Getting my first shotgun

1
Found out what I'm getting for Christmas from my mother-in-law, who is the best ever. My late father in law's Winchester 1300 20ga. I had been looking at 12ga shotguns, like the H&R Pardner or the Mossberg 500, but I've never shot a shotgun before, and so I want to work my way up, if at all. Plus I get enough bruising shoulder punishment from my Mosin. I prefer handguns for home defense because it's easier for me to maneuver around the inside of a house with one, so I primarily wanted a shotgun for skeet shooting and possibly small game hunting, and a 20ga is perfect for that. Additionally my father-in-law had great taste in guns, and all of his shotguns are 20 gauge, so that tells me I probably don't need a 12 gauge.

Picture is below. Can you tell anything about it from the picture? I know it's a Winchester 1300 Youth from the markings, but I don't know anything else about it, like capacity, or if it's pump action (I think it is, that looks like a pump handle).
If you have any complaints about my posts, they can be addressed here at this link
Liberally Geeky - My Blog
My avatar is Kropotkin, author of The Conquest of Bread and Mutual Aid
Attachments
100_0272.JPG

Re: Getting my first shotgun

3
My Christmas present from her last year was a Marlin Model 336 lever action .30-30 and it is my very favorite gun :D

I think this'd actually make a decent home/self defense shotgun, as there's reportedly very little felt recoil with it and a slug from it would be pretty nasty. And looking at a couple of home defense sites, I see
The 20 gauge shotgun is one of the best-kept home defense secrets. Its light recoil is less likely to make a petite or inexperienced shooter flinch and miss, but 5/8ths of an ounce of lead per shot will get the job done. The standard 20 gauge buckshot load is #3, which throws 20 .25 caliber lead balls.
and
The 20 is an excellent self-defense caliber, particularly for those who dislike the recoil of the 12 gauge. I recommend the 20 gauge over the more popular 12 for home defense. Choose the 20 gauge 3" shell Federal "Classic" #2 buckshot (F207-2-5PK) with 18 pellets, or the Winchester "Double XX" Magnum #3 with 24 pellets (X203C3B). If your gun cannot accept 3" shells choose the Remington #3 with 20 pellets (SP20BK5PK-3). All of these loads provide definitive short-range stopping power.

I specifically recommend the 20 gauge for women and recoil-sensitive men who dislike the blast and recoil of the 12 gauge. "Delivering roughly the ballistic force of two .44 Magnum rounds at once," comments the knowledgeable Ayoob, the 20 "delivers 75% of the lead for only 50-60% of the recoil". Many police departments have found their officers shoot much more accurately in realistic training exercises with the lighter-kicking but still potent 20 gauge.
So yeah, I think this will be another excellent and versatile addition to an already large collection.

And since I'm getting the shotgun for free I can buy this as well :D My gunsmith buddy has one and is thinking about getting another so he has a pair for cowboy shooting, he speaks very highly of them.
If you have any complaints about my posts, they can be addressed here at this link
Liberally Geeky - My Blog
My avatar is Kropotkin, author of The Conquest of Bread and Mutual Aid

Re: Getting my first shotgun

4
Not sure if they make the for the 20, but the various "mini shells" for sale were designed to fire reliably specifically in the 1300. They can nearly double mag tube capacity.

Congrats on a great new shotty!
Every one you've ever met or will ever meet, knows something you don't. -Neil DeGrasse Tyson

Anti-Gravity Activist

Black Lives Matter

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests