I'm buying a Mossberg 88 for home defense. Should I get the 18.5" 5+1 or the 20" 7+1?

I'm buying a Mossberg 88 for home defense. Should I get the 18.5" 5+1 or the 20" 7+1?

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  1. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Couldn't you get a smaller model? Any of those might be cumbersome for home defense, specially in small houses and apartments.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      >doesn't understand basic laws
      Why would you try to give advice if you have no idea what you're talking about?

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        >"hurr durr basic laws"
        What the hell that's supposed to mean?

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          The NFA, anon.
          The NFA limits shotguns to 18" or more without a tax stamp and an absolutely absurd background check.
          Of course the Mossberg Shockwave is a neat workaround.

          • 2 years ago
            Anonymous

            Oh, sorry my bad. My country isn't that cucked and I forgot about it.

            • 2 years ago
              Anonymous

              This fricking moron is probably from Ottawa or something

            • 2 years ago
              Anonymous

              >My country isn't that cucked
              Mind posting your EDC?

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Just my buttplug, but I’m not taking it out to take a picture of it for you.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                buttplugs are sacred man, not to be showing to anyone else except your future husband.

            • 2 years ago
              Anonymous

              >y country isn't that cucked and I forgot about it.
              NFA laws are mega gay but the US still has the best gun laws in the world

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        I just assumed he was referring to pistols. Which is stupid because a pistol being aimed at arms length is about as long as any short rifle or shotgun

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          Nope. I forgot about the NFA and didn't think it would be a problem for OP.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      20" is the way to go

      Wrong

      >home defense.
      i would think a shorter bareel would be better than a longer barrel for this.
      either way, you can get aftermarket replacement barrels and mag tubes to swap back and forth from long to short if you want to change later

      Short barrel 12ga is obnoxious
      >you can get aftermarket replacement barrels and mag tubes
      prohibitively expensive for maverick 88

      Haven't held a 18.5 but the 20 is front heavy

      homie youre stupid

      >It's a shotgun, not a pike.
      Seems like you guys living in your parents 3600sqft house think its small and dont' actually comprehend what a 'small' house is. OP might be actually poor living in a tiny house full of people, not a starter mcmansion.
      >This can be said of any longarm.
      Hence why I mentioned even a pistol can sometimes be considered better than a long gun.
      >No. Practice with your tools, run drills and when the time comes you'll do great.
      If you've ever seen the military and cop body cams, sometimes practice does frickall because you made a mistake under stress you've never made before, and a hard jam presents itself. Don't pretend you're a tier 1 operator when the back door is kicked in and you're ready to john wick some basketball players
      >even when under fire
      shut up idiot, you've never been under fire
      >Racking the slide is pointless and intimidates no one. It is powerful and inexpensive, tho and has a higher kill rate than carbines.
      Racking a shotgun can't kill anything, now you're just being stupid.
      >I reccomend making the most use out of whatever firearm you have while simultaneously dialing emergency services
      Just hold a long gun in 1 hand and frick around with a touch screen on another I guess.

      Just stop.

      >Seems like you guys living in your parents 3600sqft house think its small and dont' actually comprehend what a 'small' house is. OP might be actually poor living in a tiny house full of people, not a starter mcmansion.
      if thats the case why doesnt he sit in his room with the gun pointed at the door? If youre living in a rooming house who cares about the other people
      >Hence why I mentioned even a pistol can sometimes be considered better than a long gun.
      No, the benefits of a handgun for home defense doesnt outweigh the lethality of a long rifle or shotgun
      If you aim your pistol with the CORRECT (isosceles) shooting stance then you'll notice your hands are stretched out to the same length as the end of the muzzle on a 14.5" AR. Unless you do CAR or some shit that will jam your glock, a long gun is practically as short as a pistol. And you can effectively hide both of them when going around a corner with the low ready stance

      If you buying it for the purpose of home defense then get the 18.5", 6 shells is enough for any realistic scenario, and the two extra are highly unlikely to make a difference in a home invasion, if you're in a situation that 6 rounds of buckshot wont solve you need a rifle with a deep magazine, not two more shots. However the slightly shorter profile might make a difference, being a little bit handier lighter and quicker around a corner, is important.

      Most home defense/self defense shootings are resolved with 1-3 shots fired, and in particular 12 gauges dont need more than one if you aim center mass and hit, its like being hit in the chest with a golf ball of lead at that range and 6 shots is enough to deal with multiple guys in a final way.

