Mossberg 835/935 ... a 10 gauge with 12 gauge chamber?

[TheCoachZed]

Mossberg says these guns have 10 gauge barrels. Is that true or not? If so, are they a better buy than a 10 gauge? I'd love to buy a 10 gauge and turn my blind into a slaughterhouse someday (providing I hit what I aim at) BUT 10 gauges are very price and rare, while 835s and 935s are not ...

Of course, I can't get as many pellets in a 12 gauge shell.

 

[3macs1]

Mossberg says these guns have 10 gauge barrels. Is that true or not? If so, are they a better buy than a 10 gauge? I'd love to buy a 10 gauge and turn my blind into a slaughterhouse someday (providing I hit what I aim at) BUT 10 gauges are very price and rare, while 835s and 935s are not ...

Of course, I can't get as many pellets in a 12 gauge shell.

I have never owned a 935 but bought one of the 835's when they 1st came out.
It is no 10ga. Terrible fit for me , kicked like a mule and terrible patterns with 3 1/2.
Currently own 10ga, in semi and a pump so have some to compare with. Started shooting them in 84 I think
If your heart is set on a 10ga save your money and pick up a 10ga browning gold.

 

[KRJ]

Mossberg says these guns have 10 gauge barrels. Is that true or not? If so, are they a better buy than a 10 gauge? I'd love to buy a 10 gauge and turn my blind into a slaughterhouse someday (providing I hit what I aim at) BUT 10 gauges are very price and rare, while 835s and 935s are not ...

Of course, I can't get as many pellets in a 12 gauge shell.

They are overbored barrels. I believe they are close to 10ga dimensions. However this means you shouldn't shoot slugs down them.

 

[hunter5425]

I have a 935 and it patterns 3.5" Blackcloud very well and is also pretty good with the cheap Win 3.5" shells . It is heavy and a gas auto so the recoil is tolerable even when sitting in a blind almost straight up. It is used only for goose hunting as it is far to heavy IMHO to make a good upland gun. It has backbored barrels as is mentioned above which is supposed to improve shot patterns with large shot which does appear to be the case. Many hunters do not believe 3.5" shellls are necessary but since they pattern well in this gun it's what I use.

 

[brybenn]

I've played around with several 835s. I love mossberg shotguns but no 12ga can equal a 10ga in my mind. My double 10 IS heaavy. 11lbs 6oz unloaded. You never stop your swing lol. I'm planing on buying a browning pump 10ga next fall. If you want a 10ga buy one. Shells cost a lil more but so what

 

[TheCoachZed]

I have a 935 and it patterns 3.5" Blackcloud very well and is also pretty good with the cheap Win 3.5" shells . It is heavy and a gas auto so the recoil is tolerable even when sitting in a blind almost straight up. It is used only for goose hunting as it is far to heavy IMHO to make a good upland gun. It has backbored barrels as is mentioned above which is supposed to improve shot patterns with large shot which does appear to be the case. Many hunters do not believe 3.5" shellls are necessary but since they pattern well in this gun it's what I use.

I don't hunt upland anyway, and I already have a nice 12. Well, it used to be nice, before I painted it, and then parts started breaking, leaving me to put two together to make frankengun ... I want a cannon for my next gun. I have a deadly spot in mind for next year's goose hunt (had a blind there this year, but no time to hunt it) and I want as powerful a shotgun as I can buy for sea ducks and northern blacks, which seems to be the bulk of my shooting opportunities. I get most of my days off around Christmas, and puddle ducks are all gone by then. I want something with more power for the bigger, cagier birds.

(not of course, that I couldn't kill a lot more with my 12 if I had a better blind in my honey hole. But it's sort of hard to build a good blind in a spot that sees a combination of Fundy tides and ice floes ripping through)

 

[TheCoachZed]

I've played around with several 835s. I love mossberg shotguns but no 12ga can equal a 10ga in my mind. My double 10 IS heaavy. 11lbs 6oz unloaded. You never stop your swing lol. I'm planing on buying a browning pump 10ga next fall. If you want a 10ga buy one. Shells cost a lil more but so what

Is it possible to buy a Lee Load All in 10 gauge? I have one in 12 gauge already. I don't really shoot that many shells over the course of a duck season - I'd burn many more in practice shooting.

