Schlick Schlock for very little cha-ching (Cheap Guns Part II: Shotguns)
My original intention was to write a quick guide to some quality cheap guns. Boy and howdy did I open up a can of worms with that one. It turns out, there were a large number of guns that met my requirements and that was just in handguns. Far too many to cover in just one article, even! As I kept looking, I saw numerous shotguns and rifles and even more handguns. I’m trying my best, however, to restrict the list to guns that I personally know to be of good quality. At the same time, there just isn’t a way to list all the individual guns that are within my search restrictions.
But that won’t stop me from trying…
This time we’re talking shotguns. Now, there are some super-inexpensive, quality shotguns and there are shotguns that cost more than your house. The bright side is that there’s more of the former than the latter. In the grand scheme of things, the pump action is usually the cheapest option with semi-auto shotguns coming in second and over & under shotguns often being the most expensive choice. Synthetic stocks will usually be cheaper than wood with the main exception being carbon fiber stocks.
So to review, here are the requirements:
- It must have an MSRP of less than $550. I use MSRP because that’s a standard price that will be the same regardless of where you look. Just keep in mind that the street price will almost always be less.
- It must be a quality weapon. There are some cheap guns that might as well be made out of cardboard. These must be guns that you can depend on. No sense spending the money if it’s going to fall apart after the first day on the range.
So on with the show!
Right off the bat is Maverick Arms. Fun fact: a lot of those generic breakfast cereals that you see are made at the same factories as the big name stuff with the same recipes and ingredients. Because you don’t have the marketing and packaging and such, they sell them for less money. That’s Maverick Arms. These are Mossberg 500 shotguns. They’re made on Mossberg 500 machines. They’re made with Mossberg 500 parts and the parts are all interchangeable. The company is even owned by Mossberg. What they don’t have is the super high quality finish or the nice wood stock and all the other options that you get with a Mossberg 500. This is just a simple, inexpensive pump action shotgun for an MSRP of less than $250. I own one of these, by the way. They’re great guns.
Of course, for an MSRP of around $400, you could just go with an actual Mossberg 500. The 500 is arguably one of the most popular pump action shotguns in the country. Actually, it’s probably a toss-up between the Mossberg 500 and the Remington 870 (with the 870 being pretty much the same price as well). If name recognition and history is important to you, then either of these pump actions will do you just fine. Seriously, you really can’t go wrong with these choices.
A company that’s well known for inexpensive shotguns is Stoeger. The company itself is owned by Beretta, based in Germany and imported by way of Maryland. The best thing is the large majority of their shotguns are in the sub $550 range. Not only are they very affordable and high quality for their price but their selection is quite large as well. They even have some great over & under shotguns for those wanting to get started in skeet shooting and their semi-auto shotguns aren’t bad either. The features available are surprising as well, considering the price. These are low price/beginner guns that you can still show off.
If you want something with a more Eastern European accent, a company to look at is CZ-USA. Like Stoeger, this Czech company has a respectable selection of very affordable shotguns as well. As a bonus, CZ handguns are known for having some of the best factory triggers in the market and their other guns are no different. They also have some interesting options with theirs as well. For example, they have some that are designed for people with smaller frames. I know Mrs. Noob was getting a bit annoyed when we had to shop in the youth guns section for her shotgun.
If you don’t want to go with an off brand or import, all the major manufacturers have entry level shotguns available. Beyond the Mossberg 500 and Remington 870, as mentioned above, you can find great deals from Winchester, and many others. For example, the Winchester Model 1200 is another one of those classic guns that you’ll find in farm houses across the country and is a solid pump action shotgun. The reason being because it’s the updated version of the Model 12, which was made from 1912 to 1963. Savage also has its Savage 350 Pump that weighs in at a slim $264 MSRP.
The Benelli Supernova Field just squeezes in at an MSRP of $549 depending on the configuration. If you don’t know the name Benelli, trust me, it’s a good gun. It’s one of those brands that doesn’t even need much in the way of a review. Just say the word “Benelli” and everyone just nods their head and says “oh yeah”.
As mentioned in the last article, if you’re wanting something a bit higher up the food chain, keep your eye on the used rack at your local stores and the local pawn shops. For some reason, shotguns always seem to show up at them. I think it’s usually a result of someone buying a shotgun on the “it’s a magical wand that makes bad guys disappear” advice from some gun store clerk. Then they go out and fire it for the first time and realize “I should have got that 9mm instead”.
Regardless, a shotgun is a great and inexpensive way to bolster your collection and these are just a few options available. Check the comments for more suggestions.
Stay tuned for Part III: Rifles!
Initial image used under Creative Commons License from InAweofGod’sCreation.
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