      Longer barrels are for hunting and tacticool larping/cop shit where you might end up shooting 50 yards or more. If your buying it to blast uninvited guests in and around your home get the shorty, but get a real stocked shotgun, not one of those stockless meme guns.

      >6 shells is enough for any realistic scenario
      true but why not have more? Your life is very expensive you might need 28 shells in a HD engagement

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Dumb noguns poster

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        >doesnt outweigh the lethality of a long rifle or shotgun
        >muh stoppin powah
        Okay dude.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          shotguns and rifles are absolutely more lethal than handguns, unless you use birdshot but morons are gonna moron.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          do you really think a cartridge thats 1/10th the size of a 12 gauge shell going out of a 2 inch barrel vs a 16 inch barrel is comparable?

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          >he thinks there isn't lethality differences between rifles and shotguns vs pistols

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        >true but why not have more?
        thats what a bandolier, side saddle and lots of practice topping off are for.
        the extra two inchss of barrel, 5 inches of mag tube to hold those two additional shells and overall larger profile of the gun make it a lot less handy inside than you might think, its almost an additional pound of weight when loaded with 7+1 vs the 5+1 gun.

        I actually have both, and other sizes and shapes of pump action shotguns, the shorty is my go-to just because it is so much handier in a tight doorway or narrow hall. You dont think of 2 inches as a lot but when youre moving around in a house with a gun every little bit counts and every additional inch makes moving harder and more thoughtful instead of quick and instinctive. the 20s mag tube is as long as the barrel and that means that the end of your gun is a much bigg and complicated thing which is far more likely to snag on stuff vs the 5+1 18.5" where the mag tube stops ~3-4 inches short of the muzzle.

        anyone using a pump scattergun for HD should be drilling top offs any time you have a spare second anyway. and firing twice then reloading two in a 5+1 is just as good as firing twice then topping a 7+1, my point is that if you in a situation where six round of #4 buck or w/e you're loaded with is insufficient then 2 additional rounds isn't going to save you. Theres nothing short of an actual mob that requires more than 6 rounds on tap, and once you practiced a bunch top drills are really fast.

        why not have more is cus having more makes the gun significantly less handy in confined spaces both in terms of weight and length and theres a like a 99.9% chance that you will not even need 6 much less 8.

  2. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    >home defense.
    i would think a shorter bareel would be better than a longer barrel for this.
    either way, you can get aftermarket replacement barrels and mag tubes to swap back and forth from long to short if you want to change later

  3. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    I’m gay

  4. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Haven't held a 18.5 but the 20 is front heavy

  5. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    the difference of 2.5" for "home defense" is trivial considering how long the overall gun is. Some home defense experts have moved away from the boomer mindset of using a shotgun for HD because of moving through your house. If its small, tight hallways, lots of doors to pass though, 2 feet of your gun comes around before you can see whats in that room. too easy for someone to grab it and misdirect it. Additionally, you're startled, you're panicked, you've short stroked, its hard jammed, clearing a shotgun can be fricked. Alternatively its cheap, has plenty of power, can attach a light, has psychological factor of racking the slide (which some think is great, some think its pointless). Home defense experts will recommend anything between a pistol, short rifle, PCC, to a compact rifle. It depends on your house layout, depends on what you're going to do if you ever had to use it. (sit in the corner aimed at the door, or go clearing rooms securing your family).

    If its all you can afford, i'd say 20", get a shell card, and attach a light.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      >the difference of 2.5" for "home defense" is trivial considering how long the overall gun is.
      Yes.
      > Some home defense experts have moved away from the boomer mindset of using a shotgun for HD because of moving through your house.
      It's a shotgun, not a pike.
      You guys act like you couldn't possibly get through a small house with a 590 and it's fricking pathetic if true.
      >If its small, tight hallways, lots of doors to pass though, 2 feet of your gun comes around before you can see whats in that room.
      The barrel of a carbine also comes through the door first.
      > too easy for someone to grab it and misdirect it.
      This can be said of any longarm.
      >Additionally, you're startled, you're panicked, you've short stroked, its hard jammed, clearing a shotgun can be fricked.
      No. Practice with your tools, run drills and when the time comes you'll do great.
      I've literally NEVER had any of the problems you just described, even when under fire.
      >Alternatively its cheap, has plenty of power, can attach a light, has psychological factor of racking the slide (which some think is great, some think its pointless).
      Racking the slide is pointless and intimidates no one. It is powerful and inexpensive, tho and has a higher kill rate than carbines.
      >Home defense experts will recommend anything between a pistol, short rifle, PCC, to a compact rifle. It depends on your house layout, depends on what you're going to do if you ever had to use it. (sit in the corner aimed at the door, or go clearing rooms securing your family).
      I reccomend making the most use out of whatever firearm you have while simultaneously dialing emergency services