 

[3macs1]

Is it possible to buy a Lee Load All in 10 gauge? I have one in 12 gauge already. I don't really shoot that many shells over the course of a duck season - I'd burn many more in practice shooting.

From the lee people
Available Calibers:

12 Gauge
16 Gauge
20 Gauge

There are no plans to produce a Load-All II in .410 gauge, 10 gauge or 28 gauge.

If you only are going to shoot less than 7 boxes of 10ga a year not worth reloading better just to buy factory.10 pounds of steel shot alone is like 40 bucks by the time I pay shipping
Would not buy anything less than a mec steel master for a reloader since with the crappy metal used on today ls hulls especially if using a semi you need a collet resizer to get them back into tolerance. A jr will not do the job on a consistant basis with the ring so you would have to add a seperate collet resizer.

 

[TheCoachZed]

If you only are going to shoot less than 7 boxes of 10ga a year not worth reloading better just to buy factory.10 pounds of steel shot alone is like 40 bucks by the time I pay shipping
Would not buy anything less than a mec steel master for a reloader since with the crappy metal used on today ls hulls especially if using a semi you need a collet resizer to get them back into tolerance. A jr will not do the job on a consistant basis with the ring so you would have to add a seperate collet resizer.

I suppose that's true.

Upon doing some reading, it appears the 935 won't function target loads anyway, which means no crow hunting in the off season, which means I wouldn't use it as much anyway. So it's 835 or 10 gauge. Checked out the Browning Gold and BPS in 10 at Ross Faulkner's today. I really liked the BPS, but I'm guessing the Gold shoots a lot softer. It had better have some advantage, it's twice the price.

 

[3macs1]

I suppose that's true.

Upon doing some reading, it appears the 935 won't function target loads anyway, which means no crow hunting in the off season, which means I wouldn't use it as much anyway. So it's 835 or 10 gauge. Checked out the Browning Gold and BPS in 10 at Ross Faulkner's today. I really liked the BPS, but I'm guessing the Gold shoots a lot softer. It had better have some advantage, it's twice the price.

Not suppose it is true it is. Have been loading 10ga steel since the year after the lead was banned. Factory steel shotshells are way better quality today and 1/2 the price they once were. On the guns Lets just say I have both and thank god the gold never breaks down and I have to use the BPS other than a back up. It works just fine but turns my shoulder purple after 25 rounds or so. Semi other than the weight feels like a 12ga as far as recoil goes plus it is much nicer to look at
One of my girls

 

[TheCoachZed]

I really liked the dimensions on the BPS, and the fact that it is totally ambidextrous. The gold certainly didnt fit me as well. Maybe I should start keeping an eye out for Remingtons or Ithacas, so I can see how they fit. Trouble is, if nobody has one, I will never find out. Nobody out here that I know shoots a 10, they all shoot 3.5 12s. Only person I ever knew with a 10 was my long-deceased great uncle. He had a Marlin Super Goose.

 

[3macs1]

I really liked the dimensions on the BPS, and the fact that it is totally ambidextrous. The gold certainly didnt fit me as well. Maybe I should start keeping an eye out for Remingtons or Ithacas, so I can see how they fit. Trouble is, if nobody has one, I will never find out. Nobody out here that I know shoots a 10, they all shoot 3.5 12s. Only person I ever knew with a 10 was my long-deceased great uncle. He had a Marlin Super Goose.

