder to find.
 
short barrels for remington or mossberg are usually going to come with a cylinder bore. you could try brenneke slugs though they are harder to find.

sorry, pretty new to shotguns, only used rifles/pistols/smg's in the past. what do you mean by cylinder bore?
remington police 18" seem to come with an improved cylinder choke. so that fits slugs nicely.

what sort of price will a remington police 870 synthetic 18" be? the express synthetic 18" is about $320, and my local can tire has them in stock. but i might consider the police model for the extra durability.

also on the 870 models does the safety come on automatically when a shell is chambered? ie could i carry it with 4 in the tube but empty chamber, pump it and then fire? or would i need to pump it, then release safety then fire? as for obvious reasons id rather keep it without a round in the chamber whilst on my back, but due to the safety position i wouldnt want to be having to delay after loading the shotty especially seeing as you have to use the trigger finger to take off the safety. basically i want it to be ready to fire ASAP when its needed.
 
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You can get a used Ithaca M37 pretty cheap...but not, any add on magazine extension available. So for extra rounds, in the magazine, one must look for the 7 shot M&P Model.
They are very light for an all steel receiver shotgun though.
Bottom feed, bottom eject. The Deerslayer variant comes with good iron, rifle type sights. Not many add ons out there though. But in actual fact, the only extra thing one really needs, is possibly a flashlight mount.
Got to look a little extra, for a folding stock too....
 
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no, the 870 safety is completely manual.
cylinder bore = no choke, just straight through tube. IC is a very minimal choke, then modified, etc.
the more recent 870Ps come with IC, as far as i know many of the older ones didnt. most of the short barreled mossys, 870s, norincos, grizzlies, etc come with just cylinder bore (although Can-am was planning on having the next batch of grizzlies threaded for chokes).
honestly with slugs and backwoods carry for crap like zombie, yeti, bear defense i dont think IC or cylinder will make much of a difference :)

i like to practice on the 100yd gongs at the range so i appreciate the bit of extra accuracy you get from IC or modified at longer ranges. short range its probably irrelevant.

the grizzlies arent a bad deal. alloy triggergroup like the Wingmasters, and the action smoothes up very nicely. theyre built like a tank and will take just about all of the 870 accessories with perhaps minor fitting (forearm tube is a couple thou oversized so you may have to sand the inside of an aftermarket forearm for example). 12.5" barrel is very convenient for carry, it ends right at the mag tube. pop a shorter LOP stock on it and its a very compact gun.
 
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