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        >It's a shotgun, not a pike.
        Seems like you guys living in your parents 3600sqft house think its small and dont' actually comprehend what a 'small' house is. OP might be actually poor living in a tiny house full of people, not a starter mcmansion.
        >This can be said of any longarm.
        Hence why I mentioned even a pistol can sometimes be considered better than a long gun.
        >No. Practice with your tools, run drills and when the time comes you'll do great.
        If you've ever seen the military and cop body cams, sometimes practice does frickall because you made a mistake under stress you've never made before, and a hard jam presents itself. Don't pretend you're a tier 1 operator when the back door is kicked in and you're ready to john wick some basketball players
        >even when under fire
        shut up idiot, you've never been under fire
        >Racking the slide is pointless and intimidates no one. It is powerful and inexpensive, tho and has a higher kill rate than carbines.
        Racking a shotgun can't kill anything, now you're just being stupid.
        >I reccomend making the most use out of whatever firearm you have while simultaneously dialing emergency services
        Just hold a long gun in 1 hand and frick around with a touch screen on another I guess.

        Just stop.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          >Racking the slide is pointless and intimidates no one.
          >It is powerful and inexpensive, tho and has a higher kill rate than carbines.

          these are clearly separate ideas, almost feels like you misunderstood him on purpose so you could feel superior

          • 2 years ago
            Anonymous

            Was literally in the same sentence.
            Project much?

            • 2 years ago
              Anonymous

              There was a period. Am I supposed to take your word on shotguns and ignore the fact you can't read?

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Go to Hell you autistic turbo-homosexual.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Easy with the language. /k/ is pro lgbtq now, or haven’t you heard?

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                hey at least I can read and write

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                That's a pretty disproportionate take over a missed period, homosexual.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          >Seems like you guys living in your parents 3600sqft house think its small and dont' actually comprehend what a 'small' house is. OP might be actually poor living in a tiny house full of people, not a starter mcmansion.
          Seems like you don't know who you're talking to.
          My house is fricking TINY. I can still get through it quickly with a shotgun.

          >Hence why I mentioned even a pistol can sometimes be considered better than a long gun.

          >If you've ever seen the military and cop body cams, sometimes practice does frickall because you made a mistake under stress you've never made before, and a hard jam presents itself. Don't pretend you're a tier 1 operator when the back door is kicked in and you're ready to john wick some basketball players
          I never said I was tier anything.
          But I've been in extended firefights and sleep with a pistol under my pillow and a shotgun under the bed.
          >>even when under fire
          >shut up idiot, you've never been under fire
          Yes I have.

          >Racking a shotgun can't kill anything, now you're just being stupid.
          It can kill you if the other guy hears it and decides to start shooting.

          >Just hold a long gun in 1 hand and frick around with a touch screen on another I guess.
          Not knowing how to dial a 3 digit number quickly, as people have done for decades doesn't reflect well on you.
          In my case I'd just have the wife make the phone call, but being a 30 year old kissless virgin, I guess you don't have that option.
          >Just stop.
          No, wienersucker, I will stop.

          • 2 years ago
            Anonymous

            >No, wienersucker, I will stop.
            Good job idiot.

            • 2 years ago
              Anonymous

              Frick this phone and frick you

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                lol phone poster eat shit kid

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                I'm a man on the go.
                Not everyone can live in his mom's basement on a computer at the age of 30.
                Let's hope you get trapped down there during a fire.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Where are you going? Another firefight? or just another minimum wage job?

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Home.
                To my house, with my wife and children.
                It's a joy you'll never know but if you ever think the story of your life is getting unbearable you can always just skip to the end.
                I promise you that it makes no difference and no one will miss you.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                You seem like a really well adjusted head of the household. Lose an internet argument and tell someone to kill themselves. Go ahead and brag to your wife and her kids about what you've done today. Got on PrepHole and argued with fictional characters. Take the L, bozo.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                >People are being callous on PrepHole?!
                First day, homosexual?
                Went ahead and told her.
                She wasn't even shocked and asked me to go check on the 7 year old.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          The best strategy is to stay put and hold down the hallway with a long gun, preferably a 12g. If you feel the need to clear your house, otherwise known as "fishing to get shot" then a pistol might be better.