I'm a left hand shooter but shoot all right hand guns . To me nothing wrong with the bps 10ga other than for me I do find it kicks hard and I am a big boy but maybe getting soft in my old age.
Fit is very important and maybe the bps is fine for you. Many guys use them in 10ga. I have a bps 12ga 3 1/2 this one and don't mind the kick but the 10ga kills me
I read so many posts that the 3 1/2 12 is as good as the 10ga well lets just say when you have a pair of each with the exact same reload and put them to the paper no 12ga is like a 10ga.
That being said I have been going back to the 12 a lot now since I find the 10 with the duplex reloads just too powerful and tearing birds apart. Sea ducks, snows and geese on pass shooting is where I take it now 12 3 1/2 gold or bps for the rest.
On the rem and ithaca make sure if you buy one that has the choke tubes fitted if not it is useless and you are going to have to send the barrel to briley in the US to get done which will add 300.00.No smith I know in canada can do 10ga choke tubes
Don't laugh but I have a rem SP-10 also and for me don't find the fit any different than the gold. It is a gun that can take the elements a lot better than the gold and has no problem pumping out shells when it is dirty.
Also on the gold if possible try to buy one of the originals with the steel receivers vs the later ones with the aluminium receivers.The 1st design was a twin of the old winchester super x-1 semi and bullet proof.

 

[TheCoachZed]

I'm a left hand shooter but shoot all right hand guns . To me nothing wrong with the bps 10ga other than for me I do find it kicks hard and I am a big boy but maybe getting soft in my old age.
Fit is very important and maybe the bps is fine for you. Many guys use them in 10ga. I have a bps 12ga 3 1/2 this one and don't mind the kick but the 10ga kills me
I read so many posts that the 3 1/2 12 is as good as the 10ga well lets just say when you have a pair of each with the exact same reload and put them to the paper no 12ga is like a 10ga.
That being said I have been going back to the 12 a lot now since I find the 10 with the duplex reloads just too powerful and tearing birds apart. Sea ducks, snows and geese on pass shooting is where I take it now 12 3 1/2 gold or bps for the rest.
On the rem and ithaca make sure if you buy one that has the choke tubes fitted if not it is useless and you are going to have to send the barrel to briley in the US to get done which will add 300.00.No smith I know in canada can do 10ga choke tubes
Don't laugh but I have a rem SP-10 also and for me don't find the fit any different than the gold. It is a gun that can take the elements a lot better than the gold and has no problem pumping out shells when it is dirty.
Also on the gold if possible try to buy one of the originals with the steel receivers vs the later ones with the aluminium receivers.The 1st design was a twin of the old winchester super x-1 semi and bullet proof.

Thanks again for the information. I am a big fan of Winchesters, so I'd keep an eye out for the older design for sure.One question, though - is it possible to switch the safety button around? I hate the right handed safety on my Winchester 1300. It was great when I shot right, but I switched to left (cross dominant eye) and now it slows me down.

I see you're in NS. Are you hunting the eastern coast, CB, or the Bay of Fundy? My brother in law worked out of Clarks Harbour/The Hawk for a while, and he loved the sea duck hunting down there. He's talked about it ever since.

 

[3macs1]

Thanks again for the information. I am a big fan of Winchesters, so I'd keep an eye out for the older design for sure.One question, though - is it possible to switch the safety button around? I hate the right handed safety on my Winchester 1300. It was great when I shot right, but I switched to left (cross dominant eye) and now it slows me down.

I see you're in NS. Are you hunting the eastern coast, CB, or the Bay of Fundy? My brother in law worked out of Clarks Harbour/The Hawk for a while, and he loved the sea duck hunting down there. He's talked about it ever since.

I'm cross eye dom also but never changed my safety. Have done one for a friend on a 12ga gold so the 10 is probally the same.
Took like 10 minutes if I recall correctly pretty easy. You remove the retainer spring, push the detent back up into the trigger housing, then pull out the safety, flip it over and install the detent on the left side then the safety and then the retainer spring above the detent. Pretty straight forward. Don't hunt much around home any more head to PEI or Ontario where I have family and try hard every 2nd year to make a trip to sask. Have a ton of my old mining buddies working in the potash there so lots of places to bunk up. When I do hunt here it is usually truro and eastward. If the 10ga gold is a light weight it has the alloy receiver but not all are marked. Nothing wrong with a light weight but no where near as strong as the steel receiver.

