Marine shotguns

I've always had a marine shotgun on the want list but the nickel finish ones always kept me guessing. Why not just build a stainless gun? Barrel, receiver, springs, titanium firing pin, a gun that would truly shrug off salt and water?
 
Painkillers said:
I've always had a marine shotgun on the want list but the nickel finish ones always kept me guessing. Why not just build a stainless gun? Barrel, receiver, springs, titanium firing pin, a gun that would truly shrug off salt and water?
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Stainless is only ok at resisting corrosion, and it would mean setting up another production line.

Nickel plating and especially nickel based plating like NP3 are superior as long as it remains unbroken.
 
There’s a stainless police 1200 on #######, looks like a plated receiver and a true stainless barrel. Stainless guns rust.
I remember reading somewhere that Bar-sto of 1911 fame at one time did a run of 870 barrels in stainless.
Rem used to offer the XCR marine magnum
 
No tactical shotgun ever impressed on first handling me as much as the old 870 Marine Magnums. Of course I was sea kayaking at the the time, something that would destroy an ordinary gun in short order, but they seemed like the answer to my prayers... I mean if firearms had been legal in our grizzly bear filled coastal national parks. I don't think they're as good as they were when I first encountered one, and for sure door kickers would not like them because they're all shiiny, but a little camo tape would solve that... if they were still of the original quality. When I handle one now though, the thrill is gone.
 
B said:
I owned two Marine Mossbergs over the years. Both had issues with the plating flaking off some of the internals. Was a bit annoying.
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Yep. If not flaking off, it will wear through exposing metal in the white I presume?

To the other guys who state stainless steel rusts, that's not my understanding. It can oxidize, it can have galling issues, it will cause problems if dissimilar materials are in contact...but rust? How?
 
High sulphur content free machining grades such as 416 are totally unsuitable for marine or other chloride exposure..

You’ve never seen a 409 stainless exhaust that’s rusty?

Type 17-4 PH stainless steel withstands corrosive attack better than any of the standard hardenable (martensitic) stainless steels and is comparable to Type 304 in most media. The alloy exposed to seacoast atmosphere will gradually develop overall light rusting and pitting in all heat-treated conditions

Most people don’t want to or can’t afford a gun from 17-4
Casull, BHA and others
 
If you haven't already watched the Beretta factory tour posted to YouTube by TGS Outdoors, I think you might find it interesting.

 
Big Bad said:
No tactical shotgun ever impressed on first handling me as much as the old 870 Marine Magnums. Of course I was sea kayaking at the the time, something that would destroy an ordinary gun in short order, but they seemed like the answer to my prayers... I mean if firearms had been legal in our grizzly bear filled coastal national parks. I don't think they're as good as they were when I first encountered one, and for sure door kickers would not like them because they're all shiiny, but a little camo tape would solve that... if they were still of the original quality. When I handle one now though, the thrill is gone.
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There's always the nitrided version of the Ithaca 37 Defense.

Nitride is also very corrosion resistant and is of course being much more wear resistant than nickel plating.

Too bad nobody other than Ithaca and a handful of custom shops offer it as an option.

Painkillers said:
Yep. If not flaking off, it will wear through exposing metal in the white I presume?

To the other guys who state stainless steel rusts, that's not my understanding. It can oxidize, it can have galling issues, it will cause problems if dissimilar materials are in contact...but rust? How?
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The same way regular steel does, just not as readily.
 
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An M37 DSPS 20” with the marine finish came up on the EE maybe around 2015 or so. I had just bought something expensive so I hesitated; by the time I talked myself into buying it, it was sold. Haven’t seen one since.

Not as uncommon as the Ithaca, but another less common one is the 870 Police Marine Magnum with the rifle sights.
 
The current Ithaca is junk. I owned a new 3” synthetic stocked gun. All cast internals poorly machined and fit. If you own a new take it apart and you’ll wonder where the value is, JMB would cry.
 
Ths Mossberg 590/a1 Mariner is made out of anodised aluminium and steel. I was under the impression they applied the marinecote to the entire gun, inside and out.

Hard to find too much on the process, as it's proprietary.

Mossberg's proprietary Marinecote finish: an innovative Talfon and nickel formula which penetrates into the pores of the metal to provide protection you can count on.

I'll take mine apart again tomorrow and see what I can see.
 
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The Winchester Marine Defender is a good option. Nothing is perfect but this is one of the better options.

From NRA Shooting Illustrated. https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/winchester-super-x-pump-marine-defender/

The SXP Marine Defender's most intriguing and visibly striking feature, however, is the hard-chrome plating, designed to fend off the corrosive nature of damp and possibly salty environments. Chrome coats the 18-inch barrel's exterior, the magazine tube and the action bars. The barrel and chamber are internally plated as well.
 
m1008 said:
The current Ithaca is junk. I owned a new 3” synthetic stocked gun. All cast internals poorly machined and fit. If you own a new take it apart and you’ll wonder where the value is, JMB would cry.
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That's disappointing to hear, when did they start cheaping out?
 
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