What shot gun for my girl friend?

I'd stay away from any youth gun that has a short barrel. She'd be better off with a regular 20ga gas semi with 26 or 28" barrel. Cut the stock to fit if you need to, but the short youth barrels don't swing as well as the longer ones.

Beretta 391, Browning silver, Rem 11-87 would be my choices, in that order.
 
evolture said:
5' 105lb wife shotgun question:

20 ga 11-87 compact with the adjustable length of pull?

or

12 or 20 ga 11-87 full size and get the stock cut?
Click to expand...

20 ga. 11-87 compact would be perfect for her.

Step one is to make the gun fit her stature, that's why the stock has reduced length of pull. But with a 26 or 28" barrel, it's now very muzzle heavy. Most people who now fit that length of pull don't have the arm strength to hold that very muzzle-heavy gun. Step two is to cut the barrel down to about 21". It now balances the same as a full-sized gun. And it will feel like similar dynamics in the hands of a smaller shooter. My 12-year old daughter handles that exact gun beautifully at trap, and she's deadly with it.
 
I wouldn't bother with a 20 gauge. You can buy 12 ga shells with light 7/8 and 1 oz loads that recoil the same as a 20 gauge. Don't go with a lightweight shotgun, they increase felt recoil. An O/U or a semiauto fitted to her - slightly shortened LOP and maybe a 26 or 28" barrel will work great. If she shot 20/25 with a .410 on skeet she's probably going to shoot any shotgun well as long as it isn't too ungainly.
 
A 20 ga. gas gun and target loads is about as light for recoil as you can get. And 20 ga. target loads are readily available and cheap.
 
You can only tell when she handles the gun and finds out how it fits her. Have her shoot at a patterning board if you can, to see if she is hitting at point of aim.

Some people can adeptly scrunch their face, neck, shoulder and body around to fit any gun. But it's far from optimal.
 
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