 

[TheCoachZed]

I'm cross eye dom also but never changed my safety. Have done one for a friend on a 12ga gold so the 10 is probally the same.
Took like 10 minutes if I recall correctly pretty easy. You remove the retainer spring, push the detent back up into the trigger housing, then pull out the safety, flip it over and install the detent on the left side then the safety and then the retainer spring above the detent. Pretty straight forward. Don't hunt much around home any more head to PEI or Ontario where I have family and try hard every 2nd year to make a trip to sask. Have a ton of my old mining buddies working in the potash there so lots of places to bunk up. When I do hunt here it is usually truro and eastward. If the 10ga gold is a light weight it has the alloy receiver but not all are marked. Nothing wrong with a light weight but no where near as strong as the steel receiver.

Can the steel recievers be pushed past the SAAMI 10 gauge limits? I know I've read Euro 10 gauges are built to handle much more pressure than our North American shells permit, even more than 3.5 inch 12s.

How is the goose hunting on PEI these days? I grew up just outside Summerside in a place called Lot 16. Spent most of my days in the fall watching goose hunters behind my house instead of doing my homework. But my dad quit hunting when I was a kid and I never had a chance to go goose hunting until I got older and had moved away. I've always wanted to go back and hunt my old neighbourhood fields, but I've heard the geese are changing their patterns, and that field hunting is less of a sure thing.

 

[3macs1]

Can the steel recievers be pushed past the SAAMI 10 gauge limits? I know I've read Euro 10 gauges are built to handle much more pressure than our North American shells permit, even more than 3.5 inch 12s.

How is the goose hunting on PEI these days? I grew up just outside Summerside in a place called Lot 16. Spent most of my days in the fall watching goose hunters behind my house instead of doing my homework. But my dad quit hunting when I was a kid and I never had a chance to go goose hunting until I got older and had moved away. I've always wanted to go back and hunt my old neighbourhood fields, but I've heard the geese are changing their patterns, and that field hunting is less of a sure thing.

Have no idea on the limits. I have never reloaded out side of published data. Lot 16, my god. Know it well spent a lot of time hunting there years ago. I will see if I can find a old barn pic that may look familiar to you. Goose hunting is nothing like it was in the 80's and 90's. Too warm

 

[skhunter]

I had 10ga's in BPS, GOLD and SP10. Hated the BPS, beat the crap out of me. The Gold is a piece of art but I found it a bit finiky with handloads. The SP-10 is a work horse and my favorite. I traded my SP-10 to 3macs1 a few years ago. Tried some 3.5 inch 12ga and they are no 10 guage. Missed my Rem so bad I picked one up for last years season. Felt like welcoming home an old friend. The geese were not happy. I saw a new SP-10 Camo, 26 inch barrel advertised for $1399.00 that's over $300.00 off. Also saw a used Gold synthetic, 30 inch barrel in excellent condition for $899.00

 

[3macs1]

I had 10ga's in BPS, GOLD and SP10. Hated the BPS, beat the crap out of me. The Gold is a piece of art but I found it a bit finiky with handloads. The SP-10 is a work horse and my favorite. I traded my SP-10 to 3macs1 a few years ago. Tried some 3.5 inch 12ga and they are no 10 guage. Missed my Rem so bad I picked one up for last years season. Felt like welcoming home an old friend. The geese were not happy. I saw a new SP-10 Camo, 26 inch barrel advertised for $1399.00 that's over $300.00 off. Also saw a used Gold synthetic, 30 inch barrel in excellent condition for $899.00

Yes sir and I am talking good care of your old girl and she will die with me. My 1st 10ga was a sp-10 probally in the 80's and when I picked up a new gold sold it. Kicked my ass a month after and said I would have another some day. Well it took a lot of years but like you it was like something I had to have back. My golds are funny guns and I find you really have to get to know them when reloading. Resizing in the steel master has to be done a few times and one loves federal and remington hulls but jams with winchester and the other is ok with winchester but jams federals. No idea why so I just feed them what they like and all is good.Also have to keep them super clean especially the gas system. The old remington will eat anything and could not care less if it was ever cleaned. Hope you are still pounding the coyotes with the T3. Coyotes way down here after the two year bounty which is good.
Happy New Year