At this point, you might be thinking, “He’s using the words precise AND shotgun in the same sentence? Is this guy nuts?” Well, that depends. I’m talking about whether a shotgun can be “precise” or not. We won’t discuss my sanity just yet. The potential precision of your shotgun depends on careful matching of your […]
Mad Gun Science: Is Buckshot Best for Home Defense?
Recently we looked at the pros and cons of using birdshot loads for home defense. Now it’s time to look at the flip side – using big and heavy buckshot for the same purpose. The timing for this topic is perfect as I just returned from Tactical PreSchool at the Academi training facility in Moyock, […]
A Beautiful Beretta: The New 692 Sporting B-Fast Over/Under Shotgun
On this, the 3rd day of October 1526. [To] Master Bartolomeo Beretta of the Brescian territory of Gardone for 185 arquebus barrels [made] for Our House of the Arsenal [given] 296 ducati. So begins the history of the world’s oldest gun maker – Beretta. By the way, in 1526, 296 ducati was a lot of […]
10 Things I’d Look For In A SHTF Shotgun
Recently I received a Winchester SXP Marine Defender shotgun for testing and evaluation, and this got me thinking. Yeah, I know. Me thinking is a big stretch of the imagination, but just go with it, OK? You hear a lot of scary scenarios from the prepper community. Some of them are realistic, others – not so much. […]
FNH Makes A Competition Shotgun? The FNH SC-1 Competition Over/Under
FN. It’s a little confusing if you’ve been around a while. Is FN the same as Browning? What’s Herstal? What’s FNH? Is that different than Fabrique Nationale? Should John Browning win a Nobel Prize? Are Belgian waffles all they’re cracked up to be? Let’s answer these questions with a simple history review. In 1889 Fabrique […]
X-Products Takes Shotgunning a Beer To A Whole New Level
In the “why the heck not” category is the new Can Cannon from X Products. Known for their rock solid drum magazines for modern sporting rifle designs, the X Products folks got a wild hair to bring something just plain fun to market. The Can Cannon is a complete upper assembly with a soda can […]
A Look At The Beretta 1301 Tactical Shotgun
I recently got my hot little hands on a Beretta 1301 Tactical shotgun. After checking out the floor model at the 2014 NRA Annual Meeting, I decided I had to have one. Why? Because it handles like a shotgun carbine. If you’ve shot short, light weight and compact rifles, then you know exactly what I […]
Beretta 1301 Tactical Shotgun Review: A “Carbine” Shotgun
Have you ever shot an M1 Garand, followed by an M1 Carbine? Or perhaps a FAL, followed by a Ruger 10/22? Or maybe a full size over and under 12 gauge, followed by a compact coach gun? If so, then you already have an idea of the relative feel of the Beretta 1301 Tactical shotgun. […]
Gun Review: Browning Citori 725 Feather Over & Under Shotgun
There are times when a heavier shotgun is nice to have—the trap or clays course, for example, where you’ll be popping off a hundred or so 12-gauge shells and have ample opportunity to set your (heavy) gun down. And there are other times when lugging around a gun that weighs the same as a gallon […]
This Goofy Gun: The Winchester 9410
Today’s pop quiz! What do the following have in common? Ben Cartwright John Moses Browning Saiga-12 Auto Shotguns Give up? It’s the Winchester 9410 lever-action shotgun! Admittedly, the Cartwright clan had access to guns from the future, as they shot an awful lot of Winchester 1892’s, which is only two different than the 1894 design […]