          • 2 years ago
            Anonymous

            This. Unless you have loved ones or something ridiculously valuable that’s uninsured that are somewhere else in the house, sit tight. Call 911 and wait in one room with a gun pointed at the door.

            • 2 years ago
              Anonymous

              I don't disagree, whatever weapon you have, you're best off sitting in the opposite corner of your bedroom and calling the police. But if you hear intruders in your house with loved ones you'd be a liar if you said you wouldn't go to them and ensure their safety.

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                So not having a family is a tactical advantage?

              • 2 years ago
                Anonymous

                Well kinda, 4 bedroom house and you have a pistol, shotgun, and AR at your nightstand, you hear a broken window or kicked in door, what do you do knowing you live alone? Ventilate someone or worry about your funcopop collection? the choice is obvious.

      • 2 years ago
        op

        ok I think I'm going to get the 20". I have a whole slew of other guns but I just wanted something dedicated and pistols are weak sauce

        >small house
        It's a big house and also might be for my shop (also big)

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        Tweakers will delta the frick out if they hear a yorkie come barreling down the stairs, racking the slide is more than enough to cheese out a good 60% of home invaders. The ones not smart enough to run from the fricker with his wiener out and a belt of slugs over his shoulder when they hear the click are the ones that think they're tough shit or high as frick, and that's why you load it in the first place.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      >Home defense experts
      You work in the gun department of a Cabela's, don't you?

  6. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Go with the 20 if you want to maybe shoot skeet with it also. 18.5 really only has one purpose

  7. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Buy 18 in. Get 1 3/4 ammo and an opsul

    • 2 years ago
      Resident Wumbologist

      The 5+1 is slightly shorter, but really the advantage of it is being able to swap on the 28" vent rib barrel and go hunting or trap shooting with it. If you don't plan on doing that you may as well just get the 20" version for the 7+1 capacity.

      Fun to play around with, but I wouldn't really recommend using it for defense. They still don't cycle 100% every time and the mini shells are a bit underpowered, useful for reduced recoil though if somebody who is young/weak needs to be able to use the gun as well.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      go with the rio 2.25 inch and you dont need the stupid insert

      plus it has like 2-3 more buckshot pellets in it than the 1 3/4 shells

  8. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Get the 20"unless you're planning to suppress

  9. 2 years ago
    Anonymous
  10. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Get the 20"
    If you're going to use a longarm like a shotgun for HD, you might as well take the one that carries more ammo even though the odds of needing all of it is pretty fricking low.
    That extra two inches of barrel really isn't anything to be concerned with, just get an adjustable stock or find one with a shorter length of pull.
    You could also just tuck in with the stock over your shoulder or under your armpit.

  11. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    If you buying it for the purpose of home defense then get the 18.5", 6 shells is enough for any realistic scenario, and the two extra are highly unlikely to make a difference in a home invasion, if you're in a situation that 6 rounds of buckshot wont solve you need a rifle with a deep magazine, not two more shots. However the slightly shorter profile might make a difference, being a little bit handier lighter and quicker around a corner, is important.

    Most home defense/self defense shootings are resolved with 1-3 shots fired, and in particular 12 gauges dont need more than one if you aim center mass and hit, its like being hit in the chest with a golf ball of lead at that range and 6 shots is enough to deal with multiple guys in a final way.

    Longer barrels are for hunting and tacticool larping/cop shit where you might end up shooting 50 yards or more. If your buying it to blast uninvited guests in and around your home get the shorty, but get a real stocked shotgun, not one of those stockless meme guns.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Thread

  12. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    20" is absolute kino

  13. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    My first gun when I turned 18 was a Mossberg 590 with a 20in barrel. I still have it, but I regret buying the 20in instead of the 18.5in. I have handled the 18.5in versions since then and they are just easier to maneuver.

  14. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    get the 20" and then get the wood corncob forend and wood stock to put on it

  15. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    AR or AK

  16. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    I have the thunder ranch model in 18.5, pretty comfy length. If you can afford it get the Shockwave and put a brace on it. Clearing a house with an 18.5" barrel shotgun is unsafe at times, you're gonna take a whole second and expose 80% of your body to cover a deep corner. Handguns are god for home defense.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      The thunder ranch version is moronic.

  17. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    I'd go with an AR, but if I had to, shorter is better for HD, 18.5 is already too long.

  18. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Get an 870 fren. Give em both a pump side by side and tell me the 870 isn't much smoother.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      i would like the 870s a lot more if they didnt braze the magazine tubes in and rivet the ejectors. it shouldnt take a gunsmith to replace those parts

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      >rustington
      ISHYGDDT

  19. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Most shootings are statistically over in three shots so capacity really doesn't matter a whole lot regardless of what tacticool gays who insist then NEED two 60 round coffin mags jungle taped together to take care of Jamal at 3am.
    Bonus points with the 18.5" version is you can use a ton of barrels on it, 28" bird barrels, rifled barrels, etc... While with the 20" barrel you're pretty much stuck with what you got, probably not a concern if you solely intended to use it for HD but it's nice to have a "do everything" gun.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      >Statistically
      Post source of that "statistic".

  20. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    20". 1.5 inches for 2 more rounds is worth it.

  21. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Get a shockwave with crimson trace, use mini shells 00 buck with an adapter, and some grip tape.

  22. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    You should get the Mossberg 500 at least, not the shit Maverick 88.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      why

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        The 500 has dual slide rails that AREN'T pinned directly to the plastic fore end like the single slide rail used on the Maverick. The safety position of the 500 is also superior, being mounted for easy thumb actuation.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          Maverick 88s mostly have dual action bars.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      agreed the 500 flex looks p. good with being able to quickly change out the barrels and grips and such in case you want to use the shotgun for something else

  23. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    If you can't get em with the first 6 shots, indoors with a fricking shotgun, you don't deserve another 2.

  24. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    based on what I'm reading here, isn't the obvious solution to a catchall home defense gun a braced pistol? short OAL, you can still shoulder it and aim easily, and it's high capacity.

  25. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    I'd get the 18.5, I personally own one and have shot friends 500s. I've probably put a couple thousand shells through the Maverick, any roughness in the pump gets worked out pretty quickly if you actually use the gun. It was originally just a cheap beater that I could loan out or wouldn't care if I flipped in my canoe but it's now one of my favorite guns.

    With the extra barrel length and shells the 20" is too front heavy IMO, the balance point is just a little bit forward of your pump hand, so all of the weight is on your left arm.

    The 18.5" puts the (lighter) weight about 75% on the pump hand/ 25% on the trigger hand, which is much more pleasant if you're holding it ready for any length of time, plus I think it points better.

    I'd also consider getting the HD/Field barrel combo, Skeet/Trap/Five-Stand is fun, but it's also a good way to generate familiarity quickly loading/shouldering/firing at dynamic targets, which is probably more useful in the grand scheme of things. I'd put my money on the guy with a $200 shotgun who shoots regularly over someone who has the perfect setup but just lets it sit in a closet until they need it.

  26. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Handguns are the best home defense guns. I use my Glock 19 over my piston driven 11 inch 5.56 or shotgun.

  27. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Get a stoeger 3000

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous
  28. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    The 20"'s longer tube mag makes it easier to jury rig a flashlight mount.

  29. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    get the Combo with short barrel and sporting barrel. It's marginally more expensive, but you get a gun you can use for actual sporting use as well as defensive or 'tactical' use. It's the best deal. Take it from a guy who bought a 20" 88, it was a sweet gun, but the barrel is not really possible to swap out. And it would be worth it to have the long barrel with choke for clays or even hunting if you fancy that. And the capacity loss is insignificant over the 20".

    The only pro is the 20" does look the sexiest.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      You could swap your mag to the short one, to mount the regular barrels.

      • 2 years ago
        Anonymous

        That's so expensive you're best off jsut getting a M500. the combo is for sale locally for 310 in California, the security is 280. So for 30 bucks you get a lot more. Markets may vary.

        • 2 years ago
          Anonymous

          Yeah, it's not a good approach for OP, but I meant the regretful anon that already had the 20". He could completely switch to the short mag and sell the 20" barrel and 8rd mag. Together as a set, it's ridiculous what that sells for on ebay, almost the price of the whole gun new.

    • 2 years ago
      op

      I got the 20in

      I already have a 28" model 12. I would have gotten the 18.5 for that reason otherwise

  30. 2 years ago
    Anonymous

    Get a KSG. It's literally mindblowing.

    • 2 years ago
      Anonymous

      Hey wait a minute

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